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Dr. Sumeet Gairola
Principal Scientist
Plant Sciences and Agrotechnology Division (PSA)
CSIR – Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine,Canal Road, Jammu – 180001
Email: sumeetgairola@iiim.res.in
Bio Sketch
Dr. Sumeet Gairola is a plant scientist with over 10 years of post-doctoral research experience in the field of taxonomy and ecology of Western Himalayan flora. His work is focused on understanding the effects of altitude, slope aspects, and anthropogenic disturbances on the flora, species composition, regeneration, biomass, and carbon stocks of different forest types of Western Himalaya. He has extensively worked on the RET medicinal and aromatic plants of the region, and ethnomedicinal plants used by various indigenous communities of Western Himalaya. He has published more than 65 research papers in various national and international journals. He has handled two industry projects, and six other research projects received from various funding agencies viz., UGC, CSIR, and DST. He is a nodal scientist of CSIR-Aroma Mission and co-nodal scientist of CSIR-Phytopharmaceutical Mission from CSIR-IIIM, Jammu. Under CSIR-Aroma Mission, as a nodal scientist from CSIR-IIIM, Jammu, he has managed the extension of some high-value aromatic crops on 1850 ha area benefiting more than 2000 farmers at various locations throughout the country. His current research interests include:
- Systematics of Western Himalayan flora.
- Evaluation of morphological and genetic diversity of wild Cannabis and wild Rosa germplasm from Western Himalaya, India.
- Botanical standardization of Herbal drugs used in Indian Systems of Medicine (ISM).
- Ethnomedicinal plants used by indigenous communities of Western Himalaya.
- Effects of climate change on Western Himalayan flora.
- Ecology and conservation biology of Rare, Endangered, and Threatened (RET) medicinal plants.
- Industrially relevant high value Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (agro-technology development and technology transfer to farmers).
Education
| Degree | Subjects | University | Qualifying Year |
| Doctor of Philosophy (D.Phil.) | Botany | HNB Garhwal University (A Central University), Srinagar Garhwal, Uttarakhand, India | 2010 |
| Master of Science (M.Sc.) | Environmental Botany | Hamdard University, Delhi, India | 2004 |
| Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) | Botany (Hons) | University of Delhi, Delhi, India | 2002 |
Position Held
| Position Held | Period | Organization |
| Principal Scientist | Nov 2020- Present | CSIR-IIIM, Jammu, India |
| Senior Scientist | Nov 2016 – Nov 2020 | CSIR-IIIM, Jammu, India |
| Scientist | Nov 2012 – Nov 2016 | CSIR-IIIM, Jammu, India |
| UGC Dr. D.S. Kothari Post-doctoral fellow | Jan 2012 – Nov 2012 | University of Delhi, Delhi, India |
Area of Expertise
Botany, biodiversity conservation, plant ecology, plant systematics, botanical standardization of raw herbal drugs, bioprospection, climate change research in the Western Himalaya, Ethnomedicine.
Projects
- Collection of plant resources from selected ecological niches for novel bioactivities.
- CSIR-Aroma Mission Phase-2.
- Advance Phase of industry-sponsored CIPA Herbal Dengue product project (Ms/- Sun Pharma)
- Morphological and biochemical assessment of selected Cannabisgenotypes at CSIR-IIIM (Ms/- Boheco)
Publications
| Authors | Title | Journal |
| Singh, K.; Sharma, Y.P.; Gairola, S. | Morphological characterization of wild Rosa L. germplasm from the Western Himalaya, India. | Euphytica (2020), 216: 41. [DOI: 10.1007/s10681-020-2567-2]. |
| Singh, K.; Sharma, Y.P.; Gairola. S. | Pollen morphology and variability of the Rosa L. species of Western Himalaya in India. | Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution (2020), [DOI: 10.1007/s10722-020-00967-8]. |
| Aatif Rashid, Villayat Ali, Manu Khajuria, Sheenam Faiz, Sumeet Gairola, Dhiraj Vyas. | GC-MS based metabolomic approach to understand nutraceutical potential of Cannabis seeds from two different environments. | Food Chemistry, 2020 339: 128076
|
| Gupta, N.; Qayum, A.; Raina, A.; Shankar, R.; Gairola, S.; Singh, S.; Sangwan, P.L. | Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel bavachinin analogs as anticancer agents. | European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry (2018), 145: 511-523. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2018.01.006]. |
| Mahajan, V.; Rather, I.A.; Awasthi, P.; Anand, R.; Gairola, S.; Meena, S.R.; Bedi, Y.S.; Gandhi, S.G. | Development of chemical and EST-SSR markers for Ocimum genus. | Industrial Crops and Products (2015), 63: 65-70. [DOI: 10.1016/j.indcrop.2014.10.052]. |
