The scientific ecosystem in India is ever-expanding, and more opportunities than ever are present today for those who wish to build their careers in science. This new series of webinars by IndiaBioscience will discuss several such career paths as well as provide the requisite knowledge, tools and techniques for science graduates to navigate and craft their career paths.

For our third session, join us to learn more about the science and art of professional networking, including strategies for building, maintaining, and expanding your networks. We will also be joined by Nusrat J M Sanghamitra, Founder & CEO, CyCa OncoSolutions, and Nelson Vadassery, Cofounder and Director of Engineering, Sea6 Energy, who will both discuss their individual entrepreneurial journeys. 

In this webinar, we will talk about a very important survival skill in one’s career progression — ​‘professional networking’. You will learn what professional networking is, what unique advantages it provides, what networks are made up of, what are the different types of networks, how you can study your own network and diagnose any common pitfalls, and whether networking is a natural skill or a cultivable one. We will also discuss some (baby) steps that you take to build, expand and actively manage your network.

This session is suitable for students who are currently pursuing or have recently completed a BSc, MSc, or a PhD in any life science field, as well as postdoctoral fellows and research scholars. 

Date and Time: Friday, 30 October 2020 | 3:30 PM — 5:00 PM IST

Invited Speakers

Nusrat J M Sanghamitra

Founder and CEO, CyCa OncoSolutions

An Indian innovator, best described as a scientist, entrepreneur and motivator, Nusrat is committed to making a difference in people’s lives by her scientific and personal endeavours. She started her research journey with a mission ​‘to find a better anticancer drug with fewer side effects’. She is a chemist by training with a fascination for biology. After actively pursuing research at institutes of international repute, she founded CyCa OncoSolutions to translate her ideas and research (at the interface of chemistry, biomaterials, cell biology and its applications in anticancer drug development) from bench to bedside, to make an impact in oncology and to make a significant contribution to the global fight against cancer.

Nelson Vadassery

Cofounder and Director of Engineering, Sea6 Energy

Founded in 2010, Sea6 Energy is focused on developing technologies to produce large quantities of offshore biomass in a scaleable manner and its subsequent conversion into various products like food ingredients, agricultural biostimulants, biomaterials and biofuel. Nelson leads a multidisciplinary team working on the development of high throughput biomass production from the oceans through a combination of mechanization and advanced farm management systems. He has been involved in developing seaweed cultivation systems in India and Indonesia. Nelson graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India with an Integrated Masters degree in Biotechnology in 2010. Nelson has been featured as special mention in ​“Science and Green Tech category” in Forbes India ​“30 under 30” list, 2018.

Speakers from IndiaBioscience

Smita Jain

Smita has a PhD from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore in the field of Cancer Biology. After exploring industry for a couple of years, she moved into the field of scientific management. With her keen interest in management, ability to communicate, she played a key role in establishing the business and processes at C‑CAMP, Bangalore. She also has experience of working as a research analyst with a digital content organization. She is deeply motivated to take the activities of IndiaBioscience to all possible corners of the country and make a strong knit network of Indian life science researchers and professionals. 

Shreya Ghosh

Shreya completed her PhD in the field of neuroscience from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai. After spending some time as a freelance science writer, she joined IndiaBioscience to further her passion for science communication, outreach and education. As program manager for science communication at IndiaBioscience, she hopes to participate in giving a voice to and engaging with the scientific community in India.

Lakshmi Ganesan

Lakshmi graduated with a PhD in molecular and cellular pharmacology from the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Florida and did her postdoctoral work in cell biology from the University of Texas, McGovern Medical School, Houston. Through her work, she acquired a strong interest and a fascination for demystifying complex biological phenomena using the audio-visual medium. She manages IndiaBioscience’s key initiatives, which includes the backend architecture of its website. She developed an interactive database of Life scientists, launched IndiaBiospeaks (podcasts by IndiaBioscience), IndiaBiostreams (webinars by IndiaBioscience) and co-founded the Science Policy Forum. She played a key role in developing the information architecture and the design of the pan-institutional, multilingual COVIDGyan website, which is the face of the public outreach campaign in India to raise awareness around the COVID19 pandemic on the basis of its best scientific understanding.