2019 Mustafa(Pbuh) Prize laureate talks on his academic journey
In a virtual event held on April 10, a 2019 Mustafa(Pbuh) Prize laureate gave the researchers and students recommendations on the road of pursuing their goals.
MSTF Media reports:
Ali Khademhosseini, CEO of Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation; former Levi Knight Professor of Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering, and Radiology at the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA); and the 2019 Mustafa
Prize laureate, during an inspirational virtual event attended by students, gave a speech on his academic trajectory.
Khademhosseini commenced narrating his story, saying “For me, probably the road was a bit smoother, because the family immigrated to Canada when I was only 12. As a result, I got established there sooner. At the beginning I did not know English, but I tried to learn it soon.”
He said he chose chemical engineering as his field of study at Toronto University, because he knew chemistry very well, adding “When I first entered the university, I did not know what exactly I wanted to do—I was kind of immature.”
During the first two years of the university, he said, he was still “trying to discover” himself.
“It was at the end of the third year of my studies, that I started to go to a laboratory. They were working on tissue engineering in that lab, and what they were doing was really interesting to me,” Khademhosseini continued.
At that time, he stated, he realized that doing research in areas in which most chemical engineers were working, like petroleum and factories, was a bit limited. But in the realm of medicine and engineering, there were many opportunities lying ahead, like discovering something that would totally change the future, he noted.
“So, that was really fascinating to me, but since I was still trying to discover myself, I needed to work harder compared to those who already knew they wanted to enter the area of biomedical engineering from the very first year of their studies,” he added.
Khademhosseini said he was truly hard-working; “I worked in the lab day and night. So, I was a good chemical engineering student when I graduated. When I applied for positions at top universities in the USA, I was not accepted at first, but I was genuinely passionate about the field of tissue engineering.”
He did his Master’s in Biomedical Engineering at Toronto University from 1999 to 2001, focusing his research on stem cells. “During those years, I was still very passionate, worked hard in the lab, and got good marks,” he said, adding that after receiving his Master’s degree, he applied for PhD position at top American universities, and got admission from some of them. Finally, he went to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
“Doing my PhD at MIT was a very good thing, because there I worked with my advisor Bob Langer who has done tremendous work in using stem cells for making body tissue, for drug delivery, and many other things.”
When he started working in Bob Langer’s lab, Khademhosseini noted, “I realized that the research I do can actually be bigger. I learnt how to think and how to publish papers.”
He said when he started his research at Toronto University, he had no papers published in journals. “Actually, I had not published any papers until the second year of my PhD program. I had already been working in the lab for five years, but I had no publications,” he said.
The bright side, however, was that “I learned many things in those years, including how to ask questions, and how to answer questions, which were necessary for maturity in my studies,” he continued, adding that at MIT, there was a postdoc student from whom he learnt how to do research and publish.
“During that period, I learnt how to become efficient in that, so by the time I finished my PhD at 2005, publication became very easy for me,” he said.
Before finishing his PhD, he said, he applied for jobs, one of which was in Harvard Medical School. “It was a bit high risk-high reward, but was very interesting to me, because you work with physicians, you are in hospitals, and you can see the patients. For someone like me with an engineering background, it was a good opportunity because I could see the problems there and could target my research towards solving those problems,” he observed.
Afterwards, he stayed at Harvard for few years and did research there. There, he got promotions; he became a Full Professor at 2013 and stayed there for some years.
“I had been in Boston for about 17 years. I decided to move from Harvard because I wanted to experience new challenges. Publication had become very routine,” he said.
What sounded fascinating to him at that time, he said, was “to have a leadership position somewhere.” Therefore, he joined the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and built a research institute. This research institute is comprised of 3 buildings now, where they are doing research. “What we are doing there, is turning the research towards developing startup companies and making products which can be used by physicians in hospitals and health centers,” he maintained.
Asked about the key to his success in having so many outstanding achievements, the Mustafa
Prize laureate replied: “Hard work is important, but more important than that is being able to work with others in a team, organizing things, and coordinating different people so that they all move in the same direction. Leadership skills is of high importance here.”
“I have published so many papers, because I was able to work with many different people and motivate them towards my own motivations of doing something important for the future,” Khademhosseini said, adding “I think that making an impact and maximizing it is very important in this path.”
He then stated that the two other keys to success are: First, having a long-term passion for what one is doing, and second, being perseverant despite the difficulties and failures.
According to Khademhosseini, keeping hope alive and not giving up easily are very crucial in working towards goals. “Right now, for example, nine out of ten funding proposals that our research institute sends the government, do not work, but we keep trying. So, difficulties and failures are always there. The more you proceed in what you are doing, the more you face them.”
He then pointed to the necessity of learning from failures, saying that in his opinion, failure is important in the path towards success, and that as long as one learns something from their failure, that is fine.
Asked how researchers and students can overcome the adversities in proceeding in their studies, he replied: “Even if there appear adversities in this path, one must focus mainly on the things that can be controlled and try to enhance them. Consequently, new paths start to appear in front of them.”
Regarding the pivotal role of long-term motivation in one’s success, he said “They must first focus on where they want to stand in the distant future, and know in advance that reaching there is a road full of failures from which one learns something new.”
“I have always had role models in my life. That helped me a lot, because I learnt about the path that they had trodden, and I tried my best to follow those paths, although sometimes my direction diverged from them,” he said.
Khademhosseini underscored that his dream is not getting a Nobel Prize in the future, but rather he is focused on “doing something that can change the world.”
He noted that about a year and a half ago he received the Mustafa
Prize in Life & Medical Science and Technology together with a prominent scientist who became a major figure in combating COVID-19.
“If I am asked whether I want to receive the Nobel Prize or want to develop a vaccine that can help the world, I believe the vaccine is way more important,” he emphasized.
“My goal is to do important things which can help and change the world,” he continued, adding “For example, my advisor in MIT, Bob Langer, has not received a Nobel Prize and probably will never receive it, but he has done tremendous things which has changed the world in ways that billions of people are benefitting from his achievements. In my opinion, that is more important than receiving awards.”
He then talked about the field of bioengineering and the numerous opportunities of research in it. Speaking of the high importance of biology in the present age, he said that if in the 20th century physics was regarded as the most important subject, in the 21st century it is biology which has come to the fore, pointing to how COVID-19 has changed the world.
Khademhosseini then pointed out the necessity of conducting interdisciplinary research between biology and other fields of study, noting that his research team also consists of researchers from a variety of fields, moving towards one goal.
Noting that those who want to be successful in their studies and research must take care of their physical health as well, he pointed up the importance of having good sleep instead of trying to keep up during the day by the help of caffeine obtained from coffee. He also recommended doing workout and spending time with family and friend as well. “All these help you have enough endurance for your long-term goal in life,” he remarked.
This virtual event was held by Biology Students Union comprised of 120 universities. Ali Khademhosseini was awarded the 2019 Mustafa Prize in the field of Life & Medical Science and Technology for his achievement in Nano and Micro Fabricated Hydrogels for Biomedical Applications.
