Seethapathy G. Saroja, PhD
Pharmacognosist with interests in ethnobotany, plant identification, botanicals trade, and open access.
CV
Research Experience
Post-doctoral fellow
August 2024 - present
My current position is with Fort Valley State University, where I work on detection of Aflatoxin in peanuts
Post-doctoral fellow
January 2021 - January 2024
My second position was with NCNPR, University of Mississippi, USA. I focused on developing HPTLC and NMR fingerprint profiles for medicinal plants.
Post-doctoral fellow
January 2020 - January 2021
My first post doc was in Morgan State University, USA and on my post doc research I worked authentication of plant materials comparatively using morphological, Chemical and DNA based identification.
PhD student
August 2015 - June 2019
I completed my PhD at University of Oslo, Norway, in order to contribute to the developments in pharmacognostic analytical methods; I utilized NMR spectroscopy, DNA barcoding and high-throughput sequencing (DNA metabarcoding) methods and evaluated these methods to authenticate traded Indian medicinal plants and marketed Ayurvedic herbal products. In parallel, I studied and documented the traditional knowledge on dioecious plants occurring in India using ethnobotany and ethnopharmacological approach, and carried out phytochemical characterization of Canarium strictum Roxb. (Burseraceae) and its associated biological activities.
Researcher
August 2013 - July 2015
I worked at Ashoka Trust For Research In Ecology and The Environment, India and I involved in collection, identification and preparation of Herbarium specimens for traded Indian medicinal plants, along with development of DNA barcodes which will act as Standard Barcodes, further I analyzed the extent of adulteration and substitution in herbal raw drugs trade using DNA barcodes which helps to identify the plant groups and their respective plants parts which are prone to adulteration.
Researcher
May 2011 - July 2013
I worked at the University of Trans-Disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology, India and I involved in development of Species-Specific DNA Markers such as Sequence characterized amplified region for the selected Indian medicinal plants.
