Scientific Bangladesh is very much delighted to interview Mr. Shatil Shahriar, a Ph.D. student at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, United States this time. Mr. Shahriar is a very enthusiastic researcher having several publications in reputed scientific journals as well as patents on the drug delivery system. He is also serving as a review board member of Elsevier and MDPI. Let’s get back to Mr. Shahriar to know more about him.
Scientific Bangladesh: Please briefly introduce yourself, your Ph.D. topic and, your University to our readers.
Shatil Shahriar is a Bangladeshi inventor and scientist studying cancer research at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), which is at the forefront of 21st-century health sciences education, innovative research, and extraordinary patient care. Shatil Shahriar holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in pharmaceutical sciences. Before joining UNMC College of Medicine, he studied biomaterials science and drug delivery systems during his second master’s degree in chemical and biological engineering at the Korea National University of Transportation, Chungju, South Korea. While working with Professor Young-kyu Lee of KNTU, he was the first scientist to show that a single oral dose of a therapeutic gene of less than 0.5 mg can control diabetes and diabetes-related complications in the human body for up to a month. As a Ph.D. researcher in the UNMC Department of Surgery, he is working on designing 3D biomaterials for the development of future regenerative medicine. He is a member of the American Chemical Society, the Royal Society of Chemistry, and the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy and is currently serving as a review board member of Elsevier and MDPI.
Scientific Bangladesh: What has made you have gone for Ph.D.? In other words, why are you pursuing a Ph.D.?
“I want to leave this world in a better position than it was at the time of my birth” is what I wrote evermore when my English teacher used to ask us to write an essay on “Aim in Life” in middle school. During the rainy season, I used to walk a 5-6 km muddy road every day to school from my village. Seeing the drenched me, people around would often wonder if I would ever compete with the city students. Yes, it is true that, like others, I did not have the opportunity to study in a nation’s one of the best schools. However, my eagerness towards science led me to be exposed to objects that broadened my understanding capacities and aided my thoughts to be future-oriented at an early stage. So, regardless of the place I belong to, my family’s financial condition, and the facilities I had in my early schools, I began having an impossible dream to become a scientist from my childhood. I have been involved in research since an early age. My first research paper was published with Professor Mohammed Rahmatullah when I was in the second grade of my undergraduate. It was just a survey paper, but I wanted to express how attracted I was to scientific research. Shortly after graduating, I joined Arla Foods, a world-leading dairy company, as a nutrition executive. However, I found myself thinking about my research all the time, even when I was not in the lab. After finishing my daily work in my office, I would go back to the lab almost every day. I would wake up and almost spring out of bed with an idea like, Aha! This is the experiment I want to do.
Scientific Bangladesh: How did you choose your i) Ph.D. topic and ii) Institute?
My father is a biology teacher who influenced me to concentrate on mathematics and physics more, but the apple does not fall far from the tree. Newton’s theories of motion or Einstein’s theory of relativity would not seem as fascinating as I would have liked human physiology. I used to ask my father about the human disease processes and their remedies at a younger age. Once I found the answer, I evoked further questions. Thus, who seeks knowledge, there stands no final goal. My journey in Biomedical Research started by working in the “Oral Drug Delivery System” since my 1st grade of B.Pharm. UNMC has been recognized as one of the top-ranked universities for research spending, with over $100 million annual research expenditures. Also, UNMC has a prestige not only for pioneering many advancements in education, research, and patient care but also for the translational application of basic research, which is why the cancer research program of the UNMC was my priority for pursuing my Ph.D.
Scientific Bangladesh: What is the minimum qualification in your university to get admission as PhD student, Bachelor or Master degree?
Application requirements and prerequisites taken from UNMC website listed below is information on various aspects of the requirements to apply to the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences (IGPBS) and information on different sections of the IGPBS application. If you have any additional questions that are not answered by the information below, please contact the IGPBS office.
GPA/Degree/Coursework Requirements: Admission to the IGPBS program requires a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited undergraduate institution with a recommended minimum GPA of 3.25 on a 4.0 grading scale. Students should have completed undergraduate courses in biology, calculus, physics and chemistry, including organic chemistry. Students applying specifically to the Cancer Research Doctoral Program, as either a multi-program or single-program applicant, can have undergraduate coursework in mathematics (either calculus or another mathematics course) or statistics.
Transcript Requirements: For any education done outside of the United States, course-by-course evaluated transcripts that identify and describe each diploma or certificate, are required from all colleges and universities attended, regardless of language and/or grading scale on the transcript. UNMC Graduate Studies will accept evaluated transcripts from World Education Services (WES) or Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE). This is a requirement of the university and will not be waived. As WES and ECE certify that the transcript that they receive is official, there is no need to submit a secondary set of official transcripts.
CV/Resume: If available, list publications, including any publications that are ‘in progress’, presentations and/or poster sessions you have participated in.
Personal Statement / Narrative of Goals: There is not a minimum/maximum word requirement or specific format for the personal statement. Please be sure to include within your Personal Statement, information about:
• Why do you wish to pursue a PhD in biomedical sciences? What do you think will be the most interesting/rewarding aspects of obtaining a PhD?
• What are your long-term career goals (e.g. teacher, academic research, researcher in industry, business in bioscience)? What interests you most about this career path?
• Your research experiences.
