Researcher's Life: Cross Area Interactions

A researcher’s life during the PhD is focussed on their work all the time. There are many times a person might get inspired from others work or inspire others using their work. It generally leads to knowledge base increase and enhanced networking.
For. Eg.

1. A student of research in the data analytics in the Mathematics program can be of great help in Aerospace Engineering, Business Analytics and Market Research.
2. Another example of cross area research is the system modelling in Electrical Engineering and Mathematical Engineering being used in Life Sciences to model the micro systems happening within the cell or the r-RNA and m-RNA strands. This system information can be scaled up to monitor the macro-system understanding.

The perspective of understanding the problem is always different and there are always more-than-one ways of doing a task.

• You never know ! The other person might be looking out for someone just like you.

• You all may be solving the same problem of identifying the same microorganism or the same strain of protein or the same gene.

• You might be solving the same problem, but you should never claim your answer to be the absolutely - the correct one.

I spoke to many researchers around me and learnt from them. They are a great source of learning new areas and avenues for you. I loved interacting and working with them.Being at Indian Institute of Science Bangalore gave me the right environment for research and lifestyle to interact, learn and grow.
I spoke to friends and fellow researchers in

1. My Home Department - Electrical Communication Engineering [4] - A power house of a department. The various areas in which they worked allowed me to get a overall development in my study.
1. My Lab [5] - Microelectronics - Analog, RF and Digital IC Design
2. Embedded System Engineering
3. RF and Microwave - One of the few places left from the legacy strengths of Indian engineers.
1. Computational Electromagnetics
2. Microwave Application in Healthcare
4. Optics and Photonics
5. Signal Processing - Array, Sound, Speech, Audio and Image. Each of these research areas has a dedicated group to work on. I am proud to know these groups and extremely broad areas of work they apply their research on.
6. Wireless Communication
7. Information Theory - One of the most influential groups in the department with an enviable paper count and research spread.
2. Biochemistry - learning about how the mathematics they had slight aversion to, was now a tool of significance. Computational biology and its interest in protein isolation and also creating new molecules, excites me.
3. Aerospace Engineering - some of my oldest mates in IISc are from the aerospace dept. I learnt about civilian applications of Shockwaves [6] which I assumed was primarily for strategic applications. The various aspects of its usage excites me to the core. The next area that impacted my knowledge was with my friends working on non-linear multifunctional composites [7]. Their research on many engine designs, understanding the materials for the future in aerospace and my love for aircrafts always made me talk to them.
4. Instrumentation - The core group of people working on many aspects of applied photonics in crystals, optical fibers and FBG sensors [8] , microfluidics [9], flexible electronics [10] creates mind blowing impact in the way you think and process information. You get to expand your horizon of knowledge constantly.
5. Computer Science and Automation - The CSA department working on real life Game Theory [11] applications with Prof Y Narahari leading the way with students being encouraged to pursue the area added a different dimension to my thought process and the way they analysed the work.
6. Centre for Nano Science and Engineering - It is here that I interacted the most in the second half of my Ph.D while working on Biosensors and building a Biosensor array platform. The centre provided all the faculties and facilities under one roof where I could learn about the material science [12], material engineering. integrated electronics [13] , nanobiotechnology [14] , building sensors and then characterizing [15] them. It also has a exceptional chip packaging unit which allowed me to have a holistic education of research.
7. And there are many more areas at offer in 25+ departments and centres of the Indian Institute of Science.
   
   Thank you IISc.
   You showed me that the world is large but it can be made smaller with good will and travel.
   
   Footnotes
   [1] IEEE Student Branch, IISc Bangalore
   [2] IISc Outreach Program, I-KNOW - IEEE Student Branch, IISc Bangalore
   [3] 2013: Javed GS - IEEE Student Branch, IISc Bangalore
   [4] HOME - Department of Electrical Communication Engineering - IISc Bangalore, India.
   [5] ARSL
   [6] High Enthalpy Aerodynamics Engineering Laboratory
   [7] Research at NMCAD
   [8] Asokan Group :: Home
   [9] Home
   [10] Flexible Electronics Lab
   [11] Game Theory Home Page
   [12] Materials | CeNSE
   [13] Electronics | CeNSE
   [14] Nanobiotechnology | CeNSE
   [15] ABOUT CENSE | CeNSE

Author's Note: This article first appeared in Quora. Read more here. https://bit.ly/2Hj6Mfm

Dr G S Javed founded King Consultants-Education where he coaches Masters and PhD students on Research Methodology and Technical Writing. He inculcates experiential learning and innovation in  his Design Thinking course. He enjoys travelling and meeting people.