Guha Dharmarajan

Doctoral Fellow, Purdue University
Department of Forestry and Natural Resources  
Room 116, 1159 Forestry Building 
West Lafayette, IN 47907-1159
phone: (765) 494-2379

guha@fnr.purdue.edu
EDUCATION:
- M.V.Sc. 1997. Wildlife Science, Madras Veterinary College, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Science University, Madras, Tamil Nadu, India. 
 
- B.V.Sc. 1997. Madras Veterinary College, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Science University, Madras, Tamil Nadu, India. 
HONORS AND AWARDS:  
- Frederick N. Andrews Doctoral Fellowship (August, 2002): Purdue University.
- Animal Welfare Scholarship (May, 2000): Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Govt. of India. 
- TANVASU Merit Scholarship for Post Graduate Studies (August 1997): Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University. 
PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES:  
- Member, Association of Indian Zoo and Wildlife Veterinarians.
- Member, Indian Society for Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine.
- Member, Tamil Nadu Veterinary Council.
PRESENTATIONS:  
  • Dharmarajan, G., 2002. Interspecific transmission of helminths at the wildlife-cattle interface: A perspective from Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Southern India. Veterinary Workshop on Management of Rare and Endangered Wild Animals and their Neonatal care, Trivandrum (25th - 27th April, 2002)
  • Dharmarajan, G. and M. C. John, 2001. Effect of season on helminth loads in wild herbivores in the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu. XII National Conference of Veterinary Parasitology, Tirupathi, Andhra Pradesh, India. August 25 –27, 2001.
  • Dharmarajan, G., M. G. Jayathangaraj, M. C. John and Baskaran, 2000. Nephritis in a Tigress. Third Annual Convention of the Indian Society for Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine and the National Symposium of “Sustainable Animal Health for 2000 and Beyond”, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India, December 10-12, 1998.
PUBLICATIONS:
- Peer Reviewed
  • Nambi, A.P., M. G. Jayathangaraj, P. S. Thirunavakarasu, M. Raman and G. Dharmarajan, 1998. Strongyloidosis in a bonnet macaque (Macaca radiata)- A case report. Indian J. Vet. Med. 13: 64-65.
  • Dharmarajan, G., M. Raman and M. C. John. Are worms affected by host ecology? A perspective from Mudumalai, Southern India. (in Press).
  • Dharmarajan, G., M. Raman and M. C. John. Effect of habitat and cattle grazing on helminth loads in chital (Axis axis). (in Press)
  • Dharmarajan, G., M. Raman and M. C. John. Effect of habitat and cattle grazing on helminth community structure in chital (Axis axis). (in Press).
  • Dharmarajan, G., M. Raman and M. C. John. Effect of season on helminth loads in wild herbivores in the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu. (in Review).
- Non-reviewed
  • Dharmarajan, G., The good earth- I. The Statesman, July 16, 2001. pg 6
  • Dharmarajan, G., The good earth- II. The Statesman, July 17, 2001. pg 6
  • Dharmarajan, G., Wildlife health: are we missing the forest for the trees? Sanctuary-Asia, October, 2001. pp 88-89. 
  • Dharmarajan, G., Jazz and Conservation. Rock Street Journal, November 2001. 
EXPERIENCE:
- Research and Training
  • Doctoral fellow, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, IN, USA, (August 2002- present). Presently interested in the disease ecology of raccoons (Procyon lotor), especially in relation to host ecology and spatial scale. 
  • Course participant, “Envirovet Summer Training Institute”, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA (June 14- July 26, 2002). Training at Florida and Kenya in terrestrial/ aquatic wildlife and ecosystem health in developed and developing country contexts.
  • Research Assistant, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India (September 2000- April 2002). Studied elephant ecology in the highly fragmented habitats of North Bengal, India, a region having severe human-elephant conflict and helped in the preparation of a conservation action plan for this region. 
  • Course Participant, “Wildlife Capture Course", Price Forbes Chair in Wildlife Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa (May 19-27, 2000). Training at Kruger National Park, South Africa, in chemical and physical capture/restraint of wildlife. 
  • Trainee, South Africa National Parks, Pretoria, South Africa and Kenya Wildlife Service, Nairobi, Kenya (May 28- August 5 and August 6-19, 2000 respectively). Self organized training, with sponsorship from the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, in techniques related to wildlife management and health at individual and population levels at various protected areas in South Africa (Kruger, Hhluwi-Umfolozi, Richtersveld National Parks) and Kenya (Nairobi and Tsavo East National Parks). 
  • Post-graduate Scholar, Madras Veterinary College, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Science University, Madras, India (May 1999- January 2000). Master’s research on "Epidemiology of helminth parasites in wild and domestic herbivores at the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu". Studied interspecific differences in helminth distributions in relation to host physiology and ecology and inter-specific transmission of helminths at the cattle- Axis deer (Axis axis) interface. 
  • Intern, Aringar Anna Zoological Park, Madras, India (August 1998- February 1999). Training (as a part of the MVSc. course at Madras Veterinary College) in techniques related to captive wildlife management and health. 
  • Intern, Nammakkal Veterinary College and Hosur Livestock and Agricultural Farm, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Madras, India (January 1997- July 1997). Training (as a part BVSc. course) in clinical medicine and farm management. 
- Volunteer
  • Have volunteered at various institutions/ protected areas in India, including Arignar Anna Zoological Park (AAZP), Madras Snake Park Trust, Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park (MWLSNP) in Tamil Nadu; Bandipur National Park in Karnataka; National Zoological Park (NZP) at Delhi; Buxa Tiger Reserve and Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary in West Bengal. Thus have been fortunate to be actively involved in the immobilization/ capture, treatment and post mortem examination of many species of wild/ captive animals. Was integral to two wildlife translocations: that of an adult male elephant (from AAZP to MWLSNP; January 1999), and several cervids (from a private deer park to the NZP; May 1998). Participated in two major wildlife census operations undertaken by the Tamil Nadu Forest Department and Nilagiri Wildlife and Environment Association, at MWLSNP and Mukurti National Park (May and June 1999). Was actively involved in immobilization of mongooses during a survey for Leptospira antibodies in and around Guindy National Park, Tamil Nadu (January-June 1997).
- Organization
  • Member of the organizing committee for the “Workshop on chemical capture of elephants” held at the Buxa Tiger Reserve, West Bengal, India (14 – 16 January 2001). 
  • Member of the organising committee and assisted in the fund raising of an intercollegiate sports competition, Nikosia ’96, held at the Madras Veterinary College.
INTERESTS AND HOBBIES:
- Photography, animal watching, horse riding, trekking, reading and music.