About the author

Ishita trained in various fields of biology, earning a Master’s in Biophysics from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and a Ph.D. in Behavioral Neuroscience from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Her research focused on mouse models of Down Syndrome and later expanded to building genetic databases for Autism spectrum disorders. 

A shift from lab work to informatics gave her more time outdoors. Living in rural Oklahoma for over a decade, she began birding regularly and volunteered with an avian research center, helping with Bald eagle nest surveys and database upgrades. Travels through the Amazon and rainforests in Central and South America deepened her respect for wildlife and conservation, and sparked a desire to understand the natural heritage of India, where she was born.

Returning to India, she volunteered on a tiger and leopard population study in the Karnataka grasslands. She also worked as a resident naturalist in a remote village in the Western Ghats. These experiences introduced her to the many facets of wildlife research, eco-tourism, and grassroots conservation in India.

To bridge the gap between conservation work and public awareness, Ishita has been writing nature and science stories for magazines for over a decade. She also taught a course on Design Thinking for ecological and urban sustainability at Krea University in Andhra Pradesh. 

She later worked with a Goa-based studio founded by filmmakers Anand Gandhi, Vinay Shukla, and game designer Zain Memon, contributing to a science-fiction and mythology-based universe, designed to reflect and reimagine social, political, and ecological themes of our times.

Author’s Interests

A self-taught artist and photographer, Ishita uses her wildlife photography to inspire her illustrations, especially since wild animals rarely sit still. She has recently taken to “inverting,” the insect-lover’s version of birding, and received the Nagarathna Memorial small grant for a project on the ecological tapestry supporting butterflies in South India. 

She is working on an illustrated speculative fiction book for children that combines her love of insects, science, and storytelling. Her short science fiction for adults has also been published. 

She practices Ashtanga yoga, enjoys classical music, and sings folk and Sufi songs. She draws inspiration from science and speculative fiction writers whose metaphors and explorations explain the complexities of our world.

Connect with Ishita

You can reach Ishita Das on her LinkedIn