Smarajit Polley is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Biophysics, Bose Institute, Kolkata. In this invited article he writes about how he hit upon his topic of research, and how many different experiences throughout his life, beginning with his childhood, have shaped his scientific journey.

Shilpak Chatterjee is a Senior Scientist at the CSIR-Indian Institute for Chemical Biology. In this invited article, he writes about how one can best utilize the post-doctoral training period to have a head start when it is time to set up one's own independent laboratory.

Rakesh Joshi is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology (IBB), Savitribai Phule Pune University. In this article, he writes about how he chose a research problem in the field of agriculture, which is an area of major socio-economic concern in India.

Priyanka Upadhyai is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Medical Genetics, Kasturba Medical College, MAHE, Manipal. In this article, she writes about her experience of joining a medical research organization with a background in fundamental science and successfully navigating clinical collaborations.

Kaushik Biswas is an Associate Professor at the Division of Molecular Medicine, Bose Institute, Kolkata. In this article he discusses the self-doubt that is faced by every young PI returning to India to set up their lab, and the various strategies that can make the initial transition smoother.