Growing up in Bangladesh, Dr. Ramisa Fariha was only in seventh grade when she learned about the Biomedical Engineering research being conducted at Brown — it was Dr. Jeff Morgan’s work with artificial mice ovaries that inspired her to pursue BME. “It was like I had my entire life trajectory gifted to me in the form of ‘biomedical engineering,’” she said.

Once deciding to pursue a PhD, Ramisa was inspired by the work in Dr. Anubhav Tripathi’s lab. “Learning about the immediate applicability of Dr. Tripathi 's work and low-cost diagnostics, I was instantly interested in pursuing my PhD under his mentorship,” she said. At Brown, Ramisa’s research focused on tier-2 diagnostics, aiming to develop technologies for immediate clinical applications. Her dissertation addressed challenges involved with sample preparation, transport, accessibility, and cost. 

At Brown, Ramisa led a team of researchers, and together, they developed an improved, automated antidepressant drug detection system. Outside of the lab, she has mentored several younger students via the Society of Women Engineers and through GirlUp Bangladesh. She also serves at the Society of Laboratory and Automation’s “Early Career” and “Knowledge and Content Delivery” Committees helping create an impact on minorities in STEM and the scientific community at large. 

Now, Ramisa is working as a postdoctoral associate at Brown’s RNA Center under Dr. Juan Alfonzo. She is “spearheading all mass spectrometry-related studies at the center.” She’s also hoping to spend a lot of time with family, after years of being busy with graduate school and PhD research. 

“Collaborative environment:” Why pursue a PhD at Brown?

Ramisa completed her master’s in BME during the pandemic. She was planning to take some time off but then received an email from Dr. Tripathi about leading a project for his lab. “After talking to him, I knew I was in the presence of a passionate researcher who would be a great mentor,” she said.

“With the Tripathi Lab, I not only had the opportunity to collaborate across departments, but I also had the opportunity to collaborate with researchers in industry,” Ramisa said. She worked with Dr. Carolina Haass-Koffler, as well as conducted collaborative research with the likes of PerkinElmer and Revvity. The community Ramisa collaborated with was diverse in background and experience. “Brown has a space for everyone, with unlimited resources to keep learning and growing as researchers,” she said.

Those community members supported Ramisa in several ways. “There are several people to thank, and it truly takes a village to create one functional PhD student,” she said. She said Dr. Tripathi broadened her vision as a scientist, Dr. Celinda Kofron “taught me the value of kindness while embracing my true authentic self in academia,” and Dr. Angus Kingon taught her about entrepreneurship while encouraging students to work in service “the greater good of the society.” 

Ramisa also loved the degree of autonomy she had in her work at Brown. “ I had complete autonomy over my research projects, and I got to lead the Clinical Diagnostics and Automation team at the Tripathi Lab,” she said. “This was truly a unique opportunity, especially when I'm talking to my peers at other institutions.”

“Education was always a top priority:” Guiding values

For Ramisa, her family instilled in her a value of education that guided her through her PhD. “I grew up hearing about “learning” from my Papa (father) and Moni Apu (Grandma),” she said. Her family “always encouraged me to keep learning and aiming high.”

Ramisa also wanted to give back to underserved communities. While her previous research was rewarding, “with stem cell and tissue engineering research, my mom always teased that my research’s real-life applications were not for the people of Bangladesh — my motherland — the community my mom always taught me to serve,” she said. Her PhD research felt like it could have a concrete and immediate impact on those in need. 

Throughout her PhD, Ramisa reminded herself: “My journey was important for young STEMinists of color from small towns in underrepresented communities. Sometimes your perseverance is not only important for yourself, but for those you inspire.”

At Brown, Ramisa worked to develop an inclusive culture for international students. She served as a member of the International Student Advisory Board, a Graduate Coordinator at the Global Brown Center, a Graduate Community Fellow for International Students, and the Chair of International Advocacy for the Graduate Student Council. 

“Resilience, patience, and a tunnel vision:” Succeeding in your PhD

While Ramisa knew a PhD was the right path for her, she encourages students to think critically about what it takes to pursue a PhD. “PhD requires resilience, patience, and a tunnel vision for the ‘end goal,’” she said. “You are not signing up for a sprint, it’s a long and challenging marathon.”

Succeeding in her PhD required her to remind herself why she was doing the work. She also emphasized that a “PhD opens doors for you and helps you get a seat in places that weren’t previously available to you, so use that privilege to advocate for those who are unable to.”

Pushing through the harder moments requires finding “strategies that help you relax.” For Ramisa, that meant “monthly massages scheduled for the whole year in advance, and lots of face-time with my nephew Aarish” and taking mental health days as needed. 

Despite occasional pangs of anxiety, Dr. Ramisa Fariha said the work was worth it, noting “My experiences have made me who I am.” As to what she would do differently, she said “I'd probably just want to go back and tell myself to drink less Red Bull and prioritize actual food.”