Afsana Ansari
BIO
Senior scientist at Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), blessed with two sons with 10 and 8 years old.
Afsana Ansari
“I encountered many setbacks while pursuing my PhD, including being separated from my family.”
I grew up in a village and the girls in our family did not go into higher education. However, I got a scholarship after placing first in my school's final examination, so my parents gave me the chance to study at a good school in a nearby town. Because I am the eldest daughter of my parents and they did not live with the rest of us in town, I needed to take care of my brothers and sisters during my studies.
My eldest son was born during my Masters study, and when my second son was 10 months old, I received a PhD fellowship.
I encountered many setbacks while pursuing my PhD, including being separated from my family due to bureaucratic hurdles, and felt like I needed to arrive two hours early to work to prove my dedication to my supervisor.
Finally, my kids joined me after a year. When they arrived, there was so much work to do for my PhD so I spent my weekends preparing meals for the week ahead. Nevertheless, I persisted in my work in the genetic engineering of rice and not only completed my PhD on time, but succeeded in developing an innovative new breeding tool for rice that allows for manipulation of multiple genes by RNA interference.
Alongside my career, I hope to help women in science, and I was elected as the Organizing Secretary of The Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World.