Cytogenetics —  Macroevolution —  Macroecology

Hi! I am Sreetama, an Evolutionary Biologist and a Cytogeneticist. I am the Head of the Junior Group "Plant Evolutionary Ecology" in the Institute of Botany (IBOT), Czech Academy of Sciences in Průhonice, Czech Republic.

I completed my Master's and PhD at the University of Calcutta in Kolkata, India, where I studied chromosomal, genomic and genetic variability of Indian Zingiberaceae. My PhD allowed me to explore my interest in the evolutionary role of cytogenetics and led me to my first research position outside India. 

In 2017, I joined the Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC) in Brno, Czech Republic, as a postdoctiral researcher, Where I used chromosome painting to study structural variation in chromosomes. Continuing my interest in cytogenetics and its role in angiosperms evolution, I moved in2018 to the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG), Chinese Academy of Sciences, China in Menglun, China as a postdoctoral researcher. There I investigated how cytological and genetic diversity influence plant traits related to the growth and defense in greenhouse experiments. From 2021 to 2025, I worked as a postdoctoral researcher in the synthesis center (sDiv) of the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig in Leipzig, Germany. During this time, I developed an integrative macroevolutionary framework to understand the implications of genome size on trait flexibility and diversification, using palms as a model group. 

I joined  IBOT in Septemeber 2025 to establish a new research group that investigates how genomic factors, trait evolution and geological history shape plant diversification and distribution across clades, regions, and temporal scales. 

Beyond research: I actively advocate equality and equity of under-represented communities, including the under-representation of women, in STEM research in academia and beyond. With my colleagues, I created the "iDiv Female Scientists" networking initiative in iDiv. We promoted technical skills and tools to improve professional career, invite female Scientists in leadership positions to share their experience in academia, and create awareness to increase transparency of the female gap ("the leaky pipeline") in leadership positions by hosting gender-inclusive talks.

See our latest publication on how to improve equality in academia published in eLife: 

• Bhadra S, Damasceno G, Hoss D, Weyrich A (2025) Improving gender equity in academia depends on the workplace environment. eLife 14:e105352.