This time Scientific Bangladesh Interviewed Dr. Sharmina Deloer.
She has obtained PhD from
Japan and presently pursuing Postdoctoral research at NIH in the USA. Her experiences and insights certainly will be helpful for PhD and postdoctoral researchers around the world. Here is what she 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. Sharmina Deloer: I have completed my SSC and HSC from one of the most prominent schools in our country, Ideal School and College, Bangladesh. Later, my B.Sc. and M.Sc. were earned from the Department of Microbiology of the University of Dhaka in 2013. After few years of on-the-job training at ICDDRB, I started my PhD course, under the global leadership programs of Japan, at Nagasaki University. I successfully defended my PhD in 2017. Parents are always invaluable company for every person, but in my case my maternal grandmother and maternal uncle were the key people who helped me to fulfill my dream. Another two individuals who greatly supported my journey are my mother-in-law and husband later on. I always thank God for having such people around me.
2. Scientific Bangladesh: What was your PhD research area? What are the results of your vigorous research, including publications, patents, awards?
Dr. Sharmina Deloer: My PhD focused on parasitic disease. Amebiasis is a major public health problem worldwide. It is not only a threat for developing country but also for developed country. Interestingly, some people severely susceptible to amebic colitis while others are resistant to it. I tried to investigate the reason behind it in terms of immunological aspect. More precisely, some cytokine has important effect against amebiasis. Among them, I was interested in IL-17A and investigated the role of IL-17A during intestinal amebiasis in a mouse model. My findings suggested that IL-17A contributes to the persistence of E. histolytica (causal agent of amebiasis) and modulates the immune response during the chronic phase of intestinal amebiasis. I published an original article of my PhD work and a review paper by describing culture method of parasites in the laboratory and intra-cecal and intra-peritoneal vein inoculation of parasite in the mouse model.
3. Scientific Bangladesh: What was your motivation to go for PhD? What do you think about your decision to go for PhD?
Dr. Sharmina Deloer: Starting PhD was not a sudden decision for me, nor was it a goal that I achieved during my undergraduate course. Rather, I decided to pursue such a program during my high school period. That time I read many biographies of scientists like Thomas Alva Edison, mathematician Gauss, Ramanujan. In addition to biographies of inventors and scientists, I was also an avid reader of science fiction, especially of Bangladeshi writer by Jafar Iqbal. The Amphibian Man by Alexander Belyaev for some reason also greatly aroused my fascination with scientific experimentation me. These all inspired me to take my decision about becoming a scientist. I always felt that I like to do something creative and challenging rather than theoretical or routine work. PhD is just an initiative and I think my decision was right.
4. Scientific Bangladesh: Why should someone pursue PhD? Should anyone go for PhD as friends are going for it, parents, parents -in -laws want it?
Dr. Sharmina Deloer: Everybody should have their own motivation and goal to pursue PhD. In recent years’ job markers in all sorts of fields have greatly enhanced opportunities to get employed for PhD holders. It is not only limited to academia anymore. In my opinion, influenced by friends or family is not at all a bad thing. But without realizing the full scenario of what obtaining a PhD demands, or one’s own capability in persistently following the grueling years of study and work, or most importantly the prospect of one’s PhD topic in future may result in lot of frustration and waste of great opportunities.
5. Scientific Bangladesh: How would you like to describe your PhD life?
Dr. Sharmina Deloer: My PhD life was a mix (in order) of early optimism, gathering stress, frustration, energized reinvolvement, and a sense of self-actualization (with a substantial dose of relief) derived from final success. The PhD life mostly depends on the supervisor. At least that was the experience that I had and what I saw to be true for my fellow PhD students. For someone, it is incredibly stressful but for someone, it is a piece of cake. My supervisor always said that “many students publish papers in high impact factor journals during PhD, after that not all but many of them get vanished from the scientific world. The opposite is also happening. PhD is a learning process. So, learn as much as you can.” My PhD life is full of various kinds of learnings. It is not only an academic lesson but also many soft skills.
