My love for science started very early on in my life. I was very curious about understanding how life began on Earth. The journey I had planned for myself was pretty straightforward: become a biologist and work towards decoding this question in a lab. However, life turned out differently. Somehow, by the fall of 2016, I had enrolled in med school (Uttar Pradesh University of Medical Sciences, Saifai, Etawah). I found myself learning about human physiology and diseases instead of fundamental biological questions. As someone who enjoys learning anything and everything, learning about so many new things was still fascinating. The first two years of med school went by like a breeze, mainly due to subjects like physiology, biochemistry, pathology and microbiology. The world under the microscope was always more exciting to me than the world outside.

 

Third year onwards, things got quite difficult for me. Then, all subjects were entirely clinical, and everything was about symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. It was less about understanding and answering the fundamental pathophysiology (mechanism) of diseases than it was in the first two years. Don't get me wrong, though; it's not like these molecular and cellular details weren't needed anymore in the clinics. It's just that to efficiently manage the existing patient load, focusing on symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment was more important. I soon realised that I needed to find a way out so I could study the subjects that kept my brain buzzing with excitement. I always knew that I wanted to do a PhD. The question was, how? How do I transition from a clinical degree like MBBS to a lab-based research degree like PhD?

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During the mandatory clinical internship, a realisation hit me. This is in the year 2021 when the second deadly wave of COVID-19 infection hit the world. There were many diseases, particularly chronic (long-term) diseases, which could only be treated symptomatically instead of eliminating the root cause of the disease. Many such diseases have notoriously complex mechanisms, and we doctors do not have enough answers and ways to tackle them. While much clinical research does happen, it is often more focused on characterising the disease's symptoms. Finding the underlying molecular mechanisms needs a more intricate lab-based setup, which is usually not possible for clinicians who are busy with their hectic clinical duties. I wanted to change that. I didn't want doctors to feel helpless when it comes to these lesser understood or difficult to treat diseases. 

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Another realisation hit me during my internship. Healthcare workers are surrounded by machines in every department's ward. From something as basic as a pulse oximeter to measure a patient's oxygen saturation to highly complicated machines like an MRI or CT scanner, these machines are essential for effectively diagnosing and treating any disease. However, there are challenges associated with these machines' accuracy, usage, or cost of operation. What could be done about this? How do I make these machines better to overcome these challenges? I realised I wasn't capable of doing that. The engineering principles required to build and modify these machines were never taught to me. 

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The lack of curative treatment for diseases, the need for better technologies in healthcare, and my wish to do a PhD to answer fundamental questions drove me to opt for an M.Tech. in biomedical engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai. Biomedical engineering is a field that deals with cutting-edge advancements in medical technology as well as molecular and cellular techniques. It was the perfect opportunity for someone like me who wanted to get past the existing scientific boundaries. However, the road ahead was full of challenges. As a physician with a background in biological sciences, learning about a field of engineering was difficult and involved a lot of mathematical and technical knowledge. I do not regret the decision, though. I love learning about new things, and it's very exciting to build the knowledge and skills that will help me achieve the next goal of doing a PhD in cognitive neuroscience, which often requires the knowledge of many computational techniques.

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Oh, wait, but why cognitive neuroscience? How did that come into the picture? I learned that physicians are eligible to pursue engineering during the last month of MBBS internship  (April 2022) through Prof. Nivethida Thirugnanasambandam (now also my thesis guide at IIT Bombay). However, the application form for entry in the respective year closes in March. So, I had to wait for about a year to get into the course anyway. Luckily, in May 2022, after my MBBS was over, there was a call from the National Center for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, that they were looking for a science communication intern. I had always been interested in communicating science to the masses, which I was doing through my blog and my role as an executive editor at Project Encephalon (a student-led international neuroscience organisation).

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Given that in the past few years, I had drifted away from my interests in school, which were around fundamental biology, this was just the right opportunity to explore all the other fields of biology at one of the top fundamental biology institutes in the country. In the six months I spent at NCBS, where I interacted with every faculty member and their respective lab students, I realised that my core interest lies in neuroscience. Understanding how the brain functions and gives rise to consciousness is one of humanity's most complex, unsolved problems. Interestingly, looking for an answer to this problem required me to integrate all my previous experiences and thirst for fundamental knowledge. As a cognitive neuroscientist, I can explore the fundamental biology of how neurons interact to give rise to our conscious self; then, as a biomedical engineer, I can study ways to improve the diagnostic and treatment techniques for neuropsychiatric disorders; and as a physician, I can help implement these solutions in the clinic. I had a very straightforward plan for achieving my goal in my childhood. During adulthood, after going through various life experiences, I still had the same goal. The difference is that I'd be approaching it through a slightly convoluted path than planned before, which perhaps was necessary. 

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My time at NCBS not only helped me get clarity on my core interests but also helped me find my interests in other fields of biology that I'd like to learn and integrate into my upcoming research. These interests include evolution, immunology, computational medicine and public health, in no particular order. It's important to note that while we divide scientific studies into various categories for our convenience, everything is interrelated in the real world. Hence, I didn't want to keep my approach to solving these pressing questions very narrow. Once I finished my internship at NCBS, it was finally time to apply for the M.Tech course at IITB in early 2023. Fast forward to 2025, I am now in the final semester of my master's course, which will end by July this year. It's almost time for the next phase of my life, where I am looking for a PhD position that would suit my interests the best. 

 

So yeah, that is pretty much everything about my academic journey. It's been a bumpy ride but quite fun, and I am looking forward to what comes ahead. If you feel you'd like to understand my perspective towards life better or share your perspective, do get in touch!