Take a chance

“Contrary to popular belief, chance in science is a real thing. Growing up in a small town, our access to resources and opportunities were limited. After finishing school, I had decided to follow the beaten track of pursuing a career in medicine. However, I did not score enough to get admitted in it and chose the next best option- a Bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology.

During my final year of graduation, I went to IISc, Bangalore, to work on molecular biology tools for three months, which transformed my perspective. Although the techniques I learned were basic, I was hooked to the idea of research. I wanted to continue in this field and therefore got my Master’s in the same area at VIT, Vellore. The M. Tech program at VIT was unique because one year of the two-year program was completely devoted to research. As a part of my Master’s program, I spent one year at the NCBS, Bangalore. It was during this time, I recognized my interest in HIV. I started looking for laboratories that worked on HIV. Luckily, my “would be” PhD supervisor was right next door at JNCASR. I visited him one day, not really for a formal interview, but jumped at the chance of working in his laboratory when he offered a position. After working for six months in his laboratory, I officially joined as a graduate student.

My work experience at IISc, followed by NCBS, had equipped me to deal with a research environment, and…