This time Scientific Bangladesh interviewed Dr. Nusrat Rahman. She is a Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology graduate from the University of Dhaka but she is working as a Senior Researcher at American Psychiatric Association. Here are her stories, experiences, and insights:
1. Scientific Bangladesh: Would you like to tell us about your academic and research life? In another way, how would you like to introduce yourself to our readers?
Dr. Nusrat Rahman: I graduated with Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, from the University of Dhaka. After my bachelor’s degree, I came for my PhD in molecular biology in the US. During my PhD, I realized the human mind fascinates me more than any other biological system. With a few unusual career choices, I finally made a move to mental health and substance use research. Now I study mental health trends among different minority populations.
2. Scientific Bangladesh: What has made you a researcher and/or a teacher? In another way, what is the story behind your becoming a researcher?
Dr. Nusrat Rahman: I guess that is the only path I thought would have worked for me. I love to study, learn and solve problems, and after my undergraduate, a PhD seemed like a logical step. My parents, especially my father always encouraged me to think beyond a job and take up on lifelong passion, even if the path does not seem well-defined. While my mother always pushed me for working hard, together, it made sense that I would create my own path instead of confining myself to a defined job.
4. Scientific Bangladesh: What is your research area? What type of research facilities/ infrastructures you have or developed over the years and how?
Dr. Nusrat Rahman: Mental health, diagnosis, prevalence, treatment outcomes, social determinants of mental health, etc. I work with secondary data, collected from a variety of datasets such as medical records, survey data, interviews, focus groups, insurance claims data, social media data, etc.
5. Scientific Bangladesh: Tell us about your publications and patent, if any. Tell more about your most loved publication/s and/or patents.
Dr. Nusrat Rahman: Since I changed my research field after PhD, my publication topics are modest compared to those who stayed in the same field. My most loved publication is “Using natural language processing to improve suicide classification requires consideration of race”. I love it because, the dataset itself was so informative, I kept reading pages and pages of stories of forensic cases, and over time, it became quite clear that there is discrimination in terms of how data was collected for a minority population. The story unfolded so beautifully, we eventually got some esteemed experts on board, and I was interviewed at the scientific American magazine for the work. I learned a lot from this project, and the part in that I led a team of experts with very different backgrounds, boosted my confidence to aim for multiple follow-up projects.
6. Scientific Bangladesh: Tells us about research grants and awards you have obtained till now.
Nothing extraordinary. I secured a few internal grants to conduct small studies, and currently, my research team is looking into gaps in psychiatric treatment for new moms. This project is funded by CDC.
7. Scientific Bangladesh: Do you have any research that has been commercialized or developed products What should Bangladesh do to encourage the commercialization of research outputs?
Dr. Nusrat Rahman: No I do not. I have been in the nonprofit/higher education setting, I have a limited understanding of the commercialization of research outputs. Maybe some project implementations can be commercialized, but I do not have direct experience.
Funding
8. Scientific Bangladesh: How do you manage funds for research? From where do you get funds for research?
Dr. Nusrat Rahman: I apply for grants to governmental organizations and foundations.
9. Scientific Bangladesh: Do you think Bangladeshi researchers apply enough for international funds?
Dr. Nusrat Rahman: I do not know enough to comment on that.
10. Scientific Bangladesh: Inadequate fund for research is a major problem in Bangladesh. What would you say in response to pointing fingers by many to this basic problem worldwide, not only in Bangladesh?
Dr. Nusrat Rahman: Inadequate fund is definitely a major issue. Currently consumer business is doing well in Bangladesh, in the US, big corporations usually have non-profit wings where they donate as part of their corporate social responsibility. Those foundations call for proposals that align with their interest. Such initiatives should be encouraged in Bangladesh as well.
Supervisory experiences
11. Scientific Bangladesh: How many researchers (PhDs and Masters) have you developed by this time? In other words, share your supervisory experience and story.
Dr. Nusrat Rahman: I am not a faculty in a university, but I have mentored around 8-10 master’s and PhD level researchers in different capacities. Supervising is a learning experience, mentorship almost never stays within the bounds of the research work, I get to hear about their life struggles, and ambitions. I often struggle with finding the right balance between being a mentor and getting things done. For me, being patient and gentle has been difficult.
12. Scientific Bangladesh: What 1. Qualities and 2. skills you expect in prospective researchers?
Dr. Nusrat Rahman: 1. transparency, solid commitment, good work ethics. 2. ability to document each step of the work very clearly with small weekly goals
Editorial and Review experiences
13. Scientific Bangladesh: Tell us about your experience and story as a journal or book editor and reviewer.
Dr. Nusrat Rahman: I did not serve as editor or reviewer
14. Scientific Bangladesh: How important is the experience of working as an editor of a scientific Journal and reviewer? What is your experience in those cases?
Dr. Nusrat Rahman: not applicable
Organizational experiences and stories
15. Scientific Bangladesh: What are the professional organizations of researchers you involved with? How important it is for researchers to join such professional bodies?
Dr. Nusrat Rahman: Quite important if one wants to pursue a career as an independent researcher. For example, I am interested in suicide research. A membership in suicide research organizations will give me exposure to new development in this field, it will also provide an opportunity to build collaborations.
16. Scientific Bangladesh: Do you think different professional bodies of scientists play their due role in Bangladesh? What are your suggestions for the leading professional organizations of scientists?
Dr. Nusrat Rahman: I do not know enough to comment on that.
Suggestions for younger researchers and policymakers
17. Scientific Bangladesh: What would be your three suggestions for early career researchers?
Dr. Nusrat Rahman: 1. Put a lot of effort into any work you do 2. Try to reflect on mistakes and figure out what could have been done differently 3. Seek mentors from outside your disciplines as well. They may have a completely new perspective on your work
18. Scientific Bangladesh: If asked what will be your three suggestions for the Science Ministry of Bangladesh?
Dr. Nusrat Rahman: Encourage research by giving out small grants
19. Scientific Bangladesh: Would you like to give any suggestions to our university authorities?
Dr. Nusrat Rahman: Make research a priority, and evaluate promotability based on research efforts.
Miscellaneous
20. Scientific Bangladesh: How important is leadership ability to become a great researcher? Should researchers take leadership training? Did you ever get training on Leadership?
Dr. Nusrat Rahman: I am not sure what is meant by the leadership here in particular. Managerial experience is definitely needed. I never got training in leadership, it would have been nice to have some training on collaboration, running a successful lab, etc.
21. Scientific Bangladesh: Doing Research is a stressful job. What do you do to manage stress? do you exercise regularly?
Dr. Nusrat Rahman: I enjoy my work; I employ different stress management techniques. Taking time off, enjoying time on my own, pursuing a hobby, and spending quality time with friends and family help me manage my stress.
22. Scientific Bangladesh: Would you like to add any more points for our readers?
Dr. Nusrat Rahman: I cannot emphasize enough the need for research to understand the needs of society. Anyone can do research; this is nothing but a curious mind and a few steps of meticulous data collection. Make every effort to engage in research.
23. Scientific Bangladesh: How important for the researcher to maintain an updated profile in different professional networks?
Would you like to share your google scholar, LinkedIn, or any other profile?
Dr. Nusrat Rahman: Here is my LinkedIn profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/minoritymentalhealth/
24. Scientific Bangladesh: Would you want to contribute regularly to Scientific Bangladesh and have a profile as an Author? If yes, then register at https://scientificbangladesh.com/registration-2/
Dr. Nusrat Rahman: No
Scientific Bangladesh: Thank you for sharing your experiences and insights. We look forward to your regular contributions to the Bangladeshi research ecosystem by and through Scientific Bangladesh.