Vasudha Sangoji, a doctoral scholar from the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Hyderabad (UoH), was awarded Second Prize in the Oral Presentation category at the National Symposium on “Harnessing Plant Genetic Resources of Peninsular India (NSPPI 2026),” hosted by ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru. Her presentation illuminated the molecular phylogenetics, divergence times, and historical biogeography of endemic Barleria (Acanthaceae), revealing how ancient climatic aridification events shaped lineage diversification and current distribution patterns.
Discussing phylogenomics at the Genomics India Conference 2026, Bengaluru.
Prior to this honor, she showcased her genomics research at the 6th Genomics India Conference (GIC 2026) in Bengaluru. Her poster presentation highlighted comparative plastome analyses across endemic Acanthaceae lineages, identifying conserved genomic regions and providing high-resolution molecular markers to resolve longstanding taxonomic ambiguities.
Carried out under the mentorship of Dr. S. Siddharthan at UoH, the research was conducted in collaboration with Prof. S. R. Yadav’s team at Shivaji University, Kolhapur, who provided essential plant specimens. These dual findings provide valuable evolutionary and genomic frameworks to prioritize the conservation of threatened flora across Peninsular India.