Najla Arshad, PhD

Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got to where you are now.
I was very curious as a child and loved to read. I remember going over the children’s encyclopedia collection we had at home (that my mum bought from a door-to-door salesman!) and loving the pictures and the little bits of information in there. As I grew older, I would read about scientific discoveries in the newspaper and was always curious about how they were made. My father, a scientist, would explain how the process worked, and as I grew older, he would bring home scientific magazines. However, I had decided I would be a scientist when I was in 4^th grade! I remember writing an essay about how I would become a scientist and cure AIDS, and my teacher said we’d probably have a cure by then(!!) In a way, neither of us was right! But skeptical English teachers aside, I was fortunate to have had some great science teachers along the way who ensured my interest in physics, chemistry, and biology held.

Coming from a family with strong academic credentials and growing up in India, where academics are highly valued, my path to a PhD was fairly standard. The syllabus back then was mostly didactic with some hands-on lab time thrown in. I absolutely loved the lab classes. It felt great to apply what we had learned from our lectures. I would like to specifically mention my teachers in the MS program in Biochemistry, who emphasized the scientific method behind every concept we learned.

Who has had the biggest impact on your career?
Apart from my parents, it is my PhD mentor, Prof. Sandhya Visweswariah. She really took an effort with me to transform a lump of clay into a scientist. I can’t thank her enough for her mentorship in shaping me into the person I am today. This new identity as a scientist was further nurtured by my postdoc mentor, Prof. Peter Cresswell.

What is your greatest scientific accomplishment?
Working on one of my projects posed significant challenges, including reticent collaborators and uncooperative colleagues. This led to a loss of productive communication, which was very hard for me as I find joy in discussing experiments and results. Science is hard enough, and staying motivated in these circumstances was harder still. Support from my mentor and peer networks was crucial in helping me persevere, and we published a paper that I am very proud of. The true accomplishment wasn’t a specific, ground-breaking discovery, which we all strive for, but rather navigating a stressful environment with professionalism and integrity.

What is one of your biggest failures in science, and how did you overcome it?
I’ve really had to ponder this one. I can’t point to a project or experiment, as I think a high failure rate in research is par for the course. I think my failure was due to my naivety regarding where to publish. While good research is appreciated, in this day and age, being strategic about which journals to publish in helps get attention to the science and helps with funding. This is now an active point of discussion with my collaborators and students when deciding where to send a manuscript.

How do you balance home and work life?
As a scientist, I don’t think we can really turn off our research brains! While the thinking and background processing never truly stop, I cannot overemphasize the importance of having a support system and capable people in both your personal and professional life. It allows me to be totally present when I am at work, and when I know my lab and science are in good hands, it allows me to be present for my children, family, and friends when I am at home.

Have you ever faced prejudices as a woman?
I have been fortunate to have had strong women role models, including my mother, my PhD mentor, and other scientists around me, as well as a great mentorship group. My environment has protected me from many prejudices that I have seen other women scientists face. Let’s see what I will face firsthand in this new chapter of my career. However, I will speak to my experience since becoming a mother- a role that is exceptionally demanding in its own way. The early days did impact my ability to perform to my full potential. The sleep deprivation with little kids is brutal, and it affected my productivity. I would like to take the liberty of extending this experience to anyone (not just women) who is in a caregiving role. It’s hard work, and you don’t get a break for it at all in science. I see only one way around it- teamwork. This applies to both your professional and personal life.

What tips or advice would you give to other women who want to pursue a faculty position?
I encountered the idea that telling women that they can have it all is a lie, and it resonated deeply with me. I had been grappling with feeling like a failure, as I felt I was unable to meet the perceived standards expected of me, despite the support and opportunities I had. This idea gave me pause to reflect on my definition of success vs society’s. It was a hard but liberating process.

My advice to other women pursuing this path is this- build your village. This is your team that will sustain you. Take a moment to reflect on your quality of life and mental health, and set personal and professional goals. Next, identify the people, resources, and environments that will help you get there. Seek out labs, departments, and universities that value collaborative and team-based work. I encourage you to extend this to your partner and friends, as your personal team is as important as your professional one.

I am fortunate to have an incredibly supportive and understanding husband who encourages my passion for science, research, and teaching. Often, we look to our families for support, but that may not be feasible for all. It wasn’t for me as an immigrant with immediate family thousands of miles away when I had my first child during the COVID era. However, I built a fabulous network of colleagues, friends, and genuine caregivers over time, and it was hard to leave them and start again when I moved here to RFU. This moving around will happen in your career in academia! Wherever you go, build your village. Nurture your village by either giving back or paying it forward.

What are some fun facts about yourself that are not on your resume?
I love pistachio ice cream! And I enjoy a wide range of music from classical to nu metal.