At 25, Surat’s Young PhD Scholar Sarthak Shah Brings Traditional Medicinal Plants into the Scientific Spotlight

Surat, Gujarat – In an age when many young researchers gravitate toward labs and laptops, 25-year-old Sarthak Shah, a PhD scholar from the diamond city of  Surat, is trekking through forested regions and traditional villages to rediscover the medicinal secrets hidden in India’s ancient plant heritage. At a time when climate change, deforestation, and synthetic drugs dominate public discourse, Sarthak’s journey offers a refreshing reminder of how traditional wisdom can lead to sustainable science.

Pursuing his doctoral studies in microbiology, Sarthak has dedicated his research to exploring traditional medicinal plants. His work involves documenting native plant species used in age-old remedies, analyzing their biodiversity, and validating their healing potential through lab-based experiments.

“Being a certified naturopath, I’ve always had a deep respect for the healing power of nature. I often wondered how our ancestors identified which leaves could heal wounds or which roots treated illness. That early curiosity is what led me into deeper research,” says Sarthak.

Sarthak’s research is aligned with national missions like the AYUSH Ministry and the Tribal Health & Medicinal Plants Mission, aiming not just to preserve biodiversity but also to empower rural communities by documenting and validating their traditional knowledge.

Through this journey, Sarthak has documented 64 medicinal plants as part of his master’s thesis, focusing on the Zarwani region of Narmada district. He also conducted antimicrobial testing on three selected plant samples from the area. Building on that foundation, his ongoing research aims to expand this work—mapping key biodiversity zones and identifying plant extracts with potential pharmaceutical value for future breakthroughs and conservation efforts.

As young researchers chase global trends, Sarthak’s path reminds us that sometimes the answers to our future lie deep in the roots of our past.