After receiving her undergraduate degree in Biotechnology in India, Swati joined the department as a master’s student. However, time has flown since then. Swati is now a third-year Ph.D. student with a concentration in Bioinformatics, Genomics, and Molecular Interactions. With her course requirements being complete, she is now entirely focused on her research. Therefore, you will usually find her working in the Jurat-Fuentes Lab throughout the day.
While in the lab, you can find her working through her research question, “What mechanisms are involved in resistance against insecticidal double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) in Colorado potato beetle”. “Double-stranded RNAs are the latest class of insecticides that act by silencing important insect genes via RNA-interference (RNAi) pathway.” She explained that one of her primary obstacles was the fact that this area of study was new, so there are many knowledge gaps. It makes “the research challenging but also exciting” she stated. Swati has put a lot of hard work into her research and in 2021, she was selected as a FFAR Fellow. You can read more about Swati and her research at ffar.maps.arcgis.com/swati-mishra.
When asked about her biggest academic accomplishment, Swati stated that she is thankful for each opportunity she received throughout her journey. She then continued to inform us that she is also thankful for all the small wins.
“I am thankful for the small wins throughout the journey. These small wins can be anything from a successful experiment after many failed attempts to sharing my research at conferences to being recognized for my work. Thinking in terms of small wins helps keep the long journey of Ph.D. exciting and keeps motivation high. I am also very thankful for the personal growth that research has allowed me to have. Taking lessons from research to personal life has helped me become more patient, understanding, and take on personal challenges without fear of failure.”
Swati also mentioned how the Ph.D. program has helped her prepare for a career in the industry. “Our Ph.D. program requires demonstration of certain professional skills such as mentoring, leadership, and outreach, to name some. All these skills are very important for a successful career not just in academics but in the industry as well. By creating these requirements, the department prompts the students to develop these important skills early on. Our research projects frequently have collaborations with different industries which helps students build industry connections.”
As Swati is nearing the end of her Ph.D. program, we asked her if she had any advice that she would like to share with prospective students. Here is what she had to say:
“1. Be open to learning and asking questions. Everyone here in the department is very supportive and wants you to succeed, so use their expertise to achieve your goals. 2. Planning your day can considerably boost your productivity and save you from many failed experiments. 3. Be okay with failing. It’s an inevitable part of research. But learn from the failure and try again! 4. And last, be open about your mental health and don’t hesitate to seek help.”
Along with engaging in research, Swati also enjoys participating in many extracurricular activities. “In the department, I enjoy being part of committees such as the Diversity and Inclusion Committee and the EPP Social Committee.” Swati also loves to read, explore the outdoors and any form of physical activity.