The Unexpected

“Most of the major events in my life have happened in unexpectedness, including the selection of my research topic. Kalpana Chawla’s biography initially inspired me to pursue science in school. I had made a DNA model with candies for a science fair which sparked my love for biology. Later in Standard XI, an exhibit on DNA extraction at home won me a second prize for the CBSE Science Exhibition where I was the solo participant from my school. This acknowledgement on a national platform further inspired me to pursue research and become a scientist.

The transition to science journalism happened gradually as I ventured further into academics. During post-graduation, I had applied for a workshop organized by British Council and DST Govt. of India on science journalism for women scientists. Although the minimum requirement to attend the workshop was a doctoral degree, a participant dropped out at the last minute allowing me to attend the workshop at IISER Pune. During those days, I was at an important stage of my Master’s thesis but my supervisor encouraged me to attend the week-long workshop. I was the youngest participant there and this workshop proved to be a pivotal point for my inclination towards science communication.

I envisioned myself working on cardiovascular diseases for my research in the beginning but I was fatigued with the numerous PhD applications and interviews that seemed…