STATEMENT OF PURPOSE My day begins by washing my face with a foaming face wash, followed by a balmy moisturizer, then I apply a generous layer of sunscreen and finally spray my favorite musk perfume. Amidst my phthalate cum paraben rich beauty regime, little do I know that I am exposing my body to many chemicals every day. From receipts laden with Bisphenol-A to PFOA rich popcorn, this noxious cocktail of chemicals is inadvertently seeping into our bodies and unfortunately, we have no standard means to regulate, study or manage the harm caused by these endocrine disruptors. As I became aware of these facts, I could relate the reality of our life with the fascinating accounts in the book, Our Stolen future. Written two decades back, the book …show more content…
My second-semester assignment to review Rachel Carson's-Silent spring further stoked my curiosity in the field. While pollution is a major issue affecting public health, I realized that it is not merely the kind defined by conventional smokestack emissions, but has now become a marinade we bathe every day in. I decided to further delve into this field and went on to undertake an internship at a toxicology institute. This played an integral role to turn my passion into a career choice, giving me insight into regulatory toxicology and the routine toxicity tests under OECD guidelines, to which a variety of consumer products are exposed. Moreover, I received training in toxicity screening protocols thereby, laying the foundation for my venture into the field of environmental health. To get rigorous training and research expertise, I assisted a PhD student in her work in plant pathology and gained the confidence to move ahead with my own pursuits. I started working on a project while spending my time in the lab making culture media and performing bacterial identification tests. This helped me refine my technical acumen and taught me the necessary manuscript writing skills, proving useful later to get the research published. Resolute to improve my presentation skills, I took every opportunity to …show more content…
The integrated core will provide a sturdy foundation of knowledge rooted in essentials of Public Health with an eclectic range of areas one can acquire expertise in. Due to my interest in studying the impact of endocrine disruptors, I am eager to work under the guidance of Professor Wendy Bernays and Patricia Janulewicz. If given the opportunity, I would like to extend their research on EDCs especially how contaminants interact with genes, even at low levels to produce profound impact. I am also keen on studying the changes in epigenetic markers over time and correlating them with environmental exposures, especially regarding windows of susceptibility. Research experience, prowess in analysis and problem-solving and commitment to bring positive changes by putting persistent efforts are my key strengths. They also highlight my suitability for the rigorous graduate program. Leveraging them, I hope to make remarkable contributions to the research undertakings at Boston University. With the certitude that the rewarding graduate program will give wings to my intellectual and career aspirations, I sincerely look forward to