Akanksha Rathore

Dr. Akanksha Rathore serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Information Systems at Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani (Hyderabad Campus) since April 2024. Her research bridges computational sciences with ecological applications through the DSCOvER Lab, focusing on data-driven approaches to understand natural systems and address environmental challenges.

Her educational background includes a PhD from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore (2015-2021) and B.Tech in Information Technology from Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur (2008-2012). Prior professional experience encompasses postdoctoral research at Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior (Germany), project work at Nature Conservation Foundation, and software development at SAP Labs.

Research centers on two interconnected domains:

• Collective Intelligence: Computational modeling of animal group coordination through collective movement, escape dynamics, and synchrony using multi-modal data collection (UAVs, GPS) and network analysis
• Eco-Informatics: Application of AI and machine learning for wildlife monitoring, habitat quality assessment, and developing early-warning indicators for environmental stress using drone and remote sensing technologies

Currently leading an Indo-German project (Emergent Collective Intelligence for Ephemeral Resource Tracking) funded by IGSTC-WISER, she integrates reinforcement learning with agent-based modeling to study resource tracking in dynamic ecosystems. The DSCOvER Lab actively recruits Junior Research Fellows and mentors MSc students through interdisciplinary collaborations with Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior.