Research Areas:Genetic stock identification in conservation/ culture of important fish and shellfish in peninsular Indian waters using molecular markers like Mitochondrial and Microsatellite markers.
Expertise in finfish/shellfish identification/ molecular taxonomy and publication of a handbook on the species on fin/shellfish resources of Ramsar sites in Kerala and T. N.
Resurrection of species through conventional and molecular taxonomy
Current Research Projects:

• Assessment of exotic fish’ prevalence and their impacts on indigenous fish diversity
• Sustainable Livelihood Promotion for Tribal Community in Tiruvallur District, Tamil Nadu through aquaculture practices (TN Tribal Welfare Department)

1. Divya P.R., Elizabeth Jency P.M., Kathirvelpandian A., Linu Joy, Rajeev Kumar Singh and Basheer V.S., 2020. Population connectivity and genetic structure of Asian green mussel, Perna viridis along Indian waters assessed using mitochondrial markers Molecular Biology Reports. 47: 5061–5072 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-020-05575-4
2. Divya PR, Jose DM, Christo M, Ravi C, Sarkar UK. Novel Efficient Genome-Wide STR Panels for the Conservation of the Endemic Catfishes of Western Ghats: Critically Endangered Hemibagrus punctatus Jerdon (1849) and Vulnerable Horabagrus brachysoma (Günther, 1864). Biochemical Genetics 2024 Dec 4. doi: 10.1007/s10528-024-10982-4. PMID: 39630374.
3. Chowdhury LM, Pr D, Mandal S, Ravi C, Mohindra V, Sarkar UK. Complete mitochondrial genome of critically endangered catfish Hemibagrus punctatus (Jerdon, 1849) and comparative analysis for insights into the phylogeny of hemibagrids through mitogenomic approach. Molecular Biology Reports. 2024 May 1;51(1):601. doi: 10.1007/s11033-024-09490-w. PMID: 38693276.
4. Labrechai M.C., Kathirvelpandian, A., Divya, P.R., V.S. Basheer, Chelat Mohitha, A. Pavan-Kumar, Gopal Krishna, 2021. Genetic characterization of Kiddi shrimp, Parapenaeopsis stylifera (H. Milne Edwards, 1837) along the Indian coast using microsatellite markers, Fisheries Research, Volume 244, 106128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2021.106128
5. Divya, P.R., Mohitha, C., Rahul, G.K., Shanis, C.R., Basheer, V.S. and Gopalakrishnan, A. (2017). Molecular based phylogenetic species recognition in the genus Pampus (Perciformes: Stromateidae) reveals hidden diversity in the Indian Ocean. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 109; 240-245. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2016.12.030

For complete list of publications: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=U3lSDqYAAAAJ

• Kerala State Young Scientist Award - Agriculture, Fisheries & Veterinary Science. (2012)awarded by Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment, Government of Kerala
• Prof. NJ Shetty Gold Medal for Senior Scientist(2024) awarded by AET College Bengaluru and Society for Advancement of Biological Sciences, Bengaluru
• NBFGR Kochi Unit was awarded the “Best Division Award” of NBFGR for 2012-2013.
• Best paper award, Marine Biology Research Symposium (MBRS 2021)
• Best Oral Presentation Award, UGC-sponsored National Seminar on Molecular Techniques in Genetic Engineering
• Best Poster Award for the poster presentation, National Symposium on Emerging Trends in Biotechnology, 22-23 January 2014, organized by the Department of Biotechnology, CUSAT
• ICAR Senior Research Fellowship for Ph.D. programme (2002) awarded by Indian Council for Agricultural Research
• ICAR Junior Research Fellowship for M. F. Sc. programme (2000) by Indian Council for Agricultural Research