Category: Career Stories

Career Stories

Career Stories: Chapter 13

Academia Plus

In this chapter of Career Stories, we bring you the journey of Amogh Kulkarni who is currently a  postdoctoral researcher. He is also a theater artist, director, and creator & host of the show series ‘PhD- The Philosophical Drama‘.

In this interactive session, he takes us through his professional journey, while speaking at length about his personal process of establishing a ‘work-life balance’, and talks about his passion of bringing about the amalgamation of arts and science. 

Could you summarize your professional journey so far?

I was always inclined towards mathematics, social sciences, languages more than science per say. But, by the end of my schooling it was clear that it was better to move towards science because of the many different career prospects it had; and arts might not be the ideal ground where I can have a very good or stable career (which was the prevalent societal thought process at that time). Thus, I went on to pursue an education in basic sciences during my junior college, when I was also preparing for all the famous engineering entrances in India. I got through a few, but my overall inclination was towards organic chemistry at that time and it was not a very core part of the many engineering programmes. That made me look for options that would allow me to pursue organic chemistry predominantly. And I turned towards the Bachelor of Science (BSc) course at Fergusson College in Pune. During this time, I also applied for internships and programs that I could do along with my undergraduate studies.

It was during this time that I also got to know about IISER Pune which was relatively new at that time and just on a simple hunch, I applied for the integrated PhD program at IISER Pune. I had already been runner up in MIMAMSA which is a national level quiz of IISER Pune which in fact had introduced me to IISER. Eventually, I got selected into IISER and being a quite young institute, I was in the 2nd batch of that program. But the entire experience at IISER led me to look for what I wanted to pursue in research, by providing me with opportunities to find interesting labs, meeting people from different places around the world, and introducing me to young faculty with fresh and innovative ideas who wanted to establish their own careers as well. So that led to having a very enriching experience and it  made me look forward to postdoctoral studies. Now I’m here in Switzerland to pursue my  postdoctoral studies and it has been a wonderful journey so far.

Do you have any comments on the education or research ecosystem in India vs abroad when it comes to nurturing scientists?

To comment on the education system is difficult because I have only been into the research setup here outside India. I have never completed any formal education abroad. All my education is in the Indian setup.

However, on the research front there are many things that one can comment upon-

Funding– almost everyone in India knows that we have issues with funding in basic sciences, research, for example in terms of getting fellowships for students. It’s been a cry for years or decades that students/ research fellows don’t get their salary every month which is basic/minimal that one can expect which is shocking. This might not be the situation abroad.

Facilities – institutes like IISc, IISERs and IITs are very much advanced and can be compared to the international universities. We do have all facilities/instrumentations in some of these prestigious institutions.

Cultural difference– in terms of the mindset Indians like to work 6 days a week. Europeans work 5 days a week, and Americans 6-7 days a week (depending upon the location). So, the work hours and the work-life balance is quite different but that is their perspective on what feels necessary to take science forward.

How could you maintain your interest in arts while being in (science and) academia? Is there any process to ensure that you keep pursuing your hobbies while doing research?

I’m a firm believer that whatever you do in your life in terms of your job or education, you need to definitely have one hobby and it can be anything. For me it was theater arts since right from school, I have been doing theater in annual programs. I was and still consider myself lucky to meet people at different stages who were like minded who wanted to collaborate with me, because theater is not something you can do alone. Having a background in theatre and being from the city of Pune which is already a budding theater place, helped me hone my skills. I directed my 1st theatre skit at the age of 9 at school. So, it has been a part of my growing up years and has stayed with me.

IISER Pune in that sense was a budding place for all kinds of arts (music, dancing, acting, script writing etc.). And when you have such people around you, it motivates you as well.

In terms of finding time, when you really want to have that breathing space between your work, you make a concrete effort to find the time for your hobbies. That was the main driving factor behind continuing to pursue theater or any other art in that sense for me- to allow my mind to relax and to give it a bit of fresh air. Additionally, I like to take initiatives. Whenever I take initiatives, there are people who join and take it forward. That helped me hone my leadership qualities over the years and helped me streamline the work-life balance better.

Art and Science are often perceived as two very diverse and different fields. What is your perspective on this?

I always say this on various platforms, as well as to colleagues- science is an art in itself and all art has a concrete science behind it. They are very much interconnected. They cannot be separated from each other.

If you are a scientist, and if you have a scientific way of looking at things, you start looking at art in a very different way. Researchers with an interest in the arts look at it in a scientific way. You start looking at art from a research point of view. For example, when I am a director, I look at the psychology of the character from a very researcher perspective in order to understand their depth or while trying to put forth my point in my plays. It is also the same with music. I think people who play different instruments end up understanding the physics behind how the instrument works which is nothing but basic concepts from Class 12. Even if they may not learn it in the theoretical manner, they learn it from their gurus.

In a way, everything has a core scientific base with it and everything is interconnected. People who are good at science as well as arts will perform in a much more creative and articulated manner. The only difference is this- Art comes from within you, but science needs to be understood to perform it in the right way.

Can you describe your journey in creating the show “PhD – The Philosophical Drama”?

‘’PhD – The Philosophical Drama” was a theater skit that I presented at IISER Pune. It was a skit done for the annual function of the chemistry department. I had this idea of presenting the different aspects of a PhD to the graduate students (as a satire), since they will relate to it the most. Interestingly, there was no script written for it. It was developed on-the-go and the total time required from the first rehearsal to the final performance was 8 days! I realized that it could have been possible because everyone involved in the play were themselves PhD students and connected to the topic in their own way.

This experience stayed with me and made me realize that I like to talk about aspects other than research. Sadly, in Academia, work life balance is a mess. That part always stayed with me. And I knew from my experience that when mental wellbeing is not compromised, one gets the best of the work done by themselves and also from the juniors or employees. So, I took the initiative to approach a few colleagues during the Covid-19 lockdown and see if they would be willing to share their journey on our platform. We were a bit worried because not everybody wants to come up and speak- most academicians are shy people and hesitate to talk about their strengths, weaknesses, struggles etc. or any other aspect apart from their research. An average science student/researcher will hesitate to discuss non-science stuff, as it is easy to explain their work and project. This motivated me to start the show series of which the main motive was to dig deeper into the real-time situations of graduate students in Academia.

Thus, with the help of my friend Sukanya, we started the first season of PhD – The Philosophical Drama with our friends and it has been a successful run so far with three seasons already published online. 

I call it a “Drama” because the entire journey of PhD itself is a complete drama package, it has the highs, lows, antagonists, protagonists, success, failure especially for me- from the perspective of a theater artist. There is a complete personality transition before and after PhD, recognizing different versions of yourself with character growth and the climax is different from what we expect.

(Watch all the episodes here)

Could you share some tough times during your PhD journey and what did you learn from them?

It is always that we have the toughest times where we have to balance career and hobby, given first choice to career. One such incident happened during my prime years in IISER as a graduate student where you are really stressed and looking for data all the time which most people agree to as a primary job of PhD student. Despite stress, the heart wants what it wants. So during my PhD, I would keep 9 to 8 as my lab hours, followed by dinner time and then rehearsal. This happened for 4 months in a stretch with 1 or 2 days off from rehearsal but not the lab. I chose Sunday’s to be my optional off day for lab work for my own mental health. That phase was challenging for me. When I look back to that time, I feel a bit exhausted but also proud that I did it. I was also having a role in the same play which I was directing. I had huge dark circles at the end of 4months where my makeup artist struggled to cover them up as my character does not demand that. At this point, I realized that I pushed myself to the extreme extent.

Another incident was towards the end of my PhD where I was working with the script of the great Padmashri Sharad Joshi ji and with the greatest  production unit of IISER. It’s a big thing in itself that working with such a great script and trying to put it into a play. At the same time, I was writing my research paper which had 90% of my PhD work and also writing my thesis simultaneously. I was also taking a German language course in the evenings. I was also hit by personal issues as well. It was the worst phase to do everything. The production partner wasn’t competent enough. So I had to take up that responsibility as well for 2 months. It was a huge production unit with 80 people in the team performing shows outside IISER for the first time. I pulled one of my juniors with me for help and at the end of everything, he commented that he was surprised to see me managing all the stuff without failures like a literal mad person. It was then that I realized I took up so many jobs. If I had acknowledged everything beforehand, I wouldn’t have taken it on my plate.

