The people doing the work.
A 2-year-old research centre led by a scientist with 100+ publications and five researchers who left traditional academia to work on urban sustainability, cognition, and pedagogy — in Mangaluru and Mysuru.
What the Research Centre is doing right now.
Mysuru Comprehensive Tree Census
A partnership with Mysore Grahakara Parishat (MGP) and SDMIMD to conduct the first comprehensive tree census of Mysuru — using the "Mangalore Model" of digital auditing developed by CFAL. Every tree geotagged with species ID, GPS coordinates, canopy classification, and health status.
Why this matters: The methodology — geotagging, survival tracking, satellite validation — is replicable. If it works in Mysuru, it works in any Indian city. This census is both a research project and a proof of concept for national-scale urban forestry data.
AMARA — Urban Greening
Mangaluru's public green cover: 6.24%. Target: 30% by 2040. 11,000+ trees of 145 species planted and geotagged across 60 wards. 40,000 mangrove saplings at Adamkudru (Syngene CSR / Biocon Foundation). Digital auditing for transparency and survival tracking.
Tree Census Data
Five scientists. Five disciplines. One mission.
What makes this team unusual is not their current titles — it's where they came from. Each researcher brought deep expertise from a traditional academic field and redirected it toward applied sustainability and education. The "hidden expertise" is what makes the work rigorous.
"A neuroscientist mapping groundwater. A wildlife biologist counting urban trees. A hypersonic mathematician modelling monsoon drainage. This is what happens when serious researchers choose to work on problems that matter — in the cities where they live."
Prof. Dr. Smitha Hegde
Career Research Record
Dr. Hegde brings to CFAL a track record of funded research from India's leading science agencies. These grants were held at her previous institutional appointments. The expertise and methodology carry forward into the Research Centre's current work.
Previous Funded Research
Research Expertise Areas
Fern Biology & Western Ghats
Molecular ecology of pteridophytes. Spore morphology catalogues. Climate-linked biodiversity assessment. Key species: Acrostichum aureum, Adiantum raddianum, Cyathea nilgirensis.
Heavy Metal Sequestration
Lead biosorption using Pteris vittata. Mercury mitigation via Pityrogramma calomelanos. Radioactive metal bioprospecting.
LEAFY Gene & Genomics
Evolutionary studies of the LFY gene. Protein modelling (ExPASy ProtParam). Bioinformatics across plant lineages.
Western Ghats Biodiversity
Flora documentation. Climate response monitoring. Endangered species cataloguing.
Selected Publications
Where the centre is heading.
These are the research domains the CFAL Research Centre is building capacity in. Some are active (AMARA, tree census). Others are in early development. We name them honestly — as directions, not claims.
Urban Ecology & Digital Forestry
AMARA tree planting and digital auditing. Mysuru tree census. Satellite + AI tree cover identification. Species selection for climate resilience. The "Mangalore Model" of urban green cover restoration.
Environmental Monitoring
Groundwater quality mapping. Chemical pollutant distribution. Applying neuroscience-grade quantitative methods to environmental data.
Environmental Modelling
Fluid dynamics applied to urban systems — water flow, air circulation, heat islands, pollutant dispersion. Mathematical modelling for sustainability planning.
Cognition & Pedagogy
How children learn in Indian contexts. Nature Perspectives Curriculum (K-12). Student Coach App. Longitudinal STEM performance data. Cognition Conference: October 2026.
PhD Programme
Sustainability, Education & Cognition. Scholars on live projects. AU affiliation in progress. 2-3 scholars in Year 1. Quality over quantity.
Botanical Research & Conservation
Dr. Hegde's pteridology and phytoremediation expertise applied to Western Ghats conservation and Mangaluru's coastal ecosystems. Herbarium development. Coastal field station.
Where the centre stands — honestly.
Institutional Framework
In Progress
"A young centre with a world-class director, five researchers from five disciplines, one active city-scale project producing real data, and a plan. That's the honest position — and it's a strong one."
Join the work. It's early — and that's the point.
We're looking for: PhD scholars (sustainability, education, cognition), research collaborators, visiting scientists, field volunteers, and organisations interested in the "Mangalore Model" of urban greening.
CFAL Research Centre · Akashbhavan, Kavoor, Mangaluru 575015