If someone had told me back in my university days in India that I would one day be working with human hearts and lungs, I would have laughed in disbelief. Back then, the world of cardiopulmonary research seemed galaxies away from the microbiology degree I was pursuing.
Life, however, has a way of surprising us. In the summer of 1996, I immigrated to Canada, armed with a PhD in Microbiology, a daunting leap into a new country and a new future. In January 1997, I began my research career at the University of British Columbia in the Department of Microbiology. Those early years were a mix of learning and transition, marked by both professional growth and personal milestones, including a period of maternity leave that reshaped my perspective on work-life balance and resilience.
In August 2000, I joined what was then the McDonald Research Laboratories, today known as the Centre for Heart Lung Innovation (HLI). Walking into the Centre for the first time, I remember feeling both nervous and hopeful. What I didn’t know then was that this place would become my second home in Canada, a space where my professional identity would take root and flourish.
My journey at HLI began in pulmonary research under the mentorship of Dr. Del Dorscheid, who placed his trust in me as a Research Associate and his lab manager. I took on both independent projects and collaborative research initiatives. His faith in me taught an enduring lesson: growth often begins when someone believes in you before you fully believe in yourself.
In academia, research careers depend on funding cycles, shifting priorities, and constant change. With that understanding, I sought to broaden my expertise and prepare for new directions. I had always been fascinated by the work being done in the Cardiovascular Tissue Registry (CVTR) at HLI now known as the Bruce McManus Cardiovascular Biobank (BMCB). When the opportunity arose, I became a member of the explanted heart retrieval team. Today, as the manager of the BMCB, I am not only part of the exciting advancements in the cardiovascular field, but I also witness the human side of science every day. When heart transplant recipients visit the biobank to see the heart that once sustained them, their stories of gratitude and resilience remind me that research isn’t only about experiments or data, it is about people and their wellness.
Beyond research, I have always believed in the importance of mentorship and giving back. Since 2008, I have helped organize HLI’s High School Student Week Mentorship Program, which introduces Grade 11 and 12 students into biomedical research. Over the years, I have had the privilege of mentoring more than 250 students. Watching them discover their passion and pursue their careers has been one of the most rewarding parts of my journey.
Soon, HLI will transition from its historic downtown Vancouver location to the Clinical Support and Research Centre (CSRC) at the new St. Paul’s Hospital. It will be a shift from a historic location to one that is futuristic, and I am excited and grateful to be part of this transition. Still, the walls of our current home hold memories that will always stay with me.
In August 2025, I celebrated twenty-five years at HLI, a milestone that fills me with immense gratitude. Looking back over these two and a half decades, I am thankful for the mentors who guided me, and for the colleagues who became lifelong friends. Leaving my family and friends in India was one of the hardest choices I ever made, but the community I found at HLI filled that space with belonging and purpose.
HLI has taught me far more than science. It has helped foster my development as a leader, strengthened my resilience, and deepened my gratitude. It has shown me that growth does not happen in isolation, it happens in communities that believe in one another. For me, that community has always been HLI, and for that, I am deeply thankful.