Suresh Jayakar

Who was Suresh Jayakar?

Suresh Dinakar Jayakar was an Indian biologist who pioneered in the use of quantitative approaches in genetics and biology.

He studied Mathematical Statistics, Physics and mathematics at the University of Lucknow and joined the Indian Statistical Institute in 1959 where he met J. B. S. Haldane who had just moved to India. At that institute, Jayakar received early instruction in genetics in a course taught by Krishna Dronamraju and additional training with Helen Spurway.

He moved to Orissa when Haldane moved. He became the director of the Genetics and Biometry Laboratory after Haldane's death. He made many studies on Yellow-wattled Lapwings along with Haldane's wife Helen Spurway. He collaborated with Helen Spurway and Krishna Dronamraju in studies of the nest building activity of the wasp Sceliphron madraspatanum..

He also made studies on quantitative genetics, sex-determination mechanisms.

He began work with J. B. S. Haldane working on quantitative aspects of genetics and biology. After Haldane's death, he moved to Italy at the invitation of Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza at the University of Pavia. Haldane considered him as a star who would rise in the "Indian scientific firmament".