STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
Trends come and trends go with time but the everlasting attribute of quality life is good health. Being a Master of Pharmacy, I am fortunate to be a part of such an exciting and eventful profession; the goal of which is 'health for one and health for all'.
I have grown up in a family of farmers. Farming is the backbone of our country and is of prime importance for our economy. Ever since I was in a school I frequently visited our farms. This brought me more closely to the nature which itself has unprecedented capacity for curing dangerous diseases. From those visits to farms, I got my first taste of biology and my interest in science grew day by day. Although I studied in rural environment where most of the kids join farming after school, I always loved education and wanted to be in a company of educated people. My parents understood my inclination and shifted me to nearby city Nashik for further education after Secondary School. I always wanted to live upto my parents expectation and I performed excellent in my Higher Secondary Certificate Exam and got enrolled into four years Bachelor's degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences at MGV"s College of Pharmacy, Nashik affiliated to the University of Pune, one of the oldest university of India.
During my Undergraduate studies I was given excellent introduction to human biology, pharmacology, molecular biology, biotechnology and microbiology. My introduction to theoretical and practical knowledge of drug actions on receptors and laboratory techniques was rigorous and challenging. Over the four years I got excellent laboratory experience in various in-vitro, in-vivo and animal tissue culture experiments. While performing these practices my appetite for human biology and pharmacology grew more which led me to pursue Masters in Pharmacology at R.C.Patel Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, one of the premier institutes in India for imparting Pharmacology education. It is here where I came in contact with Dr. C.R.Patil, Head of Department of Pharmacology. His exhaustive and elusive lectures on biology excited me to no bounds. His extensive research work in cancer biology inspired me to do my research project on anti cancer activity. During my first year, I worked hard studying various Molecular Biology techniques such as gel electrophoresis, isolation of DNA, RNA and Plasmids, drug mutagenicity study and restriction digestion of DNA. I also studied in detail both basic and clinical pharmacology, physiology and various techniques involved in pharmacological screening of drugs.
My solemn urge to play my part in eradicating cancer led me in selecting the research topic on Cancer biology. My post-graduate dissertation work "Anti-cancer and Immunomodulatory activity of Triterpenoid fraction of Eulophia Herbaceae" was adjudged as one of the best in Department. I studied the role of Reactive Oxygen Species in progression of cancer and how anti oxidant enzyme play a preventive role in development and prevention of cancer. Also I tried to postulate that how Immunomodulatory drugs can be used in prophylaxis of cancer. The pathophysiology and molecular mechanisms involved in cancer and the mechanism by which novel drugs can counter them reinforced my interest in pursuing higher education in the area of cancer biology. And of all the diseases, it is the signaling in cancer cells that has attracted much attention of cellular and molecular biologists over the years. The sound theoretical background that I gained in cellular and molecular pharmacology has given me significant insight into the molecular basis of disease and therapeutics; this in turn has motivated me to take a step further with regard to my research experience so far.
In my experience, knowledge and the practicalities of research are paramount. But nothing speaks more of a person's knowledge like being able to speak intelligently about their field. I was given the opportunity to conduct several seminar and Paper presentations whilst at university and did exemplary work. I attended many International and National conferences and workshop during my master's degree as I felt it was a great opportunity for me to expand beyond what I was learning in the classroom, to explore further. They were not required by anyone or anything but my personal standards.
Along with studies, I enthusiastically pursued extracurricular activities. I enjoy sports and love participating in cultural events. I have served as a cultural secretary in the annual festival committee. I have also been part of the organizing teams of various events in college. Thanks to these activities, I learned about leadership, interpersonal relationship, and sociability, which nurtured the development of my personality.
I need to do more research into several areas: signal transduction pathways and receptor pharmacology, signaling system in cancer biology and embryonic stem cell research. My strong pharmacology and molecular biology background, and unique educational experiences coupled with my track record of hard work speak of strong will power and make me a choice candidate for graduate work in the area of cancer research. It is my intention to make a significant contribution to my chosen field and I look forward to our relationship with great eagerness.
