Vartika Mathur

Vartika Mathur (27 August 1979, New Delhi, India) is an assistant professor in the Department of Zoology, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi. Dr. Mathur was the only Indian to have received the prestigious NFP fellowship in 2008 from Nuffic - an organization in partnership with Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (Netherlands) and Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This fellowship enabled her to pursue a PhD in Wageningen University and Research Centre, the Netherlands, under the supervision of Professors Louise Vet and Nicole van Dam. She worked in the Netherlands and India for four years and was awarded a PhD in 2012.

Dr. Mathur was awarded the European Mobility grant for International Laureates by the International Doctoral College of the European University of Brittany (CDI-UEB) in 2010 to perform research in University of Rennes, France. She has been awarded the "Young scientist of the year award 2015" in the field of chemical ecology by the International Foundation of Environment and Ecology. Dr. Mathur is the host supervisor for a six-month Research Training Fellowship for Developing Country Scientists (RTF-DCS) for Melesse Anjulo Tora (2014-2015) from Ethiopia and Jean Augustin Rubabura Kituta (2015-2016) from DRC Congo funded by NAM S&T Centre. Dr. Mathur has been running independent animal-plant interactions research lab since 2011 at Sri Venkateswara College and has supervised four research projects (one ongoing) as principal investigator and two projects as co-investigator (one ongoing) since 2008. Dr. Mathur has several publications in various international and national peer-reviewed journals, with a total impact of 17.66. She has authored an ecology book for undergraduate students. She has given oral and poster presentations in several international and national conferences and symposiums. She has been the associate editor for Biojournal since 2013 and a reviewer in several international journals of high repute.

• 2018: Guleria, R. (Indian PI) and Mathur, V. (Indian co-PI); Gupta, R. (US PI) and Bilaver, L. (US Co-PI). Awarded a grant to conduct “Indo-US Symposium on Allergy and Asthma“ by Indo-US Science and Technology forum (IUSSTF) to be held in December 2018 at New Delhi.
• 2018-2021: Mathur, V. “Temporal synchrony of plant and its endophytes in insect stress responses” Early Career Research Award (ECRA) by SERB, DST.
• 2016: Indo- Congo collaboration as one of the twenty Indian PhD supervisors for the year 2014–15 to host Mr. Rubabura Kituta Jean Augustin, a researcher from DRC Congo under the scheme on Research Training Fellowship for Developing Country Scientists (RTF-DCS) by NAM S&T Centre.
• 2015: Indo-Ethiopian collaboration as one of the twenty Indian PhD supervisors for the year 2014–15 to host Mr. Melesse Anjulo Tora, an Ethiopian PhD student who was among 144 eligible candidates from 33 developing countries under the scheme on Research Training Fellowship for Developing Country Scientists (RTF-DCS) by NAM S&T Centre.
• 2015-2016: Pasricha, S., Shukla, S., Gehlot, P. & Mathur, V. "Targeting environmental sustainability in Industrial waste water and soil treatment through phytoremediation with Calendula Officinalis in Bhiwadi Industrial Area" Innovation Project by University of Delhi.
• 2014-2017: Mathur, V. "Fortification of Indian mustard by growth promoting bacteria through priming" Start-up research grant for Young Scientists by SERB, DST.
• 2011- 2014: Mathur, V. "Induced response of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) - an ecogenomic approach" UGC Major Research Project.
• 2010: Received travel award to give oral presentation on "Temporal patterns of induced plant responses and their effects on multitrophic interactions" at the ISCE annual meeting held on 31 July-4 August 2010 in I.R.B.I.-CNRS- University of Tours, France.
• April to August 2010: Received the European Mobility grant for International laureates by the International Doctoral College of the European University of Brittany (CDI-UEB) to perform part of my PhD-research under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Anne Marie Cortesero, Department of Insect Ecobiology at the University of Rennes, France.
• 2008-2010: Pardha Saradhi, P., Prasad, N.V.S.R.K. and Mathur, V. "Induced response of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) and its effect on Tobacco cutworm (Spodoptera litura)" UGC Major Research Project.
• 2008-2012: Mathur, V. "Temporal dynamics of molecular, chemical and morphological induced responses in Indian Mustard (Brassica juncea)". NFP, The Netherlands.

