Nafisa Jadavji
BIO
Assistant professor in biomedical sciences at Midwestern University (USA). Mother of one.
Nafisa Jadavji
“I don’t believe in a work-life balance; it’s more of a dynamic shift between the two depending on what’s happening.”
I was a stepmom for several years prior to giving birth to my son, so I had some ideas of what being a mom was like. However, I do not think there is anything that could have prepared me for the biological and cultural changes I experienced during pregnancy, childbirth, and the transition to being a working academic scientist mother.
During my pregnancy and after the birth of my son, I was pushed to a breaking point, and then I built myself up again. I have become a better version of myself, but only time will tell.
I have always been ambitious and goal-oriented. I fell in love with the brain when I was in 11th grade and then with research when I was an undergraduate Neuroscience major at the University of Lethbridge in Canada. I later completed my PhD at McGill University and then moved to Germany to do my postdoctoral training at the Charite Medical University in Berlin. I started my independent tenure track position in 2019 and got pregnant in 2021.
While pregnant and after giving birth, I faced challenges at work and was pushed to a point where I no longer felt like a competent person. I questioned my abilities, intelligence, capabilities, and motivation.
Despite the challenges, I kept pushing through with work, teaching, and carrying out my experiments. The lack of sleep after birth did not help. My son and students in my lab fueled me. Every day, I tried to chip away at the mountain of work academics have, knowing that things would all fall into place someday and get better. That “someday” was anxiety-inducing, but I think I am finally there. I just published my 60th peer-reviewed article, and my son turned 2.
I know that the future is bright and that I can be an ambitious working mother. I can succeed at work and at home, not all the time, but it does not feel impossible. I do not believe in a work-life balance, it’s more of a dynamic shift between the two depending on what is happening.
I really enjoyed listening to audiobooks about being a mom, exploring how it affects your mind and all the challenges that come with it. They gave me the strength to keep moving forward and not dwell on the past. This has been a game-changer, helping me navigate the delicate balance between being a mom and pursuing my academic goals. The insights have become my guiding light as I embrace the challenges and joys of both roles.
I have become a stronger proponent of self-care, I do at least one thing for myself each day, sometimes two! I know there will be rough patches, but I am excited to see where things go with my laboratory's research and watch my son grow up.
What carried me through this challenging period was my support system, the encouragement from those rooting for me (as I shared in my personal blog), along with my unwavering persistence, determination, and a stubborn resolve to push through the tough times—knowing that, eventually, things do get better.