Briefly, tell us about your background and experience up to this point?
I’ve moved around a lot. I grew up in Ahmedabad, India. I studied Chemistry for my undergraduate degree at St Stephen’s College in Delhi and did an MRes in Biology at the Tata Institute in Mumbai. After that, I moved to the University of Chicago for a PhD in cell biology, followed by a postdoc at The Crick. And now I’ve just started my research group at King’s with a Career Development Award from Wellcome Trust. In addition to having lived in several places, I also have a mixed family background. My parents come from two very different parts of India, different religions and languages, and my husband from a third region altogether.
What is a typical day at King’s like for you?
Right now, I’m still building my regular schedule. My hours at King’s are bookended by childcare and nursery dropoff/pickup. My day at the moment involves being at my computer (reading, planning and emailing), meeting with colleagues in the Randall and with suppliers. Currently, I’m trying to recruit a third member for my lab at King's, and procure some equipment including a confocal microscope.
What do you do with your time outside academia/work?
I spend time with my husband and baby, and with the many friends and family members who visit us. We enjoy exploring our neighbourhood of Camberwell and Peckham.
What are you most looking forward to this year?
Learning to balance lab, home and personal well-being.
What is something positive that happened to you within the last year?
My baby daughter is ten months old, so it would have to be her arrival.
What is your proudest accomplishment?
I was a teaching assistant for an undergraduate course during my time as a PhD student in Chicago. The undergrads that I taught wrote me some lovely reviews in their feedback, which got me a teaching award. It’s been a long time, but I look back at that period of teaching with happiness.
QUICK-FIRE:
Favourite season: Spring, which also happens to be what my last name means haha
Favourite London restaurant: I’ll go with two Peckham spots: Ganapati (South Indian) and the Begging Bowl (Thai)
Favourite book: Again, impossible to choose one. The last two I enjoyed were Bob Mortimer’s memoir ‘And Away…’ and ‘The Dutch House’ by Ann Patchett
Film/TV recommendation: Derry Girls, Panchayat (a Hindi web series) and Kumbalangi Nights (a Malayalam film)