Dr. Radha Pujari – Research Scientist – Cell Biology, Nutritional Science Department, Tata Chemicals
The motivating forces that led you to take to your educational and professional careers. What drove you to take up these respective fields?
I had always been intrigued with the mysteries of life and living beings. The urge to know how our body functions and response to various stimuli is something that I had always wanted to understand. The thirst for this knowledge had propelled me to study biology: the science of living. I completed my PhD in cell biology from the National Centre for Cell Science and then went on to do post-doctoral research on a grant supported by the University Grant Commission (UGC).
What were the challenges you faced from your educational career to your working life and how did you overcome them?
A career in science has its share of challenges and hardships. For me these challenges began from finding the right course and the right institute. During that time very few institutes offered Biotechnology as a choice of subject. I had grown up in a remote part of West Bengal and had moved to Hyderabad and then eventually to Pune to complete my higher studies. After completing masters, PhD and post-doctoral research there was a struggle to find the right job opportunities and to set a career goal. Over the years I realised that struggle is a part and parcel of anything and everything good coming your way and hence, I now perceive it as more of an opportunity than a challenge.
Any stories/anecdotes/instances that occurred in your life that merits retelling.
I had been pursuing a position for some time; I attended a number of rounds of interviews and for the final interview had to travel to Delhi. I was residing in Pune and was in a big dilemma as my daughter was only a month old. After a lot of thinking and deliberation I decided that I had to go and took my little baby with me to attend the interview. The organisers were quite sensitive and they provided me with a room for my convenience. Sadly, I did not get selected for the position and that was quite disheartening at that time, but today when I reflect I marvel at the courage that I had gathered that propelled me towards achieving my dream.
As a woman have you faced any difficulties in your career from a male-dominated world?
I have been bestowed with very good male friends, colleagues and mentors who have helped me in my endeavours.