It was my choice to do it. Nobody forced me to do so. It was sanity within me to help myself accomplish everything, go through that phase, push myself and succeed in my tasks. It was one of the powerful lessons that I learned in my life. If I were asked to do the same again, probably I may not take the risk but I would say that it helped to survive through the toughest phase of my research life.

Similar situations were faced by fellow artists who were also in their PhD struggles. But we knew that we had to do things with a dedicated time window for each task. This practice helped us to improve our efficiency.

What suggestions would you give prospective PhD students?

Don’t do PhD for a Dr. label. Do it if you really love the topic and are willing to face the struggle and hardship. My love for organic chemistry was the reason that I did a PhD. Just like some people pursue theater because all they see is the limelight, but don’t realize that most of the hard work is done by the people backstage. In the same way, understand the difficulties that you may encounter and decide accordingly if you are really interested in the research part or you just chose it as there was no other option or for getting the doctorate tag. Thankfully, I was not one of the latter two as I have not gone with labels to that extent ever with my choices. And I hope nobody ever does that because a PhD will change your life. It is the prime 5-6 years of your life from early 20s to sometimes 30s. It is a big commitment and investment that you are making. So, don’t do it without understanding what you are getting into. All my efforts are now trying to convey to people what they might see in a PhD. There won’t be any template on the journey of PhD to design it as a ‘course’, since every PhD is unique, but I will feel good if my experience can help at least a few prospective students make an informed decision.

What would be your suggestions for youngsters who hesitate to take a step forward in pursuing their specific interests through a fear of ‘lagging behind’ in the competitive world of academia?

Our choices/decisions affect everyone who is close to us- I was also someone who felt the gravity of this reality at one point in my life. It’s difficult to give a blanket suggestion as each person comes from a different background- someone may not be financially stable to pursue their interests and someone might be. But when one chooses a career which is not their first preference, they should pursue something other than their job to make them feel alive. One has to put in extra efforts for it and it should come from the heart. You might not succeed or accomplish great things on your first try, but that shouldn’t discourage you from trying again. Nothing worthwhile ever comes easy. I have been in such situations and learnt from it – there are failed scripts that have not come out, and it takes a lot of effort to shelf them. But you have to do it. No one takes care of your personal space and your mental health like you do. If you give that charge to someone else, they are also going to be in charge of your life. So just find time and take the effort to pursue your own interests amidst anything that you do.

What is your vision in life?

It kept on changing over the last few years and I think that’s the part of growing up. But, at the fundamental level I’m always going to be someone who will try to have the amalgamation of science and art. I don’t see myself as a person who does anything specifically. That’s going to be a collaboration of my scientific expertise and artistic abilities and if I can get platforms to do both of these together, then that would be great. One such would be science documentaries which are developing in a good way these days on OTT platforms that reach out to a wide range of audience, while providing with decent financial remuneration as well.
Satya Santoshi Author
Career Stories

Career Stories: Chapter 12

Academia Plus

In this chapter of Career Stories, we bring you the journey of  Parichay Rao S.R. who is currently a BGCI-certified Senior Genetic Counselor at LifeCell International Pvt Ltd, South region. Previously, he was one of Hyderabad’s first onco-genetic counselor and advocate. He holds tremendous devotion to his field and aims for a work-life balance by indulging in finances or an occasional road trip!

In this insightful chat, he speaks at length about his nature of work and myriad of experiences that have transformed his career as a genetic counselor.

What does a typical working day look like for you?

Initially, I started as a clinical, oncogenetic counselor but have recently shifted to the role of a clinical laboratory genetic counselor as I wanted to learn and explore that. Officially, my day commences at 9:30 am and ends at 6:30 pm. At times I also take sessions as early as 6 am for telegenetic counseling. No matter where you work, the client’s requirement takes priority. 

Besides this, as a senior genetic counselor for the south region, I try to be online and available to take queries and/or support the sales team, who, by extension is associated with the clinicians. This is essential to prescribe the right test for the patients and to avoid an adverse cascade of events. 

How was your experience as a cancer genetic counselor considering that in this specialty, as opposed to others in genetic counseling, one is associated with families for a prolonged period of time?

Genetic counseling 101 begins with “rapport building” with the family. In cancer genetics, relationship building begins at the first or even the tenth visit. The genetic counselor has to keep putting in the effort to gain the family’s trust. A typical genetic counseling cycle in cancer is anywhere between day 1 of the visit to 6 months, which may include the time for their management/treatment process (chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgical advice) as well. 

To simplify, there are three modalities of allied services in cancer genetic counseling – an oncopsychologist (to deliver difficult-to-accept sensitive information or discuss certain taboo topics), a nutritionist (they know how to integrate the patients’ requirements along with support that the carer can provide), and the genetic counselor (provide support and information regarding surveillance, management, risk assessment, and genetic testing).

The role of an onco-genetic counselor gave me an insight into preventative genetic counseling along with the utilization of essential tools such as taking family history and analysis.

For instance, a 60-year-old female with cancer comes for counseling. On taking her family history, I find that a 19-year-old female (from that family) can take the HPV vaccine as a preventative measure. But, the family might be hesitant to accept the suggestion of the vaccine as it has to be taken in 3 doses and is also expensive. Hence, in follow-up sessions, I can highlight the benefits of taking the vaccine. Therefore, a continuous cycle of counseling is advantageous to more than one individual in the family. Similarly, with a proband currently undergoing treatment, eventually, I might introduce the idea of testing for other at-risk family members, based on the guidelines. 

I had a great experience pursuing genetics in cancer, contributing to the field, and creating a difference in health care in my own capacity.  

What is the role of ‘counseling’ in cancer genetic counseling?

At times, breaking bad news is one thing, and handling stages of grief is another. This is where an oncopsychologist comes into play. There is a term we use – “carer’s burden.” It can be defined as the load borne by a person who cares for chronically ill, disabled, or elderly family members, and in this case, a cancer patient. Genetic counselors, in association with oncopsycologists, must be sensitive to their situation and support them as much as possible. For example, the role of a nutritionist is similar. With experience and association with the family, they understand the family dynamics in terms of who has to cook and provide the recommended nutritious food which makes it a vital position in healthcare.  

Can you compare and contrast your responsibilities as a junior and now, as a senior genetic counselor? How has the growth been? 

In my previous job as an oncogenetic counselor, it was tough to get a genetic counselor since the field is so niche and requires immense proficiency. For five long years, I contributed to multiple centers all over Hyderabad. I was playing the role of a junior and a senior genetic counselor in my own capacity. I started with a meager salary but my outlook was to learn and explore. I would speak to genetic counselors and other professionals outside of the organization – networking and enhancing my command of the subject. 

Currently, I am a senior genetic counselor heading a team of six members. This hierarchy exists only on paper and not at work. In my team, we are all equal – “If I know, they know; if I do not know, they do not know.” I try to create a conducive environment and encourage the exchange of ideas. This improves dependability and the work trumps authority. For the team, I am an individual who is here to learn and practice genetic counseling just like them, alongside them. I always try to remind myself of my journey and where I came from. The moment one loses this, one loses everything. 

How do you manage the psycho-social aspects of genetic counseling in India with respect to patriarchy, gender sensitivity, ethnicity, etc. ?

In my practice, I am particular about having the couple together for counseling, even if it is over voice/video call. When we start addressing them as a unit, it helps them work together. Similarly, the head of the family cannot be the only one making a decision that influences a single member’s health. 

Patriarchy manifests from both aspects. To illustrate, when a couple is currently pregnant – the father might probe that the mother is the one responsible for any problems arising. Or, the mother might suggest that she and the genetic counselor talk separately so she can express her concerns, which in the presence of her husband or father-in-law may be hindered. 

It is important to break this dynamic during the initial sessions via conversation. I ask them to explain what happened in their own words. Likewise, when I talk about the future of their child and the implications of a genetic disorder, it gives them a practical insight into how they will have to manage – it activates the parental instincts and any discordance in the couple tends to end there as they see this as a team effort.

