Our Stolen Future Personal Statement Essay

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

Anyone living in the 21st century starts their day by washing their face with a foaming face wash, followed by a balmy moisturizer, topped with a generous layer of sunscreen and finally a dash of fragrance. Amidst this phthalate cum paraben rich regime, we are inadvertently exposing our body to a noxious cocktail of chemicals hard to regulate and study. As I became aware of these facts, I could relate the reality of our life with the fascinating accounts in the book, Our Stolen Future which depicted how major diseases are somehow associated with the ubiquitous contaminants in everyday household products.

Coming from a generation of scientists, I was inclined to crystallize my goals by pursuing an extensive course to

This would enable me to identify important pathways and molecules from large datasets and establish hypotheses on potential links between harmful environmental chemicals and human diseases. To understand the journey of a pharmaceutical molecule in healthcare, I am currently pursuing a post-graduate course in clinical research. It has allowed me to understand how health-related intervention can be used to evaluate effects on health outcomes and would help me integrate randomized study designs into the strong tradition of observational research in understanding environmental risks and exposure relationships. I am confident and poised to pursue Masters in environmental health science at your university. The program would play a crucial role in expanding the ambit of my knowledge and expertise and in the pursuit of my goals. I intend to pursue a PhD in the field of regulatory science and work on improving the healthcare system in my country, a home to the most polluted cities in the world.

Apart from academics, working with Greenpeace and doing a course on sustainable energy has helped me inculcate a proactive approach towards environmental issues. Given that environmental risks account for 13%-37% of the disease burden in individual countries I am drawn to choose environmental