Raghavendra Gadagkar, Ph.D. (Indian Institute of Science, 1979), studies Animal Behaviour, Ecology and Evolution and is especially interested in the origin and evolution of social life in animals. Gadagkar is the DST Year of Science Chair Professor at the Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science and Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. 

Gadagkar is a former Permanent Fellow of the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Honorary Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Mohali and past President, Indian National Science Academy. 

He has published over 300 research papers and articles and three books, Survival Strategies (Harvard University Press, 1997), The Social Biology of Ropalidia (Harvard University Press, 2001) and How to Design Experiments in Animal Behaviour (Open-access e-book, Indian Academy of Sciences, 2021). 

He has been recognized by several awards including the Shanthi Swarup Bhatnagar Prize, the Third World Academy of Sciences award in Biology and the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. He is a fellow of The World Academy of Sciences, Leopoldina, The German National Science Academy, International Member, National Academy of sciences, USA and Foreign Honorary Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He has served as a member of several committees including the Scientific Advisory Committee to the Cabinet, Government of India. 

As the founder chair of the Centre for Contemporary Studies, Gadagkar has initiated a new experiment that endeavours to engage some of the best practitioners of different disciplines in the human sciences, such as philosophy, sociology, economics, law, literature, poetry, art, music, cinema etc. and aims to forge meaningful interaction between the natural and human sciences with special focus on understanding the diverse research methodologies of different disciplines and create opportunities to rethink the foundations of our own disciplines. In his blog at The Wire he explores how science can be more fun than fun.