Now in case of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), for example, males are affected and females are carriers. The family tends to focus less on the therapy and supportive care for the affected child; but rather on blaming the mother for passing the disorder. Again, society also often encourages the couple to try for another child who has an equal probability of being affected. 

In such situations, hardly anyone thinks of what the mother is going through. They frequently forget that she alone is not responsible in a pregnancy, giving way to prejudices and stigmas. There are various Assisted Reproductive Techniques (ART) for the same, and if the couple lets go of societal conditioning and bias, they can channel their efforts into seeking help from genetic counselors and reproductive specialists.     

A principle followed in this field is non-directive counseling. Can this principle be followed with the aforementioned social stigmas and prejudices?

Non-directive counseling is an approach that aims to offer all available options of testing with pros and cons and encourages the individual/couple/family to make an autonomous decision. 

Directive and non-directive counseling, both work in India. I would say that when you have ample time for counseling and management, be non-directive, but when you see that there is a possibility of more harm than good, then being directive helps the couple to make their choice. 

To exemplify – if I suggest prenatal testing to a couple who would benefit from it, and they opt out and the pregnancy does not work out, they will probably return, but they will be emotionally broken. Now in this situation, if the testing had been done, I would have had a road map to support the family and they would also have had some clarity. It is essential to be mindful of their needs and offer genetic testing based on ethics as far as possible. In such a scenario, a direct approach is helpful. 

Sometimes giving too many options also makes the situation tough. In a country like India where literacy rates are inherently low, making a decision based on scientific facts can be difficult to comprehend and abide by.

Have there been any recent changes in policies related to genetic counseling and/or testing, nationally/internationally?

For instance, policy changes related to the inclusion of genetic testing of rare disorders in health insurance. Considering that it is not included in health insurance schemes, currently in India, and that individuals seeking help come from diverse economic backgrounds, are there any government-funded schemes to fill this gap? 

With reference to the GINA act (Genetic Information Non-discrimination Act), in Hyderabad, we are in conversation with clinicians to include demographic-based prevalent disorders like Thalassemia and Sickle cell anemia in the insurance policy that would cover testing. That said, there has not been much progress. In India, policy changes and stakeholders advocating genetic counseling still have a long way to go. 

For example – the drug for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a known genetic disorder, costs crores. This is where sensitization and awareness about genetic counseling come into play. There is less stress in testing the fetus prenatally than in funding a cure/treatment for the disorder after the baby is born. 

Nonetheless, depending upon the ailment and the geographical location, there can be various sources of funding support. For example, in Hyderabad, there is Helping Hand Foundation. There are also several disorder-specific funding and support groups nationally and internationally. Even labs can provide discounts if those in need can share the reason for the request of a subsidized test.

The recent introduction of NPRD (National Policy for Rare Diseases), in 2021 has provisions for the promotion of research and development for the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases.  

How do you keep yourself updated about current clinical trials, new research, and current affairs?

I am more of a digital person. My strong suit is searching the internet efficiently. Me and my brother (who has done his Ph.D.) have a knack for exchanging ideas and information regarding scientific advances. As children, we both wanted to embody the personality of a “mad scientist” working with beneficial research on the front and performing crazy experiments in the backyard (like creating an eight-legged peculiar organism.) 

My method of updating myself is to browse thoroughly through Science Direct articles, and Nature publications, and download these papers as well. I have a folder on my desktop namely “Ph.D. to be” that houses papers I have found interesting.      

I also believe in sharing the information that I have collected. It makes for great conversation triggers when you meet someone. As I said, networking is very powerful!

Along with this, how do you feed your interests like your curiosity towards the share market and finance?

Growing up, my family was not affluent. My siblings and I have been in a hostel since childhood. I have not asked my parents for money for over several years. 

I took it upon myself to educate the self on how to invest and to understand how banks work. Financial literacy makes you independent. At one point, you will have space to make mistakes, learn from them, and still be financially secure. 

To put things into perspective, imagine someone has to pay Rs. 30,000 for a genetic test. That is someone’s entire month’s salary. In this case, would you think of the money or the test that will help your health? No one can teach you finances in school or through a textbook. You can learn it yourself, step-by-step. 

How do you see the future of genetic counseling in India in terms of the following-

Acceptance by families and clinicians toward the field:

The future is now. It is already here. The families are aware of the field and are accepting to invest in testing to know more about their health. I even get queries from a salesperson on how he can get into genetic counseling as they see a huge scope in it. Similarly, clinicians now cut to the chase and directly lead with “What has to be done now?” The future is here, we just need more genetic counselors in number.    

Students pursuing this field:

There is great scope for a job and to make a difference in this field. There are eminent educational institutes in India offering world-class education in genetic counseling. Educate yourself first, make mistakes and learn from them. Begin your journey in a clinical setting where you can learn more. Keep track of other companies as well, it will come in handy when you wish to move jobs. But wherever you are working, be loyal to them and work hard and keep aside the monetary aspect. It is a misconception that the salary is meager. 

If you have pursued your education outside of India and have returned to practice here – you will feel a massive disparity in salaries. But fear not, just be humble and allow others to know you and your work. You will be noticed for your expertise. Network more, and marinate yourself in the Indian demographic and protocols.  

Statistical data on incidence/ treatment/ management of disorders:

For oncology, there are GLOBOCAN studies, ACMG guidelines, NCCN guidelines, ICMR guidelines, and MDCRC research work in x-linked recessive disorders. Apart from this, NCBI is a global ocean of knowledge. MERD, India founded by Vikas Bhatia is also involved in the advocacy of metabolic and rare disorders. Similarly, ORDI is also involved in spreading awareness and performing research for rare diseases.

Recently, even research labs in India are sharing their data as diagnostic yield. India is definitely catching up and collaboration is everywhere – you just have to plug and play!
Khyati Arora Author
Career Stories

Career Stories: Chapter 11

Academia Plus

In this chapter of Career Stories, we bring you the journey of Ankita Rathore  who is currently working as a Program Manager-Science Communication at Indiabioscience. In this candid chat, she details her transition from laboratory research to science communication research, shares some of her favourite blogs and also talks about all the meaningful lessons she has learned during her journey so far.

You pursued a Ph.D. at the CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research in New Delhi, India. What motivated you to do a Ph.D. in science and technology communication? Could you briefly talk about your experience so far?

After completing my bachelor’s degree in biomedical sciences in 2014 from the University of Delhi- which provided me with a strong background in the subject- I chose to shift my focus to studying science and technology communication in India. During one of my semesters, I studied toxicology and was inspired by the quote from Paracelsus, the Father of Toxicology, which states that “Dose defines Toxicity”. I took this to heart and applied it to my life in general.

Subsequently, I decided to pursue a masters in Toxicology from Jamia Hamdard and was fortunate to be offered a position as a Research Officer (Toxicology) at the Central Insecticide Board-Regulatory Committee in Faridabad, which was a valuable first step in my professional career after graduating.

My inclination was always towards pursuing higher education, so I prepared for the NET exam and cleared it with AIR-48, which gave me the option to begin another adventure. I moved to Mohali, Punjab, to work as a junior research fellow (JRF) at the Institute of Nano Science and Technology, where I investigated nanotechnology-based treatment methods for a type of brain cancer, glioblastoma. During my time as a JRF, I enjoyed reviewing/writing literature, planning experiments, and participating in outreach events, more than the lab bench work itself.

My experience in studying/understanding the public perception of nanotechnology during my PhD was a turning point in my life.

It has been a rewarding journey from being a lab researcher to a science communication researcher. Scientists want to help people, but sometimes they forget that perception of the truth and who is perceiving it is equally critical. My motivation throughout the journey has been to contribute to the science communication landscape in India.

I always quote this from my favourite book (Man’s search for meaning), “He who has a why to live for, can bear almost any how.”

Can you describe your journey/experience as a freelance content writer, including the most rewarding elements of your job as a science communicator? How similar or different are these experiences, and how have you improved your skill set in each of these? Also, when you began your work as a science communicator, what problem did you hope to solve?

A non-linear career path has helped me find roles and work that are a better fit for me with regard to my specific interests and skills. Being a scientist has helped me understand the scientist’s perspective, and my career as a science communicator has taught me invaluable skills needed to communicate science effectively to the general public.