Dr Vartika Mathur is very active in the field of publication as well, she has contributed to 11 papers, 3 books and 7 Chapters and one patent.

Following are recent publications :

• Sharma G., Rahul, Guleria R. and Mathur V. (2019). Differences in plant metabolites and microbes associated with Azadirachta indica with variation in air pollution. Environmental Pollution (In press). DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113595. (ISSN no. 0269-7491).
• Kituta, J.A.R., Sharma G. and Mathur, V.* (2019). Effect of environmentally sustainable microbial fertilizer on Insect-induced plant responses. Environment Conservation Journal 20(3): 1-11. (ISSN no. 0972-3099).
• Sharma G, Anjulo MT and Mathur, V.* (2019). Microbial fertilizer improves constitutive and induced resistance of tomato against a generalist insect. International Journal of Zoology and Animal Biology 2(1): 000135.
• van Dam, N.M., Wondafrash, M., Mathur, V. and Tytgat, T.O.G. (2018). Differences in hormonal signaling triggered by two root-feeding nematode species result in contrasting effects on aphid population growth. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 6: 88 (doi: 10.3389/fevo.2018.00088).
• Mathur V. and Sharma G. (2016). Do microbial fertilizers increase immunity in Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) against insects?  Natural resource management: Ecological perspectives: Vol.2. Proceedings of the Indian Ecological society International Conference, Sher-e-kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu (SKUAST), India, 716. ( ISBN 978-93-5254-337-3).
• Rai A., Imran, Tora M.A., Sharma G., Azerefegne F. and Mathur V.* (2016). Effect of phosphate solubilizing bacteria on constitutive and induced responses of tomato (Lycopersicum esculantum) against tobacco cutworm (Spodoptera litura Fab) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Natural resource management:  Ecological perspectives: Vol.2. Proceedings of the Indian Ecological Society International Conference, Sher-e-kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu (SKUAST), India, 759. ( ISBN 978-93-5254-337-3).
• Mathur, V., Tytgat, T.O.G., Reddy, A.S., Vet, L.E.M. and van Dam, N.M. (2014). Temporal specificity in insect- induced responses of Brassica juncea (Brassicaceae). Biojournal 9: 1-21. (ISSN no. 0970-9444).
• Mathur, V., Tytgat, T.O.G., Hordijk, C.A., Harhangi, H.R., Jansen, J.J., Reddy, A.S., Harvey, J.A., Vet, L.E.M. and van Dam, N.M. (2013). An ecogenomic analysis of herbivore 1.    induced plant volatiles in Brassica juncea. Molecular Ecology 22 (24): 6179–6196.(ISSN no. 1365-294X).
• Mathur, V., Wagenaar, R., Caissard, J.C., Reddy, A.S., Vet, L.E.M., Cortesero, A.M. and van Dam, N.M. (2013). A novel indirect defence in Brassicaceae: Structure and function of extrafloral nectaries in Brassica juncea. Plant, Cell and Environment 36 (3): 528–541. (Cover page article of the issue). (ISSN no. 1365-3040).
• Mathur, V., Tytgat, T.O.G., de Graaf, R., Kalia, V., Reddy, A.S., Vet, L.E.M. and van Dam, N.M. (2013). Dealing with double trouble: Consequences of single and double herbivory in Brassica juncea. Chemoecology 23: 71–82. [ISSN no. 0937-7409 (Print) 1423-0445 (Online)].
• Mathur, V., Ganta, S., Raaijmakers, C. E., Reddy, A. S., Vet, L. E. M. & van Dam, N. M. (2011) Temporal dynamics of herbivore-induced responses in Brassica juncea and their effect on generalist and specialist herbivores. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 139(3): 215–225.(ISSN no. 1570-7458).
• Qiu, B., Liu, L., Li, X-Xi., Mathur, V., Qin, Z-Q. and Ren, S-X. (2009). Genetic mutations associated with chemical resistance in the cytochrome P450 genes of invasive and native Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) populations in China. Insect Science 16: 237–245.(ISSN no. 1744-7917).
• Qiu, B., Chen, Y.P., Liu, L., Peng, W.L., Li, X.X., Ahmed, M.Z., Mathur, V., Du, Y.Z. and Ren, S.X. (2009). Identification of three major Bemisia tabaci biotypes in China based on morphological and DNA polymorphisms. Progress in Natural Science 19: 713–718. [ISSN no. 1002-0071 (Print), 1745-5391 (Online)].

