A chief mandate of the YIM 2022 was to hone the young researchers' abilities in establishing their scientific careers. A considerable part of this endeavour vests in what they give back to the community and society. The seniors offered extensive insights on how YIs (Young Investigators) could contribute to forging the bonds they established with the community and carrying the legacy forward.

At many touch points during the meeting, the experts emphasised how a YI could take responsibility, highlighting leadership, mentoring, and research communication as effective ways of giving back.

Here are excerpts of the elaborate discussions that ensued on the topic.

Leadership and mentoring as means to contribute to the scientific community

The core principle that strengthens any community is building relationships and creating an environment of belongingness. Therefore, the discussions during the three days of YIM 2022 emphasised the importance of a holistic outlook to building a community.

Megha (University of Trans-Disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology, Bengaluru), one of the event's organisers, shared the meeting's collective vision for community building and knowledge sharing. Based on the role in the ecosystem, the speakers discussed both perspectives that arise for YIs — as mentors and mentees.

As mentors

As a YI, one might do their best for the students in the lab's purview. Still, it is imperative to remember that the students have independent journeys to navigate, advised the experts. Therefore, the first aspect that prospective students expect from a mentor is cooperation.

"Conduct yourself at the highest ethical level to set an example for the students. Your reputation has a higher impact than the impact factor of a journal for your students," said Swati Patankar (IIT Bombay, Mumbai) during her mentor talk. She also discussed how roles evolve as the team grows. Suggesting scaling of mentorship inside the lab, she told how the YI would be able to cater to all the students who often have different needs.

Concurring with Patankar, Manoj Prasad (National Institute of Plant Genome Research, New Delhi) highlighted the significance of a mentor's contribution to their student's success. He cited the example of how his students had fared. Some key takeaways from his talk were:

• Allow students the independence to design and redesign experiments.

• Involve students in the editorial process of manuscripts and any other activities that improve their writing skills.

• Allow students free will to attend skill and network-building activities like conferences, fellowships, etc.

• Encourage students to be proactive collaborators and never miss a chance to seek help from peers from other research groups.

Panellist Namrata Gundiah (Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru) advised the YIs to be unafraid to understand new concepts from various fields of study so they can be accommodative of students and collaborators from different backgrounds. Further, she encouraged the YIs to train themselves better at hiring, promotions, and collaborations.

Vishwesha Guttal's (IISc) advisory on the essential auxiliary skill was that the YIs must start developing their philosophies early on about assuming responsibility in the academic community and mentoring younger peers. "By involving yourselves in institutional activities in your capacity, you are improving the overall ecosystem of the institute," he added.

As mentees

When YIs shoulder so much responsibility as mentors, they often also need guidance and mentoring, turning them into mentees. In his mentor talk, Harmit Malik (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, USA) discussed the qualities a mentee should look for while seeking mentorship. He hinted, "Choose mentors whose trainees and people under them have gone farther; the ones transparent on the lab website." In addition, he suggested paying attention to how invested and passionate their prospective mentor is about science.

Malik suggested an easy way to find a mentor: "a mentor is someone in your network who is just one step ahead of you in your career." He justified the hack by illustrating how such mentors will have had a recent and first-hand experience with all the problems the YI might be facing. Moreover, building a strong system of multiple mentor-mentee relationships knits the academic community together, opined the speakers.

Giving back to society - breaking the impregnable fortress of science

As the public is the primary stakeholder in all research activities, involving them in the scientific process with effective communication of the research is essential. The final session of the meeting sensitised the participants on that vital topic.

In the last special talk, Pranay Lal, a natural historian, emphasised the importance of societal involvement for meaningful scientific discovery. He made a strong case for how science has divorced society, and the scientific community has become inaccessible. His message was clear: "Good science raises more questions than answers. We hide failures and have jargon-filled conversations. It is our fault. Stop making science an impregnable fortress." Adding to his view, Megha said that communicating science shouldn't be a part of one's job description, but an essential life skill every researcher should learn.

Further, Lal suggested an activity for the participants to break the ice and begin their journey as science communicators. He said, "develop a dummy version of your work. Try telling about your work to a child, a janitor, a colleague, and a scientist not from your field. Write, rehearse, deliver, rewrite and evolve."