I explored several internships before becoming a full-time science communicator. During my first internship as a Science Communication intern at DBT-Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Faridabad, I interviewed scientists and tried my hand at writing blogs and social media marketing. I learned that as a science communicator, one needs to wear multiple hats in the workplace and that every day is different. After this internship, I got another opportunity as a content writer for a small gardening business, which mainly honed my time management skills.

Apart from this, I also worked as a content writer for Cactus Communications and wrote a series of articles about the resources needed to navigate a research degree. Here, I mainly got acquainted with the process of editing and reviewing that an article typically goes through, before it’s published online.

In my career in science communication, my goal is to make people think before taking action. Career satisfaction is extremely important to me.

What is your favorite mode of communicating science to the general audience?

In my opinion, written content is the type I enjoy the most when it comes to communicating science. But, I’m a fan of all kinds of content- short pieces (microblogging) like Twitter threads, creative pieces that can be published as Instagram posts, as well as lengthy ones, such as blog posts and interviews.

Since I had long commute to work, podcasts became my go-to source of entertainment – you should definitely check out the Radiolab podcasts , if you haven’t yet done so.

But, since science communication is all about people: the most significant aspect while choosing a mode of communication, is to consider who your primary audience is.

Could you list some of your favourite SciComm blogs?

When I first began, I read a lot of Sophie Talks Science. She documented her life with science and talked to scientists from different areas. It was because of her that I tried to interview researchers in a blog series, which I called ‘Beyond Lab Bench’.

Have you ever heard of PhD comics? I’m a huge fan of them, especially for the amusing take they have on academic life.

This amazing project by Jorge Cham is almost like having a buddy in academia.

And if you’re looking for advice for writing the first review, or submitting a paper to a research journal, the Editage blog is a wonderful resource.

What advice would you provide to other ambitious science communication professionals wishing to change careers? What advice do you wish you had received when you first started out?

If you want to switch gears and become  a science communicator, great! But before you dive in headfirst, make sure it’s the right fit for you by starting on a part-time basis. Immerse yourself in the basics and get a solid grasp on the science behind communicating science to the public. And remember, simplifying complex scientific concepts is not the goal – it’s about making science accessible and understandable for everyone.

Starting out as a science communicator in India was a wild ride full of twists and turns. I faced numerous rejections, battled self-doubt, and even heard my lab colleagues question my chosen path. But then, a realisation hit me like a ton of bricks – my work and career don’t define me. Instead, it’s crucial to know when to set boundaries and prioritize our emotional well-being, even amidst tempting growth opportunities and extra tasks. This is something I wish I would have known before!

Don’t fall for the trap and remember, your worth is not tied to your job.
Raksha Sharma Author
Career Stories

Career Stories: Chapter 10

Academia Plus

In this chapter of Career Stories, we bring you the journey of Dr. Sanchari Sinha Dutta  who is a freelance science writer and consultant and believes in sharing the knowledge and power of science worldwide. After completing a stellar career in academia, she has turned to her current endeavour, associated with “News Medical” as a feature writer. She writes articles about myriad topics such as COVID-19, diseases, vaccines, physiology, health, etc. In this candid discussion, she talks about her research journey in biological sciences and how that contributed eventually to taking up a career in science communication.

Physiology is a broad subject of study and is definitely interdisciplinary, which you have pursued at the UG, PG, and doctorate levels. I’m really curious to understand the strong motivation behind this.

I studied human physiology as I was always fascinated to understand how many different physiological processes work in harmony to maintain our body’s homeostasis, and how some external or internal factors break this absolute synchronization to cause disorders/diseases.

You may wonder why I didn’t try pursuing MBBS. I never had the mindset to become a practicing doctor. I didn’t even sit for the entrance examination. Instead, I always wanted to become a researcher.         

How did a Bachelors and Masters in Physiology help you with your research stint and writing? Please enlighten us on the unique aspects of this.

I did a PhD in human physiology. I studied how a high-altitude environment affects the physical and mental health of soldiers. My area of research was hypoxia-induced oxidative stress and its outcomes. So, the knowledge I gathered during Bachelors and Masters had helped me immensely in understanding the concept of my research. However, I must acknowledge the huge difference between theoretical knowledge about a particular subject and its application in active research. The ability to apply your scientific knowledge in active research develops gradually over time. And, as always, experienced guidance is required.

What are the pros and cons of pursuing a doctorate & post-doctorate before venturing into science communication/ consultancy, immediately after the postgraduation?

My writing skills, which I fairly developed during my PhD and postdoc period, have helped me immensely to get a grip of my communication skills. Having said that, a student can choose to become a science communicator immediately after his/her Masters.

But what I feel is having some experience in active research definitely helps in understanding the subject from its core, which is a prerequisite for communicating science to the general audience. A science communicator should remember that a considerable proportion of the audience may not know the subject very well. So, a communicator should write an article in an easy-to-understand and flawless language, while keeping its scientific meaning intact. A reasoning mind and an ability to identify minute details of a subject are the qualities of a good science communicator. Having only theoretical knowledge of a subject is not enough to gain these qualities.    

How do you suggest young students/scientists explore their inclination towards science communication/consultancy?

In my opinion, if a student has a passion for writing, he/she can opt for the communication field right after his/her PhD. Having postdoctoral experience may not be required. 

How different is the research environment in defense-based research institutes like the Defense Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences (DIPAS, associated with DRDO), in comparison to other research institutes in India?

The main difference is the restricted environment wherein you must maintain the data privacy policy of the institute. Unlike other institutes, you cannot publicly disclose all your findings on account of national security.

How did you discover your passion for science communication? Please elaborate on any specific event(s) associated with this motivation.

I developed my passion for writing during my academic days. But honestly, I never thought of considering writing as a profession. After completing my postdoc, I had to take a short break from active research due to personal reasons. During this period, I started writing popular science articles and health articles for different organizations as a freelancer. This triggered my passion for writing once again and I thought of taking it up professionally.

Later, I got some offers to get back to active research, but I decided to continue as a science communicator. I think that the inspiring comments I received from eminent scientists about my articles have encouraged me to continue in this field.     

What skills do you think are necessary, from your experience, to establish oneself in the science communication field?

As I mentioned earlier, you should simultaneously have the ability to communicate science in layman’s language and have a mindset to maintain the decorum of science. 

Is freelance science communication quite lucrative in comparison to an equivalent job role associated with a company of repute?

Both are equally lucrative and each come with certain pros and cons. Company-based jobs are of course more financially secure, while in freelance jobs, you might not have a fixed earning. I think the major fun of being a freelancer is that you get a chance to choose your topic of interest and bring creativity to your work. This might not be possible in a regular company job. And, once you establish yourself as a good communicator, financial security should not be a problem anymore.    

What gives you the ultimate satisfaction in your current profession, with science communication and scientific consultancy?

Ultimate satisfaction comes from the fact that I can work on my own terms and conditions. And of course, the appreciation I get from companies motivates and energizes me to perform better in my profession.    

Madhura Kamat Author
Career Stories

Career Stories: Chapter 9

Academia Plus

In this chapter of Career Stories, we bring you the journey of Abhijeet Bayani who is a Science writer at JoVE but well recognised as a conservation biologist. He was also an instructor in Ecology at IISc, Bangalore. In this candid chat, he talks about the joy in ‘Nature-ality’ and the things that one should keep in mind while venturing into ‘Ecology as a career pathway’.

Did you face any challenges while evolving into an ecologist and if yes, how did you encounter them?

There were numerous challenges that I faced when I started out  as an ecologist. For instance, I have been heavily interested in spiders and have studied them for more than 15 years now. I have also written a book on common spiders. But, when I started, there were almost no readily available resources on Indian spider species. Most of the available ones focused on spiders of other continents (Europe, North and South American regions). There were only a few, about a century old texts, that focused on Indian species. These texts needed a strong upgrade as the older information on species now has become obsolete. Another larger challenge I faced was inadequate training in the field methods. This included field identification of various taxa, locating the species and performing some basic quantitative field methods. Although the reading material was available, I did not have the privilege of working with the experts who could demonstrate these methods. To overcome this inadequacy, I experimented with some of the sampling methods. I also attempted to replicate some scientifically published methods on the same taxa (e.g. trees of specific region, wetland birds etc.) and observed if the data I collected were at least similar. I found all this quite challenging, but at the same time it was like learning from own experiences.

