Mahesh Tapas | Marine Ecology | Excellence in Research Award

Dr. Mahesh Tapas | Marine Ecology | Excellence in Research Award

Postdoctoral Researcher | The Ohio State University | United States

Dr. Mahesh R. Tapas is a dedicated postdoctoral scholar at The Ohio State University, specializing in watershed management, ecosystem health, and hydrological modeling. With extensive experience in water resource engineering and remote sensing, Dr. Tapas collaborates on global projects to advance sustainable water management solutions.

Profile

Scholar

Strengths for the Award 🏆

Dr. Tapas has conducted rigorous research in hydrological modeling, watershed management, and ecosystem health, which aligns with the award’s emphasis on impactful research.

His active collaboration with local agencies and farmers reflects his commitment to real-world application and policy influence, valuable qualities for the award.

With publications in high-impact journals and manuscripts under review, his contributions to environmental science and water management are substantial.

His work spans ecosystems globally, from North Carolina to India, the Congo Basin, and beyond, showcasing his global approach and collaborative reach.

Dr. Tapas’s teaching experience demonstrates his dedication to educating future engineers and researchers, which complements his academic achievements.

Education 🎓

Dr. Tapas completed his Ph.D. in Integrated Coastal Sciences from East Carolina University, focusing on policy analysis for coastal ecosystems. He holds a Master’s in Water Resources Engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Warangal, and a Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering from Savitribai Phule Pune University.

Professional Experience 💼

Currently at Ohio State, Dr. Tapas contributes to watershed management projects, model development, and stakeholder engagement. His prior roles include teaching and research assistantships, guest editing, and research internships, where he honed his expertise in hydrology and sustainable practices.

Research Interests 🔬

Dr. Tapas’ research explores ecosystem health through watershed modeling, the impact of climate change on hydrology, and conservation practices. His recent projects utilize multi-criteria decision-making models to optimize agricultural best management practices (BMPs) across various watersheds.

Awards and Honors 🏆

Dr. Tapas has been recognized for his research excellence, including a Coastal Studies Scholarship and the Sakal India Foundation Scholarship. He has also won awards for outstanding research presentations in hydrology and civil engineering.

Publications 📚

Investigating the impacts of climate change on hydroclimatic extremes in the Tar-Pamlico River basin, North Carolina

    • Authors: MR Tapas, SK Do, R Etheridge, V Lakshmi
    • Year: 2024
    • Citations: 17

Development of a Socio-Hydrological Model for a Coastal Watershed: Using Stakeholders’ Perceptions

    • Authors: M Tapas, JR Etheridge, G Howard, VV Lakshmi, TND Tran
    • Year: 2022
    • Citations: 10

Development of multivariate integrated drought monitoring index (MIDMI) for Warangal region of Telangana, India

    • Authors: MR Tapas, U Kumar, S Mogili, KV Jayakumar
    • Year: 2022
    • Citations: 8

Evaluating hydrological alterations and recommending minimum flow release from the Ujjani dam to improve the Bhima River ecosystem health

    • Authors: GJ Mishra, AU Kumar, MR Tapas, P Oggu, KV Jayakumar
    • Year: 2023
    • Citations: 5

Event-Based Rainfall-Runoff Modeling Using HEC-HMS

    • Authors: JA Prabha, MR Tapas
    • Year: 2020
    • Citations: 5

A methodological framework for assessing sea level rise impacts on nitrate loading in coastal agricultural watersheds using SWAT+: A case study of the Tar-Pamlico River basin

    • Authors: MR Tapas, R Etheridge, CG Finlay, AL Peralta, N Bell, Y Xu, V Lakshmi
    • Year: 2024
    • Citations: 4

Integrative Analysis of Policy Changes for a Coastal Watershed: Implications for Agriculture and Ecosystem Health

    • Authors: M Tapas
    • Year: 2024
    • Citations: 4

Drought Monitoring Indices

    • Authors: NN Sharma, MR Tapas, AU Kumar
    • Year: 2022
    • Citations: 4

Analysis and Development of Watershed for Ruikhed Village, Maharashtra-A Case Study

    • Authors: TS Mankar, S Mane, ST Mali, MR Tapas
    • Year: 2020
    • Citations: 4

Effects of Sea-Level Rise and River Flow Variation on Estuarine Salinity in a Changing Climate: Insights from the Pamlico River Estuary, USA

    • Authors: D Yin, C Harris, TND Tran, M Tapas, JR Etheridge, SM Moysey
    • Year: 2024
    • Citations: 2

Conclusion 🌐

Dr. Tapas is a strong candidate for the “Excellence in Research Award“. His research, stakeholder engagement, and academic contributions align well with the award’s objectives. A focus on expanding policy impact and funding success could further solidify his candidacy in future applications.

Chunpeng He | Marine Biology | Breakthrough Innovations Laureate Award

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chunpeng He | Marine Biology | Breakthrough Innovations Laureate Award

Associate professor | Southeast University | China

Chunpeng is an Associate Professor at the State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University. With a focus on marine biology, he has significantly advanced our understanding of coral ecosystems and the intracellular digestion mechanisms in marine organisms. His groundbreaking research has implications for both ecological restoration and sustainable aquaculture.

Profile 🌊

Scholar

Strengths for the Award 🏆

Chunpeng has made significant contributions to marine biology, particularly with the discovery of the intracellular digestion mechanism in amphioxus, which was highlighted in Nature. This research opens avenues for understanding marine organism physiology and potential applications in biotechnology.

He developed methods to convert harmful algae into protein feedstuff, addressing both ecological and economic challenges. This innovation demonstrates a direct impact on marine resource management.

