Mehak, PhD

1. What fascinates you most about plant science?

What fascinates me the most about plant science is how humans have knowingly or unknowingly changed plants over the years. Crops like bananas and corn are very different from their wild ancestors. These changes are a result of artificial selection to meet human needs and support a growing population. Plants are producers and a major food source, and humans have been incredibly creative in shaping them. I find it fascinating how much we have altered plants even without introducing mutations, and how, if used in the right way, they can help solve many problems especially related to hunger.

2. Tell us briefly what scientific questions you are pursuing at MPIPZ.

Evolutionary processes leave detectable signatures in the genomes. Analysing the pattern of genomic variation can thus be used to infer the evolutionary history of a species and to understand the mechanism of evolutionary processes. I am trying to infer the evolutionary history of a perennial plant called Arabis alpina. A. alpina is especially well suited for such studies due to its wide geographical range and phenotypic diversity. It is an ideal system to study selection at multiple levels and add to our knowledge of how demography and local selection pressures interact and lead to adaptation to extreme environments.

3. Who has inspired you greatly in your career so far?

The people who inspire me the most are not famous scientists but strong women whom I have seen closely, my mother and my grandmother. My grandmother was denied higher education simply because she was a woman. She is the most eager learner I know, always curious to know and understand everything. My first encounter with different kinds of plants was in her garden. She instilled a deep passion for education in me.

 My mother on the other hand is an ambitious math teacher who believes in making goals achievable for her students, many of whom come from families with limited resources. She taught me the value of careful planning. While my grandma and my father encouraged me to dream big, my mother taught me how to plan so I can achieve those dreams. Together they inspire me to not only stay curious and push the boundaries of knowledge, but also use the knowledge to improve the life of others.

4. What did you find most challenging in your career so far?

Coming far away from home, family and friends was the most challenging.

5. How do you see your future in science and why?

I would like to constantly ask interesting questions and try to answer them. I don’t believe in and don’t want to be limited by strict boundaries between “different kinds of” sciences.  As of now, I see myself studying evolutionary biology maybe by using many different approaches. I also want to be associated with science education in some way. From whatever experience I have had yet, I feel it is very satisfying if one is able to pass their excitement for a subject to others.