6. Scientific Bangladesh: PhD is stressful – how did you manage stress?
Dr. Sharmina Deloer: My family members were a great support for me. In addition, I always follow a rule- compartmentalization. When I enter the lab, I completely shut off my outside life and just focused on my work, study, etc. I tried to stay in lab as much as possible. Before leaving the lab, I always made a note for the next day’s work. I never brought any work in home unless it was very crucial. Again, when I left the lab in the evening or night, I completely shut off my lab life. I just think about what I should cook, which movie should I watch, how to organize my room, etc. It worked fine for me.
7. Scientific Bangladesh: Looking back to your PhD life, what mistakes you would advise future PhD students to avoid?
Dr. Sharmina Deloer: Start PhD course as early as possible.
8. Scientific Bangladesh: How did you manage relationship with your i) supervisor(s) and ii) labmates? How important to maintain good relationship with them?
Dr. Sharmina Deloer: In Japan, students do not have many choices to have their own ways. There is little scope of disagreement. They must, in most cases, follow their supervisor’s instructions and guidance. Those are also true for me and I tried to do abide by those traditions. My relationship with my supervisor was mostly sweet but sometimes also bitter. He helped me a lot to settle in a foreign life and in a society whose culture and language are completely new to me. In addition, there was all the supports and guidance that helped me to achieve my PhD. However, I tried to understand his advice, and follow that.
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. Sharmina Deloer: I did not change supervisor during my PhD. If anyone needs to change the supervisor, then better to change it as soon as possible
10. Scientific Bangladesh: What are your overall suggestions for future PhD students from your PhD life experiences?
Dr. Sharmina Deloer:
- Find a good supervisor. It is challenging but very important.
- What is ultimate career goal- academia/ industry/ research organization/ scientific writing? Need to prepare yourself based on your goal.
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Learn as much as possible. Don’t focus only on specific techniques, for example- molecular biology or genetics, etc. Try to learn as many techniques as possible during PhD, particularly new or emerging techniques.
- Try to make friends outside of own lab and understand other people work.
- Writing is very important for a researcher. I think we are very weak at this point. Nowadays blog writing is very popular. Undergrad students can write the scientific topics in blogs which will help them to improve their writing and reading. Writing a review paper is also another way.
11. Scientific Bangladesh: What are your suggestions for those who are about to finish PhD and entering to Post-doctoral phase?
Dr. Sharmina Deloer: Research life completely depends on supervisor and system of lab. So, it is difficult to make some general suggestions. Overall, in my opinion- postdoc should design their own project, run it and improve it by themselves.
12. Scientific Bangladesh: What is your Postdoctoral research area? Is it the same or different from PhD? If different, then why?
Dr. Sharmina Deloer: Presently, I am working in NIAID department in NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA. My research focused on autoinflammatory disease. More precisely, I am working on inflammatory bowel disease and trying to investigate the role of inflammasome and autophagy-related protein p62 in Chron’s disease. It is different compare with my PhD.
13. Scientific Bangladesh: Scientific Bangladesh: What is your future destination? Academia or Industry or Entrepreneurship? Why?
Dr. Sharmina Deloer: I would like to join as a staff-scientist or a lab- manager in any research organization for the next couple of years. I have a three years old daughter. So I need to make a balance between my family and professional life. Academia or industry career needs much concentration which is difficult for me right now.
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. Sharmina Deloer: I and my husband I both did PhD from Nagasaki University, Japan. My daughter was born at the end of my PhD course. In my opinion having a family is advantageous. It helps to reduce stress.
15. Scientific Bangladesh: Would you like to share your knowledge and experiences with the readers of Scientific Bangladesh by writing a regular column in Scientific Bangladesh. You can register for authorship https://scientificbangladesh.com/registration-2/
Dr. Sharmina Deloer: Yes
Scientific Bangladesh: Thank you Dr. Sharmina for sharing your experiences and insights. Please register to Scientific Bangladesh for access as an author using the link https://scientificbangladesh.com/registration-2/. Readers will be immensely benefitted from your regular contribution.