Jadavji Laboratory



Deparment Biomedical Sciences, Division of Molecular and Integrative Physiology

Southern Illinois University



Jadavji Lab Turns 6!


Reflections on Moving Institutions


July 01, 2025

Summer of 2025 Lab Meeting with Cake!
This month the Jadavji Laboratory will turn 6. I am a HAPPY and THRIVING Assistant Professor! My new institution challenges my research core to grow, develop, and become better. I feel much happier and more satisfied. 
As I age and become more wiser (lolz), I think it is important to consider speed versus the quality of life and long-term goals.  The birth of my son changed me a lot and really taught me about the importance of being mindful with decision making. I have read from multiple sources becoming a mother breaks you, then you rebuild and become a better version of yourself, I could not agree more!

I opened the doors of the Jadavji laboratory on July 1st, 2019, at a professional school in the US. I wrote a blog post about my time on the faculty job market prior. At my previous institution, my research program was not growing the way I wanted it to on many fronts, so I found a new home. 
Over the past 23 years I have developed a strong passion for research. I started young, only a few months into my undergraduate degree. I remember being afraid of rats, but I learned how to conquer that fear and developed my research brain. I completed a MSc and then a PhD. Each new degree led to a move. Then came my postdoc and two moves. I went to Europe and then came back to Canada. Finally, I landed a position in the US. I went on the faculty job market twice. The second time I was more prepared. I was looking for the right ‘fit’ and not just a job. Where you work matters SO MUCH! 
Recently, I have been thinking a lot about my time as a doctoral student at McGill University. During that time, I worked long days, and my supervisor grilled me weekly about my data and related interpretations. It was hard! Sometimes I did not like it, but I think my time there made me a better scientist. I was interviewed by TRaCE McGill in 2020, an initiative that tracks PhD alumni. The questions poised to me and my reflections on them, made me realize how lucky I was to be in such a rigorous environment. I think I am back in a place where I am expected to do high qualitative science and train students to be the best versions of themselves. The internal standards I have for myself and my students match that of my environment. It feels great! 
 


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