From Dentist to Passionate Researcher: Satvik Mareedu’s Inspiring Journey
Satvik is the only child of their parents and was brought up being over-pampered. He was born in Andhra Pradesh, India. He did his schooling at V. P. Siddhartha Public School, located in Vijayawada, India. Later he chose the Biology stream during 11th and 12th grade and completed his Bachelor’s in Dental Surgery (BDS) degree in 2012 from Sibar Institute of Dental Sciences, India. To further advance, he went to the U.S. interested in pursuing translational research. Satvik completed his master’s degree in 2016 from Rutgers, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Later in life, Satvik wants to establish himself as an independent researcher back home. Satvik secured a Ph.D. admission at Rutgers School of Graduate Studies and is currently a 6th year Ph.D. candidate gaining ample research experience in the cardiovascular field to reach his goal.
Career Story
There is a curious researcher in all of us
I challenged myself to do an internship for three months at the Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB, India), one of the premier institutes in the country. At CCMB, I learned how to hold a pipette, like learning the alphabet in research. I was anxious and, at times, depressed, having a question in mind “will I be able to survive in the field?” At this point, I was motivated by Professor Dr. K. Ranganathan. He is a fantastic individual with extensive knowledge and one of the pillars during my tough times. He believes research in health sciences is necessary and very satisfying as it has the potential for rapid clinical translation. He recently observed an increasing trend in dental students opting for a research career in dental and basic sciences in India. Since dentistry has traditionally focused heavily on patient care, he finds this to be a positive development.
After my internship, I started applying for a Ph.D. abroad while all my applications were rejected. It was not until a couple of years later that I joined Rutgers University to pursue a Master’s in Biomedical Sciences to gain more experience. From day one, I was voraciously gaining experience in wet-lab experiments and my interest in stem cells allowed me to work on iPSCs (induced Pluripotent Stem Cells). I was able to do three lab rotations before landing in a master’s thesis lab.
My Master’s thesis taught me research requires a lot of patience. We must prove every positive/negative outcome multiple times before concluding. In addition, my Master’s thesis advisor taught me that to become a successful scientist, one should have the ability to present their idea well to secure funding apart from the technical expertise. My Master’s thesis strengthened my ability to see stem cell research as an application/advancement of basic science. Therefore, understanding traditional research prospects is vital before jumping into advanced research.
As a dental graduate, I believed pursuing a Ph.D. degree would be easier as I have already attained patience dealing with patients clinically and learned differential diagnosis considering it similar to troubleshooting. But over time, I now relate pursuing a Ph.D. is like doing the same degree multiple times. Ph.D. is the only degree where the student performs rigorous research to generate a new set of knowledge for the world, which is acknowledged by providing a Doctorate.
“Dr. APJ Kalam sir famously said, “If you fail, never give up because F.A.I.L. means, “First Attempt In Learning, End is not the end, in fact E.N.D. means Effort Never Dies and If you get No as an answer, remember N.O. means “Next Opportunity.“
Now I was able to successfully motivate a person to pursue research, which will encourage me further. In spite of the career gaps I came across, I am proud of myself for transforming from a 1st generation dentist to a 1st generation Ph.D. candidate in my family. Moreover, I can confidentially say that I rebuilt myself from handling patients and dental instruments to handling mice and performing a diverse set of cardiovascular experiments. As an example, I would like to say that having career gaps for years does not mean failure when you are working hard for something you are passionate about.
I intend to do a few years of post-doctoral training under a renowned scientist to catapult myself as a successful independent researcher. I want to establish my lab back home, performing wet-lab research and training more scientists for the field. Besides this, I want to work in oral biology, specifically on Oral Sub-Mucous Fibrosis (OSMF), a pre-cancerous condition having a higher incidence in the Indian population.
Life can be unpredictable, uncertain and may look directionless. However, that didn’t stop me from finding my passion along the way. Like Dr. APJ Kalam sir famously said, “If you fail, never give up because F.A.I.L. means, “First Attempt In Learning, End is not the end, in fact E.N.D. means Effort Never Dies and If you get No as an answer, remember N.O. means “Next Opportunity.” Although my dental career started foggily, it undoubtedly led me to the passionate researcher I am today. I learned that it is okay if our paths are foggy now and take longer than expected. We have to keep moving slowly until life clarifies and we will surely reach the destination.
I am grateful to everyone who played a crucial role in building my career: mentors, teachers, parents, friends, and my best half. I would thank the Biopatrika platform for such a great initiative and for providing chance to share my story. Just as your phone requires a regular software update for better performance, medicine needs to be updated with science now and then for the human race’s survival. I believe COVID – 19 has taught the world the significance of scientific research.
It is high time for scientists, doctors and health professionals to get their deserved recognition.
Edited by: Nivedita Kamath
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