A Scientist’s unlikely path – IndiaBioscience

Research journey

Being born and brought up in a remote village of Haryana, my family and neighbors had no background in pursuing higher education or careers in academia. The magnitude of this gap is evident from the fact that even in 2026, I am the only girl from my village who holds a PhD. Hence, the fact that I completed a five-year postdoctoral training across two countries (Taiwan and Italy), and have now established my own laboratory at one of the country’s most prestigious research and educational institutions, IISER Pune, is far beyond the expectations of my family. What once seemed like a distant dream became possible through dedication, honesty, sustained hard work, and the support of people around me.

With no well-informed person around to guide me, my schooling was largely about passing each class and moving on to the next, without much thought about what one should do in the future. As I performed well academically, I chose PCB (Physics, Chemistry & Biology) in Class 11 simply because many of my friends were opting for it. However, after realising the high costs associated with medical entrance exam preparation and the fee structures of medical colleges, I decided instead to pursue a BSc in Chemistry, Zoology, and Biotechnology.

My real research journey began during my MSc dissertation at The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), New Delhi, where my mentor recognised my potential as a researcher and encouraged me to pursue a PhD. I cleared the CSIR-UGC NET JRF fellowship examination, the PhD interview at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi), and subsequently joined Tapan Chaudhuri’s lab in Kusuma School of Biological Sciences at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. My PhD research focused on investigating the folding pathways of multidomain proteins. This phase of my career has given me the joy of being a researcher and the confidence to become an independent researcher — one who can contribute meaningfully to science while also training the next generation of students. 

Postdoc era

After completing my PhD, I joined Shang-Te Danny Hsu’s laboratory at the Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taiwan, for my first postdoctoral position (2019 – 2021). These years were immensely enriching, during which I independently handled multiple research projects. Hsu’s hands-on and hardworking leadership made science genuinely enjoyable in his lab. Even today, he remains a major inspiration to me, and I would consider myself very fortunate if I could become even half the scientist he is. Overall, this tenure was highly productive, resulting in multiple first-author publications and me also receiving the Best Poster Award for one of my works by the Taiwan Biophysical Society in their meeting in 2021.

Towards the end of 2021, I planned a second postdoctoral stint. This decision was also shaped by a personal commitment: my spouse and I wished to live in the same location. Since he decided to do his PhD at Human Technopole, Milan, Italy. Consequently, Milan became the only viable option for my second postdoctoral position. Although postdoctoral opportunities in Italy are generally fewer compared to other parts of Europe, I was fortunate to secure a position in Stefano Ricagno​’s group at the University of Milan. There, I worked on the systemic amyloid disease AL amyloidosis, in which antibody light chains aggregate in multiple organs, including the heart and kidneys. Importantly, this position allowed me to closely collaborate with clinicians who treat AL amyloidosis patients and conduct clinical trials for this currently incurable disease, where insights from basic research are critically needed. In addition to completing successful research projects, publications, and invited talks, this experience enabled me to directly witness the translational impact of my work on patients. Through this work, I also became a member of the International Society of Amyloidosis, which organises a unique biennial conference bringing together clinicians, basic scientists, and patients enrolled in clinical trials to collectively discuss advances in research, diagnosis, and therapeutic strategies. My contribution to AL amyloidosis research also resulted in a Presidential award and an early-career travel award by ISA in 2024 and 2025. This rare combination of experience — working on systemic amyloidosis in a leading laboratory, maintaining close interactions with clinicians, and engaging in truly translational research — played a crucial role in my appointment as a DST-INSPIRE Faculty Fellow at IISER Pune in September 2024.

IISER Pune era

IISER Pune provides a vibrant and supportive environment for young researchers, with generous backing from the Biology Department, senior faculty members, and highly motivated students. Within the first year of establishing my laboratory, we have already published two research articles in reputed journals contributing to the field of AL amyloidosis. Additionally, I have been successful in providing rigorous training to my three trainees, which has resulted in their placement in leading laboratories in Germany, France, and Taiwan for their master’s thesis work. This outcome is particularly fulfilling for me, as my vision as an independent researcher extends beyond building my own laboratory to actively fostering the growth, confidence, and professional development of the individuals working with me.

Future of my research career

Having said all that, while successfully transitioning and establishing a reasonably productive laboratory within the first year is a significant milestone, several systemic challenges make the journey of young researchers difficult. These include delays in the timely reimbursement of funds under the DST-INSPIRE grant, slow processing of grant applications, and the inherently low success rates of competitive funding schemes. Such challenges are common across academia. Early-career researchers supported through programs such as INSPIRE, Ramalignaswami, Ramanujan, and DBT Alliance Early Career Fellowships face an added layer of uncertainty, as these positions are not regular faculty appointments and most institutions lack clear policies to transition them into stable, long-term roles. At this stage of my career, the major challenge I face is securing a regular academic position within the country — one that ensures stability in research, teaching, and professional responsibilities — so that I can work with greater focus and efficiency. I hope that in the coming years, institutional leaders will recognise this gap and develop robust structures and policies to support young faculty members and early-career researchers better.