How did you motivate yourself to follow an unconventional career path in the field of your interest?

Studying spiders or the ecology of some other lesser known animals was a bit unconventional, indeed! I say that because the naturalists I knew 17-20 years back were experts in distinctly looking birds and butterflies, or only a few charismatic mammals. None knew about the spiders, birds such as pipits or warblers, or small mammals. So, I accepted this as a challenge and started recording the behaviors, life history traits, features for the field identification, natural history and so on. As my studies on spiders were purely driven by curiosity, I never gave up on my spider observations. I  enjoyed every step of learning about them. Here, I must say that although my focal taxon was spiders for a long period of time, I learnt many small and basic techniques (observation skills, behavioural sampling, quantitative sampling, collection methods, preservations techniques, dissection etc.) that are still helpful for me.

I always treated my undergraduate  years to be experimental years, where I explored various research fields such as neurobiology, biophysics, experimental evolution, X-ray crystallography, signal transduction, theoretical ecology etc. that I thought I was equally interested in. I ultimately decided to go for ecology; particularly conservation biology after my master’s degree. As a result, I studied urban ecology of Marsh crocodiles, reintroduction of Asiatic lions, human-wildlife conflict, and wildlife management starting from my undergrad to my doctoral studies. The sole driving factor towards choosing conservation biology, and working as an educator or a science writer-editor is curiosity.

Is there any interesting part of animal behaviour that very few people know about and that you feel should come into the limelight?

Animal behavior is a very-well studied branch in ecology. One aspect, although, I think that still lacks enough attention is the behavior (wildlife and human) in the human-wildlife conflict studies. The behavioral plasticity that the wild animals exhibit especially in the human-dominated landscapes is quite understudied. Other than that, there are several species about which we know almost nothing, not even the species distribution and the basic natural history (e.g. Wren-babblers). I think that the upcoming ecologists or even the amateur naturalists can take short-duration projects and progressively work towards understanding these unknown species. To many newer ecologists, animal natural history seems to be a ‘dead-end science’ or just a ‘hobby’, which is far from the truth! Natural history forms the basis of all natural sciences, and if done systematically, a person studying it would not only enjoy it but also be able to substantially contribute towards science.

I also strongly suggest that citizen science can help with this. I have been involved with Biodiversity Atlas-India, which is one such large, open-source and scientifically curated consortium of multiple Indian taxa dealing with their identification, natural history, distribution, behavior and so on, where every citizen can contribute their observations.

What are the different career opportunities to be explored,  if one would like to stay connected with nature and wildlife?

Why would one need to explore a “career opportunity” to stay connected to nature and wildlife? One can still stay connected with nature and wildlife having any (unrelated) career or job; it need not be in ecology always! There are numerous ways to do that.

Every urban scape is loaded with interesting species to be observed. There are gardens, backyards, reserved forests, lakes, wetlands, abandoned lands and buildings within the highly urbanized cities. For instance, one of the best places to spot and study the most secretive primate Slender Loris is the Bengaluru city! The marsh crocodiles in the Vadodara city are equally interesting from the same perspective. Also, as I have said before, the citizen science opportunities are plenty now, where a citizen having a zero idea about ecology can still contribute substantially. I strongly suggest and insist that one must not force to take a career in ecology, just for the sake of ‘staying connected with nature’ or because it sounds fancy!

Nevertheless, a person who is trained in ecology and allied streams of science in general, can find a good career as a professor, environmental consultant, writer, science illustrator, EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) expert, naturalist (with tourism companies), photographer, traveller, media person, blogger, teacher, scientist, policy maker, consultant to ministry (e.g. for MoEF&CC) or an academician. If a person is highly determined and begins preparation fairly early- maybe by the first year of UG, they can also opt to be a forest officer (state-level) or even go for Indian Forest Services through UPSC.

Being an editor and reviewer of scientific journals, what strategies (out of the box suggestions) would you suggest to authors to improve their chances of getting the manuscript accepted?  

I may not be the best person to talk about it. But acceptance of a manuscript in a journal depends on numerous things and that is beyond the scope of this question. However, I can share some major observations that I have made during my experience as an editor, and can suggest possible ways to fix those particular problems.

I have found that often the science in manuscript is great, but it lacks the writing flow and fails to convey the message. Many times there is an unnecessary extrapolation from the (original) results. The best way (in my opinion) to write an acceptable manuscript is as follows: every author must ask the following questions:

  • ‘Have I asked  a definite question in the introduction?’
  • ‘Do my results give definite answer(s) (let that be positive or negative) to the question?’
  • ‘Do I justify all the points, hypotheses, or knowledge gaps that I have mentioned in the  introduction, discussion and conclusion?’

This can help improve the flow of the manuscript. When it comes to writing reviews, make sure that you choose  appropriate literature and conduct your analysis of the data that you obtain from the literature. See if your analysis gives any new insights on the topic. I strongly recommend not to write a review with the sole intention of increasing the ‘number’ of your research papers. If not thought well, such reviews may very well turn into ‘scientific junk’.

If you can sum up your learnings in life so far in one sentence, then what would that be?

There is a substantial difference between an innate interest and a borrowed interest. For instance, while choosing a career in scientific research, people often cannot distinguish whether they really like the ‘research’ or just the ‘idea’ of research. In my case, I like the idea of studying the genetic basis of animal behavior, but my true innate interest lies in studying animal behavior on the field. Thus, field study or natural history is my innate interest, but the genetics of behavior is just a borrowed interest for me. I would like to emphasise that each person must identify his/her own innate interest and follow it. Do not run behind the fancy-sounding fields especially for the scientific research. In my opinion, along with reading meeting and talking to people in science helps the best.

What message would you like to give youngsters aspiring to pursue a career within nature and wildlife?

Every person aspiring to pursue a  career in nature and wildlife related fields must first and foremost, be a good observer. Be a naturalist first, then move on to study anything you like. One doesn’t require any fancy expensive equipment or specific permissions to observe species around you. Do not go behind the charismatic species only because everyone talks about it. I have also seen many people begin with photography, and then claim to be taxonomists, conservation biologists or ecologists without any adequate knowledge. Photography is a great tool crucial for documentation or to enhance the experience of observing the species. Nonetheless, without any systematic observation, study or data, you still remain a photographer, and not a scientist. I do not say that a photographer cannot become a scientist or vice versa. But it is important to identify whether you really like to study the species or only like photographing it.

In the end I would say, study wildlife scientifically and ethically and if you are not aware of the ethics, then get in touch with experts.
Satya Santoshi Author
Career Stories

Career Stories: Chapter 8

Academia Plus

In this chapter of Career Stories, we bring you the journey of Dr. Dipanjana Datta who is an illustrious pioneering genetic counselor in India- a Consultant Genetic Counselor at Apollo Hospitals and a faculty at Calcutta University for Clinical Genetics. She is the State Co-coordinator (West Bengal) for the Organization of  Rare Diseases, India. She carries with her 14 years of experience in Human Genetics and has an imminent interest of pursuing research in the same field.

In this candid chat, she takes us through her journey and explains in depth what a career in genetic counselling looks like.

During the years 2012-2014, when you were doing your Post Doctoral Fellowship (PDF) in the Virginia Commonwealth University  (VCU) Health System, India was expanding its Genetics landscape simultaneously. What introduced you to, and encouraged you to enter this sphere of Genetic Counseling specifically?

Out of the two PDFs (that I have), my first one was at Oregon State Health University (OSHU) where I was working on neuromotor junctions and muscle development. My mentor there headed a clinic on neuromuscular diseases and the project was sponsored by a group called Shriner’s which is a Jewish community program. As part of the PDF, I had to gather patient information and history. He thought I was good with communication and with my knowledge of genetics, I would do well as a Genetic Counselor. Consequently, he asked me to enroll in the program. I shadowed various people at the clinical genetics department there and entered the course for the same. Post this I joined VCU, where I was working on brain development and transcriptomics, and completed my internship at the children’s hospital.

Currently, you work at various organizations as a Genetic Counselor. How do you manage this in terms of work and clients?

I follow a very rigid timetable, where my work hours are predetermined and allotted accordingly, around the week and month.

