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Mithila Farjana

Mithila Farjana

Mithila Farjana

Major Professor: Zgurskaya
Email: mithilafarjana@ou.edu

Hometown: 
Bangladesh

Education:
B.Sc.
, Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Khulna University


To initiate with, I often dived into thinking that after taking all suggested antibiotics, why are we not getting rid of the same consequences? Even I became shocked by the emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant pathogens that are the biggest threats to global public health nowadays. During my undergraduate study, when I came to know more about multi-drug resistant (MDR) pathogens (e.g. „ESKAPE‟ bacteria), I felt the necessity for innovation in antibiotic discovery against resistant infection. The instinct to do something in life triggered me to explore the innards of the resistance mechanism that leads to inexorable death. As a result, I always dreamt of involving myself in drug discovery research and wanted to study Biochemistry which aligns with my research interest.

Based on my interests, I started to get involved with antibiotic resistance and drug discovery research and so I joined Dr. Helen I. Zgurskaya's lab. The group focuses on one of the major multidrug resistance mechanisms ‘efflux pumps and antibiotic resistance in gram-negative pathogens. I am currently working on BpeEF-OprC efflux pump in one of the gram-negative bacteria named Burkholderia thailandensis.

My post-grad plan is to engage myself with research work in an industry relevant to my field.


Awards

  • Finalist in the ‘Three Minute Thesis Competition’ founded by the University of Queensland, Australia- 2018
  • Three-minute thesis (3MT) finalist in International Association of Students in Agricultural and Related Sciences- IAAS Bangladesh National Online Congress 2020.
  • Certificate winner (Certificate of merit) for the outstanding poster in the International Poster Presentation Competition – IPPC 2020 organized by National Young Academy of Bangladesh (NYAB) in Association with the Sri Lankan Academy of Young Scientists (SLAYS), Indian National Young Academy of Sciences (INYAS) and Thai Young Scientists Academy (TYSA).
  • Selected Plenary lecturer on undergrad research/thesis works at the 3rd International Scientific Conference on Food Safety and Health (3rd ISCFSH) held in BARC, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
  • National Science and Technology (N.S.T.) Fellowship 2020-2021, provided by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Bangladesh
  • Center for Antibiotic Discovery and Resistance (CADR) Fellowship, Chemistry and Biochemistry, OU- 202