Prof. Veena Agrawal


Dr. Veena Agrawal, Ex-Senior Professor, Dept. of Botany, University of Delhi (1990-Dec.,2020) is specialized in the areas of Plant Biotechnology (Tissue culture and Genetic transformation), Nanobiotechnology, Metabolic Engineering and Sex-linked molecular markers. Besides, being Honorary Professor of Samarkand State University, Uzbekistan, she is a Member of Program Advisory Committee (PAC), SERB-DST, Govt. of India, Member, (assessors) Peer Teem National NAAC, and RUSA (Rastriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan), Ministry of Education, India w.e.f. May, 2018 to till date. After completing her M.Sc. and Ph.D. from Kurukshetra University, she was selected and appointed as National Research Scientist “A” (Lecturer) at Dept. of Botany, Univ. of Delhi by the University Grants Commission, New Delhi in 1990 and was elevated to Scientist “C” (Professor ‘Grade) in 2003, became full DU Professor in 2008 and Senior Professor, in 2020. During this tenure, she has guided theses to 46 research scholars for their Ph.D. (25) and M. Phil. (21) degrees, mentored 10-Post Docs. and supervised over 50 M.Sc. students including foreign Nationals for their research Dissertations. She was Co-ordinator of Plant Biotechnology & Resource Utilization course, and developed innovative courses “In Vitro Technology and Industrial Applications” for M.Sc. and Plant Metabolic Engineering for Ph.D. She has been serving as Coordinator of Bilateral Exchange Program in teaching at Research between Delhi University Botany Dept and Samarkand State University, Uzbekistan w.e.f. 2018 and is Visiting Professor.
In collaboration with National Malaria Research Institute, ICMR, New Delhi, she has developed herbal formulations employing nanotechnology for biocontrol of mosquito vectors causing malaria, filaria and dengue. Besides, several protocols were optimized for in vitro isolation and elicitation of bioactive compounds from medicinal plants along with their biomedical applications against different human cancer cell lines. For elicitation, cloned key enzyme genes of the biosynthetic pathways of several plant bioactive molecules and submitted the sequences to NCBI. In collaboration with NIPGR, New Delhi, for the first-time generated sex-liked DNA markers for identification of male and female plants in Simmondsia & Simarouba, two important dioecious tree shrubs. As an outcome of the research, she has published over 115 research papers (including 15 chapters) in National & International peer Reviewed Journals with high Impact Factors (up to 7.4), filed/ published six patents; one is already granted by the Indian Govt. Besides, she has immensely contributed her research at National and International Conferences (over 110), by delivering talks, invited/plenary/keynote lectures and Chairing the Technical Sessions e.g., at International Plant Genetic Engg. & Biotechnology Conf. Nepal (1991), Int. Assoc. Pl. Biotech. Conf., Jerusalem (Israel, 1998), Melbourne (Australia, 2014), Int. Conf. on Pharma Sci. Biotech. (ICPSB-2017), Bali, Indonesia, Soc. For In Vitro Biol. (SIVB,2019), Tampa, Florida, USA. Along with Professor S.C. Mahapatra (AIIMS, New Delhi), she has edited 972th volume of “Acta Horticulturae”, published by International Society of Horticultural Sciences (ISHS), Belgium, served as Editor of “Phytomorphology” an International J. of Plant Sciences for two years (2012-2014) and is on the Editorial Board of prestigious Journal “Artificial Cell, Nanomedicine and Biotechnology,” Taylor & Francis, ACS.,USA. Medicinal & Aromatic Plants Abstracts (MAPA), National Institute of Science Communication and Information Research (NISCAIR), and International Journal of Pharma Medicines and Biosciences (INJPMB). In recognition of her research contributions, she was elected Fellow of Linnaean Society of London (FLS) in 2017, Fellow, Indian Society of Plant Physiology (FISPP)in 2013, Fellow Botanical Society, Fellow International Society of Plant Morphologists (FISPM), and Elected Member, Plant Tissue Culture Association, India(PTCAI), in 2009. Society of Plant Research awarded her “Scientist of Eminence Award” in 2016. She has completed nine major research projects sanctioned by DST/SERB, ICMR, UGC, NOVOD, ICAR, and eight minor projects by Delhi University under R&D grant. Being on expert panels of different foreign University she has been evaluating Research Projects and Ph.D. Theses of foreign students.
In addition, she has also served as Chairperson/ Member of Governing Bodies of various DU Colleges and is serving as expert member of selection committees of several Central Govt. Organisationse.g., MoEF, UGC, CSIR, HRD and Central/State Universities. She has also served as Expert/Members of Board of Studies, Central Univ. Gujrat, RDC member Jamia Hamdard. New Delhi, JNVU, Jodhpur, M.D. Univ., Rohtak, GKU, Haridwar. She is life members of many prestigious academic Societies, important are, International Association of Plant Biotechnology (IAPB), USA, Indian Society of Nano-medicines, AIIMS, New Delhi, Society of Plant research, International Society of Plant Morphologists (ISPM), National Academy of Vector & Vector-Borne Diseases, India, etc. and is reviewer of various prestigious International journals e.g., Industrial Crops & Products, Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, Pl. Science, (Elsevier), In Vitro Cellular and Development Biology-Plant (Springer, Netherlands), J. Nanotechnology Research, J. Genetics and Plant Breeding, Plant Biology (Blackwell, Germany) Scientia Horticulturae (Selected Top Referee) and many more.
Google Scholar link: https://scholar.google.co.in/citations?user=G3rfS5cAAAAJ
Research Gate link: Link: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Veena-Agrawal-2