Indumathi Sathisaran is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Bioscience and Engineering at National Institute of Technology Calicut. In this final article of the Journey Of Young Investigator (JOYI) 2024 series, she shares her journey of doing science in India and her inclination towards multidisciplinary research.

Neelam Kungwani is an Assistant Professor at the Gujarat Biotechnology University, Gandhinagar, Gujarat. In this seventh article of the Journey Of Young Investigator (JOYI) 2024 series, she shares her unconventional path from research to innovation and academia, highlighting the challenges of establishing a research laboratory in marine biotechnology without post-doctoral experience outside India.

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.