SHALLU DHINGRA, Ph.D.

Bio:

I have always believed that science is not just a subject that is taught in school, but it is a way of living where one learns to question everything that he/she does not understand. At school, I have always been curious to know things in depth as the curriculum just scratched the surface. I have been missing out on practical science experiments because of a lack of basic equipment in school. Chemistry fascinated me the greatest as everything we hear, see, smell, taste, and touch involve chemistry and chemicals (matter). And hearing, seeing, tasting, and touching all involve intricate series of chemical reactions and interactions in your body. This helps me to stay more curious about chemistry. So, I choose to study chemistry at the undergraduate level.

During my Master’s in Chemistry at IISER Mohali, where I graduated with a perfect academic score and ranked first in my cohort, I developed a deeper appreciation for Organic chemistry, molecular interactions, and soft matter systems. This period strengthened my analytical thinking and introduced me to advanced experimental and theoretical tools.

My doctoral research expanded this foundation into materials science, with a focus on liquid crystals and functional soft materials. I worked on discotic liquid crystalline systems exhibiting charge transport, light responsiveness, and tunable mesophases for optoelectronic applications. Through molecular design and structure–property correlations, I explored how subtle changes at the molecular level translate into macroscopic electronic and photonic behavior.

Currently, as a Postdoctoral Researcher in physics, my work bridges materials chemistry and optics. I investigate liquid crystal–based photonic and optical modulation systems, aiming to engineer responsive materials with controllable optical signatures and advanced photonic functionalities.

Across this journey - from chemistry to materials science to optical physics - my central motivation has remained the same: understanding how molecular organization gives rise to function, and how we can design materials that respond intelligently to light, energy, and external stimuli.

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