Dr. Deepmala Sehgal | Biochemistry | Research Excellence Award

Deepmala Sehgal’s research centers on advancing genomics-assisted strategies to strengthen weed management and crop improvement through cutting-edge molecular and quantitative genetics. Her work focuses on uncovering non-target site resistance genes in major weed species using approaches such as QTL mapping, TWAS, and GWAS, supported by the development of specialized panels and populations. She also designs high-throughput KASP assays to efficiently detect target-site resistance mutations across diverse weed genomes. Beyond weed genomics, her expertise extends to wheat genetics, where she has led major initiatives in genetic improvement and genomics-enabled breeding. A significant component of her work involves optimizing genomic selection models for complex traits by evaluating SNP- and haplotype-based prediction systems and integrating GWAS-identified loci alongside epistatic interactions to enhance predictive accuracy. Her scientific contributions are reflected in 2,284 citations, 75 scientific documents, and an h-index of 28, highlighting her influence in plant genomics and quantitative genetics. Her combined focus on innovation, high-resolution genetic analysis, and application-driven breeding solutions positions her at the forefront of modern crop and weed genomics research.