Krithika Yogeeswaran

24 Tuirau Place

Ilam, Christchurch 8041

Email: krithika.yogeeswaran@gmail.com or K.Yogeeswaran@math.canterbury.ac.nz

Website: http://www.math.canterbury.ac.nz/~k.yogeeswaran/

Educational Background:

1998-2005 Cornell University (Ithaca, NY, USA)

Doctor of Philosophy, Plant Biology

[Concentration: Plant Genetics, Plant Molecular Biology, and Plant Breeding]

Department of Plant Biology

1996-1998 University of Madras (Madras, India)

Master of Science, Plant Sciences

Center for Advanced Studies in Botany

1993-1996 Queen Mary’s College (affiliated to the University of Madras, India)

Bachelor of Science, Botany

Department of Botany

Current Employment:

2009 Lecturer (Fixed-Term): School of Biological Sciences, University of

Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand (Physical Address: 447 von Haast Building; Phone Number: +64 3 364-2987 ext. 7042).

and

2009 Volume Editor: For a volume entitled ‘Arabidopsis’ In Genetics, Genomics

and Breeding of Crop Plants (Series Editor: Kole, C) Science Publishers, Inc.

NJ, USA.

Research Experience:

2005 Postdoctoral Associate. Employers: June and Mikhail Nasrallah. Department of Plant Biology. Cornell University, USA.

Project I: Isolation and sequencing of orthologs of candidate rapidly evolving genes across crucifer species.

Project II: Co-evolution of SRK and SCR in the Brassicaceae.

1998-2005 Doctoral Student. Dissertation title: Investigations on the Adaptive Evolution of Genomes and Genes in the Brassicaceae

Advisors: Mikhail and June Nasrallah. Department of Plant Biology. Cornell University, USA.

1996-1998 Master’s Student. Thesis title: Interaction of Native Soil VAM Flora with Pisolithus tinctorius Inoculated Seedlings of Eucalyptus tereticornis

Advisor: K. Narayanan. Center for Advanced Studies in Botany. University of Madras, Madras (Chennai), India.

Teaching Experience:

Lecturer (Fixed Term) School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, NZ

2009 BIOL 252: Plant Organization and Physiology (Lecture class)

Prepared lecture notes and lecture slides and delivered 6 lectures on plant

hormones, plant movements and flowering [Other duties: preparing online instruction material, holding office hours, setting exams, and grading]

Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Plant Biology, Cornell University, USA

2002-2005 Taught laboratory techniques, use of computational and biostatistical tools and programs and helped mentor undergraduate, rotation and junior graduate students in the lab

Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of Plant Biology, Cornell University, USA

Fall 1998 & BIOPL 347: Molecular Biology & Genetic Engineering of Plants (Lab Class)

Fall 2002 Proctored and graded exams and held pre-exam review sections for lecture class (BIOPL 343), prepared and taught weekly laboratory classes, led laboratory discussions, held weekly office hours, graded lab reports, set, proctored and graded final examination

Spring 2000 BIOPL 242: Plant Physiology (Lecture Class)

Gave two guest lectures on plant molecular biology, recorded lectures on tape, helped set-up and maintain class website, conducted weekly discussion sections, held weekly office hours and pre-exam review sessions, set, proctored and graded examinations

Fall 1999 BIOPL 241: Introductory Botany (Lab Class)

Proctored and graded exams for lecture class (BIOPL 240), taught weekly lab classes, led laboratory discussions, set and graded weekly lab quizzes, held weekly office hours.

Spring 1999 BIOPL 244: Plant Physiology (Lab Class)

Proctored and graded exams for lecture (BIOPL 242) and lab class, taught weekly lab classes, led laboratory discussions, graded weekly lab reports, held weekly office hours.

Awards & Fellowships:

2000-2001 Plant Cell and Molecular Biology Fellowship (Cornell University)

1998 First Rank (and First Class) in the graduating class in the Plant Sciences (Master's Program), University of Madras, India

1996 First Rank (and First Class with Distinction) in Botany, English and French,

II Prize for Overall Proficiency in the Sciences, and 10 other awards for merit and service in the graduating class of 1996 (Undergraduate Program), India

1993 Subject Topper (highest grade) in Biology in the All India Senior School Certificate Examination (National School leaving exam) conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education, India

Other Relevant Training & Experience:

1999 ‘Advanced Plant Biochemistry Summer Course 1999’ held at Washington State University, Pullman, WA from July 11-24^th

1998 ‘Graduate Teaching Development Workshop 1998-99’ at Cornell University, including sessions covering the topics: Preparing to Teach, Effective Lecturing, Time and Stress Management and Facilitating Discussion, on August 26^th

List of Publications:

As Book Chapters:

Yogeeswaran, K., Voelckel, C., Joly, S. and Heenan, P.B. (2009) Pachycladon. In Wild Crop Relatives: Genomic and Breeding Resources. Volume 3: Wild Relatives of Oilseeds (ed. Kole) Springer-Verlag, Tokyo (in review).