While the inspired audience pondered these pointers, the next panel discussed how one could approach science communication in a structured way. The panellists, Arnab Bhattacharya (Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, Mumbai), Sarah Hyder Iqbal (Foundation for Advancing Science and Technology, New Delhi), and Sudhira H S (Gubbi Labs, Bengaluru) shared their perspectives and experiences at different levels, and in different ways.

Shantala Hari Dass (IndiaBioscience, Bengaluru), the session moderator, raised a question about allocating sufficient resources to communicate science. To this, Iqbal swiftly responded, "Funding is essential to formalise and legitimise the field of science communication, in a way also to build more capacity." Iqbal also suggested that systems should be set up to allocate separate funds for communicating science, instead of taking from the already insufficient and irregular research grants that the YIs receive.

Concluding remarks

YIM 2022 gave the participants the competitive advantage they needed to establish themselves as successful scientists in India. Anupam Sharma (Rutger's University, USA), one of the participants, said, "It has been professionally enriching (for me) here in the USA, but the personal satisfaction is what I want to fulfil by coming back to India." YIM served as a reality check for the participants as they began their journey as mentors and leaders inspiring the next generation of researchers.

Hari Dass concluded the meeting by thanking all the organisers and speakers. She also welcomed the participants to join the YIM network officially. "I hope the YIMs continue to advocate for early career researchers and put forward recommendations and usher change in the academic ecosystem," she said.

Rashna Bhandari (Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, Hyderabad), one of the advisory board members, gave the closing remarks. She highlighted the three ideas that reflected the ethos of the meeting, which she wanted the participants to take away -- collegiality, ethics, and the concept of giving back to the community.

This year, YIM 2022 — the 14th edition of YIM — took place from 4-6 May in a virtual mode, followed by a four-day PDF meeting. YIM 2022 focused on robust team-building concepts and ways to give back to the community. The event brought together sixty selected Young Investigators (YIs) and about an equal number of Postdoctoral fellows (PDFs) from India and across the globe who gleaned insights from several eminent speakers, mentors, senior scientists, and representatives from funding agencies and institutions.

The event organisers — Shantala Hari Dass (IBS, Bengaluru), Megha (University of Trans-Disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology, Bengaluru), Mohit Kumar Jolly (Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru) and Felix Bast (Central University of Punjab, Bhatinda) — left no stone unturned to make the event interactive and insightful for the participants.

This report highlights a few takeaways from the YIM 2022.

Inaugural session and keynote speech

Kickstarting the event, Hari Dass, in her introductory note, reckoned how YIMs are more than one-time networking sessions. "The YIMs are a seeding platform to grow a community," she said, adding that the iterations of this meeting have been long enough to see participants from earlier editions assuming decision-making posts and advocating change.

Satyajit Mayor (National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bengaluru), a key advisor for the meeting, formally inaugurated the event. He reminisced about YIM's journey from its inception and the vision of inculcating a culture of collaboration and networking.

Keynote speaker K VijayRaghavan (Former Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, New Delhi) set the tone for the meeting. He explained how academia should come together and solve systemic issues such as the lack of quality research and untimely release of funds. He said, "Every academic institute prioritises quality science. It's unfair that institutes must meet their goals and those of the funding agency, which might be very different, affecting scientists' performance." A few remedial measures suggested by him were:

• Individuals should carpenter themselves to understand how to address unanswered questions in science

• teach and train students at scale, and

• have institutional participation in effective science communication.

Over the three days, the meeting spawned ideas and shared experiences of fostering a motivated, healthy and driven community of YIs by way of panel discussions, mentor talks, keynote lectures and breakout sessions. In addition, they discussed topics such as choosing interdisciplinary science, building a research group/community, funding opportunities, and communicating science, with the primary objective of building sustainable and diverse teams and community outreach.

Building a sustainable and diverse team

One of the panel discussions unpacked the evolving roles and responsibilities of a YI. The panellists said that a YI would find themselves wearing many hats – as a trainer, enabler, recruiter, outreach facilitator, and influencer in the academic strata. They highlighted that a YI had the power to become a part of many circles and propel the ecosystem's progress. Each panellist shared some of their personal stories and the need for how a YI should be prepared to handle unpredictable situations daily.

1. An armour of sustainable solutions

The primary outcome of the discussions was to help the YIs set up better time-, people-, and fund- management systems early on to buffer any financial or other stresses that could occur to the team. The participants unanimously agreed that regularly re-evaluating lab goals helped the team stay focused.

