Her Story
About Suyasha
Suyasha Roy serves as a Research Scientist at the National Institutes of Health in Maryland. She brings more than ten years of experience in immunology and life sciences research, having progressed from her PhD studies in biomedical sciences with a specialization in immunology at institutions in India, through a Newton Bhabha Research Fellowship at the University of Oxford, to a five-year postdoctoral fellowship at NIH before transitioning to her current role. Throughout her career, Roy has contributed to scientific publishing, editorial work for journals including the Journal of Immunology Research, Vaccines, and Frontiers in Immunology, and has received numerous travel awards and grants from organizations such as the American Association of Immunologists, Indian Immunology Society, and others, while maintaining memberships in key professional societies.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Suyasha
01What do you attribute your success to?
I have worked really hard to be here where I am today. My hard work, my persistence, my tenacity, my flexibility. The support of my family and my friends, and all my supervisors with whom I have worked, all of these factors together has contributed to my success.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
You have to just be passionate about what we are doing, and you have to just keep working towards your goal. You have to be smart, you have to be working hard is important, but it's also important to realize what is needed. How to do multitasking, and if you are going in the right direction, if you have faith and if you're perseverant, there's nothing impossible. Remain focused.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Follow your heart and follow your mind. Follow your passion, and if you're passionate about something, nothing is impossible. That passion will keep giving you the driving force that is needed for you to become successful. Be perseverant, keep pursuing towards your goals. Hard work is the key to success, so there is no shortcut. Be ready for what it takes, and just keep going, keep following your dreams.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge is funding. Despite so many years of research, we're still struggling to find a very good cure for different diseases such as cancer and autoimmunity. There's a lot of instability in the job market, competition is really high, performance and deliverables are highly expected. Limited positions in academia for higher roles like independent professor. The biggest opportunity is having my own laboratory as principal investigator, addressing research questions independently, bringing up new therapeutic strategies for cancer and autoimmunity.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Honesty to yourself, to your work, to your relationships. Being honest gives you peace of mind that you're giving your best. Be truthful to yourself and the people around you and to your work. Being positive overall in life is very important. Trying to exclude all the negativity, negative energy, and focusing on positivity, believing in yourself.
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