Studying Pharmacology and Reaching Ph.d. Degree in Bangladesh

In my country, Bangladesh, there is a stereotypical conception that if a student doesn't accomplish his undergraduate degree from a renowned government academy, he is incompetent. But I always begged to differ and rather believed that if a person is genuinely meritorious and diligent, he will flourish in every aspect of life and this perception is what transmuted my life. I have completed my Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honors) from one of the best private universities of Bangladesh, “University of Asia Pacific” with the highest CGPA (3.99 out of 4.00). I have not only completed my Bachelor’s degree with full tuition waiver but also have been honored with several awards for my tremendous academic performance. Now, I yearn to build up my career as a Pharmacologist and pursuing a Ph.D. degree will be the staircase to my dream. My Bachelor’s degree provides me a generalized and existing knowledge on the wide array of pharmaceutical disciplines. I believe whereas a graduate program is a journey where one studies a particular subject in great profundity and gain comprehensible insight into Pharmacology. Contribution to an original research is the greatest feature in the Ph.D. program to uncover new knowledge.

Admission into Ph.D. degree will be not only my approach to be trained in high-end research skills regarding Quantitative and In-vivo Pharmacology or Disease Modeling but also prepare me to conquer difficult tasks that will come across my profession. Studying Pharmacology is important for me since I want to involve in researches that lead to drug discovery and development. Pharmacology is fundamental for drug discovery and the new treatment for drugs that still lack effectual treatments. Ph.D. in Pharmacology is the perfect way to integrate Science and Medicine and apply that knowledge to solve real-world problems. Pharmacology is an exciting and innovating subject that will get me a firm grounding in Physiology, Cell Biology, Biochemistry, and Pathophysiology. It will give me depth perceptive of how drugs exploit different cellular mechanisms by targeting receptor. The human genome and its ramifications are providing much new information about disease mechanisms and possibly new therapeutic approaches, providing the basis for new drug discovery projects and I would like to contribute to such projects. Besides, studying pharmacology opens many doors offering future career pathway in academia, the pharmaceutical industries, government agencies and clinical research and practice. I want to improve the lives of millions of people around the world by being a contribution to drug discovery and development.

Adding to this, in my country, academic and governmental institutions largely neglect the significance of research on drug design and disease-specific studies due to various reasons. After completing my Ph.D. degree, I will step forward and create a research team where the students and the trainee will work together and aid in improved healthcare of my country. But if I ever get chance in someplace else as well, I would willingly take the opportunity to make a difference in whichever way I can. But for that to happen, all I need to be a worthy academician thus needs to become an expert at the principles and theories of Pharmacology.

To gather research understandings in my preferred research area, I enrolled in the Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Technology and have successfully accomplished my post-graduation from the University of Asia Pacific with CGPA 4.00 out of 4.00. I took my graduate thesis work on "Genetic variations of SMAD1 genes and its association with Colorectal Cancer risk in Bangladeshi population". Our results signify that SMAD1 could be used as a potential molecular marker for successful identification and treatment of Colorectal Cancer in the Bangladeshi population. Now, I am writing my manuscript for publication in a journal about a high impact factor like “Tumor Biology”. I want to get an admission into Ph.D. Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences at Mercer University, since it will offer me the vivacious academic environment and rich facilities for an extensive variety of research approaches. The College of Pharmacy will not only present me the opportunity to become a member of 17 regional and national pharmacy organizations but also provide for me a possibility to work with research centers to discover and advance knowledge. I appreciate Mercer University’s Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD) since I will be able to communicate with the alumni through the College’s Professional and Network. The most remarkable fact is that I will get a chance to work closely with highly published and cited faculty.

After going through the faculty directory and their research interests, I discovered that my research interests completely matches with Dr. Nader H. Moniri, Associate Dean for Research and Associate Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. After thorough observations of his research works and papers, I think that each research project is propitious whether it is on characterization of the role of the ß2-AR/ROS linkage in asthma or on study of the role of FFA4 in the Parkinson's disease, therefore I am confident to both render and learn a lot from them. Dr. Moniri and I had a conversation via web conference where we shared our thoughts, ideas, and inquiries regarding our research interests and future works. He encouraged me to apply and gave me permission to put his name on my SOP.

The best fact is that in his lab, graduate students will get the opportunity to be involved in more than one research projects which is a million dollar chance for the students who want to mold them as a successful molecular pharmacologist in future. His lab has every facility to perform any kind of pharmacological techniques from Immunoblotting whole cell to phosphorylation assays. His students are contributing as authors on high-impact; peer-reviewed publications and I am just as longing to be like them. I believe that I would be highly fortunate if I get a chance to work under Dr. Moniri’s supervision because his excellent experience and supervision will help me achieve my goals. The overall goal of receiving a Ph.D. degree would excessively aid me in my proficiency, thoughts and innovative ideas as a Research Scientist both in the field of academy and industry. I have the greatest passion for learning and I can prove to be one of the bests if I am given an opportunity to demonstrate my potential.