Dr. Ameeza Zarrin is an accomplished museologist and emerging scholar based at the Department of Museology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India. Her academic journey began at AMU, where she completed her secondary schooling (SSC Part II in 2002 and SSSC Part II in 2004) before going on to earn a B.Sc. (Hons.) in Zoology in 2008 with First Division, receiving the prestigious Begum Hafeez Award for scoring the highest marks in the subject. She then pursued M.Sc. in Museology in 2010, graduating with First Position and being awarded the Gold Medal for standing first in the order of merit. She subsequently qualified the UGC National Eligibility Test with Junior Research Fellowship (NET-JRF) in 2012, was awarded the Senior Research Fellowship (SRF) in 2014, and was awarded her Ph.D. in Museology from AMU in 2016. Her doctoral thesis, titled Documentation and Study on the Conservation Status of Avian Collection of State Museum Lucknow, was the product of five years of intensive research, including two years of fieldwork conducted at the Natural History Section of the State Museum, Lucknow.

Dr. Zarrin's teaching career spans over twelve academic sessions (2014–2026). She began as a Junior Research Fellow from September 2012 to October 2014, and subsequently served as Senior Research Fellow from October 2014 to June 2016. She joined the Department of Museology as a Guest Teacher in October 2014 and continued in that capacity until August 2021, thereafter serving as Assistant Professor (Contractual) across multiple sessions from September 2021 to 2025. She currently holds the position of Guest Teacher in the same department. Over the course of her teaching career, she has taught a wide range of papers at the postgraduate and diploma levels.

In terms of research output, Dr. Zarrin has published 15 research papers in peer-reviewed national and international journals, authored one complete book, and contributed three chapters to edited volumes. Her book, Safeguarding India's Intangible Heritage: Custodians of Culture, co-authored with Farha and published by Gyan Publishing House in 2023 (ISBN: 978-81-212-7137-0), reflects her sustained scholarly interest in intangible cultural heritage. Her book chapters have been published in notable edited volumes, including a Festschrift in honour of Padma Shri Dr. O.P. Agrawal, and a volume on Climate Vulnerability and Sustainable Development Goals published by Nitya Publications. She has presented 28 papers at conferences and seminars — 13 at international forums (including one outside India) and 15 at national forums.

Dr. Zarrin has presented papers at several prestigious international platforms, including the Annual Conference of CIDOC 2015 held in New Delhi, the Annual Conference of CIDOC 2017 in Tbilisi, Georgia, the ICOM INTERCOM Annual Conference in Kolkata in 2018, and most recently the International Conference on Nature and Natural Sciences (ICNS 2026) hosted by Sikkim Alpine University. Her visit to Tbilisi in 2017 to present at the CIDOC Annual Conference was supported by the Getty Bursary Programme, which she received as an international grantee — an honour that attests to global recognition of her scholarly work. She also received the Best Paper Award at the National Conference on Implications of Climate Change and Conservation of Natural Resources and Cultural Heritage (NCICCNRCH 2025) for her paper titled Documenting Aligarh's Brass Art: Preserving Traditional Craftsmanship.

Dr. Zarrin has received several competitive grants and fellowships. She was a recipient of the Small Study Research Grant (2010–2011) from NTICVA (Nehru Trust for Indian Collection at Victoria and Albert Museum, London, U.K.) for her museological study of cultic objects related to the Azadari ritual practice in Lucknow, along with the UGC Junior and Senior Research Fellowships (2012–2016) and the Getty Bursary Programme grant (2017).

She has guided 20 students for their M.Sc. dissertations, spanning topics that range from traditional craftsmanship and heritage conservation to virtual museum tours, photogrammetric digitisation, and museotherapy — reflecting both the breadth of her research interests and her commitment to mentoring the next generation of museum professionals.

Beyond research and teaching, Dr. Zarrin has made significant contributions to the organisation of academic events. She has served as Co-Convener of the International Web Conference on 'Museum as Profession: Challenges and Issues' (2020), Coordinator of multiple international seminars and workshops organised by the Department of Museology on International Museum Day (2022, 2024), Organizing Secretary of a web-talk featuring a Senior Conservator from the Grand Egyptian Museum, Giza, and Coordinator of a workshop on Preservation and Conservation of Archival Materials (2024), among several other initiatives.

Dr. Zarrin is professionally affiliated with the International Council of Museums (ICOM), Paris, as a member since 2015, serves as Joint Secretary of the International Council for Biodeterioration of Cultural Property (ICBCP), and is a Life Member of the Museum Association of India (MAI). She is also a member of the Board of Studies, the Research Advisory Committee, and several departmental committees including the Students Grievance Redressal Committee, the Sexual Harassment and Gender Sensitization Committee, and the Anti-Ragging Committee at AMU. She has participated in 16 workshops, training programmes, refresher courses, and faculty development programmes, reflecting her dedication to continuous professional development.

Dr. Ameeza Zarrin may be contacted at Numood-e-Jamal, Street 5, Alam Bagh, Civil Lines, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh – 202002, India, or reached at ameeza.zarrin8@gmail.com.