Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. Tuhina Khan from India, Shares Her Journey from the Sundarbans to Advancing Anti-Cancer Drug Discovery at the University of Antwerp, Belgium

I am Dr. Tuhina Khan, and I am a senior scientist in Medicinal Chemistry, specializing in Anti-Cancer Drug Discovery.

My story begins far from the lab - in the Sundarbans, a beautiful but rather isolated mangrove region of India. I have a very unique journey: from a resource-limited background in rural India to a top-tier European scientific career.

Growing up, my days were devoid of very basic facilities like electricity, proper roads, and even drinking water. On the brighter side, my childhood environment has instilled a certain determination and resilience in me.

My journey includes being a first-rank Master's graduate and a dual Marie Curie fellow, for both my PhD and my current postdoc. Working in multidisciplinary labs across five European countries has given me a unique, integrated perspective on the entire drug discovery pipeline, from molecule design to understanding disease biology.

I am currently based in Antwerp, Belgium, where I work as a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Antwerp on targeted therapy for Glioblastoma.

Marie Sklodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship Details

I have been awarded the very prestigious Marie Sklodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship in the HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01 call with Prof. Pieter Van Der Veken in the Medicinal Chemistry laboratory from the University of Antwerp. We have been granted the maximum scholarship amount of the call, which is 200,400.00 Euros for the period of two years.

Were You Offered any Other Scholarships?

Previously, I was awarded the Marie Sklodowska-Curie PhD Fellowship. The fellowship was a part of H2020-MSCA-ITN-2016, TRACT–721906 consortium and was coordinated by Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. The partner universities were granted the amount of 2,877,076.80 Euros in total for hosting 11 Early Stage Researchers for their doctoral training. I was appointed at the University of Siena as ESR 8 for my PhD in Medicinal Chemistry.

Educational Background

I completed my BSc in Chemistry (Honors) at the University of Calcutta, India, where I developed a strong foundation in the core disciplines of chemistry, including organic, inorganic, and physical chemistry. This undergraduate training provided the intellectual base for advanced studies and sparked my interest in exploring the broader applications of organic chemistry across different scientific fields. Consequently, I pursued an MSc in Applied Chemistry with a specialization in Organic Chemistry at the National Institute of Technology Silchar, India.

One of the most pivotal moments in my academic journey occurred during my two-month summer internship in the peptide laboratory of Prof. Sunanda Chatterjee at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, India. The experience was transformative and clarified my career aspirations, firmly guiding me toward a future as a research scientist. Prof. Chatterjee’s mentorship was instrumental in motivating me to seek PhD opportunities outside India, broadening my academic and professional horizons.

With this goal in mind, I dedicated myself fully to my MSc program and strategically strengthened my academic profile to meet the requirements of competitive international scholarship schemes. As a result, I graduated with a GPA of 9.59 out of 10 and achieved first rank in my graduate class. I am deeply grateful to my MSc thesis supervisor, Prof. Pranjit Barman, and co-supervisor, Dr. Namita Devi, whose guidance led to my first peer-reviewed publication, marking an important milestone in my research career.

In addition to a well-crafted motivation letter, strong English proficiency scores, and complete application materials, three key factors distinguished my successful application for the Marie Skłodowska-Curie PhD fellowship:

(a) my first-rank position and outstanding MSc academic performance,

(b) the research publication arising from my MSc thesis, and

(c) exceptionally strong letters of recommendation.

How Did You Prepare to Apply to Institutions?

I dedicated six months to preparing for my PhD applications, during which I trained for both the GRE and IELTS to keep my options as broad as possible. I enrolled in structured classes and formal preparation courses to strengthen my performance in these examinations.

For my current Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship, I am deeply grateful to Prof. Pieter Van Der Veken for his critical evaluation and guidance during the development of the research proposal, which was a pivotal step in the process. I also greatly acknowledge the support of the EU Grant Office at the University of Antwerp, whose expertise and organization were instrumental in crafting a strong application. This collaborative effort resulted in a 96% evaluation score and the successful award of the fellowship.

How Did You Prepare to Apply to the Scholarship?

As mentioned earlier, I was highly focused on pursuing a PhD abroad with a competitive scholarship and strategically tailored my CV to meet those requirements. In parallel, I actively reached out to international PhD scholars to gain a clearer understanding of the application process.

For the postdoctoral fellowship, I closely followed the training courses offered by my host institution and carefully incorporated feedback from both my principal investigator and the EU Grant team, ensuring that all comments were thoroughly addressed.

How Is (was) Your Experience at the Institution? 

I have worked in so many different countries across Europe, and I must agree that the experience has been very gratifying.

Are Your Classes Conducted in English?

Since I moved to Europe for my PhD and research career beyond that, I did not have to face this limitation.

What Do You Think Made Your Application Stand Out?

 I think I have already mentioned this about my PhD application. So, I will talk about the postdoc fellowship here. As I said, it was a huge team effort, and I followed the guidelines very closely. Apart from that, my profile of PhD+5 years of research expertise really worked for the application, as I received very positive feedback for having the industrial experience.

What Would You Have Done Differently if You Were Going Through the Process Again?

I think academic research has become more competitive in the current time. So, I would probably invest more time in gaining more research experience prior to applying for my PhD applications. I have nothing to change for my current postdoc applications.

What Advice Would You Give Those Looking to Apply for a Similar Scholarship?

For PhD aspirants, strong motivation must be matched with a well-prepared CV. Every element matters - from achieving the right academic grades to securing solid recommendation letters and submitting complete documentation. I encourage applicants to apply not only to open positions but also through cold emails, as both approaches can be effective. Since requirements vary across countries, it is important to research and pay close attention to specific application criteria.

For MSCA postdoctoral fellowships, having a clear research idea and identifying a suitable potential supervisor is the first and most critical step. Based on my experience, I recommend prioritizing PIs and institutions with a proven track record of European grant success, rather than focusing solely on well-known names. An experienced and technically strong support team can make a significant difference during the application process.

Finally, I am always happy to offer guidance and support - feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn. I truly believe that “if I could do it, you can too”.

Best of luck!