Wandering around green plateaus and hills with friends back in Koraput, a valley in Odisha, was like living in paradise. Like any child, I aspired to be everything that fascinated me: gardener (hilarious, isn’t it?), teacher, photographer, fashion model, doctor, singer, fighter pilot. The most extraordinary was probably becoming a bride. 

At 11, I had to move from that serenity to a densely populated big city. It was shocking and it felt like my life had fallen apart. Before I could adjust, my family shifted again. Within two years, my thought process completely changed and a playful carefree child turned into a very shy introvert. 

Lab bench: To be or not to be 

While pursuing my masters in Botany from Lucknow University, a friend asked me to appear for an interview at CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI), Lucknow. I knew that I was not inclined to enter research but was curious and I got selected. Within two days I understood what was needed to be a good researcher and where I needed to improve.

All discussions were on science, yet it felt like nothing was sinking in. I felt that I would not survive. But I ended up spending more than five years in the lab and got my PhD degree.

Those five years changed my entire life. The lab had the best colleagues and mentor I could have imagined. I learnt what doing science is actually like. 

My family had moved to Delhi-NCR. While my PhD defence was pending, I joined a private bioinformatics firm in Noida. Despite my perception, the company had some great people with strong ethics and extraordinary management skills and vision. But I missed the lab environment and the company was probably shifting. I also defended my thesis in 2006. I had to move but was completely clueless. Though I had overseas postdoc offers, I did not accept due to family constraints.

I was looking for opportunities in Delhi-NCR and did not want to do a purely teaching job. I joined as a research associate at South Campus, University of Delhi. Commuting took two hours with four public transport changes. The lab was an empty room and needed to be established from scratch. Within a year, I figured that this was not what I wished for. Moreover, when I got typhoid and dengue, the mentor was pertinacious that I join the lab immediately or face consequences. I thought, so be it and resigned. Clearly, all that glitters is not gold. 

Finding my way to become an independent PI

I tried quite a few things but had three conditions: I would not leave Delhi-NCR, avoid purely teaching jobs and not join another inexperienced mentor. I joined the ICAR-National Institute for Plant Biotechnology (NIPB), New Delhi in 2011, as a postdoctoral research associate. It was not easy to start all over again and the mega project involved five other premium institutes of India. 

This second chance introduced me to genomics, something completely different from molecular biology and plant transformations. After whole genome de novo sequencing of a wheat fungal pathogen, we assembled the genome and performed downstream analyses. It was a great learning experience. When that project ended, I switched to different projects in the same lab. 

I became an independent PI in 2018. But there was a year-long gap before sanction of funds. Though it was hard, I was excited and focused but life had other plans. My mother’s health started worsening suddenly. She had not been well for quite some time. Year 2019 was an immensely bad year and unfortunately in early 2020, just before COVID-19 struck India, I lost her forever. Next came the six-month strict lockdown. The personal and professional losses impacted me strongly. I still have not figured out what pushed me to gather the courage to start over. In 2021, I was diagnosed with COVID-19 and was severely affected. I luckily survived and returned to work after three months. But wait! I was diagnosed again in early 2022. These unwanted and uncontrollable events drastically affected my health, work and results.

Translocation: Getting a job at GBU

In January 2022 while recovering from COVID-19, I interviewed for an associate professor position at Gujarat Biotechnology University (GBU). Meanwhile, I focused on writing proposals for new projects. 

One particular evening, while it was raining heavily, I received a call while on the Delhi Metro: ​‘You have been selected for the job at GBU.’

I had completely forgotten since six months had passed. I could barely hear and was not sure what ​“GBU” was. The next morning they called again, it was a moment of joy indeed. My father was happy but concerned that the job was not in Delhi. Nevertheless, I joined GBU, Gandhinagar in August 2022. Currently, my father and I live far away, all on our own, in two different states. 

This is my first regular government job and involves teaching, which I had long avoided. It is a great learning experience. GBU aims for excellence in advanced biotechnological research. I have applied for many extramural grants within the past two years, and received the prestigious IGSTC-WISER award in 2024. With GBU’s seed grant, I initiated my research lab. I hope to be consistent and bring satisfaction to the job responsibilities.

Reflections from my journey 

I have understood the meaning of ​“nothing stays permanently in life”. I experienced it very closely. Unforeseen, uncontrollable situations should be dealt with by accepting them with a ​‘no loss’ attitude.

Also, analysing difficult situations helps me in making clear decisions. Your actions matter and that adds to positivity in life. Consistency and being self-motivated were traits I developed. Importantly, I am still a shy and introverted person but that has never caused any hindrance. 

I have become more observant of people and conserve my energy for my work, but speak up when required. I have become a good listener making me approachable for students and others. I follow the motto of ​“speak less, observe more, think practical and work regularly”.