Piu Banerjee

Graduate student（EA-MEXT）

 

‘A good career starts with a great training.’ A PhD is probably the most extensive and integral training towards a successful scientific career. Joining the National Institute of Genetics has been a step towards the same for me. NIG is a place that gives you access to impeccable research infrastructure, passionate and renowned faculty and unlimited access to knowledge and resources one could only hope for.
I think my fascination towards the brain began somewhere during high school. My country doesn’t have a bachelors program in neuroscience, so I did my bachelors in biotechnology instead. During that period, I did under-graduate projects under a neuroscience professor for 2 years. She really helped develop my interest in this field. I also did an internship in an applied neuroscience lab. All this bolstered my decision to opt for a research career in neuroscience. I looked for options in Japan because Japanese people are known for their perfection and sincerity towards a job. Also, it is known for it’s quality of research. And hence, I applied to the Iwasato Lab in NIG for my PhD. Currently, my research is on understanding spontaneous activity in the brain. I am learning many new techniques and enjoying my work here. I hope the same continues for the next few years and I’m able to achieve positive results for my experiments to successfully complete my PhD venture.
Coming from New Delhi, the capital of India; the transition from a mega-city to the small town of Mishima has been as just as drastic as it sounds. Being a city girl, I am used to seeing populated streets, tall buildings and a city that literally never sleeps; Mishima its the exact opposite of this. But there’s something about waking up in a landscape surrounded by hills, seeing the beautiful Mount Fuji in all it’s glory everyday, and having direct access to the Shinkansen that doesn’t make this transition as difficult as one might expect.
Living in Japan also brought a significant cultural shock with itself, and being completely foreign to the language didn’t make it any easier. However, once I made friends here and started exploring the places around Mishima, soon enough, I started adapting to the culture here. I even developed a liking towards some Japanese dishes like tempura and sushi, which came as a total surprise to me. I also developed a taste towards Japanese Sake and Shochu (Hot Alcohol). However, despite multiple failed attempts, I still can’t use the chopsticks!
I’m a bibliophile, particularly inclined towards reading Dan Brown and Agatha Christie for mystery, JK Rowling for fantasy and Jane Austen and O. Henry for old classics. Every weekend, I am able to catch up on some book or movie. I also love traveling, Quora, doodling and scribbling amateur thoughts in my journal. Thankfully, as of yet, I am continuing with all my hobbies here as well. I can’t wait to explore this beautiful country more!