Recommending a book titled, You're Hired! Now What, Karthick Balasubramanian (Agharkar Research Institute, Pune) said that the book could be an indispensable manual that sheds light on the universal problems YIs encounter. Adding that, it offers insights and specific approaches to solving them.

2. Hiring the right team

Fostering a supportive environment and sustaining it is possible only when the YIs have the right people on board. Often, early-career scientists are clueless about recruiting staff. The panellists offered a range of insights on this crucial aspect.

A well-planned approach was Thomas Pucadyil's (Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune) suggestion for building a sustainable team. "Plan ahead of time for recruiting students, develop a mentoring mindset, and manage funding cycles to sustain the team," he said. On the other hand, Jayasri Das Sarma (IISER Kolkata) preferred facilitating an interactive environment. For instance, while she spoke about prospective students joining the lab, she said: "I insist they talk to my current students to get the vibe of my lab, which often helps them decide better for themselves."

The other panellists also mentioned how systemic approaches such as lab rotations could help the YIs and students find their right fit. They opined that it was not just about the student's understanding of the subject but, more often, their ability to learn and how well they align with the lab's research interests that lead to successful teams.

3. Fostering an interdisciplinary research ecosystem

In a panel discussion on an interdisciplinary approach to conducting research, some panellists discussed how they made their lab diverse by exploring interdisciplinary approaches to research problems. They shared experiences of their experimenting with students and collaborators from different fields of study.

Sandhya Koushika (Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai) said she encouraged her students to learn each other's ways of communicating research by over-communicating and oversimplifying, leaving little room for ambiguity. But, at the same time, diversity has its lighter moments, said Roop Mallik (Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, Mumbai)). "Often, the most melodious music in the lab is when two students are arguing about how to approach a problem," he quipped.

The event also showcased mentor talks on building an interdisciplinary lab. Vishwesha Guttal (IISc) said that the crucial aspect is the freedom to approach the problem from different angles and the opportunity to collaborate with people from other fields. The downside, however, although changing slowly, is to face the brunt of the underequipped evaluation system that often undervalues the lab's efforts as most of the work requires extended collaborations.

Along with these discussions, another session revolved around inclusivity and underrepresentation of different groups of people in research.

4. The ethos of diversity and inclusivity in the lab

In a breakout-room session, mentors Abhijit Majumder (IIT Bombay), Deepak Modi (National Institute for Research in Reproductive and Child Health, Mumbai), Dhiraj Kumar (International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi), and Shannon Olsson (NCBS), were each assigned a group of participants for an intimate conversation on inclusivity. They brainstormed ways of making the ecosystem and infrastructure diverse, inclusive and disabled-friendly. A summary of the issues and ideas that emerged in this session:

• Being vocal and sensitising people could help create the environment for change

• Empathise and revise restrictive rules such as the age bar for grants, etc.

• Setting up family support systems for people with special needs or additional personal responsibilities

• Acknowledging these as systemic problems would help to have better policies to implement inclusivity at various levels

5. Funding – two sides of a coin

The primary determinant of research progress and lab independence is funding. The YIMs allocate elaborate discussion on this essential topic facilitating interactions between funding agencies, the YIs and academic institutes. A panel discussion focused on national and international funding bodies in life sciences. They highlighted the opportunities YIs could leverage for research, international collaborations, training, community building, and conference-travel grants.

Grants Officer Vandana Gambhir (IISER, Pune) explained how the current administrative system and some policies hinder a smooth funding procurement. She said, "To overcome this, policymakers should keep general financial rules in mind when developing policies and build trust between agencies and scientists."

Shirshendu M (Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), New Delhi), in a special talk, cited BIRAC's slogan, "Ignite Innovate Incubate", encouraging the YIs and PDFs to try their hand at entrepreneurship with research.

Book Launch

The YIM 2022 featured a book launch by IBS titled "On the Road to Excellence — Funding opportunities for Life Science Researchers in India". The booklet is a comprehensive database of national and international life science funding opportunities, fellowships, grants, awards, and details of special travel and event support schemes. Although there are several funding opportunities, a consolidated overview is lacking, resulting in the YIs feeling confused, laboriously sifting through the grants or missing opportunities. The booklet aims to bridge this gap.

Manuscript accepted.

