Dr. Anita Roy is an Assistant Professor at Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, IIT Delhi. She works on hematopoiesis and myeloproliferation (a type of blood cancer where blood cells grow abnormally in bone marrow). She did her Ph.D. from Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Kolkata and then had a five year postdoctoral stint from France and Belgium.
Please tell us about yourself and your research/teaching area.
I am Anita Roy, Assistant Professor at Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, IIT Delhi. I joined IIT Delhi in September 2019. My area of expertise is myeloid haematopoiesis and myeloproliferation. I am especially interested in the development of megakaryocytes. These are cells that produce platelets and are among the few cells in our body that are polyploid. Currently, I am in the process of setting up my research laboratory. At IIT Delhi, I am involved in teaching introductory and advanced Biology to B.Tech students from various disciplines. I received my Ph.D. from SINP, Kolkata, followed by a 5 years postdoctoral stint in France and Belgium.
How did you prepare for the transition from postdoc to PI/teaching role?
After a year as PI, I can say that nothing really prepares you for the role of a PI. It is a job where you learn as you go. As a postdoc, our roles are limited to research. So, that was the only skill I had acquired. On top of that, I had no previous teaching experience. But I am learning about these roles everyday as I go about doing my work. Nevertheless, here are a couple of things that I found to be helpful:
a) Speaking to senior colleagues. They provide first-hand insights into the system along with valuable suggestions.
b) Investing in young researchers. During this pandemic period when the students are off-campus, it is hard for them as well as for us to stay focused on our research. I found that regular interactions with them kept our mutual research interests alive. As such, one of my colleagues had once said that our students inspire us to dream beyond our set boundaries.
c) Online teaching is now the only way-out. There are numerous online lectures that have helped me understand how to create an engaging lecture video. I would highly recommend the iBiology lecture series to anyone interested in creating online video lectures.
What bottlenecks did you encounter while you were preparing to make the transition from postdoc to a career in academics?
I worked as a postdoc from 2014-2019 in France and Belgium. By 2018, I was looking for positions in India. Being out of India brings its fair share of difficulties during a job hunt. I will try to explain these and what I did to circumvent these issues.
a) You do not know whom to approach and how to approach them. There are a few prestigious fellowships designed to attract young minds back to India such as the Ramanujan and Ramalingaswamy fellowships. But for these you need a sponsor. I found it difficult to apply to these fellowships as I needed a sponsor back in India to send my application across. Eventually, I figured out that you have to visit the institutes of your choice and talk to them in person about your work. I did the same in the summer of 2019 when I visited 4 different institutes in India. Finally, one of them agreed to sponsor me for the fellowship which I currently hold.
b) Which city to choose? This is a practical problem that many job seekers will face. A lot of thought must be put into this as we do not just choose an institution to work but also a place where we can live, have a family, raise children and enjoy day-to-day living. Every person will have to find their city of preference. I would recommend those seeking job opportunities in India to visit the places and try to get some first-hand experience. It is especially important for couples who are seeking employment in India to make an informed decision. Smaller cities may not offer them many job opportunities but could provide a less polluted and more relaxed atmosphere to live in.
While making career related decisions, who did you consider as role models and mentors? Did you receive any mentoring while deciding upon career options?
I have always looked up to my PIs and they were and still are my mentors. Here I have to say that I have been blessed with three exceptional PIs. All of them are brilliant in their own fields with keen interest in research and a zest for life that is very inspiring. Needless to say, they have supported all my applications (postdoc and independent researcher positions).
I always had a clear idea about my career preferences. But I did seek the advice of my PIs.
Since you mentioned switching to online classes during CoVID, how as a young faculty are you managing research and, most importantly, getting the work done? If you can share some challenges that you encountered and how you resolved them during this period, that would be excellent.
COVID has forced us to dramatically shift our ways of work. For example, lab members either work in shifts to minimize contact or in cases where possible, are working from home. Teaching has completely moved into an online mode. For some students, the conditions at home are not conducive to online classes. Researchers have been facing delays in procurement and logistics. Young researchers had to wait for months before they could start their projects. While we are still trying to adjust to these new ways, it will require extraordinary effort from teachers, researchers and students to get the best out of this situation.
How do you unwind after a hectic day/week at work?
I find the greatest comfort in my family. I look forward to our dinner time conversations. I derive pleasure from small everyday things – looking after my plants, walking through the campus, listening to songs from old Hindi movies, watching a good film or documentary or sitting with my favourite book.
How do you balance career and personal life?
This has been difficult as my husband and I live in two different cities. Prior to COVID-19, we travelled on alternate weekends to meet each other. COVID has made that impossible. We know that many couples are facing similar difficulties. But we are optimistic about the future and hope that this global crisis will pass.
Would you like to share any message/tips for women in STEM who wish to pursue and make it big in academics?
Women in general are very resilient and therefore cut-out for academic rigour. I can assure young ladies who are looking forward to a career in academics that their strengths will be valued in this profession. At the same time, women often must choose between career and family. If you have had a career break, please remember that there are various schemes that encourage women to get back to the bench.
If you had to summarize your career in one sentence, what would that be?
Perseverance.