Skip to main content
Mrs. Devya Hemraj-Naraine
BSc.
Assistant Curator II/Lecturer II
Department of Biology
Email
devya.hemraj@uog.edu.gy
Office Number
Upper flat, Biodiversity Building

Education

  • BSc. (2015), Biology, University of Guyana, Turkeyen Campus, Guyana
  • PgDipEd. (2018), Higher Education, University of Guyana, Turkeyen Campus, Guyana
  • MS.c. (2021), Biology, University of Guyana, Turkeyen Campus, Guyana
  • Ph.D. (Ongoing), Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA

Biography
Devya Hemraj-Naraine is a prominent researcher known for her expertise in ichthyology. Her career began as an undergraduate volunteer, working at the National Zoo of Guyana and the Centre for the Study of Biological Diversity, which sparked her passion for field research. Currently, Devya works as an assistant curator at the Centre for the Study of Biological Diversity (CSBD) and as a lecturer within the Department of Biology. Devya is also a PhD candidate in the Kolmann Lab at the University of Louisville, Kentucky. Her research focuses on unraveling the complex dynamics within freshwater ecosystems and how they shape fish behavior, morphology, and ecology. A significant aspect of her work involves the emphasis on fish systematics, contributing to the classification and evolutionary comprehension of freshwater fish. This approach provides essential insights into biodiversity and plays a pivotal role in supporting conservation efforts. Devya has also collaborated with numerous international organizations, which ultimately contributes significantly to biological sciences and biodiversity preservation in Guyana.

Teaching

  • BIO3116: Ichthyology
  • BIO4200: Capstone Research Project
  • BIO4205: Internship

Selected Publications

  • Kolmann, M.A., Poulin, E., Rosen, J., Hemraj-Naraine, D., Burns, M.D. 2024. Herbivory is not a dead end: ‘imperfect’ morphological convergence in freshwater fishes. Integrative & Comparative Biology
  • Beers, C., Taphorn, D., Hemraj, D., Liverpool, E., Cotel, A., Alofs, M. A. & Lopez-Fernandez. 2022, Fabulous Fishes in the Upper Mazaruni River: A coloring Book.
  • Taphorn, D., Liverpool, E.,Lujan, N., DoNascimiento, C., Hemraj, D.,Crampton, W., Kolmann, M., Fontenelle, J. P., de Souza, L., Werneke, D., Ram, M., Bloom, D.Sidlauskas, B., Holm, E., Lundberg, J., Sabaj, M., Bernard, C.,López-Fernández, H. & Armbruster, J., 2022., “Freshwater Fishes of Guyana”. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia.
  • Alfred, S., Ram, M., Lakenarine, R., Hemraj, D., Maharaj,G., 2022. Occurrence and characteristics of microdebris in commercial fish species of Guyana, South America, Marine Pollution Bulletin, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114021.
  • Lakenarine, R., Ram, M., Maharaj,G.,Hemraj, D., 2022., Impacts of Large Classes on Student’s Performance: A Case Study from the University of Guyana., Journal of Education and Practice., 10.7176/JEP/13-13-04
  • Sabaj, M.H., López-Fernández, H., Willis, S.C., Hemraj, D.D., Taphorn, D.C. and Winemiller, K.O., 2020. Cichla cataractae (Cichliformes: Cichlidae) is, new species of peacock bass from the Essequibo Basin, Guyana and Venezuela. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 167(1), pp.69-86.
  • Persaud, C., Daniel, R, Hemraj, D.D., 2019. Phytochemical composition an antimicrobial activities of three selected spices seed extracts against food spoilage microorganisms. Asian Journal of Tropical Biotechnology, 16(2).
  • Rampertab, S.K., Maharaj, G., Seecharran, D., Hemraj, D. 2020. Road Mortality of Herpetofauna along Selected Roads in Georgetown, Guyana–A Baseline Study. National Undergraduate Research Conference Proceedings.
  • Jaipaul, J. D., Hemraj, D., & Providence-Forrester, S. 2020. The Effects of Rising Water Temperatures on Poecilia reticulata Native to Guyana. Book of Abstracts: Student Research, doi:10.52377/dprl8943
     

Grants/fellowships/ Awards

  • University Fellowship, University of Louisville; 2022-2024; ($22,000/year)
  • Rufford Foundation Small Grant; 2022; £6,000 (Stirling pound), Ecological Diversity of Freshwater Fishes in Canje River, Guyana.
  • UGUFWWF Research Grant Programme: Building human capacity for natural resource management in Guyana; 2020; $2000 (USD), “Habitat structure, morphology and fish assemblage in Blackwater creeks along the Linden Soesdyke Highway, Guyana”