Jaison Manjaly
Principal Investigator

jmanjaly@iitgn.ac.in

Jaison Manjaly is the Jasubhai Memorial Chair Professor at IIT Gandhinagar. He is affiliated with the Department of Humanities and Social Science and the Department of Cognitive and Brain Sciences at IITGN. His research interests include curiosity, education, and exclusion. He is the Principal Investigator of the Curiosity Lab at IITGN, which aims to develop interventions to foster curiosity in the classroom. Jaison works with UNICEF on social change through behavioral intervention. His Social Action and Policy Lab develops strategies and mechanisms to achieve this goal.

Jaison joined IITGN at its inception in 2008. As one of the first career faculty members of the institute and as a member of its leadership team, he pioneered the establishment of the Humanities, Social, and Cognitive Science Programs at IITGN. He served as Dean of Student Affairs from 2012 to 2018 and contributed to developing sustainable institutional culture and student well-being strategies.

Jaison is an art and sports enthusiast. He founded ART@IITGN and developed the Art Studio and Ceramics Studio on campus. He also conducts several outreach programs for school children and teachers through the Curiosity Lab and ART@IITGN. He founded the IITGN Squash Open and regularly conducts tournaments on the IITGN campus. He is passionate about using sports as a medium of social change, community building, and well-being. Jaison is currently the Faculty-in-Charge of Alumni Relations at IITGN.

Argha Manna
Principal Investigator

argha.manna@iitgn.ac.in

Argha Manna is an Indian Scientist turned Artist. His area of expertise is in visual storytelling theory and practice. Argha's work often bridges stories from history, science, and socio-cultural aspects through art.

Ihsan K

ihsan.k@iitgn.ac.in

Ihsan is a Ph.D. student at the Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, IIT Gandhinagar. He is interested in how curiosity affects learning in general. Currently, he explores the role of curiosity in enhancing procedural and declarative knowledge in adult second language acquisition. He is also interested in the computational frameworks of learning and curiosity and; natural language processing.

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Sakina Ali

sakina.ali@iitgn.ac.in

Sakina is a Ph.D. student at the Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, IIT Gandhinagar. She has a B.Sc. (Hons.) in Psychology from Banaras Hindu University and an M.A. in Applied Psychology from Jamia Millia Islamia University. For her doctoral reseach, she is interested in exploring the dynamics between curiosity and other mental processes, specifically memory.

Khushboo Sahrawat

sahrawat_khushboo@iitgn.ac.in

Khushboo is a PhD scholar in Humanities and Social Sciences at IIT Gandhinagar. Her research focuses on lived experiences of caste-based exclusion, approached through Life Writing, News and Social Media, and Network Analysis studies. She is particularly interested in exploring the experiential aspects of exclusion. She holds a B.A. in English from Kirori Mal College, Delhi University, and a M.A. in Society and Culture from IIT Gandhinagar.

CM Manasvi

manasvi.cm@iitgn.ac.in

The philosophy of 'curiouser & curiouser' from Alice in Wonderland is embedded in her approach to science, communication & beyond. As a science communicator, she has worked for Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and The Environment (ATREE) and Science Gallery Bengaluru. She has written human-angle science stories for The Hindu, The Wire Science, The Print, and Life of Science.

Himangshu Kothari

himangshu.kothari@iitgn.ac.in

Armed with an MSc in Cognitive Sciences from CBCS, Allahabad, Himangshu has been engaged in artistry and design for over four years. He actively seeks opportunities at the crossroads of design, psychology, and education. His commitment extends beyond mere creation; he delves into the interplay of curiosity through his current readings. He continuously explores new avenues for expression and communication.

Samarpita Mallick

samarpitamallick@iitgn.ac.in

Samarpita completed her M.Sc. Cognitive Science at the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar. She holds a BSc in Physiology, Zoology and Chemistry. Her research is on the effect of mindfulness on curiosity.

Advisor

Kushal Sacheti

Founder & President of Centre for Curiosity, New York

Kushal Sacheti is a mentor, business advisor, serial entrepreneur, and philanthropist. Kushal’s philanthropic initiatives include mentoring and advisory roles at several educational institutions and arts and social welfare organizations in India and the United States. He is the Founder and President of the Center for Curiosity (CfC) and sponsored the CfC@UPenn initiative on curiosity at the University of Pennsylvania.