| Gairola, S.; Sharma, J.; Bedi, Y.S. | A cross-cultural analysis of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh (India) medicinal plant use. | Journal of Ethnopharmacology (2014), 155(2): 925-986. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2014.06.029]. |
| Sharma, J.; Gairola, S.; Sharma, Y.P.; Gaur, R.D. | Ethnomedicinal plants used to treat skin diseases by Tharu community of district Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand, India. | Journal of Ethnopharmacology (2014), 158(Part A): 140-206. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2014.10.004]. |
| Gairola, S.; Sharma, J.; Gaur, R.D.; Painuli, R.M.; Siddiqi, T.O. | Plants used for treatment of dysentery and diarrhoea by the Bhoxa community of district Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India. | Journal of Ethnopharmacology (2013), 150(3): 989-1006. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2013.10.007]. |
| Sharma, J.; Gairola, S.; Gaur, R.D.; Painuli, R.M.; Siddiqi, T.O. | Ethnomedicinal plants used for treating epilepsy by indigenous communities of Sub-Himalayan region of Uttarakhand, India. | Journal of Ethnopharmacology (2013), 150(1): 353-370. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2013.08.052]. |
| Sharma, J.; Gairola, S.; Gaur, R.D.; Painuli, R.M. | The treatment of jaundice with medicinal plants in indigenous communities of the Sub-Himalayan region of Uttarakhand, India. | Journal of Ethnopharmacology (2012), 143(1): 262-291. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2012.06.034]. |
| Gairola, S.; Sharma, C.M.; Ghildiyal, S.K.; Suyal, S. | Live tree biomass and carbon variation along an altitudinal gradient in moist temperate valley slopes of the Garhwal Himalaya (India). | Current Science (2011), 100(12): 1862-1870. |
| Sharma, C.M.; Baduni, N.P.; Gairola, S.; Ghildiyal, S.K.; Suyal, S. | Tree diversity and carbon stocks of some major forest types of Garhwal Himalaya, India. | Forest Ecology and Management (2010), 260(12): 2170-2179. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2010.09.014]. |
Awards and Honours
- Ultra International Team Award at International Congress of Essential Oils held in Bengaluru from 3rd to 5th August 2018 for the innovative and meaningful efforts towards promotion of cultivation and processing of aromatic crops for improving the production of essential oils in India and for enhancing the income of large numbers of farmers under CSIR-Aroma Mission. Received as a Co-Nodal of CSIR-Aroma Mission from CSIR-IIIM, Jammu.
- National Environmental Sciences Academy (NESA) “Scientist of the Year Award 2016” in XXIX Annual Conference of National Environmental Science Academy, held on 19-20 November 2016 at University Auditorium, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India.
- Received “Outstanding Performance Award” at National Conference on Food Security issues and Environmental Challenges for Indian Agriculture in the Next Decades held on 19-20 November 2016 at University Auditorium, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India.
An awardee of the “Scientist Assistance Program (SAP),” designed to offer scientists from developing countries financial assistance to participate in the XXIII International Union of Forestry Research Organizations (IUFRO) World Congress held at COEX in Seoul, South Korea on 22nd to 28th August 2010.
Students
| Photo | Name | Area of Interest | Position |
 |
Kanwaljeet Singh | Evaluation of morphological, palynological and genetic diversity of wild Rosa germplasm from Western Himalaya, India | SRF |
 |
Pankaj Kumar | Botanical standardization and molecular authentication of important raw plant drugs (RPDs) from Western Himalaya, India. | SRF |
 |
Zohra Batool | Cross-cultural studies on the ethnomedicinal plants used by indigenous communities of UT of Ladakh, India. | JRF |
 |
Javaid Fayaz Lone | Evaluation of morphological and genetic diversity of wild Cannabis germplasm from Western Himalaya, India. | Project Assistant-II |
Past Students
- Sheetal Bhat, Project Assistant-II (2018-2020).
- Bushan Kumar, Project Assistant-II (2018-2020).
- Anil Raina, Project Assistant-II (2017-2019).
- Sushil Kumar, SRF (2013-2017).
- Nikita Sachdev, B.Tech, NIT, Srinagar, Trainee (2016).
- Mridul Prashar, Arni University, Kangra, M.Sc. Plant Biotechnology, Trainee (2015).
- Priya Pandit, Shoolini University, HP, Bachelor of Technology in Biotechnology, Trainee (2014).