It was the March of 2016 and around 0300 hours I received a mail from Purdue University, that I had been admitted to their graduate program at the Indianapolis campus. A biomedical engineering graduate program at a campus which also houses one of the finest medical schools in the country? I was thrilled. The system of education is completely different from where I come from. We are not given many choices to select from, and research opportunities were highly restricted. After my first semester, I was asked to pick a specialization and that’s when I got in touch with Dr. Stephen Trippel. Being my project mentor, he advised me to explore the opportunities that were available on campus, which lead me to Dr. Kacena’s lab here at Indiana School of Medicine.
I have been associated with this lab since the beginning of the year, but I get a feeling that I have been an integral part of this setting already. I have picked up mice and large animal handling skills, along with an unmatchable exposure to an active research lab. Currently I am assisting in a mouse bone healing project and a porcine bone/muscle healing study. I have also begun scanning bones from the recent Rodent Research IV spaceflight study. I see myself working in a laboratory setting or pursuing a doctoral degree in next three to four years. But currently, I know that I am in right place, at the right time, with right people, doing exactly the right thing I always wanted to do. This will result in me cherishing these memories a decade later. I am glad to play a role here. Most important of all, my take away is, how meticulous planning is the key for not just a successful project but also for running an efficient work environment. Faculties, post-docs, associates, and students involved in this lab are ready to help and teach each other in all possible ways which makes me feel like home.
