The low number of women in leadership positions in science is a cause for concern for the scientific community worldwide. On International Women’s Day, we interviewed a few women in science from different career levels to understand the most common factors that hinder women in science and some possible ways to improve this situation.
The low number of women in leadership positions in science is a cause for concern for the scientific community worldwide. On International Women’s Day, we interviewed a few women in science from different career levels to understand the most common factors that hinder women in science and some possible ways to improve this situation.
R. Geeta is a retired professor from the Department of Botany, University of Delhi, Delhi. In this interview, she talks about her journey in academia and her opinions on pedagogical tools and teacher networks.
Posted on in Evolutionary Biology, Plant Biology, Developmental Biology, Teaching & Undergraduate
A young educational enterprise is engaging middle and high school students in a curiosity-driven learning experience in biology that takes them beyond their textbooks. The teachers/mentors are undergraduate and postgraduate students of biology with a flair for science outreach, who too benefit from the engagement by gaining a deeper understanding of basic biological concepts.
Posted on in Plant Biology, Environmental Sciences, Teaching, Personal Experience, Outreach
Contrary to popular belief, mathematics can be an important ally in our battle against pandemics. Here, we discuss some of the early mathematical models of disease transmission, as well as more modern versions that rely on computer-based simulations and factor in complex parameters. Insights gained from such approaches can be used to inform policy decisions related to novel diseases like COVID-19.
Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Neural Networks - these words have become a part of our day-to-day lexicon over the last few years. Scientists throughout India have started employing machine learning techniques in fields as diverse as biomedical diagnostics and wildlife conservation. In this article, we explore the critical question - Why now? Why has the machine learning boom waited until this last decade to come into its own?
Posted on in Biotechnology, Molecular Biology, Biophysics, Research
From colloidal silver to chanting 'OM', myths continue to abound on social media about home-grown remedies to treat or prevent COVID-19. We asked Gautam Menon, Professor of Physics and Biology at Ashoka University, Sonipat and Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai to lay some of these myths to rest. You can also check out answers to some commonly asked questions about COVID-19 here.
As India moves through the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and puts containment procedures in place, the need for rapid and widespread testing is becoming more and more critical every day. In such a scenario, it is crucial for the public and private healthcare sectors to combine their forces and coordinate their actions.
Sudhir Ranganath is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Chemical Engineering, Siddaganga Institute of Technology (SIT). He is one of the Young Investigators selected to attend YIM 2020 in Mahabalipuram. In this invited article, he talks about the role his mentors, collaborators, and scientific network have played in facilitating the process of setting up his lab.
Posted on in Career Development, Young Investigators & Mentorship
Jagadis Gupta Kapuganti is Scientist V at National Institute of Plant Genome Research, New Delhi. He is one of the Young Investigators selected to attend YIM 2020 in Mahabalipuram. In this invited article, he writes about various strategies and ideas that have helped him establish fruitful national and international collaborations.
Posted on in Young Investigators & Networking and Collaboration
What makes any field of science better or worse than another? Does indulging in such debates advance or hinder the cause of science? In this article, Gayathri, a PhD student at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, explores the potential pitfalls of a system of thought that pitches fields and systems of doing science against each other.
In this next article in our series on mental health, Zill-e-Anam discusses the culture of silence that prevents many researchers and students from discussing their mental health issues, thus compounding the problem and delaying treatment for those who need it the most.
Posted on in Other & Mental Health
The 12th Young Investigators’ Meeting (YIM 2020) was held in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, from 14 to 18 February, 2020 and was attended by nearly eighty young researchers, in addition to several senior scientists, institutional representatives, guest speakers, and panellists. This article is the first in a two-part series reporting on its proceedings.
Since their inception in 2009, the Young Investigators’ Meetings (YIMs) have been bringing together bright young researchers on a dedicated platform for networking, collaboration and mentorship. With YIM 2020 just around the corner, we decided to look up some of the past attendees and ask them about the impact that YIMs have had on their scientific journeys. This is the second of two articles compiling their stories.
Posted on in YIM, Young Investigators, Networking and Collaboration
Posted on in YIM, Young Investigators, Networking and Collaboration
Vanshika Singh is a PhD student at the National Centre for Brain Research (NBRC), Manesar. In this next article in our PhD Cafe series, she writes about why networking can be challenging for an introverted graduate student and the strategies that one can employ to derive the benefits of networking while remaining true to their personality.
Parul Anup recently completed her PhD from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai. In this next article in our PhD Cafe series, she talks about the expectations that graduate students and Principal Investigators (PIs) have from each other, and how keeping these in mind can help in building a healthy mentor-mentee relationship.
Posted on in Advice & Mentorship
Posted on in Career Development, Personal Experience, Advice