What are the innate and acquired skills required to become a Genetic Counselor and practice as one?  

Innate skills – Good communication skills, including being a good listener, being passionate (about your topic), having patience, empathy and a non-judgemental attitude. Possessing the art of science communication to deliver complex information to patients is an added asset. 

Acquired skills – the knowledge of genetics itself, continuous education and upskilling in the subject, getting acquainted with the cultures and laws of different places and developing counseling skills. Experience plays a huge role in shaping the thought process of counseling. Hence, the more experience you have, the more clarity and control you have (regarding your role as a genetic counselor). Staying up to date on clinical trials and maintaining a network of doctors are also some other skills that a genetic counselor would need to inculcate or acquire over time. 

Talking of research, is there a scope for it in the field of genetic counseling and how would it impact the genetic counselors, clinicians, and consumers (aka the patients)? (Research in terms of new genetic findings, population genetics, statistical data validation, etc). 

There is immense scope for research in various aspects. Epidemiological studies on disease incidence, mutation profiling about diseases, developing the Indian disease databases, natural history, psycho-socio-religious aspects of common genetic diseases, impact, and response to counseling for families are a few facets to look at. This can help in developing better screening tools and having India-specific disease incidence statistics. Hence, developing distinctive policies for the screening and management of genetic diseases at affordable prices is the need of the hour. 

Early detection and management would improve the quality of life for families. For a genetic counselor, proper guidelines can be outlined to counsel families from different communities based on epidemiology, aiding in predicting and discussing the prognosis and the natural history, genotype-phenotype correlations, and improve the reporting of the Indian variants which are majorly VOUS (Variant of Unknown Significance – wherein the variant of a gene that is manifesting the disorder is genetically unclear). 

A major revolution would be the reduced cost of tests and the decrease of unwanted tests. Research would also pave the way to investigating which diseases need more attention and drug development. Government can prioritize research in such diseases for refurbished drugs, clinical trials, and most of all, proper policy development and building support.

What research is currently underway in the field of genetic counseling, in India and/or globally?

Globally, a lot of research is going on in the aspects discussed above. Many patient support groups are driving incredible research and even encouraging the government to expedite trials. Support centers for management, hospice, and adult patient care are also being established. Artificial Intelligence is also coming up in a big way to support such research. 

In India, things are in the nascent stage. The CRISPR technology Feluda test from India was invented as an equivalent to the American SHERLOCK technique and was used in the detection of Covid. But we are still a long way from developing indigenous tools. Recently, due to the rare disease policy, a number of research grant initiatives by the government (DBT/DST/ICMR) for orphan diseases and drugs have been announced, which has boosted scientists to submit proposals on off-label refurbished drugs. However, everything is not organized and there is discordance between the treating doctor and the scientist. In India, most genetic counselors are unaware of their role in research as they are practicing for genomic companies where research is not the priority, and they are often not allowed to access large-scale data

How do we initiate awareness about genetic counseling as a career choice amidst the student fraternity at the high school and undergraduate levels?

Initiating awareness comes easily if they have the subject in their curriculum. For instance, I teach clinical genetics to students of zoology, physiology, and biotechnology. This is approximately 20 marks out of their entire syllabus at Calcutta University where I take 12 classes in one semester. This itself creates awareness and generates interest in most. I feel visiting schools and colleges and sharing experiences can promote interest but role models are needed, who can inspire and ignite young minds. However, it is also my opinion that unless we have a pan-India body that can have genetic counselors’ employee rights and registration, this will not go a long way. The Board of Genetic Counseling, India (BGCI) certification is not valid all over the world, and hence, genetic counselors trained in India, would not get any global opportunity. Thus, efforts need to be taken to promote acceptance of genetic counseling, and then awareness would follow automatically. 

What are your roles and responsibilities as the state coordinator of West Bengal for the Organisation of Rare Diseases? How does advocating for rare disease awareness/rare disease screening aid those who might require genetic testing and/or counseling? 

As a coordinator, my role is to generate awareness by holding camps and CME (Continuing Medical Education) among doctors, RTM (remote therapeutic monitoring) with patients and families, collaborating for referrals, understanding and helping them find those referrals, and developing a network of super-specialty doctors who would be able to support the patients and their families. Another segment of responsibilities is to generate CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) funds, or have beneficiaries who can help poor patients, write and communicate on social media platforms, and also reach out to schools, teachers, and offices for support. Help is also offered in getting the disability certificate, and co-ordinating care in rural areas where all facilities might not be available. Along with this, I also aid in seeking trauma management and support when needed, voicing the needs of families to the state health and finance authorities, helping in crowdfunding, and of course, genetic counseling. Language is a barrier I can cross as I know most languages of this region and hence, it’s easier for me, to communicate with patients and to understand their issues. 
Khyati Arora Author
Career Stories

Career Stories: Chapter 7

Academia Plus

In this chapter of Career Stories, we bring you the journey of Dr. Anil Kumar Challa who is an Adjunct Professor in the department of biology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Apart from this, he is also a senior scientist at Shiv Nadar University Delhi NCR.

In this candid chat he takes us through his professional journey and talks about what keeps him motivated enough to continue pursuing a Career in Academia. 

What motivated you to take science?

So, there are two answers here. One is as fundamental as being human-I think there’s this urge to find out (more about) things. 

I guess it might sound philosophical, but I think every kid is a scientist. Every infant is so curious about the world and if it is not inhibited then I believe that everybody has the potential to become a scientist in some way or the other.

But for me in terms of a career path in science sometime around sixth grade I gravitated more towards medicine/biology. Those days, it was a social thing- you either became an engineer or a doctor. And by eighth grade, I subscribed to MBBS tutorials, but did not read a single page of it. As a kid, I wasn’t studious, nor did I read textbooks or complete my homework properly. But then, I definitely enjoyed it in middle school, when we had to study different flowers. As a kid, I grew up with a backyard full of flowering plants and fruit trees. I really enjoyed my time with the plants. It was not something very special, or something that was leading me to ‘science’ per say, but I started observing and studying a lot of things by myself. Once, in a class activity, I actually took a razor blade to cut a flower  in a  longitudinal section, drew it, and  coloured it. The reason I’m mentioning this particular incident is because the activity is extremely vivid in my memory even now- so, I started enjoying the process of going through details of things. 

And then, over the years, I got really fascinated by human anatomy and forensic sciences. In the ninth grade, one of my classmates introduced me to science reporter, and I just loved those articles- the way they were written, and I was really fascinated about ballistics and all kinds of chemistry. By the time I was in 11th and 12th grade, I gave a lot of pre-medical entrances, but eventually I realized that medicine is not for me. However, I was already bitten by a general fascination towards everything ‘science’.

Once I got into my undergrad, it was very clear in my head that this is a path I wanted to follow. My learning then was not limited to life sciences as I learnt a lot about engineering and coding through two of my very good friends from the hostel. The Banaras Hindu University campus also really helped me- that it was a very generous institution in a sense that they did not restrict an undergrad’s participation in any seminar or lectures. And because of this, I got immense clarity in my second year BSc that this is the direction that I want to pursue my career in.

You pursued a BSc in agriculture and then shifted your career to molecular biology and genetics., What inspired this transition, and was it difficult?

While in my first year of under graduation, MSc biotechnology was newly introduced, and students had a craze for it. They introduced various subjects in that course. For example, biochemistry was a separate subject/paper. My seniors, who were good friends, were preparing for the MSc Biotechnology entrance exam conducted by JNU. They were reading Principles of Biochemistry by Lehninger, which seemed interesting while I conversed with them about genetics and biochemistry. Also, one of my professors who had gone to the UK to attend the Human Genome Conference returned with lots of literature which he gave my seniors. That got me fascinated, and a couple more of such incidents caught my interest in biochemistry and molecular biology. I realized that despite being an agriculture graduate I can still pursue my research career in molecular biology. This realization dawned on me when I noticed that the authors of those publications were from diverse fields and departments. So while applying for PhD programmes in the US, I kept my options open for various programs. Particularly how I got into molecular genetics at Ohio State University for PhD might seem very silly. Those were pre internet days. We had to write to the university to procure the application form, which was difficult considering we did not know their addresses. Coincidentally when I visited my friend in IIT Madras he offered me an extra form from the Ohio State University, enquiring if I was interested to apply. I had not planned to apply there but checked out their various departments, found molecular genetics very interesting and applied for my PhD, though it was not a serious attempt. And if not for Ohio university, the story would have remained the same because I was not even sure about my research problem. It was simply my fascination for molecular biology. 

