Delhi to Gandhinagar and bouncing back into research

My journey as an independent investigator began at the Institute of Advanced Research (IAR), Gandhinagar. Prior to it, I worked as a Department of Science and Technology (DST) woman scientist for three years at the Department of Biological Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar (IITGN). I am really grateful to the DST for their women-oriented schemes like WISE-KIRAN so that many of us can get back to research after a career gap.

My research journey began with my PhD from Delhi University, after having qualified the CSIR-UGC JRF (NET) exam and the prestigious Shyama Prasad Mukherjee (SPM) fellowship for toppers of the exam . My marriage brought me to Gujarat. I remember, I was so nervous. The place was new, I did not know anyone and was unaware of any universities or research institutes around, it almost felt like the end of my career. But sometimes, words can have a deep impact and you ought to remember them, especially in moments of despair. I remembered the words of S. K. Sopory, former Vice Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University, who while awarding me the first prize at a conference, said ​“no matter what, never ever leave science”.

Beginning as a YI: first student and fund crunches

The IAR campus is nestled in a green and serene landscape adjacent to River Sabarmati, its tranquility makes you feel at peace. The labs are well equipped and at par with any institute of national repute and this was all I needed when I joined. 

Unfortunately, just a few days later, the entire country went into lockdown due to COVID-19. It gave me time to take care of my 6 month old child but my plans to begin my research had to take a back seat until things got better. Eventually, I started going to my lab on weekends to work on writing a grant application. I remember leaving my kid crying at home and dealing with that separation anxiety was really painful. The mornings are still tough for me. As I leave for the lab, my younger son clings to me and cries, asking me not to go. Sometimes I can console him and at other times, I have to bribe him with the promise of a new toy.

After working for three years at IITGN, I got interested in DNA damage repair pathways in cancer biology and decided to build up my research around this topic with focus on implications in cancer therapeutics. I got my first PhD student, Kavya Pandya, but had no funds to initiate the work. However our hypothesis was ready and we could hardly wait. I was lucky that she never complained about the unavailability of funds or resources and actually joined me in figuring out how to get things together to begin. I remember telling her to try in silico testing of our hypothesis instead. At first, she was reluctant, honestly telling me that neither I nor she had any prior experience. But where there is a will, there is a way. My first student was as tough as me and ready to face challenges.

For a year we learnt computational methods through tutorials and soon proved our hypothesis in silico and got it published.

In the meantime, I submitted my first project to ICMR for funding and by 2022 was able to secure my first grant as a PI and subsequently got another grant from Gujarat State Biotech mission. Funding was no longer a constraint but I realised the importance of first validating the hypothesis in silico and then venturing into in vitro or in vivo studies. It makes science so much simpler and predictable and I follow this for every project.

Lab expansion and new challenges

My team has grown now, with four ambitious and wonderful girls in my lab pursuing their PhD and a project staff. With this expansion comes additional responsibilities and challenges. All of my four students are different and they understand and cope with situations differently. I really had to develop a good emotional quotient to maintain a healthy lab environment with mutual understanding and support, as we stay focused on our objectives. 

It also meant a lot of work in supervising their individual project proposals, progress presentations and monthly reports. Some days start with a list of faulty equipment and coordinating their repair and at other times I am under a pile of bills. I have to wind up both of my projects within a year and also start thinking about getting more funding to keep the lab functional. Sometimes it appears that the 24 hours of the day are not sufficient. But we also have moments of joy and happiness as we celebrate our little achievements together. I feel my team is progressing. 

We are at the stage of publishing our data and presenting our work at various conferences. My first PhD student has completed her PhD objectives and will be submitting the thesis next month.

Striking a balance between diverse roles 

I teach molecular biology, genetics and molecular diagnosis to UG and PG students. I love it as I get to interact and connect with the younger generation, mentoring them, and in the process learning something new everyday. I recently received a best teacher award from the Institute. It was really encouraging and I intend to keep doing even better as I move ahead. 

There are administrative responsibilities as well. I am a coordinator of the DBT PG Biotechnology program and member secretary to an institutional biosafety committee. I am also the research coordinator of the Department. It is also important to me to achieve balance between these roles. On the personal side, is my important role as a mother.

My mentors exclaim that their research is over since they are engrossed in administrative and other roles leaving no time for family, let alone for research.

Learning from their experiences, I am trying to strike the balance and it really gets overwhelming at times! So far I never hesitated in working on weekends beyond office hours. But, I am still learning that being in academics is not an easy journey and requires a lot of multitasking. It requires the best of your mental and emotional abilities if you intend to progress both professionally and personally.