These two words bring a well-deserved sense of achievement (and, quite a bit of relief!) to the researchers conducting a detailed scientific study. However, hidden behind these words are many stories — of struggles, uncertainties, failure and success. Those stories may not have had a place in formal scientific communication. Still, they would have been instrumental in training the researchers in their path of scientific inquiry.

I was often intrigued by how and where the researchers began when they embarked on a project months before. What was the roadmap like when they set out to solve that scientific riddle?

I wanted to bring to light these hidden stories. So, in July 2020, I was motivated to try my thought when IndiaBioscience announced the 1st IndiaBioscience Outreach Grant (IOG) for innovative outreach ideas in life sciences. I approached my colleagues P. K. Madhu and Aprotim Mazumder at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Hyderabad (TIFRH), with a rough sketch of the concept. The idea was well-received and Mazumder came on board for the project.

The IOG gave wings to our objective when we were selected as one of the awardees for the first grant cycle. The year’s theme focused on digital initiatives, which inspired us to explore a video format to bring these stories to light.

We decided to pick a study, engage with the researcher steering the work, and trace their research journey from the time they started designing the first experiment. The possibility of creating a repository of the untold stories of scientific research was exciting.

Initial forays, tweaks and turns

Initially, we planned to convey each story through a series of 90-second videos. Also, we thought illustrations would add quality to the storytelling, so we joined forces with freelance illustrators Rutuja Chalke and Sumit Chavan. Their artwork would give a clearer picture of the research and help create compelling stories.

We wanted to highlight four stories from TIFRH. We chose research findings from Tamal Das’s lab for the first story. One fascinating ongoing investigation was about how organelles inside cells change their positions to facilitate the movement of a group of cells together, for example, when they have to seal the gap caused by a wound.

On Das’s suggestion, we showcased the factors influencing the movement of a group of epithelial cells.

Once the initial round of discussions with the researchers steering the projects was over, we gathered at the drawing board. We aimed to convey the research findings in one compact series. However, as we went into the details, we found that our line of thought was quite ambitious. It was challenging to bring out the intricate network of cell biology connections in a simple, logical, and sequential manner.

At this juncture, we attended an awardees’ meet-up organised by IndiaBioscience. This meeting enabled us to brainstorm ideas for overcoming the challenges, and we received crucial feedback to keep things simple. We realised we had overlooked a key simplifying factor.

There was a common thread between the studies: Each research took a different path to unravel the same complex molecular mechanism inside cells. Among these studies, we picked two studies at similar stages of the investigation highlighting how two organelles, lysosomes and Golgi, help regulate the collective cell movement.

While Rituraj Marwaha, a postdoctoral fellow, worked on the role of lysosomes, Purnati Khuntia, a graduate student, investigated what the Golgi was doing. We altered our story format slightly, incorporating a common introduction to the problem. Several doubts, clarifications and discussions followed.

“All the questions were useful and necessary for the project to develop naturally and be appreciated in greater detail,” remarks Khuntia. Chalke recounts benefiting from the detailed discussions before every project: “From creating rough sketches to final drafts, each step challenged my creative skills, and the result was worth all the effort.”

Options galore

Though this project aimed to bring out stories from the life sciences, the interdisciplinary fabric of TIFRH allowed us to explore some more options. For example, while the earlier project was underway, the next story — Souvik Sadhukhan’s first stint in interdisciplinary research — began to take shape. Sadhukhan, a physics graduate student in Saroj K Nandi’s lab, had developed a theoretical understanding of how a densely packed cell layer exhibits dynamics similar to that of glass molecules.

At this point, we were working on three stories simultaneously. The filming process began with the series on Sadhukhan’s research. Initially, we chose to have a voice-over for the video interspersed with the researcher’s interview. However, after going through the playback of the videos, we understood that adhering to a pre-written script would be better. That way, we could tailor it for a non-expert audience and maintain continuity for an engaging storyline.

We revised the script and made the researchers read it out so that there was no scope for technical words to enter the narrative. We even resorted to jugaad: designing a makeshift prompter by scrolling PowerPoint slides with extra-large font text! The new format helped piece together a more cohesive story.

The lessons from our first attempt at filming helped shape our storytelling style for all other projects. However, by this time, we had to bid adieu to the 90-second video format as there were multiple elements in one story and breaking them every 90 seconds interrupted the flow.

