To round out our third week of classes we have chosen to spotlight Malisha Welikala who is a grad student in the department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. To learn more about her research in DNA repair check out our blog post!
What inspired you to pursue a career in STEM?
I studied in Sri Lanka where we have two major examinations in high school; Ordinary level where it tests your knowledge on a wide array of subjects followed by Advanced level examination (A/L) where the subjects are more narrowed down. Choosing subjects for A/Ls is a pretty important decision to make as it can decide your career field in the future to a certain extent. Although my favorite subjects were Biology and Maths, they were mutually exclusive, so it was either one or the other. I went ahead with Biology with the intention of becoming a doctor. I didn’t score enough to get into medical school which turned out to be a blessing in disguise as it opened up more opportunities for me. I was selected to the Faculty of Science for my undergraduate studies, which was an amazing opportunity for me. The biological science program me I followed made me love science even more. The field that I was most interested in was molecular biology and biochemistry, specializing in that field made me realize that this is what I want to continue working on and I want my career to be along those lines.
How would you describe your work to the public?
I’m part of the Trakselis lab and our main focus is on DNA replication and repair. DNA as we all know carries the genetic code in organisms. I work with bacteria, right now I’m working on introducing target mutations in these bacteria. We all have DNA in our cells and when cells divide, DNA has to be copied so that the new cells each get DNA copies as well. The process of making new DNA copies is known as DNA synthesis and our studies are mostly focused on this mechanism during synthesis. Since DNA is double stranded, the double strands should be unwound to single strands for synthesis to take place. Therefore, synthesis and unwinding is believed to be coupled. I’m introducing mutations in a protein that mediates the coordination between synthesis and unwinding. My aim is to observe and analyze how these mutations affect the bacteria in carrying out DNA replication.
What do you enjoy doing the most?
My favourite hobby is baking, it helps me relieve stress and I love trying out new recipes. I love baking cakes and frosting them is my favourite part.
Share an accomplishment that a younger you would have thought unachievable.
Doing a PhD in Biochemistry is my biggest accomplishment and I don’t think I would have ever imagined that I would actually be doing a PhD when I was small.
If you could give a piece of advice to the younger generation, what would it be?
To slow down and don’t be in a hurry to grow up. Enjoy the little things and spend more time with family and friends who make you happy and comfortable. Time flies so make sure you do what you enjoy doing.
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