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.
This Wednesday, we have Anand Krishnan, a PhD from the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India and currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Canada. Anand is focusing his energies on regenerative medicine under a clinician-scientist mentor. Anand relieves his research stress in multicultural and beautiful Calgary, a place that comes with enviable perks in the form of skiing holidays and cool summers.
Anand Krishnan (extreme left with his daughter Durga in arms) enjoys an Indian Independence Day celebration at the University of Calgary family housing complex.
Long-bearded men, stuff of fantasies
To become a scientist was my innocent fantasy in early childhood. There was no specific reason behind it but just the fascinating photos of long-bearded men whom people called ‘scientists’. As I grew up, my dreams shuttled between becoming a pilot to a doctor to a businessman and so on.
I completely quit the ambition of joining medicine after my grand failure in the medical entrance exam. Confused days followed. Finally I chose pharmaceutical sciences and surprisingly found myself enjoying the subject. Thanks to my teachers for stoking my curiosity. My real interest in science developed in those days.
Cancer and regenerative medicine
Many friends advised me to practice pharmacy abroad since it meant a lot of money. But the passion for scientific research had already set in. I joined industrial R&D after completing masters and learnt how pure science meets practical needs. After two years, I joined the PhD programme at Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology. I chose cancer biology as my research area with a strong desire to contribute to treatment. Though my PhD work didn’t offer a potential solution to the dreaded disease, I realised the need to integrate multiple disciplines to come up with effective measures. Keeping this in mind, I chose to get trained in regenerative medicine.
Regenerative medicine is a charming field of biological sciences that studies the re-growth of organs in controlled environment and failure to re-grow or over-grow in uncontrolled environment. Understanding the re-growth potential of organs and the points of errors which stimulate them for over-growth offers insights into tumorigenesis. My current postdoctoral training under the supervision of Dr. Douglas Zochodne in Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary addresses molecular events associated with peripheral nerve regeneration.
Great mentor, great place to work
My supervisor is a clinician-scientist and a great mentor. A close observation of him managing clinic, lab, writing grants and articles and above all updating science itself is a motivation to trainees. Our lab has limited work-pressure but students and trainees hardly exploit the free environment. Our routine lab discussions and presentations help everyone improving the weak areas. Our building has accommodated many research laboratories of various scientific disciplines and this encourages healthy collaborations.
I find Calgary a beautiful place to live. Every day I meet amicable people around. Calgary is filled with immigrants from many countries. Their friendliness is commendable and rare. People here, irrespective of their homeland, imbibe the multicultural environment with true spirit.
You can go ice skating and skiing in winter. Summers are cool. You can visit all the exotic places, feel the freshness of lakes and rivers and sweat out by hiking. The University of Calgary recreational centre is an excellent place to relieve all your research stress.
Coming to terms
My old friend Bhagat in Canada helped me with my initial acclimatization in the country. Official affairs are smooth here. So that part was not difficult for me.
However, apartment rent and child care fee are too costly. And I hate the long waiting periods in hospitals and pharmacies. If you do not like cold climate, Calgary is not the right place for you. You need to pay for your car parking everywhere (except malls) though there are vast stretches of unused land all around. Calgary is too far from India. So if you are in Calgary, you are literally ‘Away from Home’!
I live in Calgary with my wife Ambika (who works as a postdoc in another lab) and our little one Durga. We have a balanced research-family life in Calgary. Life is not too difficult here. If you plan to come with a baby, make sure you have an Indian driving license. This will avoid the one year waiting period to apply for a driving license here. Winter is too cold and snowy and managing a baby without personal conveyance is difficult. Otherwise, public transport is good and you can manage routine travel without difficulty.
For postdocs headed towards Calgary
There are many funding opportunities available for postdocs in Calgary. CIHR, AI-HS and Hotchkiss postdoctoral fellowships are a few among them. And a recently announced ‘Eyes High’ programme by the University of Calgary offers 60 postdoctoral fellowships this year.
Here are some useful links below with information on postdoctoral fellowships for those who are interested to come to Calgary:
https://www.aihealthsolutions.ca/
https://www.ucalgary.ca/risingstars/postdoc
https://www.hbi.ucalgary.ca/funding/harley-n-hotchkiss-fellowship
https://hbi.ucalgary.ca/education/realise
Bike rides, beaches and banana leaf feasts, Bollywood
I miss my home, family and friends in India. I miss the marriage functions and sadhya on banana leaf (occasional feast), rain and festivals. I miss my bike rides and the weekend movies on the big screen. I miss the beaches and my mother tongue.
I am quite excited at the way India is investing money in scientific research these days. It is my dream to have my own lab back home, a dream which is possible if I am fortunate.
Anand Krishnan joins Arghya Basu, the other Indian postdoc featured in this blog series from Canada. Find them and 21 other Indian postdocs in out interactive Away from home map pictured below and updated every Wednesday. Please feel free to suggest names of postdocs from countries and disciplines we haven’t covered yet.
