This time Scientific Bangladesh Interviewed Dr. Md Golam Mostofa. He has obtained PhD from 
Japan and presently pursuing Postdoctoral research in the USA. His experiences and insights certainly will be helpful for PhD and postdoctoral researchers around the world. Here is what he had to say.
1.Scientific Bangladesh: Tell us about your education- from primary to PhD. Don’t miss this opportunity to express gratitude for your great supports in this journey.
Dr. Md Golam Mostofa: I achieved my SSC and HSC from Rangpur Zilla School and Rangpur Cantonment Public School and College, Rangpur. Then I got admission to the Department of Microbiology, University of Dhaka, and completed my BSc and MSc in Microbiology. Then I started my job at Incepta Pharmaceuticals Ltd. as a Microbiologist. I obtained my PhD degree from Shizuoka University, Japan under MEXT (Monbusho) scholarship. During this journey, I am thankful to my parents, family, and definitely my wife for their continuous inspiration and mental support. I am very grateful to my Dhaka University Mentor Dr. Manjurul Karim sir for his motivation and especially for the two publications that actually greatly helped me in getting my Monbusho scholarship.
2.Scientific Bangladesh: What was your PhD research area? What are the results of your vigorous research, including publications, patents, awards?
Dr. Md Golam Mostofa: My PhD topic was ‘Searching of novel regulators for nucleophagy (a specific type of autophagy that is involved with degradation of nuclear protein) in budding yeast. The aim of PhD study was to identify a molecular mechanism that regulates nucleophagy. The main task was to clone, express, purify and biochemically characterize different nuclear protein and their involvement in nucleophagy. The in vivo expression and subcellular localization using different fluorescent marker genes of these proteins were also studied in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (budding yeast). I published 4 first-author high-impact journals including the Journal of Cell Biology (JCB), Cell reports article, Journal of Molecular Biology (JMB), and Cellular Signaling, and 3 co-author articles.
3.Scientific Bangladesh: What was your motivation to go for PhD? What do you think about your decision to go for PhD?
Dr. Md Golam Mostofa: As I said I started my job as a Pharmaceutical Microbiologist and I continued it for 5 years. Before joining in Pharmaceutical industry, I did my MS thesis in International Center for Diarrheal disease and research, Bangladesh (ICDDR’B) where I exposed some molecular techniques. I was very much interested to know how can I produce insulin from E.coli by genetic manipulation but my job post was far far away from this dream. Luckily, that time (2011), I got a chance to visit and training in a Biotech industry in China where they produce some biotech products like Insulin, Filgrastim, Streptokinase using E.coli and recombinant technology. From that time, I felt that I have to get a PhD degree in Molecular Biology. My plan was to, after receiving PhD degree and getting exposure to abroad biotech industry, I will work in the Biotech industry in Bangladesh. Still trying to do so. I believe still I am on the right track to fulfill my dream.
4.Scientific Bangladesh: Why should someone pursue PhD? Should anyone go for PhD as friends are going for it, parents, parents-in-law want it?
Dr. Md Golam Mostofa: To take a decision for pursuing PhD, firstly he or she should think about why. Why they need this degree, do they really need this, what will he/she do after getting this degree? We have to keep in mind higher degree leads to narrower job field. But of course, I am not going to demotivate for pursuing PhD degree.
5.Scientific Bangladesh: How would you like to describe your PhD life?
Dr. Md Golam Mostofa: Since the Monbusho scholarship is for three years, I had to finish within this time and had to fulfill the requirement so from the beginning I tried to do hard work to get productive results. Fortunately, I was fond of my work from the beginning. In this case, my wife helped me a lot. She sacrificed a lot of things as other community members did, fortunately, she was a logical thinker, not a blind follower. But we enjoyed the time in different ways like reasonable/manageable visiting for sight-seeing.
6.Scientific Bangladesh: PhD is stressful – how did you manage stress?
Dr. Md Golam Mostofa: In my case, my first thinking was I have time 3 years, not 3 years 1 minute. I had available resources in my lab that I will not get in my country. So, I have to properly utilize my time and lab resources. Every time I shared my data, thinking, and the problem with my supervisor. So, that he can also think about my work. I believe better communication with mentors can reduce PhD stress by 50%.
7.Scientific Bangladesh: Looking back to your PhD life, what mistakes you would advise future PhD students to avoid?
Dr. Md Golam Mostofa: Avoid hide and seek game with a mentor. Develop communication skills.
8. Scientific Bangladesh: How did you manage your relationship with your supervisor?
Dr. Md Golam Mostofa: I tried to make first a good impression with my supervisor. For example, he assigned me a task he may be assumed that it will take 1 month but I finished it before his expected time. Firstly he said Japanese are hard workers, later of the time he said some times you are more hard worker than Japanese that’s how I made a position in his mind I believe and of course sharing and good communication.
9.Scientific Bangladesh: Did you change supervisor? If yes, when and why? What are your suggestions if a PhD student needs to change supervisor?
Dr. Md Golam Mostofa: No, I didn’t change my supervisor. But I got experienced from one of my friends who had to change his supervisor at the last time of his PhD degree. It was really very horrible situation unluckily. My suggestion is to try to avoid this but if it’s mandatory do it in your first year or semester.
10.Scientific Bangladesh: What are your overall suggestions for future PhD students from your PhD life experiences?
Dr. Md Golam Mostofa: Try to develop good communication with your supervisor from the beginning and try to read the mind of your supervisor. Keep in mind your first impression. Continuously try to focus on your goal. If you have to take any worst decision take it as early as possible.
11.Scientific Bangladesh: What are your suggestions for those who are about to finish PhD and entering to Postdoctoral phase?
Dr. Md Golam Mostofa: If you must need a postdoc position just after finishing your PhD, try to find out your research-related field supervisors. If you have the option to choose one then select the less smart one supervisor. (my opinion).
12.Scientific Bangladesh: What is your Postdoctoral research area? Is it the same or different from PhD?
Dr. Md Golam Mostofa: Now in my Postdoc I am working on ” alcoholic and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in mice and mammalian cell line”. This also related to autophagy. So, now I am working on a partially different field and different model system.
13.Scientific Bangladesh: Scientific Bangladesh: What is your future destination? Academia or Industry or Entrepreneurship? Why?
Dr. Md Golam Mostofa: As I mentioned, my goal is for the biotech industry.
14. Scientific Bangladesh: Did you have family ( husband/wife and children) with you during PhD? Do you see any advantage and/or disadvantage of having a family during PhD?
Dr. Md Golam Mostofa: Yes, I had my wife. As I mentioned, she helped me a lot.
Scientific Bangladesh: Thank you Dr. Mostafa for your time and for sharing your experiences.