Asia’s Rising Scientists: Devapriya Chattopadhyay

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Devapriya Chattopadhyay
Affiliate Professor
Indian Institute of Science Schooling and Analysis
Pune, India

Asian Scientist Journal (Jul. 25, 2023) — Paleontologist Devapriya Chattopadhyay loves information. She research wealthy fossil information of marine creatures, particularly these with calcium carbonate shells that help of their preservation.

A few of these marine teams like seashells additionally exist as we speak, giving scientists a singular alternative to check their fashionable counterparts resembling moon snail and oysters and perceive their conduct. Chattopadhyay’s main analysis query considerations understanding how organisms behave or reply to environmental adjustments. These adjustments may be bodily or associated to organic interactions, influencing conduct and evolution of those animals. To handle these questions, her analysis workforce seems to be on the long-term fossil information, experiments with residing organisms resembling historical seashells and observes their conduct of their pure habitats as we speak.

Chattopadhyay speaks to Asian Scientist Journal about her ardour, challenges of discipline analysis and sustaining fossil information, and the significance of nurturing curiosity.

1. What excites you most about your analysis?

There may be by no means a boring second! I’m always testing new concepts and approaches. Earlier than beginning, I typically don’t know if the reply even exists, however the journey of exploring and designing experiments to seek out the reply is what excites me essentially the most.

2. What are you engaged on today?

My group and I are presently specializing in a number of broad themes. One space of curiosity is knowing how the seaway connections influence the distribution of organisms worldwide. As an illustration, the Arabian Sea borders India to the east and Africa and the Arabian Peninsula to the west. Nonetheless, round 30 million years in the past, this water physique continued all the best way to Mediterranean Sea. It was referred to as Tethyan seaway. We’re investigating how the event of landforms, separating a single seaway into two distinct waterbodies, led to adjustments in species distribution amongst marine organisms. To do that, we examine the modern-day distribution patterns and observe adjustments via time to see how these organisms developed within the separated water our bodies.

3. What challenges you face in your analysis?

There are numerous. One vital problem is that I belong to a comparatively small tutorial neighborhood, which makes it important to hunt collaborations and interactions to nurture new concepts actively. Nonetheless, the pandemic has taught us the worth of digital interactions, permitting us to attach with colleagues worldwide regardless of geographical limitations.

One other problem is expounded to logistics. My analysis requires a considerable assortment of fossils. Sadly, India lacks a devoted Pure Historical past Museum the place such collections may be preserved and appropriately curated. Current collections are scattered throughout numerous institutes and universities; some threat being misplaced or not appropriately maintained after the accountable individuals retire. Moreover, many fossil-rich discipline websites usually are not underneath strict safety, resulting in potential destruction on account of growth tasks.

Moreover, restricted funding alternatives in India for analysis that entails worldwide visits hinder our potential to entry and examine collections in international museums. Lastly, conducting fieldwork in distant and even city areas may be difficult, notably for a single researcher who shouldn’t be male.

4. What concerning the collections in museums, just like the Indian Museum in Kolkata and different government-run museums?

The construction of the museum is essential. Pure Historical past Museums, just like the Subject Museum in Chicago and the Smithsonian, have reveals for public show and an in depth curated assortment of specimens accessible to researchers. These museums are concerned in lively analysis, always including to their collections via new analysis applications and correct curation.

Sadly, many Indian museums don’t comply with fashionable curation practices, resulting in insufficient upkeep and accessibility of essential collections. This leads to priceless fossils being separated from their corresponding data tags, making it tough to make the most of them successfully for analysis functions. Bettering the preservation and accessibility of present collections must be a precedence to deal with this main downside.

5. Have you ever just lately collaborated with international institutes? How was that have?

One exceptional collaboration we began throughout the pandemic was with researchers from all around the world. Particularly, two researchers from Germany and the UK approached me. They had been desirous about understanding the function of bias in paleontological analysis, notably within the international database of fossil information, such because the Paleobiology Database (PBDB). Researchers worldwide use this database to reconstruct deep-time biodiversity. They requested whether or not we’ve got thought-about the paleobiology database information are well-distributed throughout completely different international locations.