I had executed a summer internship at AIIMS in the department of biophysics for two and a half months. Summer internships in those days were not common, though today, quite unfortunately, everyone has to do it. Dr. TP Singh was very encouraging. He did not question me as to why an undergrad should work in a lab, rather he permitted me to join his lab. That environment added immense value to my learnings/understanding about research. Discussions with PhD students were extremely insightful and since I was accommodated in a research scholar’s room I could learn a lot from their conversations.

So that pretty much sums up how I landed at the Department of molecular genetics. Though it was by chance, this was bound to happen since I knew I would pursue my career in this field. I just wanted to understand how life works -the molecular basis of life. 

Which books piqued your interest in science?

I was actually scared of reading books. I am saying this out loud for such kids who are like me. Until 10th I read perhaps only one book outside my syllabus. My physics teacher in Class 12 was a very interesting character, a voracious reader. We were blessed to have a teacher like him, though at that time I disliked him as a teacher as he was very old school and strict. Also, at that time, I wanted my teacher to tell me how to crack exams, and nothing else. However, would say that there is no IIT physics or IIT chemistry, there is only physics and chemistry. He would carry a book to class which he never shared with any of us.

Nevertheless, he created an intense curiosity in us to know what the book was all about. One day he came to class and said “If you are a biology student and you haven’t read this, you are not a biology student “. He was talking about In Search of the Double Helix by John Gribbin. I bought it from an old second hand book shop and that book was a page turner! I was hooked on it. Another book that made me veer towards life sciences was The Double Helix by James Watson. It was quite an expensive book but my parents bought it for me, no questions asked. I recommend these gems to all undergrads. No doubt they are controversial, involving plenty of gossip, but rest assured- you simply won’t be able to put them down, once you start reading them.

Did you ever feel like giving up on academia, and if yes then what motivated you to continue?

In my undergrad I read Lehninger’s Biochemistry cover by cover and while doing that in the reference section there were all these scientific American articles that made me realize that PhD or research in general is not a straightforward path. Culturally it has been inculcated in my mind that every journey has its challenges, but that does not mean that one should not proceed with it. Now, I remember only good things about my PhD but there are definitely one or two times that I thought “That’s it, I want to quit!” . But since I was in the US and not India, quitting meant that if it would have taken me 2-3 weeks to pack everything up and come back- and within that buffer period, something interesting always happened in the lab which made me realize that it was worth continuing and that’s how I  completed my PhD. 

There are three types of truths- “, known known”, “known unknown” and “unknown unknown”. The reason for the frustration is “unknown unknown”, with which even your guide cannot help you, and that is frustrating but you have to deal with it on your own. Understanding that- if an experiment does not work, then it’s not always the protocol that goes wrong, sometimes it’s our own mistakes too and,changing even a small component can make a huge difference- as a student we are always impatient and believe that everything should work the way it has been prescribed to us,but that is ’ not always the case. There are times when things don’t work out, and one needs to figure out why. 

After PhD, I thought about quitting research a couple of times. After my post-doctoral tenure, I could not continue with research-  but by then, I was also pursuing a career in science education and that kept me going on. Teaching is what I love doing and is now the reason I continue to remain in science.

What changes do you think are required in the current scenario of the Indian education system?

In any graduate program, not much thought is given to mentoring students. Everybody focuses on what study material should be shared. The focus is on the content and the assessment. The goal should not be in turning all students into scientists. Rather, they should be allowed to choose,while we can definitely contribute to making the journey interesting and engaging. Students should not believe it is wrong to change one’s career path or field of education. In case you are a biotechnology graduate and you see no reason nor interest in hanging onto that path, you should change your domain, confidently. It is your growth and you have to choose what is best for you. Only you  can mold yourself into the best version of you. 

The system should be more student oriented. This confidence should be instilled in students if this course is not working out for you something else will, because we all are trying for the sustenance of our society when seen as a larger picture.
Mustafa Inamdar Author
Career Stories

Career Stories: Chapter 6

Academia Plus

In this chapter of Career Stories, we bring you the journey of Ravi Teja Mandapaka who is a researcher in literature and life sciences. He is also an avid hockey fan and has worked as a freelance sports columnist, covering all aspects about the sport. In a candid chat Ravi talked about how his varied interests in life played a crucial role in contributing towards his career journey, and what keeps him motivated to get up and go to work every single day.

You pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology and then shifted to a Masters degree in Food and Nutritional Sciences, what was your motivation behind this and how was the transition?

Firstly, thank you for your time and consideration of my profile.

I must admit here, a PhD in literary criticism, literary analysis, and literary translations remains my first love.

I’ve read many books during my graduation in the pursuit of understanding science in a way, and, to the extent, it should be understood. On many a time, I’ve related learning to my passion and respect for agriculture. ‘Food’ to me is an emotion and I consider myself blessed to eat three meals a day. Personal trauma took me closer to valuing food and diet more than ever and taught me the importance of respecting the available resources.

Long story short, I envisage myself researching more on food security, food safety, and food waste management, ahead. Trust me, there’s a no bigger blessing in life than going to bed, with a full stomach.

I also see you are an avid hockey fan and have written a lot about it in newspaper columns, has this practice of non- academic writing helped you in scientific writing or is it vice versa?

“Field Hockey – A facet of life so undeniably appreciated in our society. I would wish it to be one of the last things I think before I die.” ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery.

A failed sportsperson can talk about the game more passionately than anyone, they say. True? You might never know if I can pause time and space in this picturesque vacuum of our universe to tell tales in hockey and make an attempt in living their lives once again, but one is true. Today, tomorrow and forever, I take pride in the national game of my country India, and I look forward to celebrating many future victories.

I see myself as a ‘research writer’ and if that’s true, I should be able to write on any topic on any given day, right? As simple as that.

You have varied experiences up your sleeves such as a SRF (Senior Research fellow), content, medical and sports writer, as well as a lecturer. How has your skill set expanded during each of these experiences?

Every new day in life provides you with an opportunity to learn and grow – personally, emotionally and professionally. I am not a robot and I admit I’ve made some gruesome mistakes in life. I practice learning and, evolving myself from my worst and I embrace my experiences the same way I embrace this uncertainty called, life.

You are also member of a lot of organizations like Royal Society of Literature, Nutrition Society of India. How has being a part of such organizations enhanced your personal and professional growth?

They provide me with appreciable networking opportunities, access to online resources, allow me to present my research in conferences as posters and talks and on the whole, provide me with a good platform for continuous learning and education.

Have you ever faced imposter syndrome while working in different roles of a researcher, lecturer, and content writer? Did you face any issues while adjusting to each role or was the transition smooth?

Honestly, no. My goal in life is to become a professor. And, I constantly work on my writing and language skills, to become an editor.

In your formative years, who has been your role model? Any piece of advice you can give to the students who want to pursue their career in life sciences.

Sir William Shakespeare and Fyodor Dostoyevsky (Literature), Javagal Srinath (Cricket), Dhanraj Pillay (Field Hockey), Michael Phelps (Swimming), Prof. Dr. M. S. Swaminathan (Science) were my role models while growing up. I have learnt a lot from them.

To all those who would like to pursue a career in life sciences, I would say that- academia and research are not for everyone – it’s a mental health battle like never before. But then again, isn’t life, in one way or another, the same? So, put your heart and soul into everything you do. Trust your instincts. Be honest, sincere, and humble today; have no regrets tomorrow.
Aaqifa Shaikh Author
Career Stories

Career Stories: Chapter 5

Academia Plus

In this chapter of Career Stories, we bring you the journey of Gayatri Ramachandran who is pursuing a PhD in Biochemistry at the School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad. She has had a decade of experience spanning research, industry and teaching, primarily in Genetics. This apart, she is also an academic mentor who is enthusiastic about career guidance in Life Sciences.

In a candid chat Gayatri talked about how she applies her scientific learnings in her daily life and why she is passionate about teaching and mentoring.

