Research and studying abroad – an interview Janhavi Sahasrabudhe

Arya Gadre
Jun 30
7 min read

Janhavi Sahasrabudhe has had an interesting academic journey, going from Ohio State University to pursuing a master’s in France at Université Paris Cité and currently working in research at the Cincinnati Children’s hospital. Throughout our interview, Janhavi talks about her professional and academic journey as a neuroscience researcher, elaborating on the challenges she faced – including the Covid pandemic. Janhavi expresses her hopes for her future career and provides advice for individuals hoping to pursue a similar path to her.

Interview is conducted by Arya Gadre. Arya just completed her first year in Ohio State University where she is double majoring in Economics and Political Science and minoring in Art Studio.

Can you walk us through your academic journey? What made you want to study neuroscience?

I went to OSU and initially like a lot of my friends, I was pre-med. I started getting into research out of random curiosity. I started reading neuroscience research by myself. So, I switched over to the neuro track when I was about at the end of my sophomore year of undergrad. Unfortunately, Covid hit at the time so I couldn’t gain much lab experience. However, I knew that I wanted to continue in this line of research and my goal was to study neurological diseases.

After I graduated from Ohio State, I worked as a research tech for a few months in a neuroscience lab at Northwestern that studied decision-making in the brain. My experience in this lab truly reinforced my goal and I was motivated to continue my research studies into my master’s program across the Atlantic, in Paris, France.

Studying in Paris was always a dream of mine and through the NeuroParis program at Université Paris Cité, I was fortunate to study neuroscience and complete my research in the city. During my year abroad, I was very focused on gaining research experience and in my project, I studied the circadian rhythms of fruit flies. Currently, I am working at Cincinnati Children’s in the Gokhale Lab and I am learning a lot from my PI and peers, with the goal of applying to doctoral programs soon.

What made you choose to study in France as opposed to the United States?

First, my experience in learning French drove me towards choosing to study in Paris. I have been learning French since I was in 6th grade and I was very passionate about it even at OSU, where I completed a French minor. The European and American college systems are very different and I was curious about understanding how research would compare between American and European laboratories. Additionally, my master’s program was for 1 year so I thought that would be a good amount of time to experience the academic life, lifestyle, and culture in France.

What were the main differences between studying in France and the United States, and what struggles did you face integrating?

I think integrating into daily life was easier than I expected. I was very lucky in that manner. I had been to Paris before on a study abroad trip and I had gotten used to daily Parisian life. I also made friends very quickly, in my program and through the Maharashtra Mandal.

I saw a few differences in the academic setting between France and the US. The biggest difference and challenge came in the way they schedule and structure their classes. For example, at OSU, I would take classes for 3-4 months and have a final exam at the end of the semester. In my master’s program, the classes/modules would last for 1 week and we would have a final exam and a presentation due at the end of that week. I think this was unexpected as a student coming from the States and it took some time to get used to the flow.

I do want to mention that despite these challenges, I made amazing friendships with fellow students who helped me adapt to the culture.

How did your time in France shape your understanding of neuroscience and your interest in research?

It helped me understand the various types of research opportunities. You can choose to work in academia or industry, basic science or translational or clinical research, etc. It also guided my interests in combining molecular biology, neuroscience, and working close to translational research. In my master’s project, I worked on elucidating the genetic basis of sleep-wake rhythms in fruit flies. I chose this project because at the time I was very inclined to study circadian rhythms. While that is still a topic dear to me, my time in Paris steered my interest towards more molecular biology and understanding disease mechanisms.

After working in Paris and now here in Cincinnati Children’s, I can add onto my research and scientific knowledge and experiences. You also get to see how labs apply techniques and conduct similar experiments so differently.

Has studying neuroscience and the research you have done changed the way that you think about your own behavior patterns in your day-to-day life?

I will say so. Since I study circadian rhythms and other behaviors, I have started nitpicking my own habits. I notice my own behavior, like what time I sleep, how I sleep, when I wake up, what I do during the day, how much coffee I drink, and so on. That’s one part of behavioral research I really enjoy. The kinds of behavior we study are very common and we can find them all around us. I try not to think about it too seriously when I’m not doing research, but as a scientist, it’s good to stay curious and introspect.

I also think studying neuroscience and biology in general has also helped my parents understand what I do. Generally, they will be the ones who are telling me to inculcate good habits in my day-to-day life so it’s been satisfying for them to be back by science now.

Aside from your challenges abroad, what are some of the main challenges you faced in your academic journey?

One of my challenges when I started undergrad was that I wasn’t exactly sure about what I wanted to do. I will say, that’s not necessarily a challenge for other people. It can be very helpful to explore different career options at the beginning of your college life. For me, I think I was worried about whether I made the right choice or not. I did not push myself because I was afraid of taking the next step and not being content with the result.

The other challenge that I faced, and all students faced was the Covid-19 pandemic. We went into lockdown and were sent during the middle of my sophomore year and due to the quarantine situation, I could not join the labs I was really interested in. Looking back, I think if I were to redo my undergraduate years, I would tell myself to be brave and push myself.

What advice would you give someone who wanted to pursue a similar career path to you?

Quite a few people who I knew were originally pre-med in undergrad ended up going very different routes. What I have noticed is that there tends to be a lot of anxiety about going into medicine compared to other career paths. I know that I was nervous about going into medicine versus research or even other opportunities.

My advice to someone who wants to pursue a similar career path is that it is okay to not have your entire life planned out when you are a freshman in undergrad. I think it’s important to take it one day at a time and live in the moment. Of course, I encourage people to have goals and aims for their career, but you should choose an area that you enjoy and which you find fulfilling. You should ask yourself important questions, like do I really like what I do? Why do I want to do this? What do I want to gain from this? Can I see myself doing this for the next 30-40 years? Is this going to give me satisfaction or cause me more anxiety in the future?

As a scientist, I will be biased about wanting people to join research. My advice to anyone who wants to be a scientist is to go for it. If you like science classes, sign up for the science fairs, do the projects you want, be creative with the questions you’re asking. There are a lot of unanswered questions in research and there’s room for everyone!

Q: You also have the unique experience of studying abroad for your master’s, so what wisdom would you impart regarding that whole experience?

I will say don't be concerned about the language barrier, that is not the biggest worry. The biggest piece of advice that I can give is that people everywhere are the same. Eventually, you'll find your place. You will fit in. It's just a matter of time. And honestly, it's okay if you don't know the language. I know I struggled in my lab days because I didn't take any science classes in French, so it would take me sometime to figure out what my peers were saying.

The second piece of advice I would give is to have a blast. You're not just going there to

study. Live your life, go outside, explore as much as you can. I will say, exploring more of the country did also help. It was very relaxing for me. I think some of the closest friends I have today are from my master's program. I think it became my home away from home with a close circle of friends. I will support anyone who wants to study abroad. It is such a different experience from studying and living in the United States. I think studying abroad helps you mature in so many ways. So, I will say if you feel like doing it, go for it!

Q: Where do you see yourself in the future? Are you planning on sticking to research in France, or the US or maybe even in another new country?

I want to go to pursue a PhD. I'm hoping to apply soon, but I'm not exactly sure when that will start. I'm hoping it'll be in the next couple of years. I haven't narrowed it down to a country yet because I'm trying to be flexible about that. I would love to go back to Europe. It's a great place and I know a lot of scientists there who are doing great work. I have yet to decide whether I will stay in academia or more to industry but both seem like good choices at the moment. I think I am just excited to start a PhD and continue doing what I love!