The DNA Whisperer

I am a biologist by training, blogger in my spare time, Professor by profession (temporary and will change from June 2018), and a science nerd always! 

I was always an average student while growing up. In high school I got typhoid and missed school for two months. This is why I got a tutor who taught me math, physics, and chemistry. He would spend more time teaching me how to learn than on the material. Naturally studying became a bit more enjoyable, as enjoyable it can be for a teenager. Somewhere during those years I developed a love for Biotechnology and pursued it. I passionately fought societal stereotypes against getting an engineering or medical degree despite being a science student. Fortunately, my undergraduate university had an intensive curriculum that my Professors did justice to. Long story short, I became heavily involved in coursework and independent projects and managed to top my University. I still remember my first tryst with lab work. Ironically, I gave typhoid to mice, prepared a vaccine, and then treated the sick mice with the vaccine. It was a simple set of experiments but I got my first taste of lab work. And I loved it! I went ahead and got a Master’s in Biotechnology as well after which I spent some time (exactly 2 years) trying to figure out if I wanted to invest my (golden) years in lab and get a Doctorate.

During the next two years of my soul searching I had some interesting jobs. My first job straight out of college was to work in the R&D division of an acclaimed sweet (dessert) shop called K.C. Das and Sons. My job was in quality control and I studied the microbiological and chemical profile of the sweets that were sent to the retail outlets. Within a few weeks I was given the task of figuring out which dairy supplier to decide on to make a certain kind of dessert (called rasgulla). The two outcomes from this project were I became a champ at making rasgullas and I learned to apply biology concepts to everyday things. In retrospect, this is when I decided that I wanted to go neck deep in research.

My increasing love for working in a lab led me to my next job in a government lab that focused on COPD. It was ironic that I chose this lab by coincidence because I lost my uncle to this terminal disease after a few years. Even though I joined this lab by exploiting my Bioinformatic skills I got drawn into Molecular Biology/ Immunology. I loved my masochistic life and I tried to learn as much as I could. My mentor, at the time, Dr. Bholanath Paul’s mentorship was beyond just lab and experiments. He stressed the importance of life outside of lab. He showed me differences between being a good technician as opposed to a researcher. We talked about maintaining the right balance of personal and professional relationships in the lab. Eventually I decided to ‘go for it’ and apply to PhD programs in the U.S.

Before I started applying I traveled extensively within my country in case I never got the time again. While visiting some friends in Bangalore I interviewed with Macmillan Publishing as a copy-editor and got an offer. By this time independence had kicked in and using my ‘always-ready-to-help’ parents’ money wasn’t an option. So I accepted Macmillan’s offer, moved to Bangalore, had a great time working, got promoted, and started applying to various PhD programs. One of the big decisions that I had to make at this point was to figure out what I wanted to do in my PhD (to write the SOP). Once I knew I wanted to study host-pathogen interactions at a molecular level I wrote to a handful of scientists around the States long before I even applied. It had to be fate that I joined the Koudelka Lab at SUNY, Buffalo (UB) because one of my email recipients was my PhD supervisor and my dissertation project shaped up to be what I intended to. Yes, sometimes life is good!

In the last year of my PhD I started freelancing as a Consultant for a Biotech start-up based in Toronto. I came to know and implement terms like market research, brand management, product development etc. I also realized on a deeper level that there’s no end to learning. By the time I finished my thesis I had identified two small molecules that could potentially (and theoretically) be used in treatment. This combined with my stint as a Consultant made me want to learn the Business of science.

After getting my Doctorate, I joined an Undergraduate college (Mercy College) as an Adjunct Professor in the Biology department. I learn something new, every day, in this present role.  I partake in trainings and development programs to become a better leader and educator.

Post Spring semester I move on to newer roles. I have not yet landed my dream job, no! But I hopefully will be able to be a much better version of myself in the near future. The plan is to enjoy what I do, and do it well. My greatest strength is that I have always been a good student and regardless of what new role I face I always put in my best and (hopefully) excel. It is an exciting time to be a part of Biotechnology and I wish to leave my mark in it.

I graduated with a Doctorate last September, and while I most certainly don’t regret my degree the pursuit wasn’t easy. The more I talked to pre-Doctorates around the globe at conventions or meetings or even during casual travels I found that it isn’t easy for the most of us. Every dissertation journey is different, but there are common highs and lows. In addition, different individuals have different coping mechanisms. Through this blog I hope to create a sort of cheat sheet to make it relatively easier for current and future doctoral candidates.