As you have pursued your B.Sc and M.Sc in Genetics, could you please tell us about your interest in Genetics and how did you decide to pursue it?

It all started back in my 12th standard, when I came across a chapter on Genetics. I would like to call it “me-search” here, as Genetics has helped me understand what I am and how I can utilise the knowledge of behavioural and psychological traits belonging to my pedigree, to enhance my personality and make me a better human being. Genetics helps me apply that knowledge to my daily life and to my immediate family. Science has always been a part of my daily life. I love to apply what I learnt. It’s not for the sake of building a career that I do anything. Genetics, I felt, will help a lot because life starts at the DNA level. It helps me tweak acquired traits to lead a better life.

How is/was your experience in being an academic mentor?

I never knew that I would be a good mentor, I did not have any mentor back then when I was a student. During my UG and PG, the concept of mentoring was very primitive and not many people were into it. I missed out on that part, so I felt my students should not miss out on it and I should pass on my learnings to them. When I joined as a lecturer, it helped me understand my innate strength in mentoring. Students connect with me and they reach out to me when they need help with their career, and, while facing mental health issues, imposter syndrome etc. After speaking to me they feel better and that is how I started my journey as a mentor. I did not take up any formal courses in mentorship. It is my innate strength that came out during teaching. The mentorship experience is very rewarding and I plan to continue it for the rest of my life. I’ve realised it comes naturally to me, thanks to my genes. 

What is your work as a Researcher.Life ambassador?

It’s more than work, it’s an experience- it revolves around connecting to other researchers, learning mutually, growing and supporting each other. Researcher.Life is a good platform where one can ask questions pertaining to research or anything in Academia. I got into the ambassador program only a few months ago. It was through one of their services-R Voice, that I got into this. R Voice is an amazing community platform which provides emotional and academic support, including mental health support to researchers, worldwide. Editage Insights, under which Researcher.Life comes,  covers all the broad areas of Academia, including: how to write a publication, how to read a review, how to go through research literature, how to understand the peer-review process, etc. Additionally, it supports my practice as a mental health advocate. Mental health is a taboo topic and nobody really talks about it but R Voice is like a family where all of this is discussed, quite comfortably.

What has been your go-to motto in life when things don’t work out?

I have go-to people, who are my mentors including my current PhD supervisor to whom I go for advice on my research front. In addition to that, I would seek my father’s advice on the professional front as well, primarily because he is the reason why I had been motivated into science. His motto, “Science in daily life”, is also my motto.

What was your ‘cloud-9’ moment in life sciences?

For me, every day is a ‘cloud-9’ moment as every day is an opportunity to learn something new. I wake up with the motivation that I am going to utilize the day to progress in something- be it on the professional or personal side. When I go to bed I feel happy that I have achieved something and that it was a day well spent. If nothing (substantial) has happened on a particular day, it is still a neutral day. I believe it is better we do not have cloud 9 moments (moments of hyper-excitement) often as we tend to lose track of what our actual goals are. Psychologically that is how it works. Hence, I strive to maintain balanced emotions, always in life.

Do you have an anecdote to tell us about your student or professional life?

My education plus career started and has remained in Hyderabad. I see many students are under peer-pressure to get out and explore. But I never felt the pressure as I believed in following those paths that made me happy. I would say-”Do what makes you happy and there is never a definite, tailored path to one’s happiness”.

If you ever put yourself in a stand that you might regret later, then that is not going to help. When I was an early career researcher, I had to deal with mental health issues because of a toxic lab environment and supervisor. I finally decided to leave that position, owing to the toxic work culture/environment. This decision wasn’t easy and it took me a good 6 months to arrive at that conclusion. I weighed all the pros and cons, weighing my personal vs professional life, whether it would affect me later and so on. My tagline in those 6 months was “I should never regret this decision later, ever”. I looked for other opportunities, and that’s when I came across a position at Thomson Reuters, that perfectly fit my passion and experience. I felt it was God sent. They required personnel with an academic background in Genetics, which fit my profile to the T. A  career switch as this to industry was interesting as well as challenging. When I look back I think that getting out of that toxic lab environment was the best decision I had made in my life till date. When you know you deserve better, it’s better not to stay in such environments- be it related to your work, or your personal life. Never put up with anything toxic in your life. That 3 year stint as an early career researcher was a great learning experience. I was able to turn a negative experience into a positive one. It is a lesson well learnt, for life, and something I mentor students about, as well. To the mentees who are stuck at a stage of transition in academics or career- perform an honest self-assessment, know what you love, know what you want and your soul WILL pull you towards that.
Aaqifa Shaikh Author
Career Stories

Career Stories: Chapter 4

Academia Plus

In this chapter of Career Stories, we bring you the journey of Sakshi Sharma, who is a biotechnology postgraduate with training in clinical research and data management. In a candid chat, Sakshi talks about her internship experience in academia and industry settings and shares some of her most memorable learnings.

What was your motivation behind enrolling in the Biotechnology Skill Enhancement Programme in Clinical Research Data Management?

Throughout B.Sc. and M.Sc. I did well in academics and scored fairly well in my exams. But in the back of my mind, it was always there that I don’t know much and am not practically trained. I was exploring courses that could help me in this regard. That’s what made me enroll in Biotechnology Skill Enhancement Programme [BISKEP], organized by Karnataka Government. There were many subjects to choose from, but I opted for Clinical Research data Management, as I was very much interested in research. It was of one-year duration, which included 6 months training program and 6 months internship. 

How was your experience doing an internship at IISc?

I reached out to a professor at IISc who was a contact of my College Professor. Luckily, he selected me when I thought, maybe I didn’t give my best impression. The interview happened around March 2020 and I was expected to start in April. I had come home for a week in Chhattisgarh and Covid lockdown had begun.  I couldn’t do my internship. But after a month or so, the Professor reached out to me in May and said there was work at the lab and if I was still interested. The flights had just begun, and without much thought, I flew down to Bangalore. I crashed at my friends’ place. Due to Covid, the lab wasn’t functioning at full capacity, and I couldn’t absorb the best out of the internship due to unfortunate timing. However, I did learn, how to read papers and analyze as well as interpret the data efficiently which has helped me immensely.

How different was your internship experience at Advarra Forte?

While I enjoyed the previous internship and had a great learning experience, I realized that it wasn’t aligning with my future career goals per se and hence started looking for industry-based experiences and also knew from a few of my friends that few companies offered a paid internship. I remember giving tons of interviews and after 3-4 rounds of assessments in a walk-in interview at Advarra, I secured the internship. It felt like less like an internship and more like a job. We got to sit in all the meetings and were treated like consultants. It was a surprise! Good pay and great work experience. I realized that there are so many things I do not know.

How did you come across these internships?

I would say by talking to people. I would talk to professors, and talk to people while attending conferences. I would never shy away from asking questions and always approached with an ‘I don’t know ‘attitude. Talking to people helps in understanding their journey thus far and helps in making your decisions. For instance, I came to know about the BISKEP program in my college while was in my second semester by talking to people in the neighbouring lab. And I happened to attend the induction program that year, even though hadn’t planned to enroll that year. I was curious to know more. It so happened that they were asking the people, why they are joining the program. And I remember one lay’s response vividly, that she realized the gap in her skills after working for a year. I thought to myself, why not equip myself with those skills even before I start job-hunting. So, listening to others’ stories can help you narrow down your choices and decisions.

What was your approach in preparing for the two internship interviews?

The IISc internship was just one round which felt like a chat that ran for an hour. On the other hand, my interview with Advarra Forte was systematic with one round after another, assessing me on different skills. In my experience of giving a lot of interviews in search of internships and jobs, what they are looking for is do you understand the kind of work they are doing and why you are there. For the IISc internship, I read a lot of papers published in the lab in understanding their work, but for the clinical research internship, I worked on understanding the technicalities and familiarising myself with the terms.

Any piece of advice for people who are looking for internships?

Give as many interviews as possible, and take every rejection as a redirection. The more you communicate to people in interviews or just anybody you meet that belongs to your field, make an effort to know about their journeys as it will help you know about different options available and different ways to achieve things. The more you converse, the more you learn about yourself.
Meghna Girish Author