Cut down the toxicity

“Almost everything around us is toxic in some sense, what defines that level of toxicity is its dose. This was the thought that intrigued me to pursue my research in the field of toxicology. There are only five institutes across Asia dedicated solely to toxicology and fortunately, India has one of them.

Hailing from a family of doctors, education was an utmost priority. My school in Dehradun was around 1.5 hours away from my home and throughout my twelve years of education, I spent three hours travelling back and forth from school. It might seem like a struggle but over the years I have realized how privileged I was to have been able to attend a good school.

My school was one of the first places, which initially brought to light the different career avenues that every subject offers. It did not restrict us to follow the conventional path of engineering or medicine and made us aware that there are options beyond. In fact, in most households with a medical background, you are expected to follow in the footsteps of your family and become a doctor. But I always struggled with patient interaction and very early in life I knew I couldn’t become a frontline worker. My parents whole-heartedly supported me in my decision and gave me enough space to find my own calling and choose a subject where I could grow. They gave me wings to fly.