A childhood fascination with the image of a scientist led Budhaditya Mukherjee, an Assistant Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT Kharagpur) and an EMBO Global Investigator Network (EMBO GIN) awardee, to a career studying one of the world’s most adaptable parasites, Leishmania. In this profile, he reflects on research, resilience, mentorship, genome plasticity, and how understanding pathogen evolution may help address drug resistance and chronic infections.

Bodhisatta Nandy, Associate Professor and evolutionary biologist at IISER Berhampur, looks back on his association with the Young Investigators’ Meetings (YIMs) over the years, in this conversation with IndiaBioscience. His first interaction with YIM was in 2019, as a faculty representative from IISER Berhampur. The meeting helped him gain an insider’s view of the meeting as a platform for aspiring faculty and institutional networking. He later returned as a panellist at YIM 2021 and is a mentor at YIM 2026.

Reflecting on her journey in biotechnology, Ruchika Srivastavacame to realise that the lessons she learnt extend far beyond the realm of science. They shape how we work, why we work, and how we connect with others, gradually becoming a way of life.

IndiaBioscience spoke with Anjana Badrinarayanan, winner of the Infosys Prize 2025 in life sciences, about her scientific journey and research. In response to questions posed by IndiaBioscience, she reflected on the meaning of the award, her work on genome maintenance and DNA repair, the role of live-cell imaging in understanding dynamic cellular processes, and the responsibilities that come with scientific recognition.

Mayurika Lahiri, Associate Professor at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, reflects on her long association with the Young Investigators’ Meeting (YIM) in this conversation with us. She attended the inaugural edition in 2009 after returning from her postdoctoral fellowship in the US, participated again as a YIM alumnus in 2019, and will return as a mentor at YIM 2026.