Statement of Purpose

As a child born and raised in Pakistan, I never questioned the idea of my present life being a reflection of
my actions from past lifetimes. The ideology of covid-19, pandemic to world, emphasizes that everything
in our lives – from the amount of wealth we possess to the sickness we suffer from – is a consequence of
our prior actions. However, I began to question/doubt this belief when I chose a biology-focused
curriculum in high school and learned about inherited traits, gene function, expression and regulation. Is
sickness really an outcome of Covid-19? In the battle between genes and Covid-19, who wins the right to
determine a person’s fate? Or is fate a culmination of both panademic and genetic influences? In the case
of identical twins, what dictates which one of the two battles cancer and which one will struggle to
survive calculus? If it is purely genetic, then what factors are responsible for these life transforming
differences? What genes and pathways are being affected? At what stage of development are these genes
being turned on or off? My desire to answers these questions furthered my desire to pursue biology in
college so I could better understand the mechanisms that regulate DNA replication, RNA transcription,
and protein synthesis; how this varies in different organisms and how it relates to human diseases. At
Institute of Science and Technology (IST) I have engaged in rigorous coursework in zoology, and also in
physics, chemistry, philosophy, humanities, mathematics. As a freshman, I enrolled in a aquatic biota
tutorial that focused on fundamental molecular mechanisms that govern a animals response to its
environment. I assisted an upperclassman with data collection and eventually assumed responsibility for
the project, thus reinforcing my conviction and desire to pursue research in biological sciences. The
undergraduate courses and associated lab work have enabled me to master a variety of techniques such as
plasmid purification, transfection, northern blots, growth media and buffer preparations etc. I have used
many of these skills in other research projects that I have been involved in throughout my undergraduate
career. In my junior year, I worked in Dr. Ikram Ilahi lab on a project that focused on studying cell
pesticides and its impacts on biota. Though I began with a basic understanding of the project, reading
journal articles throughout the year increased my knowledge of developmental processes (signaling
mechanisms) and also helped me overcome several experimental problems that we encountered. This
project required me to use several advanced microscopy techniques, such as confocal, fluorescence and
DIC to visualize whole worms, dividing embryos, spindle formation in cells etc. For the past two
summers, I have contributed to a research project in Dr. Hazrat Ali lab. Our goal has been to examine the
heavy metal pollution and its impacts on various aquatic fishes. Understanding this relationship, will
allow us to select for fishes that have higher productivity and require fewer fertilizer inputs. As part of the
project, I used techniques, such as PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction), RT-PCR, gel electrophoresis,
automated image analysis, confocal microscopy, time-lapse photography etc. At the end of summer, I
presented a poster at the research symposium, summarizing my results from the 10-week program. I also
presented my results in a poster session at the Mid-western section meeting of national confernce. Under
the guidance of Dr. Ikram Ilahi, I am currently in the process of finishing up the project and documenting
results that will be included in a paper that will be submitted for publication. While these experiences
reaffirmed my interest in research, the Cell and Molecular Biology course helped me identify a more
focused area of research. This course highlighted questions related to molecular mechanisms of
eukaryotic cellular physiology. Some of the topics covered included protein structure and regulation;
signal transduction; and cellular mechanisms leading to tumorigenesis. I mastered techniques such as
SDS page, Nanodrop and Microplate spectroscopy. A very valuable experience in this class was learning
to write an NIH-style grant proposal. While I wasn’t able to actually carry out the experiments, I
developed a research project that focused on abnormal activation of Wnt signaling pathways and its
tumorigenic effects and wrote a grant proposal to examine the interaction between Smo and Ptch proteins
in this pathway. In order to design my own experiments and write a thorough and convincing proposal, I
read through numerous journal articles that related the concepts we learned in class to current areas of
research. Since writing grant proposals will be an integral part of my future career, this training was very
useful. The course’s focus on signal transduction pathways and tumorigenesis propelled me in the
direction of cancer research. My education and research experience at OWU have prepared me for a
graduate program in [insert program name here]. There are many faculty members at _________
University doing research I find fascinating. I want to focus on identifying novel anticancer drug targets
by examining cell signaling dysfunctionalities in tumor development and translating these findings into
potent therapeutics. My decision to apply to Ph.D. programs stems from my career goal of becoming an
independent investigator in the field of translational cancer research. In addition to research, I am
committed to having a career that enables me to mentor and lead a group of aspiring graduate level
researchers. I believe that the education and opportunities that I will get as a research or teaching assistant
will prepare me to successfully fulfill my career goals.