Zooming into the story

While working on these three stories, we realised that the volume of information and short duration of videos did not give us much room to capture the researcher’s initial challenges. So, to provide a closer look, we zoomed in on one of the milestones of the researcher’s journey. This theme became the motivation for the fourth story in this project.

Sunayana Sarkar, a graduate student in Manish Jaiswal’s lab, had spent months, undaunted, standardising the extraction of polyphosphates from fruit flies. It was an essential step in a new research direction the lab was exploring. Her inspiring words reflect her determination: “Research is not easy, we learn something new in every step, and it is all about not losing the spirit and positivity, and holding on till you get it to work.”

Basil Thurakkal, a graduate student and IOG project team member, filmed Sarkar’s story in a documentary style. He says, “I was mostly involved in the video making, rather than the science part. So trying to see the work we are doing from an outsider’s point of view was an interesting exercise.”

Once the stories were on the road to completion, Ipsa Jain, science illustrator, visually captured the essence of each project in four announcement posters.

By the end of fifteen months, we had finished working on all four stories: Two have been released: Stories from the life sciences: How do we extract polyphosphates from fruit flies? And Stories from the life sciences: What does glass and a dense layer of cells have in common? Two are awaiting a release.

However, our work does not end here. What lies ahead is the challenging task of reaching out to a wider audience and getting feedback. Their inputs will give insights into our shortcomings and equip us to tell more compelling stories.

Have you attended a YIM before? What was your experience?

Felix: Yes, YIM 2016. It was an amazing experience. I had made several new acquaintances, and many of them are now my close friends. If there is one thing that connects almost all attendees and organisers of YIM, it is their energy and a yearning to make science in India better. It was in this meeting that I first listened to the talk by Satyajit Rath, and was literally carried away by his rebellious yet super-creative approach to science. The talk by Ron Vale—an American scientist with great love for India and Indian science—was also very memorable.

Megha: I have had the privilege of attending YIMs as a funding agency representative, participant and today, as an organiser. My earliest memory of YIM was listening to M. K. Bhan speak about the challenges of doing science and the cool manner in which he handled the many complaints about our funding system. Regretfully, these still persist! But, the YIMs are not a platform for solving funding woes, but to network. On that front, the YIMs continue to be one of the best meetings in India. It was at YIM that I first broadcast the theme of my independent lab and I am grateful to my mentors for shaping my narrative. YIM is a chance to reflect on our personal scientific journeys, where we want to be and how we can shape the national narrative as a member of India’s scientific community.

Mohit: I attended YIM 2020 in Mahabalipuram as a young investigator (YI), and it was a great experience to interact and network with colleagues in similar career stages as well as listen to senior colleagues and mentors who have excelled in their research trajectories. Learning from these different perspectives was crucial, and the multi-faceted candid discussion about science and science communication was very refreshing.

Shantala: Yes! Anecdotally, it was through the YIMs that I first got to know about IndiaBioscience. YIM 2022 is the fourth YIM that I will be a part of. I participated in YIM 2017 as a post-doctoral fellow (PDF), YIM 2020 as a part of the organising team, and YIM 2021 as a part of the organising committee. A full circle moment – I have seen the YIMs from different perspectives, and the YIMs have seen me at different stages in my career. I have made many friends through YIMs and grown my professional network by leaps and bounds. Many of these connections continue to support and engage with IndiaBioscience beyond the confines of YIM, and I am excited for this to continue through YIM 2022.

Why did you choose to be a part of the organising team for YIM 2022?

Felix: Set against the pandemic, I organised a Science Leadership Workshop, which attracted massive participation of over 20,000 members. Since then, I started an open academy for science enthusiasts—Young Academy of India—to foster professional networking. I am glad to have received an invitation to be an organiser of YIM 2022. Having this YIM held in virtual mode is something I look forward to, given my online presence in the last few years! I hope this will be a good learning experience for me, and a platform to connect with curious minds, the future of science in India.

Megha: I have always enjoyed learning new science. YIM 2022 is an opportunity to learn about science questions and the people who are asking them. Professionally, because of time and expenses, I pick meetings that are niche or closely aligned to my research interests. YIM is a good chance to meet people outside my field and learn about those who will be shaping Indian science in the future.