By way of our collaboration, we investigated particular situations of bias. We discovered that the Paleobiology database has a poor illustration of the information from international locations with low GDP and people with a troubled colonial historical past. Which means that our understanding of worldwide historical past and the way life has modified over tens of millions of years is derived from information collected primarily from a couple of chosen locations. This bias arises as a result of the database gathers information from printed literature, and publication charges are sometimes influenced by a rustic’s stage of training, economics, and colonial historical past.

We performed this collaboration via Zoom conferences and wrote a paper printed in Nature Ecology and Evolution. It was an fascinating and fruitful endeavor the place we didn’t know one another initially and by no means met in individual till just lately after the paper was printed. I think about this collaboration as a excessive level throughout the pandemic, demonstrating that it’s potential to attach with folks even with out bodily conferences.

6. What would your recommendation be for younger ladies who aspire to turn into paleobiologists such as you?

Turning into a paleobiologist is a various path with many prospects. Nonetheless, the widespread driving drive for scientists is curiosity. If a teenager has a powerful curiosity about nature usually, it may very well be an early signal that paleobiology may very well be an appropriate alternative for them.

I really feel, you will need to aspire to turn into unbiased whatever the gender. Independence is essential for achievement in any discipline, together with paleobiology. Nonetheless, it comes with the value of generally discovering your self alone and being comfy with that solitude. I’ve noticed that profitable girls in science typically possess this mix of curiosity and independence; they provide us power to pursue careers that aren’t usually thought-about choices for girls. So, my recommendation could be to nurture curiosity and develop a powerful sense of independence, no matter their chosen path.

7. What would you’ve gotten pursued in the event you had not turn into a scientist?

If I had not turn into a scientist, I might have pursued a profession in speaking concepts. This might contain educating or science communication. I can’t consider some other particular various as a result of my publicity was not in depth sufficient to discover completely different profession paths. From the second I turned aware of what I wished to do with my life, pursuing a profession in science felt pure to me. Whereas there are numerous different issues I’m desirous about, they’re extra from a distance, and I by no means thought-about them as potential careers. So, I consider that turning into a scientist was at all times what I wished to do.

8. What do you do exterior of labor to loosen up?

I don’t get a lot time to loosen up, however I’ve a couple of factors of curiosity. Firstly, I take pleasure in studying books exterior of my analysis and tutorial pursuits. Secondly, I’m keenly desirous about music, notably Hindustani classical music, though I can not carry out myself. I take pleasure in strolling, climbing, and spending time with my daughter. Watching her develop additionally permits me to reconnect with my childhood, which is immensely satisfying.

9. As a lady pursuing analysis, what do you assume authorities insurance policies can do to assist extra girls keep in STEM?

Authorities insurance policies can play a major function in supporting girls within the STEM, however these insurance policies have to be successfully applied. For instance, insurance policies associated to day-care amenities are essential, however they have to be accompanied by monetary and infrastructural help to ascertain purposeful day-cares. It shouldn’t solely depend on the involvement and curiosity of particular person school members. The federal government is accountable for implementing insurance policies and offering the mandatory assets.

One other facet is the purpose of accelerating variety in institutes, together with gender illustration and illustration from numerous backgrounds. Implementing such targets may be difficult, requiring cautious consideration and energy to make sure they’re successfully translated into actual outcomes. Merely stating the purpose shouldn’t be sufficient; proactive steps have to be taken to attain true variety and inclusivity.

10. Lastly, what recommendation would you give aspiring paleobiologists in Asia?

From a paleobiologist’s perspective, I might say that the definition of paleobiology is continually increasing, notably in as we speak’s world. Paleontology is now not restricted to the examine of fossils, and it will possibly provide distinctive insights that may assist deal with main environmental and biodiversity points. Paleobiology supplies a glimpse into how life has interacted with the atmosphere over lengthy intervals and enormous spatial scales, that are past the scope of latest experiments. So, if aspiring researchers in Asia are captivated with these topics, I might encourage them to think about paleobiology as a discipline of examine.

(Responses are edited for size and readability).

This text is from an everyday sequence referred to as Asia’s Rising Scientists. Click on right here to learn different articles within the sequence.

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