Dr. Swastika Issar

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Dr. Swastika “Swas” Issar joined the CVIF family as Science-Corps Fellow in school year 2022-2023. Dr. Swas is an Evolutionary Biologist who obtained her Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge, UK. After her Ph.D., she did her Postdoctoral work at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Germany. Earlier, she obtained her M.Sc in Environmental Studies at The Energy and Research Institute (TERI) University, New Delhi, India and B.Sc (Honours) in Biological Sciences and B.Sc (Program) in Life Sciences at the University of Delhi, New Delhi, India. From 2013 to 2016, she worked on various projects at the National Centre for Biological Sciences in Bangalore, India.

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Dr. Swas handled Practical Research 2 for Grade 12 STEM for the first semester. She closely collaborated with CVIF SHS STEM instructors, Dr. Christopher C. Bernido (Ph.D., SUNY, USA, Physics), Dr. Janneli Lea Soria (Ph.D., Earth Science, NTU, Singapore), Ms. Mary Dored Ann D. Cadeliña (BS Chemistry, UP Visayas, cum laude), and Ms. Zecel Grace Peliño, (Visayas State University, BS Biotechnology) for the supervision of research projects of STEM students. Aside from this, she also helped the JAZC Marine Sciences Laboratory, formerly headed by Dr. Janneli Lea Soria, with the DOST-supported project entitled “Marine Mollusc Diversity and Water Quality in Jagna Bay.” She conducted a CVIF-Science Corps Seminar Series in efforts to establish and develop protocols for DNA extraction from molluscs, analyze DNA sequences for DNA Barcoding, and bridge knowledge gaps between taxonomic identification of molluscs and DNA Barcoding.