*1969 | India
Field: Natural Sciences
My work:
Professor at the Department of Biological Sciences at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai
Brief description of duties:
Research, teaching, training, and mentoring future scientists as a biology instructor; appointment to the Committee for the Oversight of Biology Education.
Sandhya P. Koushika
“Did you ever think you’d be here today? Where the dream of equality still seems so far away. You feel like you’re standing on the edge of a cliff again. You wonder if you can get back up one more time.
How many years can you ask yourself if you weren’t good enough to have come this far, if you’re good enough to open the next door? How long can you worry about whether you’re ambitious enough, shed tears over not having been raised well enough, be scolded for your silence, and for your tone when you don’t stay silent?
A dream in which you are not just a mother, a wife, a daughter. To be free, to be yourself, without shame, without inhibitions, without guilt. Ready to make our own mistakes. We don’t need saviors; we must walk our own path.”
Did you have a clear idea of what your future would look like when you were a child? How did that evolve? Did your vision come true?
Even as a child, I wanted to be a scientist. I didn’t really understand what that meant, except that I loved figuring things out on my own, conducting experiments at home, taking pens and watches apart, and so on.
I grew up in a small town where most of the girls around me came back after finishing their education to get married and start a family. Few of the adult women I knew worked, and none of them did so to pursue a passion. I wasn’t sure how to follow my passion, but I knew I had to work hard to have a chance at it.
Which person(s) or experience(s) had the greatest influence on your decision about what career to pursue, and why?
As a child, reading Marie Curie’s biography made a deep impression on me. It opened my eyes to possibilities I hadn’t seen around me. I realized that there were women who were passionate and determined to achieve their goals. I also learned that research is a slow, arduous process in which failure is common. My parents supported me and gave me the freedom to study science and pursue a Ph.D. This allowed me to channel my curiosity, passion, and desire to learn into an academic career.
Please tell us how your interest in your profession, field of study, or craft was sparked.
Ants in my house, birds in my neighborhood, and plants in the gardens—they were all a source of fascination and provided opportunities for observation and experimentation. Why did some flowers bloom only in the evening? Did that have something to do with the temperature? When I read in textbooks about the melting point of ice and the boiling point of water, I wanted to measure and see for myself. There was no one around me who did that, but the questions about nature were captivating in themselves and kept sparking my interest.
What do you like most about your current job?
I enjoy the privilege that comes with being a scientist: the opportunity to keep learning. What I appreciate most is the combination of imaginative exploration and systematic investigation that helps me find answers to the questions that interest me. My desire for open-ended exploration has also led me to collaborate across disciplines with people outside my field, and these scientific collaborations have been very enriching experiences.
These qualities have helped me along the way:
Curiosity, perseverance, and resilience have helped me weather many storms in life. The joy that science brings me—whether I’m conducting research myself or reading about the exciting work of others—has helped me overcome the many challenges that one inevitably faces.
If you could give young women some advice, what would it be?
You only have one life. Live it in the way that brings you the most fulfillment.
Learn more about Sandhya and contact information
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