In this Journey of a Young Investigator (JOYI) 2026 article, Harshiny Muthukumar reflects on building a research lab from scratch while navigating motherhood and early-career challenges. Her journey highlights how science grows through patience, mentorship, and resilience—reminding us that meaningful research is often built slowly, step by step, brick by brick.

From teaching classrooms to building a hands-on research culture, Tahsin Bennur from Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Information Technology & Biotechnology, Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed to be University, shares her journey of mentoring students into independent thinkers. Set within a teaching-focused institution, this Journey of a Young Investigator (JOYI) 2026 piece highlights how inquiry, persistence, and “learning by doing” can transform both students and the practice of science itself.

This article is part of the Journey of a Young Investigator (JOYI) 2026 series, highlighting Amrita Saxena’s journey shaped by curiosity, mentorship, and unexpected turns. Now an Assistant Professor at the Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied and Health Sciences, Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, Bengaluru, she studies plant stress biology to understand crop resilience while mentoring and inspiring the next generation of scientists.

In this Journey of a Young Investigator (JOYI) 2026 article, Ashitha S N M, Assistant Professor, DST INSPIRE Faculty Fellow, Department of Psychiatry, NIMHANS, reflects on the uncertain decisions, quiet resilience, and unexpected mentorship that shaped her journey through academia. From navigating a lonely PhD and motherhood to building a research career, she shares honest lessons about persistence, imperfect choices, and finding strength in community while balancing personal life and scientific ambition.

Part of the Journey of a Young Investigator 2026 series, this story traces how an early academic rejection redirected Chintan Bhavsar’s path toward interdisciplinary cancer research, global collaborations, and eventually building a translational research lab in India. Shaped by strong mentorship, persistence, and risk-taking, his journey highlights the power of unconventional beginnings in scientific careers.