Kumsal Tekirdag-Kosar
BIO
Researcher & writer & future social worker.
Instagram: @searchingforhome_canada
Twitter: @drtekirdagkosar
Kumsal Tekirdag-Kosar
“I welcomed my daughter into my life and it changed everything for me.”
I am originally from Turkey and have a PhD in Cell biology. I moved to New York for my postdoctoral studies and worked for five years at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. As I progressed through my postdoctoral studies and research and became an immigrant scientist, I came across many other immigrant scientists and was awed by the fact that how all our studies are alike, despite our country of origin.
I started slowly yet steadily diverging from my typical scientist role and started getting involved with mental health & wellness advocacy roles at Einstein. I advocated for better conditions and overall improving the quality of life of immigrant scientists and families at different committees and boards.
In 2019, I welcomed my daughter into my life and it changed everything for me, as I questioned whether I can still continue my career in academia or not.
I came to this conclusion that I love my scientist identity and learned so much through my journey, yet I have so much more to offer to work just being a bench scientist. In 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, we moved to Canada with my husband, and our daughter and I decided to leave the bench, and leave academia.
I am determined to align my career with my passion and now I am going back to school to become a social worker, to realize my vision to help immigrants, families, and children as a mental health practitioner.
I write about my journey in my personal blog in order to help other women, immigrants, and families to find their unique ways, whatever that may be.