Shreyasi Upadhyay, MSc

What’s the work that you do?

I am a PhD scholar at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India. My research explores monsoon–extratropical teleconnections, focusing on the Tibetan Plateau (Third Pole) as an atmospheric bridge linking high-latitude processes with South Asian monsoon variability. In particular, I am exploring how Arctic climate variability, especially the Arctic Oscillation, is influencing Tibetan Plateau warming and, in turn, affecting the Indian Summer Monsoon. By combining reanalysis datasets and climate models, my work aims to advance understanding of cryosphere–monsoon linkages and their implications for climate variability and prediction.

What keeps you going?

I find it exciting that my work bridges complex global climate systems with regional impacts, making it both relevant and exciting. Initially in my career, in my MSc and during project posts, I was dealing with regionalised phenomena, however the idea of Poles and midlatitudes affecting the Tropics and large scale teleconnections in general was always what I was interested in. In my previous workplace, my coworkers had gone to Svalbard to install instruments, also had studies published about the Arctic, and from there my interests grew about the Poles, specially the Arctic. Also – I love my job. Even if the working hours are beyond 9 to 5, I don’t mind it. Research is something I have always wanted to do, so I am doing what I love the most.

What’s your message to the world?

What melts at the Poles reshapes the world. Protecting them means protecting us all.The poles are Earth’s early warning system — what happens there does not stay there. Protecting them is not just about saving ice, but safeguarding the future of every ecosystem, community, and generation that depends on a stable planet.