Aparna Radhakrishnan

Dr. Aparna Radhakrishnan is an academician and researcher in Agricultural Extension, currently serving as Assistant Professor at the College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Kerala Agricultural University. She brings over six years of experience in teaching, research, and grassroots extension, having previously worked at KVK Wayanad, KVK Thrissur, and the Agricultural Information and Sales Centre (AISC), Kozhikode.

Following her Ph.D. in Agricultural Extension from ICAR-NDRI, Karnal, she served as a Project Scientist at IIT Delhi, contributing to interdisciplinary research on climate-resilient agriculture. She later worked as a Senior Research and Policy Associate at SM Sehgal Foundation, where she was engaged in community-based research, rural development, and policy analysis.

Her doctoral research focused on climate change-related dairy innovations and trade-offs in the socio-ecological systems of the Western Ghats. The study applied vulnerability indices and systems thinking to propose integrated strategies for sustainable livestock farming.

Dr. Aparna has led several impactful projects as Principal Investigator. These include a State Plan Project on Mapping Climate Change-Induced Vulnerability and Trade-offs of Agro-Ecological Units of Kerala, and the development of an Information Portal to Map Proven Agricultural Technologies and Create a Farmer Database. She played a key role in the ICAR-CIFT project on Fish for Nutrition and Health of Women and Children, and coordinated the Institution Village Linkage Programme (IVLP) to enhance food and nutritional security. She also led initiatives for Strengthening the Sales, Nursery, and Capacity Building Unit at AISC Kozhikode, and evaluated the Impact of KAU Technologies in Rice Production Systems in Kerala. She currently works on a KSCSTE-funded project titled Mapping of Climate Change Risk, Vulnerability, and Cropping Pattern Dynamics for Adaptation Planning in Kerala.

Her publications appear in leading journals such as Current Science, Fishery Technology, and Social Sciences & Humanities Open. She has received multiple recognitions, including best paper, poster, and thesis awards.

Dr. Aparna’s research integrates climate resilience, gender-inclusive extension, rural innovation, and adaptive policy frameworks—linking science with practice to advance sustainable agriculture and rural well-being.