Invited Talk on “Biotechnology as a Career- Reality vs Expectation” by Dr Jyoti Balhara

Trusting the magic of starting something new keeps the fire alive irrespective of the obstacles at each turn on the road of life. NIIT witnessed the same magic come alive as they conducted a talk by Dr Jyoti Balhara on ‘Biotechnology as a Career- Reality vs Expectation’ at 9:00 AM on November 19, 2021. Dr Jyoti Balhara is a Regulatory/Medical Affairs Professional from Canada. She did her MSc (2012) and PhD (2016) in Immunology at the University of Manitoba and has several publications in the area of Asthma. Her significant contribution in the field speaks beyond the long list of her achievements.

She divided her talk into three chapters and beautifully disclosed the story behind each. Starting with her source of inspiration, her mother’s Asthma, brought her to a stage where she desired to utilize her academic skills to help treat people. Apart from research about the field, the power to manipulate organic things for the betterment of humanity was enough for her to pick up biotechnology. With this, she also highlighted the importance of balancing one’s passion and ambition with their financial options, to choose a career that one does not regret later.

Chapter-2 spoke about the transition of her life from India to Canada. Besides taking inspiration from her aunt, who successfully established herself abroad through her skills, it was the bureaucracy and racism in India that proved to be the final nail on the coffin. She decided to move out, sending hundreds of applications across the globe, she never thought Canada will be her home forever. Giving tips on how to settle abroad, she emphasized how it is not a fancy social media video, and life can be as challenging as possible. Her advice was very valuable for the young audience who are on the decisive stage of their lives.

Landing upon the final chapter, her landscape research across different domains such as pharma sales, regulatory IP marketing, makes her a strong source for a better and deeper understanding of the research and existing market. Ending her talk by emphasizing the importance of keeping family as a big motivator to rise whenever you hit rock bottom, she left the attendees feeling encouraged and motivated.