Graduate / essay for PhD position in evolutionary biology [5]

Dear Dumi,

Thanks a lots for the corrections.

Graduate / essay for PhD position in evolutionary biology [5]

Hello everyone,

Thanks for the valuable inputs. I have edited everything and prepared a new draft. I need your valuable input on this. Please help me regarding the same.I have written this for PhD prog in biology with concentration on computational methods for evolutionary studies.

From the beginning I was a person with a flair for reasoning, I was always interested in knowing the reason behind the things particularly, things which surround us and this inquisitiveness further persuaded me to tread in the field of life sciences as mysteries behind the process which collectively yield "life" always drew my attention. Eventually, I opted for biology background during my high school.

During my under graduation I opted for major in Bioinformatics, which can be succinctly described as a blend of informatics approaches to solve biological problems. I took the course because I knew that this course would not only provide me a platform to broaden my understanding about the complex biological problems but also help me to acquire required skills for providing solutions to these problems using computational, logical and mathematical approaches.

During the course of my undergraduate study, I studied multiplicity of subjects like genomics and proteomics, Computational biology, molecular evolution and phylogeny, Advance programming in bioinformatics etc. The curriculum of this course was so nicely designed that it not only helped me in building strong basics but also introduced me to new era in the field of biology where biological problems are not only limited to the conventional lab works but can be solved using hi-tech computers and specially designed biological softwares. I came to know about the recent discoveries in the field of life sciences and how computational approaches are playing important role in revolutionizing every aspect of science.

In the due course, I did my summer project at "G.B Pant Agriculture University, CBSH, Dept. of Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering" on the topic entitled as "Comparative analysis of insulinomimetic phytochemicals and insulin receptor" in which I used the bioinformatics softwares to analyze the insulinomimetic properties of the phytochemicals which broadened my understanding regarding the use of softwares to analyze the biological properties of phytochemicals.

I have an interest in keeping an eye for latest ongoing research in the field as well as the opportunities available for undergraduate students in other institutions. This interest led me to take part in "Sanger Prize 2011" which is a competition conducted by 'Welcome trust Sanger Institute', U.K. and I got an opportunity to work on an essay regarding the scenario of genomic research and its impact. While working on this essay, I was introduced to the promising field of genomics in detail and how the modern technology is exploring the dimensions which were considered unrealistic in the past. The essay was among the best 5 and persuaded me for having a research career in the field of genomics.

I endeavored to know more about this field and my efforts as well as the guidance from the faculties resulted into getting me two scientific publications in the field of genomic studies. Genomics has wide range of areas and applications and as I explored it, I came to know that it is the evolutionary genomics which interests me a lot. The questions like why there are certain characters which are specific to humans, why only human developed the power of speech, why apart from 90% similarity with other primates humans are very different and possess some unique characters, were always fascinating for me. My enthrallment towards learning more about the origin and evolutionary aspect of science led me to work on project which uses computational approaches to trace back the evolutionary pattern of a gene as final semester project. During this project, I conducted computational calculations of the evolution driven phenotypic changes in the CENPJ protein, that act as a central constituent in cell cycle progression pathway. The observations indicated that the nucleotide variations in its coding region have a significant role in producing a stable trajectory of its functional motif. In this way, I was able to deduce a relationship between the changes which occurred during the course of evolution in this particular protein and how it helped in shaping the present form of protein and its functional relevance.

I have been a student with a very consistent and good academic record throughout the course. I was among the top 10% of the class and also the recipient of the prestigious "Merit Scholarship" offered by the VIT University. I am a firm believer of sharing ideas and knowledge and believe that it plays a significant role in shaping one's personality. Presentations in national and international conferences provided me an opportunity to explore beyond the horizons of routine syllabus. I represented my college during some national and international conferences and was honored with the "Young Scientist Award" at MOLMED 2012: An international conference of Molecular Medicine conducted at VIT University, for the best poster and oral presentation.

Apart from pool of academic qualifications, I have a keen interest in the extracurricular activities. I believe that a person learns more from his surrounding and knowledge increases more when it is shared. In order to promote this; I started a discussion group named as "CompBio Discussion Group" in my department which aims at conducting regular meetings and events in order to enhance our knowledge in the field of computational biology. While working for various student chapters and societies, I improved my managerial skills as well as also got an opportunity to view learning from a different perspective. I was also part of Regional Student Council- India of ISCB and participated in various activities conducted by RSG-India which enhanced my communication skills. I coordinated several events in Technical Symposiums conducted by VIT University.

I believe that the skills I acquired during the course as well as "the pursuit to explore novel methods for solving biological enigmas" is driving me to place myself to another level and increase my domain level understanding by opting for graduate program in this field. I look forward to a career in committed research where I can not only use my academic background to achieve my research goals but also make original scientific contributions to my field of interest and to mankind in general. I believe that graduate studies would provide me with the opportunities to attend advanced courses and be the stepping stone to my career in research.

Yale Combined program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences is one of the unique in its types. It is flexible and has a rigorous, well established curriculum in order to prepare a graduate student in every aspect. The ongoing research is interdisciplinary in nature but the work of Dr. X and Dr. Y interests me a lot.

In conclusion, I would once again like to express my zeal and eagerness to join the BBS graduate program. In my view, dedication and determination is the key for a successful and fruitful research. This coupled with my sincerity and inquisitive nature will prove to be an asset to your esteemed institute and hence I place my candidature before Admission Committee for positive consideration of my application for admission in the said program.