Yogeeswaran, K. and Nasrallah, M.E. (2006). Growth of other species related to A. thaliana. In Methods in Molecular Biology: Arabidopsis Protocols, 2^nd Edition. (ed. Serrano-Sanchez and Salinas) Humana Press.

In Peer-Reviewed Journals:

Yogeeswaran, K., Frary A., York, T.L., Amenta, A., Lesser, A.H., Nasrallah, J.B., Tanksley, S.D., and Nasrallah, M.E. (2005). Comparative Genome Analyses of Arabidopsis spp. – Inferring Chromosomal Rearrangement Events in the Evolutionary History of A. thaliana. Genome Research 15: 501-515.

[Journal Impact Factor: 10.3; Article Cited 66 times]

Sainudiin, R., Wong, S.W., Yogeeswaran, K., Nasrallah, J.B., Yang, Z. and Neilsen, R. (2005). Detecting site-specific physico-chemical selective pressures: applications to the class-I HLA of the human major histocompatibility complex and the SRK of the plant sporophytic self-incompatibility sytem. J. Mol. Evol. 60: 315-326.

[Journal Impact Factor: 2.8; Article Cited 35 times]

Nasrallah, M.E., Yogeeswaran, K., Snyder, S. and Nasrallah, J.B. (2000). Arabidopsis Species Hybrids in the Study of Species Differences and Evolution of Amphiploidy in Plants. Plant Physiol. 124: 1605-1614.

[Journal Impact Factor: 6.1; Article Cited 39 times and ranked F1000 recommended reading]

Seminars, Academic Presentations & Meetings:

Aug 5, 2009 Attended the Annual Pachycladon Research Group meeting held at Massey University, Palmerston North, NZ .

May 11, 2005 ‘Investigations on the Adaptive Evolution of Genes and Genomes in the Brassicaeae’ -Dissertation Defense Seminar (public talk) – Department of Plant Biology, Cornell University

March 5, 2005 ‘Comparative Genome Analyses in Arabidopsis spp.: Inferring Chromosomal Rearrangements in the Evolutionary History of A. thaliana.’ - Invited student talk at recruitment weekend for the Plant Cell and Molecular Biology program, Cornell University

April 24, 2004 Attended the Eastern Great Lakes Molecular Evolution VIII Conference, Ithaca, New York where an oral presentation of a collaboration was presented entitled ‘Detecting site-specific physicochemical selective pressures’

2002-2004 Gave three talks in the Plant Cell and Molecular Biology Student Seminar Series, Cornell University

Fall 2001 ‘Simple Sequence Length Polymorphism Analysis of Interspecific Hybrids of Arabidopsis spp.’ – Poster presentation at the Plant, Cell and Molecular Biology Program Graduate Student Poster Session, Cornell University

Volunteer Work^V, other Published Work^P, Activities^A and Honors^H:

2007-2008^V Volunteer for the Ilam School Parent Teacher Association, Christchurch

2005^P Yogeeswaran, K. (Summer 2005). Member Perspective: The 2 + 1 + 1 Body Problem. The Postdocket. 3(3): 8.

(this article presents the work and family balancing dilemma of a dual academic career couple, based on personal experience)

2002-2005^{V, A} Secretary of ‘Students with Families’, Cornell University. Helped bring awareness to the University administration of the plight of students with families, resulting in the creation of a Childcare Grant Subsidy program, a student maternity leave policy and more recently the construction of a new campus daycare facility for the children of students, postdocs and faculty

2001-2002^{V, A} President of Asha for Education – Cornell Chapter (social services organization). Organized a successful charity concert and benefit dinner that jointly provided $20,000 of funding for various non-profit educational programs for underprivileged children in India

2000^P Botanical illustration of Brassicaceae taxa published in Nasrallah, ME (2000). Arabidopsis species hybrids: Emerging model systems for the analysis of species differences: Emerging model systems on plant biology. J. of Plant Growth Reg. 19(3):326-333.

1996^{V, A} Secretary of the Botany Association, Queen Mary's College. Organized Cournucopia '96 – I^st annual 1-day Intercollegiate Botany Symposium and Festival

1995^V Secretary of the French Association, Queen Mary's College

1992^H Secured 11^th rank in the First Search Talent Examination in Science (for school students), Besant Academy, India

1992^H Duke of Edinburgh's Award – Gold Standard for Service and Merit

Referees: