People at NSRI
Meet the institutional leaders who build NSRI and the PhD researchers who guide its academic work. Together, they make a global student research network possible.
Institutional leadership
Leadership responsible for NSRI’s institutional direction, programs, partnerships, publishing systems, and global operations.
Institutional leadership
Brian Kang is the Founder and CEO of NSRI, where he leads the institute’s strategic direction, growth, and long term vision. He founded NSRI to create a stronger pathway for students to engage in real research, access meaningful mentorship, and contribute to work that extends beyond the classroom.
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Smyan Reddy serves as Chief Operating Officer at NSRI, where he contributes to research quality efforts and supports work that brings greater intellectual depth to the organization. He is especially interested in how quantitative thinking, biology, and emerging technologies can come together to address meaningful scientific problems, and he brings that interdisciplinary mindset to his research and collaboration at NSRI.
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Ishita Sharma is the Chief Information Officer (CIO) at NSRI, where she serves as the sole technical lead responsible for architecting and building the full-stack web platform from the ground up. Her work spans multi-role authentication systems, researcher and Qualified Researcher portals, research group management, applicant review workflows, weekly log tracking, automated email pipelines, and a real-time admin dashboard supporting NSRI’s public and internal research operations.
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Institutional expertise
Dr. Rituraj Mate is a security and geopolitical intelligence specialist whose work spans terrorism analysis, strategic risk, open-source intelligence, regional security, and the changing strategic environment across South Asia and the Indo-Pacific.
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Dr. Chigozie Michael Nwalozie is a medical doctor, healthcare leader, educator, and global-health advocate working to expand access to diagnostics and strengthen health systems across Africa. His external work with Zarephath Health focuses on regional partnerships and practical diagnostic access in underserved communities.
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Dominic Huerta, M.Ed., is an education leader and partnership strategist focused on expanding access to mentorship, academic opportunities, and higher education. His external work as a Program Director at Zenith Prep Academy centers on collaborations that connect students with mentorship, internships, research opportunities, and artificial intelligence.
View profilePrograms and operations
Mr. Sangeen Khan serves as Director of Chapter Quality at NSRI, where he leads with a vision centered on excellence, precision, and measurable impact.
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Kyle Yang leads chapter expansion efforts at NSRI, supporting the growth of new local communities connected to the organization.
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Aruzhan Maratova serves as a Director at NSRI, where she uses her background in full-stack development and cybersecurity to level up the research experience for students worldwide. She is deeply ambitious about using technology to make high-quality research accessible, building powerful, secure platforms that allow young researchers to bypass technical roadblocks and focus entirely on doing incredible work.
View profileNSRI executive team
Tanishka Muraleedharan leads outreach at NSRI, helping expand awareness, relationships, and engagement beyond the institute’s immediate network.
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Surya Uthkarsha serves as Director of Growth Strategy at NSRI, supporting outreach, visibility, and student engagement initiatives that help more young researchers connect with NSRI programs.
View profileResearch network support
I’m Shanmuka Gottimukkala, a high school junior from Milton High School passionate about computer science, artificial intelligence, and research.
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Kanav Sah serves as an Associate Officer at NSRI, contributing to partnership development and outreach efforts to expand the institution's global reach.
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Brennan Fallon manages task management and productivity initiatives at NSRI.
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My name is Yerdaulet Kenges, and I am serving here as a partnership associate. I work with finding partner organisations and fellow researchers.
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I’m Aditya Singh, a high school sophomore from Allen, Texas passionate about entrepreneurship, AI/ML research, and competitive academics.
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I’m Sanat Tibrewal, a sophomore at Allen High School interested in the intersection of artificial intelligence, finance, and research.
View profileAcademic guidance
55 academic experts helping NSRI teams build credible, disciplined, and defensible research.
55 profiles
Professor of Agronomy · University of Ghana
University of Ghana Professor with 3,070 citations and an h-index of 23, advancing sustainable agriculture, food security, climate adaptation and agricultural innovation systems.
Beyond Adoption: What Determines the Sustained Use and Long-Term Impact of Yield-Enhancing Technologies Among Smallholder Farmers?
Professor Emeritus · University of the Philippines Open University
Professor Emeritus, former Vice Chancellor and former Dean whose research and development work has crossed communication, education, technology and international development.
Higher-Order Impacts of Generative AI on Education: Curriculum, Assessment, Learning and Institutional Change
NSRI research advisor
Associate Professor in Distance Education · Africa Nazarene University | Crossref Board Director
International open-education scholar serving on the Crossref Board and Executive Committee, with experience building institutional capacity for distance and digital learning.
Quality, Access and Learner Success in AI-Enabled Open and Distance Education
Professor of Chemistry · Government College University Faisalabad
Highly cited physical chemist and catalysis researcher working on photocatalysis, green chemistry and technologies for removing pollutants from wastewater.
Benchmarking Low-Cost Photocatalytic Systems for Degradation of Persistent Organic Pollutants in Water
NSRI research advisor
Associate Professor of Biochemistry · University of Agriculture Faisalabad
Highly cited biochemist investigating cellular signaling, apoptosis, eryptosis and molecular mechanisms of disease.
Mapping Cellular Stress Pathways Regulating Apoptosis and Eryptosis Across Disease Models
NSRI research advisor
Assistant Professor of Finance · University of Agriculture Faisalabad
Finance scholar with more than 4,700 Google Scholar citations connecting financial economics, FinTech, sustainability and renewable-energy investment.
Digital Finance, Financial Resilience and Sustainable Investment Behavior
Professor of Computer Science & Engineering · Kathmandu University
Kathmandu University Professor with 20+ years across information systems, AI, e-government, big data, IoT and digital infrastructure.
Can AI-Enabled Digital Public Infrastructure Expand Access Without Widening the Digital Divide?
NSRI research advisor
Dean, School of Arts · Associate Professor of Sociology · Kathmandu University
Kathmandu University Dean and political sociologist studying inequality, migration, democracy, conflict and development across South Asia.
Migration, Social Mobility and Household Resilience in Rapidly Changing South Asian Communities
NSRI research advisor
Associate Professor of Arabic Literature · Lebanese American University
Lebanese American University scholar whose work connects Arabic literary heritage, modern criticism and cross-cultural literary studies.
Cultural Memory and Classical Literary Forms in Contemporary Arabic Literature and Digital Media
Full Professor of Psychology · Makerere University
Senior Makerere psychologist with an extensive record across organizational psychology, trauma, resilience and behavioral research.
Building a Cross-Cultural Model of Adolescent Resilience, Stress and Academic Wellbeing
Professor of Agricultural Economics · Federal University Oye-Ekiti
Agricultural economist with extensive publication, supervision and consulting experience across climate adaptation, food security and rural development.
Predicting Household Transitions Into and Out of Food Insecurity Under Climate and Market Shocks
Professor of Pharmacy · Khulna University
Pharmacy professor with more than 1,400 citations working across pharmacology, medicinal chemistry and natural-products research.
Evidence Mapping of Plant-Derived Bioactive Compounds With Therapeutic Potential Against High-Burden Diseases
NSRI research advisor
Director, Legon Centre for Education Research & Policy · University of Ghana
Award-winning University of Ghana scholar leading multidisciplinary education-policy research, impact evaluation and evidence-informed decision making.
Which Learning and Human Skills Remain Durable in an AI-Driven Education System?
Professor of Botany · Government College University Faisalabad
Highly cited plant scientist investigating molecular stress responses, environmental remediation and crop resilience.
Molecular and Physiological Markers of Crop Tolerance to Drought, Salinity and Heavy-Metal Stress
NSRI research advisor
Associate Professor · Director of Research & Innovation · University of Rwanda
University of Rwanda research leader connecting demography, health, education, gender and development in resource-limited communities.
How Education, Health Access and Household Resources Interact to Shape Youth Development Outcomes
Chairperson & Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering · University of Wah
Award-winning engineering educator and AI researcher working across computer vision, biomedical imaging, signal processing and intelligent systems.
Interpretable Deep Learning for Brain-Tumor Segmentation and Classification Across Public MRI Datasets
NSRI research advisor
Professor of Agronomy · University of Agriculture Faisalabad
Agronomist with more than 23 years across academic research, field agriculture and industry collaboration.
Regenerative Agriculture, Soil Health and Crop Productivity Under Climate Stress
NSRI research advisor
Senior Lecturer in Statistics & Applied Mathematics · University of Ghana
Applied mathematician using deterministic and stochastic models to solve complex problems across health, environment and industry.
Uncertainty-Aware Epidemic Models for Comparing Public-Health Intervention Strategies
Assistant Professor of Engineering Technology · Austin Peay State University
U.S.-based engineering professor and IEEE Senior Member advancing brain-computer interfaces, biomedical signals, AI and intelligent sensing.
Interpretable EEG Classification for Noninvasive Brain-Computer Interfaces
Associate Professor of Computer Science · COMSATS University Islamabad
Computer scientist and HEC-approved supervisor researching neural networks, graph learning, blockchain, edge computing and intelligent systems.
Graph Neural Networks for Fraud and Anomaly Detection in Financial or Blockchain Networks
NSRI research advisor
Assistant Professor of Plant Genomics & Biotechnology · GCUF
Plant-genomics researcher applying GWAS, molecular genetics and biotechnology to crop improvement and stress resilience.
Mining Public Crop-Genomics Data to Identify Genes and QTLs Associated With Climate-Resilient Traits
Professor of Agricultural Extension & Rural Development · Federal University Oye-Ekiti
Agricultural-development scholar studying technology adoption, rural livelihoods, food security and the systems that determine whether innovation reaches farmers.
What Predicts Sustained Adoption of Digital and Climate-Smart Agricultural Technologies?
NSRI research advisor
AI Researcher · MUBAS | Research Lead, KAI Lab
Malawi-based computer scientist leading grant-backed AI research across health informatics, low-resource technology and responsible generative AI.
Benchmarking Speech-to-Text and Language Models for Low-Resource African Languages
NSRI research advisor
Assistant Professor of Statistics · University of Agriculture Faisalabad
Applied statistician specializing in multivariate analysis, statistical quality control and data-driven environmental and industrial research.
Interpretable Statistical and Machine-Learning Models for Agricultural Yield, Water Quality or Industrial Monitoring
Assistant Professor of Applied Linguistics & Communication · AASTU
Communication scholar bridging language, translation, media, crisis communication, leadership and diplomacy.
Risk and Uncertainty Communication Across Multilingual Digital Media During Public Crises
NSRI research advisor
Assistant Professor of Applied Mathematics · AASTU
Applied mathematician modeling nonlinear heat and mass transfer in magnetohydrodynamic and nanofluid systems.
Numerical Benchmarking of Nonlinear MHD Nanofluid Models Under Variable Thermal and Boundary Conditions
Professor & Chair of English · University of Wah
South Asian literary scholar specializing in Pakistani Anglophone writing, postcolonial criticism, ecocriticism and decolonial approaches.
Environment, Class and Multispecies Relationships in Contemporary South Asian Fiction
NSRI research advisor
Assistant Professor of Education · University of Wah
Education researcher combining comparative education, AI-enabled learning and green-skills development with active postgraduate supervision.
What Predicts Productive, Ethical and Sustained Generative-AI Use in Higher Education?
NSRI research advisor
Lecturer I in Mathematics Education · Federal University Oye-Ekiti
Mathematics-education researcher with international postdoctoral experience investigating AI, ICT and technology-enhanced learning.
Does Generative AI Improve Conceptual Understanding and Problem Solving in Secondary Mathematics?
Assistant Professor of Food & Nutrition · University of Agriculture Faisalabad
Nutrition scientist investigating functional foods, nutraceuticals, gut health and public-health interventions for micronutrient deficiency.
Dietary Patterns and Evidence-Based Interventions for Micronutrient Deficiency Among Young Women
Lecturer in Mathematics · University of Wah | CEO, Continuum Research Center
Mathematician and clinical data scientist connecting algebra, topology and machine learning with biomedical research and predictive modeling.
Mathematically Structured Machine Learning for DNA Sequence Classification and Biomedical Risk Prediction
NSRI research advisor
Assistant Professor of Human Resource Management · University of Agriculture Faisalabad
HRM scholar studying leadership, political skill, work engagement, digital transformation and cross-cultural employee behavior.
Leadership, AI Adoption and Employee Wellbeing During Organizational Digital Transformation
NSRI research advisor
Assistant Professor of Applied Mathematics · AASTU
Operations-research scholar combining stochastic optimization, game theory, supply-chain modeling and machine learning for complex decisions.
Robust Supply-Chain Optimization Under Uncertain Demand, Cost and Disruption
Lecturer in Mathematics Education · University of Ghana
University of Ghana researcher studying how technology, teacher practice and educational policy shape mathematics learning.
Which Combinations of AI Tools, Teacher Training and Classroom Practice Most Improve Mathematics Learning?
NSRI research advisor
Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering · AASTU
Chemical engineer working across CFD, biomass conversion, adsorption, nanomaterials and sustainable process engineering.
CFD and Adsorption Modeling for Low-Cost Bio-Derived Water-Treatment Materials
NSRI research advisor
Adjunct Professor of English & Translation Studies · Federal University of Rondonópolis
Brazilian scholar connecting literary translation, English education and the international circulation of Brazilian and Amazonian literature.
Translating Brazilian Literature for English-Speaking Audiences: Culture, Meaning and Translation Decisions
Assistant Professor of Chemistry · University of Chitral
Physical chemist with more than 1,300 citations researching electrocatalysis, fuel-cell materials, nanomaterials and wastewater remediation.
Computational Screening of Low-Cost Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction and Clean-Energy Systems
Lecturer I in Counselling Psychology · Federal University Oye-Ekiti
Award-recognized counselling psychologist researching resilience, adolescent mental health, digital wellbeing and psychosocial development.
Cyberbullying, Digital Fatigue, Social Support and Adolescent Resilience
NSRI research advisor
Assistant Professor of Cybersecurity · University of Wah
Cybersecurity researcher with deep academic experience studying VANETs, network security, intrusion detection and intelligent defense systems.
Machine-Learning Intrusion Detection for Connected and Vehicular Networks Under Realistic Attack Scenarios
NSRI research advisor
Lecturer in Applied Mathematics · University of Wah
Applied mathematician combining fluid mechanics, nonlinear modeling and machine learning to study complex heat and mass-transfer systems.
Numerical Solvers vs Neural-Network Surrogates for Nonlinear Nanofluid and Heat-Transfer Models
NSRI research advisor
Assistant Professor of Computer Science · International Islamic University Islamabad
Computer scientist specializing in reverse engineering, AI-assisted cybersecurity and automated software-vulnerability analysis.
Explainable AI for Automated Software Vulnerability Analysis
NSRI research advisor
Assistant Professor of Linguistics · University of Wah
Linguist combining corpus-assisted critical discourse analysis, systemic functional linguistics and emerging AI-mediated communication.
Corpus-Based Analysis of Climate and Technology Narratives Across Digital Media
Lecturer in Computer Science · University of Buner
Computer scientist researching image steganography, computer vision, cybersecurity and AI, with international doctoral and postdoctoral research experience.
Robust Image Steganography Under Compression, Resizing and Adversarial Detection
Dean, Computer Science · University of Wah
Prof
Role of AI and Its Impact in Various Fields
Lecturer · University of Buner
Dr
Scalable Handwritten Pashto Word Recognition and Unicode Mapping Using Deep Learning
NSRI research advisor
Dean, Faculty of Life Sciences / Professor · Government College University Faisalabad
Prof
Industry- and Community-Relevant Research in Biological Sciences
Senior Lecturer · University of Zimbabwe
Dr
Screen Time and Language Development in Children
Assistant Professor · University of Wah
Dr
Marginal Literatures and Silenced Ecologies
Associate Professor, Mass Communication · Kathmandu University
Dr
Populist Majoritarianism, Nationalist Politics, and the Shrinking Democratic Space of Universities: A South Asian…
Lecturer · University of Rwanda
Dr
AI-Enabled Personalized Learning for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Low-Resource Educational Settings
Professor · National Institute of Technology Warangal
Prof
AI in Healthcare and Bioenergy
NSRI research advisor
Assistant Professor · National Institute of Technology Warangal
Dr
Air Pollution
NSRI research advisor
Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering · National Institute of Technology Warangal
Dr
Computational Modelling and Data-Driven Analysis of Multiphase Flows, Complex Fluids, and Sustainable Engineering Systems
Part-time Lecturer · Makerere University
Dr
SDGs and Agenda 2063
Assistant Professor Grade-I · National Institute of Technology Rourkela
Dr
Research Collaboration with Professors Only
Past event contributors
Recognizing the experts who volunteered their time to review student work and support NSRI research events. This recognition does not imply an ongoing executive appointment or PhD advisor position.
Summer Research Hackathon 2026 · Judge & Guest Speaker
MSc · Graduate Researcher · University of Kashmir
Syed Anaitullah Bukharie contributed to NSRI's Summer Research Hackathon 2026 as a judge and guest speaker. His academic interests include statistics, biostatistics, public health, Bayesian inference, and responsible applications of artificial intelligence in research.
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