Do’s—

1. Hard work– Nothing about a PhD is easy. I am sorry if I’m scaring you but I refuse to sugarcoat. There is no bypassing hard work. This being said there’s working hard, then there’s working smart. The latter is way more effective, naturally.
2. Documentation– Every supervisor/ PI/ mentor will enforce this anyway. From day one, everything that you do in the lab should be documented. This includes days that you think you haven’t been productive. This is an excellent habit and will go a long way especially when you try to find/ analyze old data or a future student tries to replicate your experiment.
3. Strong basics– You are the best judge of how strong your basics are. GPA is not always a good indicator. Even if you managed to score well but aren’t sure if you retain the information, it is time to brush up those concepts. PhD is all about applying those.
4. Literature reviews– The minute you know the lab you are going to be in, start your homework. Read old publications, prior grant applications, history behind the work etc. In today’s day and age, most things are a few clicks away. There is no excuse for not staying updated. If you feel bored while doing the preliminary literature review, switch fields because you will have to read a lot more in the next few years.
5. Accountability- Being accountable and taking responsibility for your work is taken for granted in PhD candidates, and this includes owning mistakes and rectifying them. This isn’t a 9-5 job and neither do you get extra credits for overtime. Many candidates complete their work, only some finish it!
6. Technical writing– Some of you may be poets or short story writers, others may be bloggers, and the rest have never written anything but essays for their grad school applications. Technical writing is nothing like you have done before, and is a skill that has to be constantly improved. Take a class or two early in your PhD.
7. Publications– Most Doctoral candidates have a tendency to ‘lose’ themselves in research. I don’t blame you. It is the most wonderful adrenaline rush. But realistically, staying on track, and graduating with publications should be a priority. I have an easy solution for this- The minute you think a piece of data is ‘worthy of publication’ write the figure legend and method parts associated with it. Keep the data in a separate folder NOT just in your computer but somewhere online. Another piece of advice- laptops may crash, burn, or die during the course of a PhD! Do not entirely depend on it. Always have backup. While we are still on topic, save your supplemental data as well. Reviewer 2 always asks for them!
8. Time management– The good thing about time management is that if you don’t have this skill yet, you will definitely learn by the time you finish your dissertation. Unfortunately, there isn’t any shortcut. When you are juggling teaching assistantships, 2-3 projects, an undergrad, and the basic eat-sleep-work routine, time management provides a method to this madness and makes you efficient.
9. Collaboration– While some may feel that there is pride in doing all the work alone, I respectfully disagree. Collaboration can be with labmates, colleagues in the same department or even in different organizations. Regardless, collaboration makes work more efficient. Talking about your project to your collaborators helps brainstorm more productively.
10. Internships and Conferences– By your third year try to figure out what you want to do next. In the following years, plan internships during summers or winters especially if staying in academia isn’t an option for you. Most core facilities have training programs that run for 2-3 months in the summer. Discuss this with your PI and have him onboard because you will need time off. Present/ attend a lot of conferences and network with people. There is a misconception that networking with PIs is key, but graduate students and postdocs are just as important. Know about the different types of work that are being done in the field, get feedback on yours, and have a great (intellectual) time.
11. Ethics-Your work represents you and your word. I know there are mandatory courses on ethics. Nonetheless, I honestly feel this is something that cannot be taught. There are certain things that should not be tampered with and that is your data.
12. Quality of life– This is probably the most under-rated piece of advice. To do all of the above AND keep your sanity, you need a stress-buster. It can be anything. From running to painting to improv to kick-boxing to hiking to dancing to weight-lifting to baking—choose your poison or add one (leave a comment if you have an interesting one). PhD does not define you; it is just another experience.

Don’ts—

*Technically, don’t NOT do any of the above*

1. Choose a lab too soon- Some departments use ‘rotations’ to decide the lab a student is going to be placed in. Finding the right lab is similar to finding a long-term job. There are three crucial things to remember. First, you are going to be working in this lab for a long time. Rushing into a decision may lead to an unhappy and stressful PhD. Second, and there’s no way of knowing this unless you have previously worked in a lab, your labmates are going to be your go-to person for problems, mostly small ones but sometimes big ones too. This is especially relevant to PIs who do not micromanage or don’t always meet with their students. Speaking of PIs, third, choose the PI with who you can be yourself with. Be honest with your expectations regarding their involvement in your day-to-day life and tell them the person you are.
2. Pick an ‘easy’ committee- Choose your committee members carefully. Their background should compliment your dissertation project. Your PI and them cannot be sworn enemies. You should have a decent relationship with their lab members. Committee members are the third eye to your work with fresh perspectives. Choose wisely!
3. Start writing your thesis a month before graduation- Do NOT wait until the last moment to look for jobs and simultaneously write your dissertation. Looking for jobs is a full-time job if you want to do it right. Dissertation writing is no joke either. A popular choice is to write your dissertation while finishing the last few experiments. Remember to prioritize the writing bit. It cannot be between experiments, atleast the non-technical parts (eg, introduction, abstract, discussion); it needs unadulterated attention. And it takes time.
4. Sleep and food deprivation- Graduate students thrive on caffeine and fast food. While this seems to be an attractive option if you don’t want to waste time it takes a toll on you and your body. Remember— a healthy brain is a happy brain, and a happy brain works better.
5. Too many experiments but no data analysis- A professor once told me that he was training me to be a researcher not a technician. While I did not have much perspective back then it makes a lot of sense now. Experiments generate data but unless that data is analyzed it is jargon. Postponing data analysis is an immature thing to do. In PhD keep time to acquire skills but keep equal or even more time to think!

PhD isn’t just a degree. It is an experience. Try and get the most out of it. It teaches more than just techniques— analytical problem solving techniques, communicating in a structured manner, time management, and these are just the tip of the iceberg. It teaches us not to be quitters. Yes, it isn’t a cakewalk but try and have the time of your life. Develop a strong work ethic, build professional relationships, re-adapt a hobby, and have a great time.