An International Journey to Physiology

By Sumeet Solanki Research Investigator, Molecular & Integrative Physiology

Time passes away, memories do not. I have clear memory of the muggy day of August 5th, 2011, when I left Mumbai for the US for the first time. As the plane took off late that night, I peered out of the window and saw the Mumbai coastline disappearing.

I bid farewell to Mumbai, my emotions running like a roller coaster ride!! Before we dive into my international perspective, let’s take a step back. I was born and raised in Mumbai and attended Mumbai Educational Trust school (MET), under the umbrella of University of Mumbai, for my Associate (Diploma) and Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy. That is when my love for science started. As I attended classes and labs, from pharmaceutical chemistry to pharmacology to biochemistry, my interests in biology intensified. I always went the extra mile beyond what was taught in class, and while this led to me passing exams with flying colors, it also stoked a deep desire to pursue higher studies. I was accepted into several masters and PhD programs and after much consultation and deliberation with my mentors, I accepted the PhD admission offer. Although, I was excited for this this wonderful chapter, the thought of being away from my family and friends and as well as from India, thousands of miles away, haunted me. In the close-knit family culture of India, it is uncommon to stay away from your home for school/work, and I wasn’t any different. I knew being away wouldn’t be an easy ride and that is when my parents chipped in and motivated me. They quoted a phrase from Nelson Mandela’s leaflet, which I vividly remember to date, “Courage is not the absence of fear but conquest of it”. After clearing my interviews for my visa, I was all set.

Mumbai, like NYC, is a fast-paced city where time is always of the essence, but in those last few days before my departure, I got the feeling that time was running even faster than the usual Mumbai standards, like an Indian taxi meter. It was ironic that it took more than 24 hours to reach the US, but I landed on the same day that I left India, August 5th, 2011. After clearing immigration/customs, we drove straight to Toledo. The drive was smooth and though it was past 8pm, I was thrilled to see that the sun was shining with all its might. Jetlagged and tired, I went to bed early and the next day when I came to my senses, reality kicked in, Ahh!! finally I was in the land of opportunities. As I settled into this new atmosphere, so did my homesickness!! The first few weeks were challenging as there were changes in food, culture, accents, weather etc.. The first thing that struck me was the quietness of the place compared to Mumbai. As we got acquainted with Toledo, I fondly remember a funny instance from our early days. We bought some peppers at Walmart and at check out, we kept on saying Jalapeno peppers with a “J” while the cashier remarked Jalapeno with “H”. In hindsight, she must have thought we had gone crazy, only realizing much later that J is pronounced as H.

Those initial days were an adventure and seemed like a holiday as we tried different cuisines, met different people from across the globe, and learned things differently. I always thought India is as diverse as you can get, but America is in a different league. Simply put, America is a microcosm of the world. While this happened in the background, the demanding coursework of first-year graduate school along with rotations quietly knocked at my door. At one point, I even considered completing a Master’s rather than finishing my PhD and just moving on. When I told this to my close friend, he responded back, “America was not built in a day”, and he urged me to hang in there to finish what I started. In a similar vein, a colleague gave me invaluable advice when I was deciding on which lab to join after rotations, he said, “Don’t choose a lab/project to work for, choose a mentor. If you love your mentor, you will love the work.” Looking back, this advice was so simple yet so powerful, and I feel lucky to have followed it throughout all my training.

Long before we conducted any research experiments in my lab, cutting-edge research began in our apartments. Three guys who had never cooked in their lives were trying to figure out how to cook and what to cook! Though YouTube came to our partial rescue, our “experiment didn’t work most of the time” as researchers often say, but with experience came wisdom and now we are pros at it”. My myriads experiences in the US throughout this journey not only taught me something new but also made me a better person. Before I realized, time flew by in the blink of an eye. As my graduate journey ended, my UM journey started! From a lab of 5 people to a lab of 15+ and switching fields from cardiovascular science to cancer biology, everything looked overwhelming and daunting. I still remember telling Yatrik in our early meetings that I did not know what I was doing and where the project was going, and he insisted everything would fall in place. Looking back, I feel he might have had an inkling as everything did eventually fall in place. I can’t thank my lab-mates and department administrators enough for their wonderful support throughout this journey.

I believe that life is like a movie where different characters come at different times to play their roles and then move on. No matter how hard you try to extend your role, one day this will end too which I will cherish. My takeaway for trainees would be to go out of your comfort zone, be proactive, enjoy those experiences. As someone once said, “Experience is like a comb that life gives you when you are bald”. As I left India, someone remarked, “you may be away from India, but India won’t be away from you.” Now I can add to that, wherever my karmic account takes me, America won’t be away from me!!