Dr Humira Sonah

Dr. Humira Sonah is a distinguished agricultural biotechnologist with extensive expertise in plant genomics, molecular breeding, and omics-based crop improvement. Over the past decade, she has made significant contributions to agricultural research and education through her innovative work in quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping, genome editing, and multi-omics integration for crop improvement.

Dr. Sonah completed her B.Sc. in Agriculture and M.Sc. in Agricultural Biotechnology, followed by a Ph.D. in Biotechnology. After her doctoral studies, she pursued advanced research as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Université Laval, Canada (2011–2018), where she worked under the guidance of Prof. François Belzile and Prof. Richard Bélanger. During her tenure at Laval, she contributed to the development of genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) technology and carried out pioneering work on host–pathogen interactions in canola and the functional characterization of aquaporins. Her exceptional research performance earned her a promotion to Visiting Professor at Université Laval.

On returning to India, Dr. Sonah joined the National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Mohali, as a Ramalingaswami Fellow, where she worked for five years before moving to the Central University of Haryana (CUH) for one year under the same fellowship. Currently, she continues her academic and research engagements at CUH, contributing to teaching, mentoring, and collaborative projects in agricultural genomics and biotechnology.

Dr. Sonah has an impressive record of supervising and mentoring young researchers, having guided four Ph.D. students (three from Panjab University and one from RCB, Delhi), two postdoctoral fellows, and ten M.Sc. students from various universities and institutes. She is also a co-supervisor for two ongoing Ph.D. scholars at CUH.

In research, Dr. Sonah is best known for identifying a QTL for sheath blight resistance in rice, which is now being utilized worldwide for rice cultivar development. She also developed breeding lines with high silicon content, currently being used at Université Laval and Syngenta. Her scientific contributions have significantly advanced the understanding of genetic mechanisms underlying stress tolerance and yield traits in crops.

Dr. Sonah’s scholarly work is well recognized internationally, reflected through her high citation count (over 10,000 citations) and impactful publications in leading journals. Beyond research papers, she has edited three major books with reputed publishers, which serve as valuable resources for students and researchers:

Advances in Agri-Food Biotechnology (Springer Nature, 2020)

Genotype by Sequencing for Crop Improvement (John Wiley & Sons, 2022)

Biofortification in Cereals – Progress and Prospects (Springer Nature, 2023)

At the Central University of Haryana, Dr. Sonah has been instrumental in strengthening biotechnology education and research capacity. She has organized national workshops and training programs—including one on QTL mapping, GWAS, and genomic selection and another on genome editing tools—which were well received by students and faculty across institutions. She also initiated a lecture series to guide M.Sc. Life Science students in identifying and applying for Ph.D. opportunities abroad.

Her research interests extend to multi-omics data integration, artificial intelligence applications in crop improvement, and sustainable agricultural biotechnology. She remains deeply committed to advancing science-led innovation for food and nutritional security.

Dr. Sonah’s long-term vision is to contribute to education, research, and development in her home state of Jammu & Kashmir, leveraging her global experience to strengthen local scientific and agricultural ecosystems.