Qualification: M.Sc., LL.B., Ph.D. (Topic: Anatomical and Histological Studies on the Genus Sida L. (Malvaceae) of Peninsular India with Special Focus on the Botanical Source of the Drug, Bala).
Specialization :
Ethnobotany/Ethnomedicine, Pharmacognosy, Participatory Conservation of Medicinal & Aromatic Plants and Primary Health care, Systematic Documentation TK related to plants used for Food and Medicine, Plant Taxonomy and Anatomy, Resource Mapping on Medicinal plants and Conservation Biology (Plant animal interaction studies).
Dr. M. Navas, has been working as Technical Officer in the Ethnomedicine and Ethnopharmacology Division of JNTBGRI since 1998. He is currently working as Senior Scientific Officer, State Medicinal Plants Board, Kerala, (AYUSH Department, Govt. of Kerala) on deputation since June 2021. He secured his PhD in Botany (in the area of Anatomy and Pharmacognosy) from the University of Kerala in 2015. He has 28 years of research experience in the field of Ethnobotany/Ethnomedicine, Medicinal & Aromatic Plants, Systematic Documentation TK, Pharmacognosy and Plant Taxonomy and Conservation Biology (Plant animal interaction studies). He has many publications and seminar papers in his credit including 6 Books, 29 Research Papers,14 Chapters in books (11 published by Govt. of India in API). He is awarded with Fellowships such as FNSE from National Society of Ethnopharmacology, FIAAT from Indian Association for Angiosperm Taxonomy and FSABS from the Society for Advancement of Biological Sciences, Bangalore . He received many awards such as T R Sahu Award (2011) of IAAT and Best Paper Award (2015) during the UGC National Seminar at FMN College, Kollam and prestigious Pushpangadan Biodiversity Access and Benefit Sharing Award 2022 (2023). He has life memberships in Academic/Scientific bodies including National Academy of Biological Sciences, Kerala Academy of Sciences, National Society for Ethnopharmacology, Society for Advancement of Biological Sciences and Indian Association for Angiosperm Taxonomy.
Ongoing Projects
- 2023-2028: Establishment of Herbal Gardens in Selected 100 schools of Kerala. Principal Investigator. Date of sanction: 23/07/2023 (5 years) Rs. 53 Lakhs National Medicinal Plants Board, Ministry of AYUSH, Govt. Of India.
- 2023-2025. Identification, creation of database and value addition of wild and underutilized edible varieties of leafy vegetables, tubers, fruits and pulses by the tribes of Trivandrum, Kollam and Alappuzha districts. Co-Investigator. 23/11/2022 (2 years). Rs.9.75 Lakhs. Kerala State Biodiversity Board, Govt. of Kerala.
- 2017-2022. Systematic documentation and Bio-prospecting of ethnomedically important medicinal plants on tribal/traditional knowledge through molecular pharmacological approach". Co-Investigator.. 2017. Rs. 40 Lakhs. (KSCSTE, Govt. of Kerala).
- 2010-2013, 2019-2022. Systematic Documentation of Traditional Knowledge Related to Plants used for Food and AYUSH & Indigenous Medicine. Co- investigator/ Field Coordinator. Rs.191 Lakhs. (Dept. of AYUSH, Govt. Of India).
- 2016-2018. JYOTHIS- A contact and Awareness Programme to Equip and Empower Higher Secondary Science Students towards Research Aptitude Development (Under Science popularization programme of KSCSTE). Co-Investigator. 2 Lakhs. KSCSTE, Govt. of Kerala.
- 2016-2019. Publication of the Journal Traditional and Folk Practices. Co-Investigator. 28.94 Lakhs. KSCSTE, Govt. of Kerala
- 2013-2017. Assessment of Medicinal Plant resources in seven southern districts of Kerala. Co-Investigator. 39.04 Lakhs. State Medicinal Plants Board, Kerala. Govt. of Kerala.
- 2012-2017. Ethnomedicinal survey and Systematic Documentation of Traditional Knowledge Among the Selected Tribals of Kerala (In-house project-KSCSTE). Co-Investigator. 28.2 Lakhs. KSCSTE, Govt. of Kerala.
