About the Lecturer II
Ferial Pestano-Gupta is a Lecturer II at the University of Guyana in the Division of Natural Sciences, Department of Biology. With over 12 years of experience in teaching and research, she is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Biodiversity. Her research focuses on entomopathogenic fungi and their potential for biological control, particularly assessing their efficacy against key rice pests in Guyana under varying climatic conditions.
Her research interests include mycology, molecular biology, cell biology, microbial ecology, biological control, biodiversity conservation, and the impact of climate change on ecosystems. She has collaborated on several interdisciplinary projects exploring endophytic fungi, marine mammal conservation, and the medicinal properties of plants. Additionally, she has supervised multiple student research projects, contributing to the development of young researchers in environmental and agricultural sciences.
She has published in areas related to biological sciences, agricultural entomology, and environmental conservation
Selected Research Publications:
1. Bhagarathi, L. K., Da Silva, P. N. B., Maharaj, G., Balkarran, R.; Baksh, A.; Kalika-Singh, S.; Pestano, F. & Cossiah, C. (2024). The impact of climate change on the reproductive biology and population dynamics of fishes: Implications for fisheries and food security. International Journal of Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences Archive, 08(02), 013-034.
2. Bhagarathi, L. K., Da Silva, P. N. B., Maharaj, G., Pestano, F., Cossiah, C., Kalika-Singh, S. & Balkarran, R. (2024). A comprehensive review on the impact of climate change on the ecology, breeding seasonality, abundance and distribution of birds and possible approaches to address and conserve bird populations; International Journal of Science and Technology Research Archive, 6(2), 21-44.
3. Bhagarathi, L. K., Da Silva, P. N. B., Pestano, F. & Cossiah, C. (2024). Impact of climate change on the reproduction, distribution and abundance of herpetofauna: A review of Literature; GSC Advanced Research and Reviews, 18(1), 266-282.
4. Pestano, F., Gomathinayagam, S., Ansari, A., & Da Silva, P. (2019). Investigation of the occurrence of entomopathogenic fungi in soils and on insects from Corentyne Berbice, Guyana. GSC Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 8(3), 1-9.
5. Pestano, F., Liverpool, E., Gomathinayagam, S., & Ansari, A. (2017). Investigation of entomopathogenic fungi from insects at University of Guyana Turkeyen Campus. Current Trends in Biomedical Engineering & Biosciences, 5(2), 555656.