Irina is a wildlife biologist with over five years of experience exploring Himalayan arthropod ecology, as well as governmental conservation policies. Her doctoral work offers novel insights into the diversity, community, and functional ecology of new world spiders of Western and Trans Himalaya. Currently, she’s investigating climate and community patterns of Lepidopterans across the Indian Himalayan Range, with a mission to identify climate related shifts in distribution and critical habitat refugia. Prior to her doctoral work, Irina has also worked in administrative profiling of implementation success of governmental policies in rural transhumance communities of Kumaon Himalaya. These skills have come in handy in identifying policy strategies that help merge field-based research with community mobilization, culminating in heightened environmental and wildlife awareness. She’s been a recipient of several grants and awards, including the prestigious Summer Fellow Grant of the Indian Academy of Sciences. Her work in documenting high-altitude spider diversity of the Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve, Spiti, was also partially supported by the American Arachnological Society. Her research journey has made significant contributions in the form of scientific and governmental publications, including several new species to science and India. Read more about her research at https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Irina-Das-Sarkar