• Your transferable skills. Please describe different experiences that you have had that exemplify, or have helped you develop, strengths in transferable skills (e.g. communication, teamwork, problem-solving, time management, etc.).
Letters of Recommendations: We require a minimum of three (3) letters of recommendation. We ask that one of the letters be from your most recent research mentor, if available.
GRE: The GRE is not required for IGPBS applicants, both domestic and international. However, if an applicant chooses to submit GRE scores, the scores will be considered during the application review.
TOEFL/IELTS: For international applicants, a minimum TOEFL score of 95, with no less than 20 in any single section, or, an IELTS minimum overall score of 6.5, is required. The ETS Institution Code for UNMC is 6896. The iBT Department Code is 45 – Biomedical Sciences. UNMC does not accept Duolingo exam scores.
Scientific Bangladesh: If anyone wants to do a Ph.D. in your University/country, what steps should one follow?
It is similar to applying to other universities in the country. A prospective student must have a good academic score and previous research experience. In addition, the student must meet the minimum admission eligibility.
Scientific Bangladesh: What mistakes should one avoid when contacting with University or Professor for a Ph.D. studentship?
It is unnecessary to identify and select a faculty mentor at the application stage, and UNMC discourages it. Each accepted student will be provided a list of faculty members accepting new students for rotation before their first term. This way, incoming students know who is or is not accepting new students. First-semester students will select their faculty mentor toward the end of their third rotation.
Scientific Bangladesh: How will you get a Ph.D., by submitting a thesis or publishing a certain number of publications (journal articles)?
It depends on the program you are committed to. I need at least one published or accepted paper before my Ph.D. defense.
Scientific Bangladesh: Did you deliberately choose your Supervisor? What were your criteria for choosing a Ph.D. supervisor?
Choosing a supervisor is difficult because you do not know much about them until working with them. I went through three lab rotations before committing to a lab and program. During my lab rotations, I got to know very well about the supervisors and their lab environment, which helped me choose my Ph.D. mentor later. The first thing I emphasize when choosing a Ph.D. mentor is how big he or she is in my research field. If your supervisor is well-known and has a reputation for lots of connections, he or she will likely be able to help you in any way for the rest of your research life. Personally, if your professor treats you very well during your entire Ph.D. period or does not force you to solve problems or think independently, you will not develop very well. The worse the use of your supervisor, the faster your development as a researcher.
Scientific Bangladesh: What is your key to maintaining a good relationship with your supervisor?
“You must always maintain a good relationship with your PI” is a misconception, in my opinion. You and your professor do not know each other well at the beginning of the relationship, so things are usually amicable. At some point in your Ph.D., you need to argue with your professor about his/her science; you need to criticize their work, why they are wrong, and what are your reasons behind it. The chances are that you and your mentor start hating each other initially, but this will help you become an individual and intellectual researcher. When your professor is proven wrong, he will prioritize your opinion, or when you are proven wrong, you will follow your professor again, your relationship will be cordial again. Maintaining a good relationship with the professor does not mean that you always have to listen to him or that he is always right; all you have to do is be logical.
Scientific Bangladesh: What principle do you follow to maintain a good relationship with your labmates?
Respecting each other’s science is the key to maintaining a good relationship. A common problem in most labs is that seniors do not appreciate juniors. If you know your juniors are doing something wrong, let them do it without interruption. When they realize that they were doing something wrong, they will ask you to explain. By doing so, they will learn from their mistakes and respect you. It would help if you were careful about your responsibilities and lab rules. If there are any issues, talk it out.
Scientific Bangladesh: Doing a Ph.D. is a stressful job? How do you manage or release stress?
First, do not take the stress. Enjoy learning. Remember that you are here because you love this life, and obviously, you are qualified enough to do this work. Self-confidence is crucial to release stress. If your Ph.D. consistently leaves you frustrated, you can seriously reconsider whether doing a Ph.D. is the right career path for you.
Scientific Bangladesh: How many days in a week do you go to the lab? Should Ph.D. students work 7 days/week?
I usually work 8 hours a day, five days a week. Sometimes I go to the lab for a few hours on the weekends if I have some critical work. I think working 10-12 hours a day or seven days a week is nothing special. This does not mean that you are working too hard; it means that you are not likely to get your work done on time. Potentials can finish their work within 8 hours. It is not about working day and night in a lab; you should know how to balance work-life.
Scientific Bangladesh: Ph.D. is considered as training for a career in Research. What 1. technical and 2. Soft skills you are focusing on developing or developed by this time?
I strive to study various biological and biochemical tools to understand insightful knowledge on cellular and molecular mechanisms of drugs to develop new therapeutic strategies targeting infectious and genetic diseases, eventually leading to answering critical biomedical research questions.
Scientific Bangladesh: What is your plan? Want to go back to Bangladesh or not?
Following a Ph.D., I want to continue my academic career, where I can actively practice the interchange of knowledge and laboratory-based therapeutic research.
Scientific Bangladesh: What are your suggestions for prospective Ph.D. students?
A Ph.D. student’s life is not as colorful as it looks on Facebook. Not even that they make much money. Hence, do not get confused. Ask yourself why you want to do a Ph.D.? Doing a Ph.D. does not mean that you are very talented or will succeed in life or get a good job. If you are very passionate about Ph.D., go for it. Otherwise, don’t.
Thank you very much Mr. Shahriar for sharing your experiences with us. Wed wish you all the best.