Books:

• Pandey, B.N. and Mathur, V. (2018). Biology of chordates. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi, India. ISBN 978-9387472143.
• Mathur, V. (2012). Temporal dynamics of induced responses in Brassica juncea. PhD thesis, Wageningen University, Wageningen, NL, with references, and summaries in Dutch and English. ISBN 978-94-6173-308-5.
• Mathur, V. (2010). Environmental Ecology and Field Biology: Applied aspects. IK Publishing House, New Delhi, India. ISBN 9789380578224.

Book chapters and e-chapters:

• Mathur V.* and Sharma, G. (2019). Endosymbionts of Plants and Marine organisms: A Search for Lung Cancer Drug. Proceedings of International Workshop on Drug Development from Herbs and Marine Medicinal Materials (accepted).
• Guleria, R., Mathur V.* and Dhanuka, A. (2019). Health effects of changing environment. In Peshin R. and Dhawan A.K. (eds) Natural Resource Management: Ecological Perspectives, Springer International Publishing, Switzerland AG. pp 95-108. doi: 978-3-319-99767-4.
• Mathur, V.*, Javid, L., Kulshrestha, S., Mandal, A., Reddy, A.A. (2017). World cultivation of genetically modified crops: Opportunities and risks. In Lichtfouse E. (ed) Sustainable Agriculture Reviews. Springer International Publishing, Cham, pp 45–87. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-58679-3_2.
• Mathur, V.* and Tytgat, T.O.G. (2016). Plant parasitic nematodes. E-chapter of the paper ‘Biology of Parasitism’ in the online postgraduate course prepared for NME-ICT, MHRD, Govt. of India.
• Mathur, V.* and Tytgat, T.O.G. (2016). Nematode plant interaction. E-chapter of the paper ‘Biology of Parasitism’ in the online postgraduate course prepared for NME-ICT, MHRD, Govt. of India.

Dr. Mathur has a research experience of more than 15 years in the field of insect-plant-microbe interactions. She has been running independent research lab (Animal-Plant-Interactions Lab) since 2011 with major research grants obtained from various National and International grants by government and private organisations like SERB, UGC, NAM S&T Centre, University of Delhi, Nuffic, Eureka Forbes and PI industries.

She is also a recognised Independent PhD supervisor from Department of Zoology, University of Delhi and has been a supervisor for 13 Bachelors, 6 Masters Students for summer/winter training; 4 Masters Dissertations, one JRF/SRF and 3 International doctoral and post doctoral students since 2014. She is also the research advisor for Department of Pulmonary Medicine and Sleep Disorders, AIIMS, New Delhi. She is invited Speaker and resource person for research methodology for various Institutions. She is also the Associate editor for Biojournal, member of International Society of Chemical Ecology(ISCE) and reviewer in International journals of high repute.

Dr Mathur has a teaching experience of more than 16 years, she started her career as an assistant professor in 2003 at Daulat Ram College, University of Delhi. She then moved to Sri Venkateswara College and has been teaching there since as Assistant Professor, in the Department of Zoology.

Dr. Mathur is a very proactive Scientist and has been into various extramural and administrative activities. She has presented posters and given oral presentations at various national and international forums. Apart from this, she has been a resource person for many workshops and seminars as well.