Not many read a dense textbook out of pure interest, but that’s exactly what Abantika Ghosh did when she became hooked on the subject of immunology.
Ghosh was already interested in science and was studying microbiology at the University of Calcutta. But how our complex network of cells, tissues, and organs defend the body against pathogens like bacteria, viruses, and fungi, specifically, enraptured her. She would pore over Kuby Immunology, a textbook that expounds on the subject for undergraduates.
“I would just read about how immune cells talk to each other, how they remember past infections, and how they have these crazy smart responses,” she says.
Once she completed her bachelor’s degree, Ghosh decided to pursue her master’s degree in integrated immunology at at the University of Oxford, which consistently ranks among the top universities in the world.
Ghosh was a resident of Keble College at the University of Oxford. Source: Abantika Ghosh
Onto Oxford
Days at the University of Oxford started off quiet, almost unbearably so. Ghosh was used to the honking of cars penetrating her hours of studying in Kolkata, but especially with the pandemic raging on, her English education felt starkly solitary at first.
Homesickness took root, and Ghosh even fell sick with COVID at one point. But when the lockdown was lifted, so were her spirits. She met many inspiring people, and the education there pushed her beyond her usual comfort zone.
“We had to write a 10,000-word dissertation in a week, which I don’t think I could have ever done if I were anywhere else,” she says. The challenge, though daunting, helped her realise how far she’d come in thinking critically and independently.
She particularly enjoyed the way her courses were structured, which were in a way that did not require cramming.
“The questions in the exams would really not be anything from them, but they would be more like things you have to infer,” she says. “So, it really helped me think independently and critically.”
More than academia, the University of Oxford also boasted a very rich culture and history. Ghosh in particular loved participating in the formal dinners of various colleges in Oxford. For the uninitiated, Oxford comprises many different colleges that aren’t faculty-based, but instead are more of small, multidisciplinary communities.
Each of these colleges has their own building, or even multiple buildings, which includes their own formal hall that serves formal dinner, typically consisting of a three-course meal.
Ghosh would go on Facebook groups to look for students in other colleges so she could negotiate for formal dinner tickets with them. As a student from Keble College, she’d exchange tickets to their formal dinners.
“We did end up going to a lot of them, if not all,” Ghosh recalls. “And it was really fun, going to the colleges, having formal dinners.”
From fancy dinners to an enriching education, Ghosh truly adored her time in the University of Oxford.
Ghosh is interested in getting into healthcare marketing after her studies. Source: Abantika Ghosh
Today, Texas A&M University
After having such a great experience in the UK, why choose to study abroad in the US?
That was a question many have asked her, and Ghosh certainly has a variety of reasons. Choosing to go to the US wasn’t a casual decision, after all.
Funding played a big role in her decision.
“Getting a fully funded position for a PhD in the UK can be extremely hard, and when it comes to Oxford, probably even more,” she says.
Plus, Ghosh really wanted to find out what was out there and experience different lab cultures and environments before committing to one.
And why Texas A&M in particular? For one, it’s a really good school, a leading research university in the US with a diverse biology department that appealed to her interests.
For example, even if Ghosh was unable to directly study in an immunology faculty, there are a lot of faculties that would do interdisciplinary work. That made sense to Ghosh, as she wanted to explore and see if she could combine immunology with neuroscience or immunology with microbiology, or other disciplines.
“The other thing is the biology department has a lot of teaching assistant (TA) positions, which means that if there is a funding issue when it comes to your PhD or anything, you can resort to TA-ing and getting paid from there,” she explains.
According to her, a lot of students register for the introduction to biology course per semester, so there are many TA positions available.
PhD candidates are required to take on TA roles, usually in the beginning. But Ghosh continues to TA, even though she has completed her requirements for it.
“Teaching has been one of the most rewarding experiences,” she says. “I love immunology, but meeting my students and watching them grow keeps me equally excited.”
Some of Ghosh’s students baked a cake for her. Source: Abantika Ghosh
Why pursue research and academia?
After Oxford, life took an unexpected turn.
“When I came back from Oxford to India before my graduation ceremony, I had this anaphylaxis reaction where I was hospitalised for about like four days,” she reveals. “My parents were really scared of sending me to another country for a degree because the doctor said that they could not identify the cause of the allergic reaction, so I would have to keep an EpiPen injection with me all the time.” At the same time, things had become too intense academically for her as well, so she decided to take a break and instead explored the industry side of things in India.
She ended up working at Karkinos Healthcare as a part of the research team, which showed Ghosh her love for research. This pushed her to pursue a PhD, which wasn’t something she set out to do, but rather, gradually realised she wanted to achieve. So despite the initial fear, she slowly gathered the courage to pursue her passion in academia.
“Academia just feels like the kind of place where I will keep on asking questions that really did not have easy answers,” Ghosh says. “It’s where that kind of curiosity doesn’t get me into trouble. It just gets me where I really want to be.”