- 2012-2017. Ethnobotanical Investigation on Coastal Areas of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Alappuzha Districts of Kerala (In-house project-KSCSTE). Co-Investigator. 21.26 Lakhs. KSCSTE, Govt. of Kerala.
- 2009-2010. Setting-up a facility for Traditional Knowledge Documentation in Food and Medicine and Quality Control Laboratory for Herbal Products (SARD project- KSCSTE). Co-Investigator. 17 Lakhs. KSCSTE, Govt. of Kerala.
- 2009-2014. Ethnopharmacological evaluation of antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, antifatigue potential of selected coded drugs based on Traditional Knowledge (In-house project-KSCSTE). Team member. KSCSTE Govt. of Kerala. (In house project- KSCSTE).
- 2008-2023. Serial wise publication of Children’s Hand Books on Medicinal and Food plants. Co-Investigator. 5 Lakhs. KSCSTE Govt. of Kerala. (In house project- KSCSTE).
Publications
- Rajasekharan, S., Nair, V.T.G., Navas, M., James, T.C., Murugan, K. (2023). Traditional Knowledge and Its Sustainable Utilization. In: Sukumaran, S.T., T R, K. (eds) Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Bioresources. Sustainable Development and Biodiversity. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-5841-0_25
- Anu S, Navas M and M Dan. (2020). Morpho-anatomical characterization of the rhizomes of ten species of Curcuma L. (Zingiberaceae) from South India. Journal of Spices and Aromatic Crops. Vol. 29 (1) : 38-47 (2020).
- Latha P G, S Rajasekharan, S R Suja, Mathew Dan, B Sabulal, M Navas, N M Krishnakumarand T M Shahul Hameed Vaidyar. (2015). Ethnopharmacological evaluation of antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, antioxdant, antifatigue potential of selected coded drugs based on Traditional Knowledge. JNTBGRI, Palode, Thiruvananthapuram. (ISBN – 978-81-924674-4-3.) pp.1-106.
- Navas M, Mathew Dan and P G Latha. (2013). Comparative root anatomy of the species under Sida rhombifolia complex (Malvaceae). Pharmacognosy Journal. 5: 269-274.
- Rajith N P, M Navas, N L Asha, A Muhammad Thaha, C S VimalKumar, N Anish, S Rajasekharan, V George & P Pushpangadan (2009). Ethnobotanical Studies on Coconut Palm (Cocos nucifera L.) with Special Reference to South Kerala. Ethnobotany (International Journal of the Society of Ethnobotanists). 21(1&2) pp.32-40.
Position: Technical Officer Gr. V
Mobile No: 9446112115
Work Experience
Dr Navas has 25 years of research experience at JNTBGRI and 3 years in State Medicinal Plants Board, in the field of Ethnobotany /Ethnomedicine, Participatory Conservation Programme of Medicinal & Aromatic Plants, Systematic Documentation Traditional Knowledge related to plants used for Food and Medicine, Pharmacognosy, Plant Taxonomy and Anatomy, Plant based rural primary health care programme, Preparation of Data base, Resource Mapping on Medicinal plants and Medicinal Plants Conservation and Conservation Biology (Plant animal interaction studies). During this period associated with 26 research projects, of which in 1 project as PI and 13 projects as Co-investigator including Systematic Documentation of Traditional Knowledge (TK) among the Selected Tribes of Kerala, Assessment of Medicinal Plant Resources of Kerala, Coastal Ethnobotany of Kerala, Documentation & creation of database on underutilized edible varieties of leafy vegetables used by the tribes and Establishment of Herbal Gardens in Selected 100 schools of Kerala.
During this period interacted with 27 tribal groups of different regions of Kerala as part of the Documentation of TK from different tribal/folk groups of Kerala. Carried out pharmacognostical studies on 40 plants, based on Traditional Knowledge/ Ethnomedical leads. Published 11 monographs in Pharmacopoeia of India. Associated with the Scientific validation of a Traditional Knowledge of a Local Healer Shri Shahul Hameed Vaidyar, Karunagapally, Kerala) which led to the award of Patent, in which JNTBGRI registered his name as an ‘inventor’. Prepared directory of medicinal plants of 7 southern districts of Kerala-7 volumes.