Prosanta Chakrabarty


Prosanta Chakrabarty is an American ichthyologist and associate professor of ichthyology, evolution and systematics at Louisiana State University. He studied at McGill University where he received a bachelor of science in Applied Zoology and at the University of Michigan where he obtained his PhD in Ecology and Evolution.Among other professional positions he was the Program Director for the National Science Foundation and is currently the Secretary of the American Society of Ichthyologist and Herpetologist. He was named a TED Fellow in 2016, and a TED Senior Fellow in 2018. He was named an Elected Fellow of the AAAS for "distinguished contributions to evolutionary biology, focusing on the bioluminescent systems and historical biogeography of freshwater fishes, and for effectively communicating science to the public."

Research

Chakrabarty's research has taken him to over 30 countries and has described over 13 new species of fishes. In 2014 he discovered Hoosier cavefish with colleagues Jacques Prejean and Matthew Niemiller. As curator of fishes at LSU he has added 100k specimens to the collection. Using phylogenetic systematics, geometric morphometrics among others tools, Prosanta Chakrabarty attempts to understand the evolution of biological diversity, molecular evolution, and conservation of marine and freshwater fishes. His research interests are understanding the diversity and evolution of fish.

New species described

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Awards and honors

2020 Named Fulbright Scholar in Ottawa Canada
2019 Elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
2018 Forty Under 40, Greater Baton Rouge Business Report
2018 Named a Senior Fellow at TED
2016 Rainmaker, 2015 Mid-Career Scholar Award, LSU
2016 Named to the 2016 Class of TED Fellows
2015 Elected Secretary of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists
2015 TEDxLSU presenter of “Immortal Naturalist: Collecting the World”
2013 Rainmaker, 2012 Emerging Scholar Award, LSU
2011Top Ten New Species Award, The International Institute for Species Exploration and the International Top 10 Selections Committee; with co-authors Hsuan-Ching Ho and John Sparks for the description of Halieutichthys intermedius
2009 Elected to the Board of Governor of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists.
2006 Carl and Laura Hubbs Fellow/Donald W. Tinkle Scholarship,

Selected publications

Books