Srinagar, July 21: Two researchers from Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K) have secured the coveted Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) National Post-Doctoral Fellowships, among India's most competitive funding programmes for early-career scientists, for pioneering research on crop disease resistance and next-generation diabetic wound care.
The fellowships have been awarded to Dr. Aasiya Nabi and Dr. Sofi Imtiyaz Ali for high-impact translational research in plant pathology and regenerative medicine, respectively, further strengthening SKUAST-K's growing research footprint across agricultural and biomedical sciences.
Dr. Aasiya Nabi, an alumna of the Division of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Horticulture, and a former Nehru–Fulbright Doctoral Fellow at Kansas State University, USA, received the fellowship for her project, "Dissection of Race-Specific Resistance in the Phaseolus vulgaris–Colletotrichum lindemuthianum Pathosystem: Insights from Race 73 and Co-12 Interaction." Having completed her Master's and Ph.D. at SKUAST-K under the supervision of Dr. Bilal A. Padder, Professor of Plant Pathology, she will investigate the molecular mechanisms of bean anthracnose resistance. The study aims to identify race-73-specific effector proteins and validate their interaction with the Co-12 resistance gene, generating insights that could accelerate the development of disease-resistant bean varieties.
In biomedical engineering, Dr. Sofi Imtiyaz Ali secured the two-year ANRF fellowship under the mentorship of Dr. Showkat Ul Nabi, Deputy Director Research, SKUAST-K, for his project, "Smart Bioactive Wound Dressing Engineered from Earthworm Granulation Scaffold and Multifunctional Therapeutic Cocktail for Diabetic Ulcer Healing." The project seeks to develop an indigenous bioengineered wound dressing that combines an earthworm-derived tissue scaffold with multifunctional therapeutics to promote tissue regeneration, prevent infections and provide a cost-effective, clinically scalable solution for chronic diabetic wounds.
Congratulating the awardees and their mentors, Vice Chancellor Prof. Nazir Ahmad Ganai described the twin achievement as a testament to SKUAST-K's vibrant research ecosystem and growing national standing in scientific innovation.
"Securing two prestigious ANRF National Post-Doctoral Fellowships across distinct scientific disciplines reflects SKUAST-K's growing national prominence and our commitment to nurturing talent capable of solving complex challenges in agriculture, veterinary science and human healthcare," he said.
Prof. Ganai also congratulated Dr. Aasiya Nabi, Dr. Sofi Imtiyaz Ali, Dr. Bilal A. Padder and Dr. Showkat Ul Nabi, noting that the projects exemplify the University's vision of translating fundamental research into scalable solutions with societal and industrial impact.
