"Sapere aude " Horace
Nothing in this world has happened by accident or chance but for the very specific aim. Only an inquisitive mind has a penchant to learn more by discovering the world around them. No one can escape the ineluctable truth that we are born to have a specific responsibility otherwise what is the point of life?
The nature always has fascinated me and challenged my curiosity to choose this field as a the main path in my life.
My interest in Biology was spontaneous, a natural tendency since my childhood. Since then, all my family members believed that I have to become a doctor, especially my father. As I grew older it stuck deep in my mind to make me more ensured about my true responsibility. I was about 17 when I experienced the bitter tragedy of my life, loss of my father because of cardiac failure and a year after, the second strong shock happened when my beloved grandmother passed away of liver cancer ,who raised me like a mother. Such sudden trauma led me into a considerable inclination helping people not experiencing such calamities. However, a peculiar interest for genetics materials tuned into a passion for me even so my biology teacher advised me to choose genetics for further education.
I got my bachelor degree in Cellular and Molecular biology in Tonkabon University in 2005. But I had an unquenchable thirst for genetics and biology, the things that actually wonder me about very essential concepts of life and existence. I believe that everything is purposeful, if so, what is the 'introns' one. Such question triggered even more insatiable appetite for more knowledge.
A year later, I accepted in Ferdousi University in Mashhad, Iran, In Biochemistry but unfortunately, financial problem was a great obstacle at that moment. So, I found a job in a company. I spend 5 years working there. This gap didn't dissuade me, instead it made me more enthusiastic and eager. During that time, I started reading some biology references such as Lodish by myself trying to find answers for my many questions.
I started my master education in Tabriz University, in 2012. The salutary experience of losing my grandmother motivated me to work on cancer. I got inspired by Dr. Samadi's research so I worked extensively on my thesis under his supervision. His research team previously developed MCF-7 breast cancer cells resistance to different chemotherapeutic drugs such as Paclitaxel.
Paclitaxel is a common chemotherapeutic drug and highly prescribed in cancer treatment that has been notably reported due to its failure in women who suffering from breast cancer. NF-κB is a cardinal gene, over-expressed in almost many different cancer types that can be blocked via its specific inhibitor . We used Quinacrine, the drug that has been already use in asthma and malaria treatment. In this way, it was cost effective, with minor side effect. Moreover, it exerts its anticancer activity through different important signaling pathway. We determined the efficacy of Paclitaxel and Quinacrine combination therapy by using MTT assay, Real Time PCR and Flow-cytometry. From this experiment one article accepted in RBL journal. Then I cooperated with Dr. Alizadeh, an assistant professor in Tehran University, writing a review, cancer stem cell specific markers that has published in Tumor Biology journal. Later, I enrolled in Institute Pasteur, learning methods such as SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. I also contributed in different conferences and symposiums that I mentioned in my CV.
Educating in the most developed country is so exciting and invaluable. Also, the city of apple, New York sounds adventurous for me. I found Rochester university a suitable centre with its emphasis on diversity in research and the commitment to improve various aspects of human life, the Department of Genetics, Developments and Stem Cells, to develop my analytical and research capabilities. Excellent research facilities and distinguished faculty members of your university , like Dr.Hazel, provide an intellectually stimulating and culturally diverse atmosphere, which I believe will help me in expanding my scientific outlook. I will be more than honored if I can earn an opportunity in his next research group.
By all I can achieve fortunately, I will be able to develop this major and help my people suffer less and live longer.