Dr. Omkar is the programme coordinator in the Chemicals and Health team. He has expertise in soil and water pollution monitoring and modelling. He has also handled sophisticated analytical as well as monitoring instruments. Dr. Omkar has experience in planning and conducting lab experiments, soil and water monitoring campaigns, and analysis. He wishes to conduct independent research on environmental issues and provide a wide range of solutions, which are driven by the needs of the people for a healthy environment.

Dr. Omkar received his B.Tech degree in Biotechnology from the University of Pune in 2010. He then pursued his M.Tech in Environmental Engineering from the National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Surathkal (2011-2013). Further, he completed his Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras in 2019 where he conducted experimental and modeling studies on the subsurface fate and transport of pesticides. During his Ph.D. at IIT Madras, he was awarded the Indo-US Water Advanced Research and Innovation (WARI) fellowship to carry out his research at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Nebraska, USA. After finishing his Ph.D., he worked on monitoring persistent organic pollutants such as phthalates and bisphenol A in foods and water and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) in plastic extracts.

Omkar loves to travel, explore new cultures, and meet new people. He is passionate about work but equally gives importance to work-life balance. A socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable future is his driving force.

Reach out to Omkar at omkar@toxicslink.org