Biology Personal Statement

Receiving my PhD in molecular biology was immensely gratifying. Yet, even when I was basking in the glory of my freshly minted degree, I could feel that something was amiss. Devoting seven years to dissect a complex relationship between certain proteins and blood vessel formation did not seem to bring about the constructive social changes I had envisioned. My desire to become a biologist was rooted in my fascination with - Life. From an early age, I started believing that being a part of a species with consciousness, I have the responsibility to learn, care for, and preserve life in any form. For me, science was the best tool to improve the lives of everyone. Unfortunately, my research, though academically intriguing, had only tangential impact

I would begin by offering solutions in my field before reaching out to problems outside my proverbial ‘box’. I am working on developing an online lab management platform. Initially it would be offered as an app enabling researchers to manage lab inventory and consolidate ordering. Gradually, the platform will transition into a cloud-based service with new bioinformatics tools to make record keeping, analyzing and sharing of the data more streamlined. Once I have sharpened my skills and built a multi-disciplinary network through these experiences, my social venture will begin - a company that would aim to improve the living conditions of suburban-rural areas surrounding my city Kolkata, India. In the beginning, the company would focus on agricultural development by creating end-to-end recycling systems collecting reusable water for agriculture and on environmental sustainability by providing an economic incentive to individuals to recycle reusable materials and offering cheaper recycled goods to local establishments. If successful, the company would venture into developing solutions for other social problems by implementing a similar philosophy of integrating social and commercial