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Shashank Balakrishna |
About
My interest in the biological sciences fortuitously grew from lamenting anthropocentrism at an early age. I found that the mere belief, the assumption that humankind is morally privileged to dominate this planet as a species, quite unsettling. Of course, the dismal outlook to this human-centered ideology is shared by many. The distinguished Texas scientist - Dr. Eric R. Pianka, whom I admire the most, succinctly condemns anthropocentrism. He tells a story of how his neighbour once asked him, "what good are the lizards that you study?". He replies, "what good are you?". We are failing to address the catastrophic outcomes of the current rate of global environmental change and destruction. My research is aimed at the cause-consequence relationship of human impact on the survival of reptiles, amphibians and birds.
Through my undergraduate and graduate studies, I have been investigating the coping mechanisms of urban-adapter species thriving well in areas of high anthropogenic disturbance. In particular, I employ a comparative approach across different landscapes to understand the ecology and life history particularities of urban-adapter species. In addition, I strongly focus on the natural history of reptiles, amphibians and birds. I believe that natural history in ecology is vital for biodiversity conservation. For my postgraduate studies, I take on an integrative approach to investigate the decline of raptors across agricultural landscapes in the United Kingdom.
Through my undergraduate and graduate studies, I have been investigating the coping mechanisms of urban-adapter species thriving well in areas of high anthropogenic disturbance. In particular, I employ a comparative approach across different landscapes to understand the ecology and life history particularities of urban-adapter species. In addition, I strongly focus on the natural history of reptiles, amphibians and birds. I believe that natural history in ecology is vital for biodiversity conservation. For my postgraduate studies, I take on an integrative approach to investigate the decline of raptors across agricultural landscapes in the United Kingdom.
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EDUCATION AND TRAINING
2018 - Present PhD in Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences Nottingham Trent University 2017 MSc in Biology (orientation Herpetology) Vrije Universiteit Brussel 2014 BSc in Zoology, Botany and Chemistry St. Josephs College Other training 2012 - 2014; 2017 - 2018 Intern; Project assistant Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science 2015 Summer intern Universiteit Antwerpen |
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