Anindita Brahma
WISeR: “What sparked your initial interest in science, and what drew you to your specific field?“
AB: “As a kid, I loved spending time with university-level science books belonging to Dr. Narayan Ghorai, a Professor of Zoology in India. I still cherish our trips to nature, where he showed me how different birds made their nests using various materials, how butterflies intake salts from little puddles, how honeybees gather pollen and nectar, and so many other wonders of the animal world. My uncle was quite successful in planting the seed of curiosity towards animal behavior from my early childhood days. He inspired me as a mentor, and I went on to study Zoology for my bachelor's and master's degrees.
During my master's, my uncle gifted me a book named "Survival Strategies: Cooperation and Conflict in Animal Societies," written by Raghavendra Gadagkar. It was a popular science book heavily based on the evolution of animal behavior, with special emphasis on social behavior. Little did I know back then that this book would change the course of my life. I was blown away by the complex behavior of social animals like bees, wasps, ants, and naked mole rats, to name a few. This book led to a chain reaction of events that led me to pursue a PhD on the evolution of social behavior under the supervision of the author of the book, a professor studying social insects at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. Since then, I have continued working on various aspects of social behavior in social wasps and ants.”
WISeR: “Looking back at your career journey, what achievements or moments have brought you the greatest joy?
AB: “There are quite a few of these moments. The first thing that comes to mind is getting an acceptance letter from my grad school. Moreover, my grad school was around 1200 miles away from my hometown, and the thought of leading an independent life while pursuing a PhD in my dream lab irked additional excitement in the heart of the young adult.
Another very prominent moment was when I received a Fulbright fellowship and a Marie Curie fellowship at the same time for pursuing postdoctoral research and had to choose between the two. I remember something my PhD supervisor had said back then, “Enjoy the problem of plenty. It’s a wonderful problem to have.” These are the moments that have pulled me up during times when I had doubts about continuing my academic journey and have reassured me that I belong in STEM.
The most recent moment was when I received the Fellows-to-Faculty award from the Simons Foundation. This transition grant acted as a huge moral boost for my research and validation to assure my vision of training the next generation of scientists in STEM.”
WISeR: “What significant challenges have you faced in your STEM career, and how did you overcome them?
AB: “I have always yearned for women mentors in STEM fields. Please don’t take me wrong; my mentors have been excellent allies at every step of my career. However, I still felt that void of not being able to relate with them from the point of view of personal experiences in STEM.
I must confess that it is only recently that I started reaching out to women mentors and soliciting their advice for building a career as a woman in STEM. I now have amazing women mentors at Rockefeller University and through the Simons Foundation. They make my personal experiences feel seen and help me feel a sense of camaraderie in STEM.”
WISeR: “In your experience, what concrete actions or changes could help close the gender gap in STEM fields?
AB: “STEM fields, especially life sciences, have a good gender balance till college education. After that, there is a drop in the proportion when it comes to higher education, such as grad school, and following that, there is a sharp drop in the proportion of women who continue in STEM. Now, this particular age group consists of many women who either have a family or want to start a family, and higher education place do not provide good childcare or pay enough to be able to afford childcare. Moreover, we still live in a society that holds on to the stigma surrounding the professional productivity of mothers. And that forces many women to part ways with STEM fields. Although specific professional grants/fellowships consider career breaks for women who have children, that is still not enough because the stigma remains. My personal view on this is that even with a ton of policy changes catering to women in STEM, the gender gap will continue to exist until the time we change our outlook towards women.”
WISeR: “What advice would you give to young women who are just beginning their STEM journey?
AB: “Find your STEM buddies and allies. These people will be your biggest cheerleaders and your advisors every step of the way. And believe in yourself. I know it’s a cliched saying, but I think it is powerful and still works wonders.”