Nature India | Indigenus

Away from home: ‘Indian academics must welcome global desis’

Every Wednesday, our ‘Away from home’ blog series features one Indian postdoc working in a foreign lab recounting his/her experience of working there, the triumphs and challenges, the cultural differences, what they miss about India, as well as some top tips for postdocs headed abroad. You can join in the online conversation using the #postdochat hashtag.

Let’s hear from Suvasini Ramaswamy this week. Suvasini is a PhD from the Indian Insititute of Science, Bangalore and  works as a post-doctoral fellow at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, San Diego, California, United States. She tells us about her work in stem cells and regenerative medicine, the enviable weather in La jolla that keeps her going and that inherently Indian phenomenon of ‘jugaad’ (roughly translating to ‘a creative quick-fix’) — something she says makes Indians rustle up innovations in their backyard. Suvasini’s flair for science communication also saw her author this piece for Nature India some time back.

Suvasini Ramaswamy

Suvasini Ramaswamy

Marie Curie, my trigger for science

My interest in science goes all the way back to my childhood. I have wanted to be a scientist for as long as I can remember. And although a good memory is not one of my strong suits, I think my fascination with science and experimentation began with a chapter on Marie Curie in one of my NCERT (Bal Bharti) textbooks.

Studying brain cancer, stem cells

My PhD from the Indian Institute of Science was a life altering experience. My graduate work was in molecular oncology and our studies were focused on gliomablastomas — a malignant form of brain cancer.  As a PhD student, I had visited Dr. Inder Verma’s lab at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies to learn their mouse model of glioblastoma. It was during this 45 day stay, where I learnt about intracranial injections and lentiviral technology, that I was offered to consider his lab for a post-doc in the future. Upon completion of my PhD, I decided to take up the offer and join Inder’s lab for the sheer diversity of projects and the scientfiic freedom – both of which I truly treasure.

Our’s is a big lab and that fosters diversity in research projects, people and cultures. My present work is in the field of stem cells and regenerative medicine where we aim to develop novel cell-therapy based approaches for the treatment of hepatic diseases. In addition, the freedom provided by the lab and the encouragement from my lab mates has also enabled me to pursue some interesting questions in neuroscience.

Weather, my best ally

Being based in La jolla, California, I would have to say that the weather is my best ally. Unlike the rest of the US where storms, rains and snowfalls abound, California lets us enjoy warm temperatures through out the year. A long coast line, an abundance of fellow Indians, warm climes, Indian movies and decent Indian food are all some of the many perks of living in California.

Ours being a big lab, there is a diversity in cultures, ideas and temperaments and that is the best part. It is always nice to have people from India, China, Japan, Austria, Britain, spain and the likes under one roof — makes for interesting conversation at all times. Also, thanks to Inder, people are also extremely aware and tolerant of the Indian idiosyncrasies like the famous head shake or the talking-fast syndrome.

My American experience

It has been filled with loads of learning coupled with fun times, travel, photography and a good many firsts such as sky diving, paragliding, skiing and Bollywood dancing. It has made me more Indian in some ways and a more global person in some others.

The Salk Institute is a great place for research with its wall-less, breathtaking architecture that aims to break all boundaries and the lab is a wonderful training ground in science and culture.

Like all things, my American experience has been a mixed bag of the good and the bad. While punctuality, courtesy, communication skills, adherence to rules and regulations are some of the wonderful things that one can learn from the American culture; there are also a lot of good things that I miss from back home. The Indian ability to reach out and make people a part of their family is something I often miss in the professional settings here. Our mentality of repairing, saving resources and “jugaad” are other strengths we should hold onto. In a resource intensive society like America, it is often easy to lose value for what you have — that value comes to Indians easily since we grow up conserving and re-using our limited resources.

Steep learning curve

Settling into any culture or country is always a difficult experience, especially if the gulfs are big. For me, it has been a long transition with a steep learning curve but not particularly distressing. While the practical challenges of running a household, managing bills, driving, repairing, cooking and cleaning in addition to work at the lab are additional responsibilities, they almost instantly transform you into an adult from a carefree student. At the same time, the opportunities for learning about societies, cultures, people, food, and life are almost never-ending.

One of the first things that I noticed early on here was the difference in the scale of things. Back home, things tend to grow vertically, here everything grew horizontally because of the abundance of space. In the distances that would normally take you across neighbourhoods in India, here you would probably reach the nearest super market. Also, unlike India where all great things came in small packaging, here everything from vegetables to medicine to milk, would come in bulk packages. The phrase “size does matter” suddenly made sense to me from the American perspective.

Tips for postdoc aspirants

There is a shadow looming over American science and academics on account of the prevailing economic crisis and this has made life difficult for investigators and laboratories. Under such conditions, it would be great if applicants could get their own funding from India or from international organisations. Checking the track record of the Principal Investigator (PI) and his grants would also be helpful for Indian students coming all the way.

I have also seen that it is a lot easier to find a position when people can meet you in person and evaluate your skills as opposed to reading about you and Universities 8000 miles away. It is critical for Indian students to come for international symposia, workshops and conferences. Also, a network of people is critical to break into any field.

I firmly believe that Indian students possess many strengths vis a vis their western counterparts. However, what we often lack is the breadth of knowledge, the necessary confidence, modesty, clarity and communication skills and all of these can be worked upon.

Could pack my bags any day

India is where home is and I miss everything about it -– from my people to the colours, sights, sounds and smells. In fact, even after two years of coming here, there are days and moments when I could just as easily pack up my bags and leave.

I would love to come back to India in the near future. I strongly believe that people who have had an opportunity to experience different cultures and societies should come back home and create a world that incorporates the best of all cultures and should use it to develop newer skills and resources.

I also believe that the Indian academic setting needs to be transformed to welcome young blood. I believe, we as a culture need to embrace the idea that although experience that comes with age is vital and enriching, youth is not to be brushed aside for, it brings with it fearlessness and openness to new experiences.

Broaden your horizon

My experience with two different societies and cultures makes me believe that our society and culture play a big part in making us who we are. I strongly believe that we as people must be confident of our origins and yet open to imbibe the better aspects of other cultures.

Also, while the old saying condemned the Jack of all trades, I believe a broader skill set and an expanding perspective are critical for a successful and fulfilling life. And although this might make me sound a generation older, I would strongly encourage all students back home to constantly broaden their horizons and to never stop learning.

Suvasini Ramaswamy joins Vijay Singh, featured in this blog earlier, to populate the western coast of the US in our interactive Away from home map. Find her and 19 other Indian postdocs from around the world in the map updated every Wednesday (a snapshot showing our postdocs from US and Canada below). Please feel free to suggest names of postdocs from countries and disciplines we haven’t covered yet.

AFH map update15

Comments

  1. Report this comment

    Janardhan Yerramshetty said:

    Of the posts so far under “Away from Home”, I feel this is the best that touches the profound philosophy of learning from being away. Kudos to the author for sharing such a wonderful understanding of life in general.

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    suvasini ramaswamy said:

    Thank you Mr. Yerramshetty. I am happy that my experiences have been informative to you and hopefully to others as well. It is always difficult to summarize the many big and small things that make a difference and I am happy to know that I didn’t fare terrible at the job.

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    Kushal Sejwal said:

    I second Janardhan, this is the best post in the away from home series. Very nicely put forward and full of motivation and enthusiasm for students taking the same path. Thanks Suvasini, looking forward to read more interesting experiences from you.