Dhaval Patel is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Institute of Advanced Research (IAR), Gujarat. He was one of the Young Investigators selected to attend YIM 2020 in Mahabalipuram. In this invited article, he talks about pursuing interdisciplinary research, and the hidden advantages and hurdles he faced while setting up his independent lab.

Himanshu Shekhar is an Assistant Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Gandhinagar. He was one of the Young Investigators selected to attend YIM 2020 in Mahabalipuram. In this invited article, he talks about the importance of learning and applying strategic management skills when a researcher is first setting up their independent lab.

Karla P. Mercado-Shekhar is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Gandhinagar. She is one of the Young Investigators selected to attend YIM 2020 in Mahabalipuram. In this invited article, she writes about her experience of moving to a new country to set up her lab and adapting to the Indian academic ecosystem.

Meghna Krishnadas is a Project Scientist at the CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad. She is one of the Young Investigators selected to attend YIM 2020 in Mahabalipuram. In this invited article, she writes about her unconventional path into science and the challenges this threw up due up by the unusual rigidity of the present academic system.

Pankaj Barah is currently working as Assistant Professor & DBT-Ramalingaswami Fellow at Tezpur University, Assam. He is one of the Young Investigators selected to attend YIM 2020 in Mahabalipuram. In this invited article, he writes about his journey from a small village in Assam to cutting-edge genomics research teams and then returning to Assam to begin an independent research career.