In the second article of our JOYI 2022 series, leading up to YIM 2022, Rohan Jayant Khadilkar,Principal Investigator, Advanced Centre for Treatment Research & Education in Cancer, Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai, expresses his joy in pursuing a life in science.

Dhaval Patel is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Institute of Advanced Research (IAR), Gujarat. He was one of the Young Investigators selected to attend YIM 2020 in Mahabalipuram. In this invited article, he talks about pursuing interdisciplinary research, and the hidden advantages and hurdles he faced while setting up his independent lab.

Himanshu Shekhar is an Assistant Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Gandhinagar. He was one of the Young Investigators selected to attend YIM 2020 in Mahabalipuram. In this invited article, he talks about the importance of learning and applying strategic management skills when a researcher is first setting up their independent lab.

Amit Lahiri is a Senior Scientist at CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow. He is one of the Young Investigators (YIs) selected to attend YIM 2020. In this invited article, he writes about the need for a researcher who has recently set up his/her lab to balance benchwork with other necessary activities such as writing grants, teaching, and administrative work.

Charanya Ramachandran is a Scientist at the Sudhakar and Sreekanth Ravi Stem Cell Biology Laboratory at LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad. In this invited article, she writes about her journey from the clinic to the laboratory and back, and some important lessons learned along the way.