NEB Podcast #42 -
Women in Science: Interview with Bijoyita Roy

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Transcript

Interviewers: Lydia Morrison, Marketing Communications Writer & Podcast Host, New England Biolabs, Inc.
Interviewees: Dr. Bijoyita Roy, NEB RNA Research Senior Scientist, New England Biolabs, Inc.


Lydia Morrison:

Thanks for joining me for this episode of the New England Biolabs Podcast, Lessons from Lab & Life. This month, we have been celebrating Women's History Month with a series of mini episodes featuring NEB scientists. My final guest is Dr. Bijoyita Roy, NEB RNA research senior scientist. Bijoyita's work focuses on mRNA synthesis and design, methods for RNA research and RNA therapeutics. Hi, Bijoyita. Thanks so much for joining me today.

Bijoyita Roy:
Hi, Lydia. It's great to be here.

Lydia Morrison:
Yeah. So excited to have you here. So I wanted to jump right in and ask you, what do you feel is your most important work?

Bijoyita Roy:
Wow, that's actually a tricky question. So actually, when I think about it, I feel all of the work over the years, including, let's say, the work that I did in grad school for my post-doctoral research, my tenure at PTC Therapeutics and the work that I'm currently doing right now at New England Biolabs exploring the potential of synthetic RNA, all of it is actually important. And the reason I say so is because even if the individual projects were part of a big puzzle, all of them contributed in some way or the other, and that's the beauty of pursuing a career in basic research. You're always asking for new questions, and all of these are unique and important in their own way. Some of them might have a direct application, some might not be that straightforward, but all of them really matter. And for me, in my scientific career, it has always revolved around a story. It might not be quite apparent, but they're somehow related, and my hope is that it'll all tie up into a big story.

Bijoyita Roy:
So short answer, I don't have a favorite. To me, they're all equally important. And you spend so much time and energy into each one of them, and the only way you can do it is because you know it is important to you. And I built my career around it and it feels great to be a part of it. And even a few years back when people would ask me, "What do you do?" I would say, "Oh, I pursue a career in science," or, "I'm a scientist at a biotech," and things have changed so much in the last two years or so, I can actually talk to people about what I exactly do and people understand that. It's a great feeling. So I don't have a favorite, but I do know that all of them are important in some way or the other.

Lydia Morrison:
Yeah, I can absolutely see that. Where do you think that the research will be in the next five years? Where do you see the field of RNA research moving?

Bijoyita Roy:
That's a really interesting aspect, and to be honest, I think about it a lot now, because the field of RNA biology, it's advancing at such an unbelievable pace. And with the success that we have seen with the RNA-based therapeutics, you can only imagine how this modality will be adapted for other indications. We should definitely expect to see innovations in all fronts. If you look back, innovation in basic research over the past four decades or so has really enabled this technology to where it is today. So I firmly believe that there will be innovations in basic and applied research in all fronts, and we'll see really exciting developments. The future definitely is bright, but I think the ride will be really fun.

Lydia Morrison:
Yeah. I'm excited to see where RNA therapeutics and vaccines can take us in terms of healthcare and protecting communities in the future, for sure. I know this is Women's History Month and we're so excited to be able to celebrate you and some of the other female scientists at New England Biolabs. I wanted to ask you if you have a female role-model that you looked up to, someone in science that you always held on a pedestal as you were pursuing your own career?

Bijoyita Roy:
Ooh, I love this question. We all have role models, and because we had someone to look up to, I think that's why I chose this career. And if you really look at the stories of women in science, there's a common denominator there. It's their passion for their work, their persistence, and the resilience they have shown. And even though, let's say, recognition did not come at the right time, none of them gave up, and they pursued their passion, and this is something that I hold very close to my heart. There are so many examples out there, but I'm just going to give one example because it's been really relevant. It's very recent and it has been in the news.

Bijoyita Roy:
So we have all been hearing about Katalin Karikó and her pioneering work on synthetic messenger RNA-based vaccines. Her story is so inspiring, because she has been working on this technology from 1980s or so, but her work is getting recognized now. It's so relevant. However, she was really persistent and she's really passionate about the science she does. And actually it's not just the science, but she's really passionate about helping others do the science. I was struck by her passion and persistence, and there are many individuals in the RNA biology field who are fearless in the research they do. And some of them, I have had the opportunity to work with and have learned so much from them. So over the years, I have met people who took interest in my work, but also took interest in my career and have been really strong influencers for me.

Bijoyita Roy:
So I have always been in awe of how they navigated their careers, and it was my high-school biology teacher who was doing her PhD while she was teaching us. She had two college-going kids. I learned so much at that time, and I think I decided to choose this career because of her: her passion, her persistence.

Bijoyita Roy:
And it's not just doing bench science. It's also navigating your career, your professional growth in this field. Over the years, I have met individuals who actually are not bench scientists, but have decided to pursue alternative careers in science, but they have wholeheartedly shared their professional experiences with me, and they have actually also helped me navigate mine. It's unbelievable how similar our experiences are, and even though we have different careers at different time, I have learned so much from them, and it's always their willingness to share their knowledge, their experience, and their interest in seeing you succeed. This is something I really cherish and I consider myself very fortunate to have. So I have a lot of role models, and it's always their passion for what they do and their persistence that has always been a big inspiration for me personally.

Lydia Morrison:
Oh, I love that. I think you really have a network of role models, it sounds like, for people that you interacted with as early as high school who really influenced you, to those peers and mentors that you've made along the way. So that's awesome to hear. Do you have any advice that you would offer for young women who are considering pursuing a degree in a STEM-related field?

Bijoyita Roy:
Yeah. From my personal experience, as well as at this point in my career, to be honest, I cannot imagine being happier doing anything else, but science can be quite frustrating at times. So it's really important that you be persistent, resilient, and you have to really love it. You have to be passionate about your work. And I think it holds true for not just science, for any career decision you take.

Bijoyita Roy:
And you cannot take failures personally. Rather, you should look at it as an opportunity to learn from and move forward. Also, it does not come easily, but it is really important to not fall into self-doubt and not get flustered. You should really pursue what you're passionate about and be humble. Be humble about your work, but also be really proud of your work.

Bijoyita Roy:
And everyone needs to find their voice. You don't have to be the loudest one in the room, but you have to figure out how to communicate your work. And everyone has a different way of doing it. I don't think there's a one-size-fits-all kind of a thing. You'll have to figure out what works best for you. And like you had mentioned, you have to find your tribe: people from whom you can learn from and who you can talk to.

Bijoyita Roy:
So overall, be resilient, be passionate, be fearless in your work. And finally, don't let anyone tell you what you can and cannot do, and that's really important too.

Lydia Morrison:
Yeah. I love that. And I think you addressed the issue of self-doubt too, when you said to be fearless and to not let your doubts stop you. I think that the imposter syndrome can be something that's really prevalent in women in science, and so it's nice to hear someone address it, because I think that it takes a long time to feel competent and fluent in a field. So I would absolutely agree with you there.

Bijoyita Roy:
It's hard, but at the same time, I'm really glad that we talk about it a lot more now than we used to, and like you said, it's really important that we address it, and people should be comfortable talking about it and be aware of it.

Lydia Morrison:
I totally agree. Thanks so much for taking the time out of your schedule to join me today, Bijoyita.

Bijoyita Roy:
Thanks, Lydia. It's been a pleasure.

Lydia Morrison:
Absolutely. The pleasure is all mine. Thanks for listening to this special episode of the NEB Podcast. Please join us for the next episode to hear from Reforest The Tropics, an organization working to capture the world's carbon by rebuilding forests.

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