COIMBATORE: A Chennai-based organisation recently conferred the 'Women World Scientific Forum Achievement Award' on Ms. Kirubanandhini Coimbatore-based researcher at the Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON).
The young researcher is currently working in the field of bird toxicology. Mind Next Organisation recently formed its 'World Scientific Forum' and as part of the inception, its aim is to help deserving women to apply for and receive grants for their respective research projects.
The seeds of giving back to the society were sown in the 32-year-old Kirubanandhini when she was a kid. "Back then my uncle would encourage me to identify problems that our society is facing and he motivated me to find feasible solutions for them." the junior researcher said.
Currently, she is burning the candle at both ends to meet her deadline to submit her PhD thesis which involves assessing heavy metals using birds as indicator species. For her research project, she travelled extensively to several parts of Gujarat, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu. Her on-going research involves performing an autopsy on birds to determine the percentage of harmful chemicals, pesticides and heavy metals found in the bird's body.
According to her, identifying the level of toxins in birds is the first step of the problem, only an in-depth research in this direction can bring about a solution to the trouble. The young researcher has plans to become a scientist, to find solutions for the most common environmental issues the country is now facing.
