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Vimla Band, Ph.D. |
NOTE: This profile is part of a series highlighting the 23 researchers who were named UNMC Distinguished Scientists or New Investigators for 2008. Each of these researchers will be profiled in UNMC Today leading up to a March 16 ceremony to recognize their achievements.
- Name: Vimla Band, Ph.D.,
- Title: Professor and vice chairwoman for research in the UNMC Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy
- Joined UNMC: 2007
- Hometown: New Delhi
Describe your research in laymen terms, please.
My laboratory studies molecular pathways that make normal breast cells become cancerous in order to identify novel diagnostic/prognostic markers for breast cancers.
What led you to pursue this area of research?
How a woman’s body functions always fascinated me. Thus, I pursued my Ph.D. studying ovarian steroid hormone production (reproductive biology) and then joined the Dana Farber Cancer Institute at Harvard Medical School to carry out research in ovarian and breast cancer. Since breast cancer is the most common cancer and second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women, I decided to dedicate my career trying to find ways for early diagnosis, better prognosis and ultimately a cure for this disease.
How do you see your research contributing to science?
We have identified a number of novel proteins that are essential for normal growth control of a cell. As uncontrolled cell proliferation is one of the hallmarks of cancer, our research is beginning to provide novel insights into fundamentally important pathways in cell growth. We have generated different subtypes of progenitor cells that may represent precursors for different subtypes of breast cancers, which are known to have different survival outcomes for patients. Our current research is focused on translating these findings into better diagnosis/prognosis of breast cancer.
Why did you become a scientist?
During school years, I wanted to be a teacher. In college, I was fascinated with medicine and wanted to be a doctor. It so happened that when I was about to appear in medical school entrance examination, I got very sick and was hospitalized for three months and then treated for a year. After coming out of a long illness, and based on my parents’ advice, I decided to pursue a bachelor’s degree in biomedical science at the All-India Institute of Medical Science in New Delhi. I loved science so much that, after earning my degree, I pursued a master’s and then a Ph.D., and never looked back. I am happy with the choice I made.
What is your hope for the next generation of scientists?
This is the best time to be a researcher with so much insight into human genome and new technology. Our new generation of scientists is lucky as it has great opportunities to make significant contributions towards curing cancer and other diseases. The only hurdle is that as scientists are making enormous advances, the funding continues to decrease. I hope that our leaders realize that it takes more than a decade to generate a scientist after the person earns a Ph.D., and therefore it is extremely important that both public and federal money flow for science increases so that we have more new and enthusiastic scientists.
Beyond grant funding, how do you measure success?
I enjoy every aspect of science, including day to day successful experiments, talking with researchers in my laboratory and helping them solve technical problems. I love teaching my students and researchers both in the classroom and in the laboratory. Thus, I feel I am successful when we make important contributions to scientific literature, my students graduate or my graduate students/post-doctoral scientists receive fellowships or job offers in great places and/or get promoted to faculty positions.
What would you tell a student interested in a research career?
Become a researcher if you really love to do research as it is not a routine job. Each step in research is full of hard work, dedication, frustration and failure. However, if you love it, you can face it and eventually enjoy the occasional successes.
Do you have a hero/role model? If so, what do you admire most about this person?
I have four role models in my life. My first role model is a biology teacher, Mrs. Promila Singh, who taught me in high school how to do a real experiment (this helped me win second prize in a competition in New Delhi where more than 100 schools participated) and to give presentations. Because of her, I became a biologist. My second role model is my mom, who took care of five of her children when my father traveled from one city to another as an Indian Army officer. My mom never cried even when we had no money as my dad was in the war. She managed to find ways to feed us and send us to school. She made sure that five of her children received higher level education even when she never attended elementary school. My third role model is my dad, who always told me to be honest, help others and work hard. Last but not least my fourth role model is my husband, (Eppley Cancer Center Researcher Hamid Band, M.D., Ph.D.) who always believes in equal rights for women and men scientists. He never let me feel that his career is more important than mine. He always is there to encourage me whenever I feel low.
Tell us about your family and hobbies outside of the lab.
I have a wonderful, highly supportive husband and we have two gifted sons, one is a sophomore at Washington University and the other is a fifth grader at Ezra Millard Elementary School. Also, my parents live with us most of the time when they are in United States. My hobbies are listening to Indian music, cooking Indian food, watching movies and taking the boys out for movies and dinner.
List three things few people know about you.
- I married the first and the only person I dated and loved, despite the opposition from all of my relatives;
- I love to dance even when I do not know how to (I always wish I had learned how to dance); and
- I like to cook, host big parties and have fun.
Click here to see the UNMC Honors Web site, which features photos of profiles of the medical center’s Distinguished Scientists and New Investigators.