Charukesi Rajulu is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biotechnology & Bioinformatics at the JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research (JSS AHER), Mysuru. In this fourth article of the Journey Of Young Investigator (JOYI) 2024 series, she shares her journey, from an orthodox background to defying societal norms to make space for herself in plant science in Indian academia.

Dhanawantari L. Singha is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Botany at the Rabindranath Tagore University, Hojai, Assam. In this third article of the Journey Of Young Investigator (JOYI) 2024 series, she shares her journey from a small village in Assam, her career aspirations, and the challenges and realities of being a mother in science academia.

Shruthi Vembar is an Assistant Professor at Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology (IBAB), Bengaluru. In this second article of the JOYI 2024 series, she chronicles the challenging transition journey to India, facing dilemmas of networking, acceptance of short-term offers, and unanswered questions about the academic hiring process.

Poonam Thakur is an Assistant Professor at Indian Institute of Science and Education Research-Thiruvananthapuram (IISER-TVM). In this first article of Journey Of Young Investigator (JOYI) 2024 series, Thakur shares her academic journey detailing her transition back to India, research challenges during the pandemic, and the importance of mentorship and networking.