Ghulam Murtaza
Biography
Graduating Student Spotlight:
Fields of Interest / Expertise:
I develop computational methods that can accurately represent the complexity of biological cells and the sheer complexity and scale of modelling biological systems.
What has been your favorite part of being a student at CCMB?
The open space where I could meet, interact, and collaborate with anyone!
What has been your biggest accomplishment during your time at Brown?
I became an independent scientist and, more importantly, a better person who is more empathetic and supportive than the person who joined the program six years ago.
What is the most important thing you learned during your PhD?
Patience, hard work, and consistency trumps everything else.
Who has inspired you throughout your degree? Is there anyone in particular that you’d like to thank?
My advisor Ritambhara Singh, for her utter and unwavering support throughout my Ph.D, taught me how to be a good researcher and, more importantly, a good person who is impartial, supportive, and kind even when situations get stressful and tense. How can you look at the bright side when nothing is going according to plan? Always have a positive attitude and outlook towards your and everyone else’s work.
What is next for you?
I am joining the University of Washington, Seattle, for my postdoctoral program, where I plan to continue the research I started during my Ph.D.
What advice would you give to current or incoming PhD students?
Be patient with yourself, and be kind with each other. Everyone around you is struggling in their way. Try to take care of each other if you can afford to. To do good research, you must be in a good, relaxed headspace; try to build one for yourself. The best way to create a supportive ecosystem is to be that supportive person first; everything else will fall into place!