Editor Biographies

Deepika Kathuria is a medicinal chemist with a key knowledge of natural products. Presently, she is an Assistant Professor at the University Center for Research and Development, Chandigarh University, Gharuan, Punjab, India. She graduated with a B Pharm from Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak. She completed her Master’s and Doctorate in pharmaceutical sciences at the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Mohali, India. She has published over 25 peer-reviewed articles in reputed international journals. She has various honors/fellowships/awards to her credit i.e., an INSPIRE fellowship (JRF) from DST, an INSPIRE fellowship (SRF) from DST, a Bristol Myers Squibb fellowship (Merit Cum Topper scholarship during her M Pharm), a Newton Bhabha placement, and the DST–DAAD exchange programme. She has knowledge of medicinal plants, pharmaceuticals, and cosmeceuticals, and thus it is very interesting to bring these three topics together to provide an enthralling book. Currently, she is editing several book projects.

Ajay Sharma is a natural product chemist with a strong organic chemistry, phytochemistry, biochemistry, and ethnobotany background. Presently, he is working as an Assistant Professor at the University Centre for Research and Development, Department of Chemistry, Chandigarh University, Mohali, India. He graduated (BSc Medicine) from the Government College Hoshiarpur (affiliated with Panjab University, Chandigarh), and obtained his Master’s degree in organic chemistry (natural products) from Punjab Agriculture University Ludhiana and his PhD in organic chemistry (natural products) from SLIET (Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering & Technology, Deemed University) Punjab. He has published over 58 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters in reputed international/national journals and books. He has also published three edited books and presently, his three edited books are under production in different international publication houses. He has various honors/fellowships/awards to his credit i.e., a Roll of honor from PAU Ludhiana (2011), a Merit Cum Topper scholarship during his MSc (PAU Ludhiana) (2009–10), an MHRD fellowship award for his PhD (2012), an INSPIRE fellowship (JRF, 2013) from DST, an INSPIRE fellowship (SRF, 2015) from DST, the 1st poster prize award at a national conference (NICS, 2016) and the best poster award at TSFS, 2016. He carries out research in organic chemistry, natural product chemistry, phytochemistry, and food chemistry. His research activities are focused on the isolation and characterization of bioactive extracts from traditional medicinal plants and evaluation of their biological potential. Currently, his research group at Chandigarh University is investigating the field of more environmentally friendly syntheses of metal nanoparticles and carbon nanodots using plant extracts/plant-based biomass, followed by assessing their biological, catalytic, and sensing potential. To date, he has successfully supervised six MSc dissertation students.

Meenakshi Verma obtained her PhD from Thapar University, Patiala. She has completed her National Postdoctoral fellowship at the Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar (IIT Ropar) and her WISTEMM Fellowship at the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay, USA. She joined the University Centre for Research & Development, Chandigarh University, Mohali in 2019 and is currently working as an Assistant Professor. Her research interests include organic and supramolecular chemistry.

Gulzar Ahmad Nayik completed his Master’s degree in food technology at the Islamic University of Science & Technology, Awantipora, Jammu and Kashmir, India, and his PhD at the Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering & Technology, Sangrur, Punjab, India. He has published over 80 peer-reviewed research and review papers and more than 40 book chapters, and he has edited 13 books. Dr Nayik has also published a textbook on food chemistry and nutrition and has delivered presentations at various national and international conferences, seminars, workshops and webinars. Dr Nayik was shortlisted twice for the prestigious INSPIRE Faculty Award, from the Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi, India, in 2017 and 2018. He was nominated for India’s prestigious national award (the Indian National Science Academy Medal for Young Scientists 2019–2020). Dr Nayik also fills the roles of editor, associate editor, assistant editor and reviewer for many food science and technology journals. He has received many awards, appreciations and recognitions and holds memberships of various international societies and organizations. Dr Nayik is currently editing several book projects.