Mohit: I have been passionate about interdisciplinary research and effective science communication. Through YIM, I saw a platform to bring up these topics for discussion among the larger community, given their increasing importance around us. Moreover, the opportunity YIM brings to connect with excellent mentors and colleagues is a unique one. As an attendee of YIM 2020, I felt honored to be asked to be an organiser for YIM 2022, and thought of it as an opportunity to pay it forward.

Shantala: The annual YIM is IndiaBioscience’s flagship networking event (actually pre-dating the organisation), and my involvement is automatic. I am especially proud of the fac​​t that despite circumstantial restrictions in recent times, a YIM has happened every year since 2009.

Las​t year was the first time we took the YIM online – a fight or flight response to the pandemic. The YIM 2021 organisers (Imroze Khan, Karishma Kaushik, Smita Jain, Vasudharani Devanathan and I) were thrilled at the engagement levels and extent of meaningful interactions. This year, we continue to push the bar and see just how interactive and participatory an online event can be. We might even dedicate some time to musing on the sweeter aspects of life!

Which sessions are you looking forward to at YIM 2022?

Felix: I am looking forward to every session in YIM 2022, in fact three days of sheer excitement! Having read Indica: A Deep Natural History of the Indian Subcontinent, I am excited to listen to the talk by Pranay Lal, and looking forward to reading his new book Invisible Empire: The Natural History of Viruses. I am also eager for Panel Discussion 3 on building and sustaining a research group that touches the very theme of this YIM, and Panel Discussion 4 on science communication.

Megha: I am looking forward to the outreach and engagement session. Personally, I enjoy these activities, and I am amazed at how academics find the time to do things that require sustained time commitment outside of teaching and research. Yet, it is activities like these that get non-scientists excited about our work and funding us!

Mohit: It is hard to single out one session, given how diverse and complementary they are. Most importantly, I am looking forward to participation and engagement from YIs and PDFs in terms of their questions during the panel discussion and breakout sessions.

Shantala: I am looking forward to the entire course of YIM 2022, but in a nutshell, the discussions. We were hyper-aware of minimising the chances of sending the YIM 2022 attendees into Zoom fatigue.

Some of the spaces for discussions/ conversations are:

• Question–answer sessions (talks and panel discussions).

• Breakout sessions – chance to have off-the-record and in-depth conversations. Some members from the Indian National Young Academy of Sciences (INYAS) who recently conducted a survey on issues faced by young faculty members will be present at these sessions.

• An ice-breaker session at the end of Day 1.

• Networking sessions for the PDF participants with institutional representatives – the number of sessions has been doubled this year.

Do you have any advice for the participants of this YIM?

Felix: Generally speaking, YIM is an excellent avenue for networking. Meet as many people as you can by initiating short talks during ice-breaker sessions. Post meeting too, maintain the network with interesting participants through social media. A tip is to be proactive; attend the meeting well-prepared. When you meet someone new, give them some tips, for instance, potential avenues for grants, fellowships, or awards. Be a great giver; it will pay great dividends, I tell you!

Megha:

• It is important to remember that not everyone, alas, is as excited about your research as you are. Listen carefully to the questions that people ask. It will help you recalibrate your pitch and choose the right words.

• Try to make friends with at least ten people outside your area of science with whom you can share other interests. And get savvy with WhatsApp, India’s favourite communication tool!

• Have a stimulant and energy source at hand to get the most of the meeting. For my time zone, I am going with beer and masala peanuts!

Mohit: YIM is a great opportunity to get a glimpse into the Indian life science research community, and you will see diversity in various aspects of their research challenges as well as their persona. YIM offers excellent source(s) of inspiration, networking, collaboration, synergy and outreach that you can imbibe/absorb from.

Shantala: Ask questions, interact with peers and mentors, attend all sessions and most importantly, have fun!

My advice for the participants of YIM 2022 is to participate in this meeting with the same level of energy, attention and preparedness as they would in an in-person meet. This meeting has been carefully curated for an online platform – a shorter program that still brings to you all that the traditional YIM has to offer. This is a great platform to connect with the community—peers and mentors—of the life science research ecosystem in India. Having said that, the full impact of the meeting can only be experienced with continuous and active participation. If that means stepping out of your comfort zone, so be it!

Finally, something that I wished I had done more effectively during my first YIM as a PDF was to interact more with the organisers and the IBS team – it would have given me an extra layer of understanding about how to best-utilise the meeting space to build connections.