His work in assembling high-quality chromosome-scale reference genomes for stony corals provides essential resources for global coral reef restoration, highlighting his commitment to conservation.

Chunpeng has successfully led multiple funded projects focused on reef protection and management, showcasing his capability to attract financial support for critical research.

With numerous publications in high-impact journals, including several as corresponding author, his research is well-recognized in the scientific community.

Education 🎓

Chunpeng He completed his academic training in biological sciences, specializing in marine biology. His educational background provided a solid foundation for his innovative research, leading to numerous discoveries in coral reef systems and marine organism biology.

Experience 🧑‍🔬

Since 2007, Chunpeng has collaborated with esteemed researchers, including Professors Zuhong Lu and Junyuan Chen. His research achievements include elucidating the intracellular digestion mechanism in amphioxus and developing novel methods to convert harmful algae into valuable feedstuff. He has also contributed to the assembly of high-quality coral genomes, vital for reef restoration.

Research Interests 🔍

  • Developing enzyme preparations to degrade harmful algae.
  • Bio-reef building and stabilization technologies.
  • Exploring evolutionary origins in vertebrates using amphioxus and ancient fossils.

Awards 🏆

He was awarded the Gold Medal at the 2019 iGEM International Genetic Engineering Machine Design Competition for his project on “Algae Terminator.” This recognition highlights his contributions to innovative solutions in marine biology.

Publications 📚

Deciphering temporal gene expression dynamics in multiple coral species exposed to heat stress: Implications for predicting resilience

    • Authors: T Han, X Liao, Z Guo, JY Chen, C He, Z Lu
    • Year: 2024
    • Citations: 1

Polyp-Canal Reconstruction Reveals Evolution Toward Complexity in Corals

    • Authors: Y Li, X Liao, X Wang, Y Li, H Zhao, Y Zhao, J Chen, C He, Z Lu
    • Year: 2023
    • Citations: 3

Three amphioxus reference genomes reveal gene and chromosome evolution of chordates

    • Authors: Z Huang, L Xu, C Cai, Y Zhou, J Liu, Z Xu, Z Zhu, W Kang, W Cen, S Pei, …
    • Year: 2023
    • Citations: 31

Full-length transcriptome maps of reef-building coral illuminate the molecular basis of calcification, symbiosis, and circadian genes

    • Authors: T Han, X Liao, Y Zhu, Y Liu, N Lu, Y Li, Z Guo, JY Chen, C He, Z Lu
    • Year: 2022
    • Citations: 3

Symbiodiniaceae microRNAs and their targeting sites in coral holobionts: A transcriptomics-based exploration

    • Authors: Y Zhu, X Liao, T Han, JY Chen, C He, Z Lu
    • Year: 2022
    • Citations: 3

The formation of biogenic reef stone: From coral skeleton to reef rubble

    • Authors: Y Li, F Wang, Z Liu, J Jiang, T Han, X Liao, C He, Z Lu
    • Year: 2022
    • Citations: 7

Full-Length Transcriptome Sequencing Reveals Tissue-Specific Gene Expression Profile of Mangrove Clam Geloina erosa

    • Authors: X Liao, Y Liu, T Han, M Yang, W Liu, Y Wang, C He, Z Lu
    • Year: 2022
    • Citations: 5

Deep whole-genome resequencing sheds light on the distribution and effect of amphioxus SNPs

    • Authors: Y Zhu, N Lu, JY Chen, C He, Z Huang, Z Lu
    • Year: 2022
    • Citations: 4

Chemically and electrostatically double-crosslinked composite underwater adhesive

    • Authors: T Zhang, Y Fu, M Liang, L Xu, C He, Z Lu
    • Year: 2022
    • Citations: 2

Binding pattern reconstructions of FGF-FGFR budding-inducing signaling in reef-building corals

    • Authors: Z Guo, X Liao, JY Chen, C He, Z Lu
    • Year: 2022
    • Citations: 2
  • Utilizing an artificial intelligence system to build the digital structural proteome of reef-building corals
    • Authors: Y Zhu, X Liao, T Han, JY Chen, C He, Z Lu
    • Year: 2022
    • Citations: 2

Full-Length Transcriptome Sequencing of the Scleractinian Coral Montipora foliosa Reveals the Gene Expression Profile of Coral–Zooxanthellae Holobiont

    • Authors: Y Liu, X Liao, T Han, A Su, Z Guo, N Lu, C He, Z Lu
    • Year: 2021
    • Citations: 6

FEM: mining biological meaning from cell level in single-cell RNA sequencing data

    • Authors: Y Liu, N Lu, C Bi, T Han, G Zhuojun, Y Zhu, Y Li, C He, Z Lu
    • Year: 2021
    • Citations: 2

Micro‐CT reconstruction reveals the colony pattern regulations of four dominant reef‐building corals

    • Authors: Y Li, X Liao, K Bi, T Han, J Chen, J Lu, C He, Z Lu
    • Year: 2021
    • Citations: 12

Full-Length Transcriptomics Reveal the Gene Expression Profiles of Reef-Building Coral Pocillopora damicornis and Symbiont Zooxanthellae

    • Authors: Z Guo, X Liao, T Han, J Chen, C He, Z Lu
    • Year: 2021
    • Citations: 4

Conclusions 🌟

Chunpeng He’s extensive research in marine biology, innovative approaches to resource management, and dedication to coral reef restoration position him as an excellent candidate for the Breakthrough Innovations Laureate Award. His work not only advances scientific understanding but also has tangible benefits for marine ecosystems and the communities that depend on them. With targeted improvements in collaboration and public outreach, he could amplify the impact of his already significant contributions to the field.