Yeshika Bhatia

Welcome back! We are onto my next interview, enjoy!

My second interviewee is Yeshika Bhatia. She is currently doing her PhD in endocrine physiology, where she studies diabetic nephropathy at the University of Manitoba. Yeshika is originally from India, she was a research fellow in liver studies at one of the biggest hospitals and research centers in India (PGI Chandigarh). In her free time she enjoys cooking and playing sports, such as badminton and basketball. 

Q: Can you give a brief summary of what your job is?

Yeshika: Here as a student, I do translational research where I work on preclinical models. We have a mouse model which has been created in our lab and we give them a high-fat diet to induce diabetes in them. Following that induction, we further study diabetic nephropathy and how it is different between males and females. 

Q: What programs or courses did you take before you came here?

Yeshika: Back in India, I was doing my undergrad in biomedical sciences which took three years, and then my masters, also in biomedical sciences, which took two years. Before coming to Canada, I worked for two years after graduating in a hospital where I did hepatocellular research on humans. There we created a kit which can diagnose HCC at an early stage. Then, I was on a fully funded scholarship, where I landed at U of M. I started my masters and then my PhD where I studied neurophysiology, endocrine physiology, cardiophysiology, respiratory physiology and biomedical sciences. 

Q: Is there anything you wish you knew before going into this program, or tips you would have for somebody just starting? 

Yeshika: I wish somebody would have told me that it's such a long journey! It's around 10 to 12 years of studying, and it feels like it's never ending. However, it has been a rewarding experience. 

Q: What career do you want?

Yeshika: Either I want to be a research scientist or a health policy maker for the government.

Q: Can you describe a day in your life?

Yeshika: Regularly I wake up at 6:00am, do all my morning stuff, and get ready for the gym. I work out until 8:00am and then go to my lab. I have classes on Monday and Wednesday, so I would attend my class. Other days I go into the lab around 9:00am. I set up the lab, whatever experiment I am working on that day and start performing it. My experiments usually last until the evening until 8:00pm or 9:00pm. I live on campus so working late and starting early is not much of an issue.

Q: What traits do you think would be essential to be successful in this job?

Yeshika: Communication is key. You need to learn how to communicate your science in everyday language. Being able to translate the technical words into language that patients can understand is important, because we are working on this for them. 

Q: What are some common misconceptions that people have about your industry?

Yeshika: Some people think that it's just reading, writing and studying, but for most people that is not the case. This job becomes your personality, you make connections, communicate, learn how others are doing things, you really grow. This job also makes you into a multitasker.

Q: Are there a lot of women in your program?

Yeshika: No. We do have women as students, but as the hierarchy of science goes on, women are decreasing. It can be hard to deal with, but it also pushes you further as well, it makes you want to move forward. 

Q: Do you have any advice for students who move away from their family for post-secondary?

Yeshika: I would say learn to manage money, and time, and take care of your health. You should also learn how to cook, you can’t buy takeout everyday. Health is very important. 

Q: How do you think your industry will progress in the future?

Yeshika: With all the eating habits people are developing, and the increasing sugar intakes, obviously metabolic diseases are going to increase. So the industry will rise because you can’t prescribe anything until research and clinical trials have been done first. The food industry is becoming really bad, and healthy options are so expensive, but eating better will prevent these diseases.