Senior Research Affiliates

Avishka Ashok is a Senior Research Affiliate at CEAS, currently coordinating the Student Chapter of the U.S.-India Cooperation Circle (USICC). Avishka is also a doctoral scholar in the Department of International Studies, Political Science, and History. Her thesis focuses on China's climate action goals and the potential for their emulation in India. Her research interests encompass China, climate change, politics in East Asia, and the Chinese language. 

Vaishnavi Joshi is a research affiliate at CEAS, currently pursuing MPhil in Clinical Psychology with research interests in South Asian philosophies, traditional healing practices, integrative healing practices, mental health and well-being, and creating therapeutic models that cater to the needs of the Indian population in a therapeutic setting. 

Dimple Kariya is a Senior Research Affiliate at CEAS and a doctoral scholar at the Department of International Studies, Political Science, and History. As an Internship Coordinator, she facilitates communication with the director and coordinates with the interns. Her research interests include the intersection of sociocultural history, identity, and visual culture. Her research looks at the complex themes of identity with a focus on the South Asian diasporas. Dimple’s journey as a Young India Fellow at Ashoka University played a key role in broadening her worldview. Since then, she has continued to build on this experience to gain a deeper understanding of how identities are formed and evolve in a globalized world. 

Timhna S is a Senior Research Affiliate at CEAS. She currently serves as the Secretary of the Strategic Planning Committee for CEAS and is also a Teaching Assistant at Seoul National University. Timhna is pursuing her doctoral studies at Christ University, Bangalore, with research focused on the linkages between Maoism and religion in South Asia. She has also been a project assistant in the Centre's research projects. Her research interests span various facets of international relations, particularly regional security dynamics, governance systems and socio-economic and structural development. Geographically, her work concentrates on Indo-Pacific, East Asia and South Asia.  

Kriti Chopra Sharma is a Senior Research Affiliate & Project Assistant at CEAS. She is the head for social media engagement and outreach in the Centre. Kritee is an expert participant for the project 'U.S.-India Strategic Partnership: How Does it Matter?' in collaboration with George Washington University (GWU), Washington D.C., and the U.S. Consulate General, Chennai. She is a Doctoral Scholar working on Chinese Nation-Building processes and Minority Identity at Christ University. She has been awarded the prestigious ICSSR Doctoral Fellowship and is now a NASC (Network for Advanced Studies in China) Fellow at Takshashila Foundation where she is working on the ‘Ecological Degradation in Inner Mongolia’. Her research interests include Chinese History, Chinese Nationalism, Minority Identity and Environmental Politics.

Mohammed Sabtain is the Senior Research Affiliate & Project Assistant at CEAS. He is currently pursuing his PhD in International Studies at Christ University, his area of focus is West Asia specifically - Saudi Arabia. His other areas of interest are Indo-Pacific Circle, Defence & National Security. He has worked on various projects at CEAS over the time, to name a few are “Devising a Regional Pedagogy on the Indo-Pacific” & “India-U.S. Relations: The Way Ahead” in collaboration with US Consulate General, Chennai and many others.