Sonika Ahlawat

BVSc & AH from CCS HAU, Hisar, MVSc (Animal Biotechnology) from CCS HAU, Hisar and Ph.D (Animal Biotechnolgy) from ICAR-NDRI, Karnal.

• Senior Scientist- ICAR-NBAGR, Karnal since December 2019
• Scientist (Senior Scale)- ICAR-NBAGR, Karnal (December 2014- December 2019)
• Scientist- ICAR-NBAGR, Karnal (December 2009- December 2014)

 Identification of candidate genes and pathways related to traits of economic importance in livestock and poultry; Analysis of genetic diversity in livestock species using microsatellite, mitochondrial, genotyping by sequencing (GBS) and functional markers.

• Developed five robust, inexpensive and speedy tests for large scale scoring of novel SNPs as molecular markers for caprine fecundity and precocity traits.
• Three patents filed- High density SNP chip of goat (Capra hircus), High density SNP chip for backyard chicken, Medium density SNP chip of Bactrian and Dromedary camel

• Jawaharlal Nehru Award for P.G. Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Research in Agricultural and Allied Sciences (2017) by Indian Council of Agricultural Research
• University Gold Medal for BVSc & AH (CCS HAU, Hisar)
• Dr B D Behl Gold Medal for BVSc & AH (CCS HAU, Hisar)
• University topper in MVSc
• Associate Member of National Academy of Veterinary Sciences
• Associate Fellow of National Academy of Dairy Science
• Dr PG Nair Award (2020) by ICAR-NBAGR, Karnal
• Two articles published in “Animal Genetics” selected as “Editor’s choice for the best paper”
• Outstanding Reviewer Awards from international journals (Gene, Theriogenology, Reproduction in Domestic Animals, Heliyon, Small Ruminant Research, Veterinary Medicine and Science, Meta Gene, Agrigene, Animals, Animal Biotechnology etc.
• Twenty best oral and poster presentation awards at various national and international conferences

1. Ahlawat S, Arora R, Sharma R, Sharma U, Kaur M, Kumar A, Singh KV, Singh MK and Vijh RK (2020)Skin transcriptome profiling of Changthangi goats highlights the relevance of genes involved in Pashmina production. Scientific Reports 10:6050.
2. Ahlawat S, Vijh RK, Sharma A, Sharma U, Girdhar Y, Kaur M, Chhabra P, Kumar A and Arora R (2020) Milk somatic cell derived transcriptome analysis identifies regulatory genes and pathways during lactation in Indian Sahiwal cattle (Bos indicus). Molecular Biology Reports https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-020-05764-51.
3. Ahlawat S, Arora R, Sharma U, Sharma A, Girdhar Y, Sharma R, Kumar A and Vijh RK (2020) Comparative gene expression profiling of milk somatic cells of Sahiwal cattle and Murrah buffaloes Gene764: 145101.
4. AhlawatS, Sharma R, Arora R, Kumari N, Mishra AK and Tantia MS (2019) Promoter methylation and expression analysis of Bvh gene in bulls with varying semen motility parameters. Theriogenology 125: 152-156.
5. Ahlawat S, De S, Sharma P, Sharma R, Arora R, Kataria RS, Datta TK and Singh RK (2017) Evolutionary dynamics of meiotic recombination hotspots regulator PRDM9 in bovids. Molecular Genetics and Genomics292 (1): 117-131.
6. Ahlawat S, Sharma P, Sharma R, Arora R and De S (2016) Zinc finger domain of the PRDM9 gene on chromosome 1 exhibits high diversity in ruminants but its paralog PRDM7 contains multiple disruptive mutations. PLOS ONE11(5): e0156159.
7. AhlawatS, Sharma P, Sharma R, Arora R, Verma NK, Brahma B, Mishra P and De S (2016) Evidence of positive selection and concerted evolution in the rapidly evolving PRDM9 zinc finger domain in goats and sheep. Animal Genetics 47: 740-751.
8. AhlawatS, Chopra M, Jaiswal L, Sharma R, Arora R, Brahma B, Lal SV and De S (2016) Exon skipping creates novel splice variants of DMC1 gene in ruminants. Molecular and Cellular Probes 30: 66-73.
9. Ahlawat S, Sharma R, Roy M, Tantia MS and Prakash V (2015) Association analysis of novel SNPs in BMPR1B, BMP15 and GDF9 genes with reproductive traits in Black Bengal goats. Small Ruminant Research132: 92-98.
10. Ahlawat S, Sharma R and Maitra A (2013). Screening of indigenous goats for prolificacy associated DNA markers of sheep. Gene 517:128-131.