I've always been a curious, inquisitive child and to me that means learning how to explore properly
and how to do research.
I didn't get a chance to use a microscope until I was 19 years old
but today 80% of my PhD work involves using a microscope day in and day out.
Of course there's a lot of really good universities globally and if you think about why come to Cambridge to
pursue research, then the most important thing that comes to mind is the legacy of science innovation
and discovery that Cambridge has but more importantly it constantly strives to make better
and that includes diversity in research, diversity in a student population and its faculty.
So the Cambridge academic reputation is of course incredible and it's very easy to get daunted by
that but I think the entire reputation starts from the researchers who actually make the research
that makes the reputation and when you actually get to know the researchers they're so supportive
and encouraging that once you actually start here all your initial fears just disappear and you're
like in a nice supportive bubble where they help you reach those standards as well.
Cambridge is a place where you're constantly surrounded by experts in the field as faculty members but you
also get to work with really talented, incredibly amazing people as your colleagues and workmates.
Specifically I was looking for places where I could do interdisciplinary work in the areas of
biomedical engineering, health, method development and biophysics and I happened to come across
a few groups in Cambridge where I liked the work but also it gave me the opportunity to do a bit
more exploration and come up with my own project.
It's what everyone is thinking when they're trying
to apply for postgraduate studies, where am I going to get the money or who's going to fund me
to do this ? And Cambridge had so, so many options. There's University scholarships and College scholarships .
For me as an international student I was looking at specifically those scholarships
that won't limit the scope of the work I can do, but also are reasonably well-funded to sort
of have a life here in Cambridge.
And Gates Cambridge has been an incredible part of my
Cambridge application journey not to mention my Cambridge journey after I received the scholarship,
which I'm very, very grateful for.
Everyone is doing such amazing research that eventually
will become companies or will be sold off to make a difference in the world in the future, that you
realise you're a part of that international reputation now and everyone will experience it
at some point or the other when they come to study at Cambridge.
Cambridge is not just one building,
it's a combination of 31 different Colleges and to me I've had the opportunity to meet some amazing
incredibly inspiring women – I'm from Murray Edwards College – and talk to them which I must say have
inevitably influenced my career choices but also life perspectives.
I think the best thing about studying at Cambridge
is the support you have here and everyone's willing to help you
everyone wants to see everyone doing well which is the best environment to study in for me.
Another important thing to remember when you're coming to study at Cambridge is that there's so many
other Indian students studying here as well, it's a very popular place for example in my lab there's
already two or three Indian people there so you'll never feel too far away from home wherever you're studying.
Cambridge is an excellent choice for one thinking about opportunities post degree. Cambridge
is a hub of innovation and translational research. There are multiple startups in different areas
deep tech, health, quantum physics so on and so forth but in addition Cambridge is also
a hub for some of the biggest pharma and software companies in the world.
Walking through the streets of Cambridge you can feel the history and being a part of history and that's exactly how I imagined it to feel actually.
Part of me really, really wanted to come here, study here, not just because
of how incredibly beautiful it is but because it reminded me of all the people that came before me
who spent hours here trying to make discoveries and coming up with things that changed the world.