The Hematology researcher shares her journey of joining St. Jude, getting involved and loving Memphis.
COMING TO ST. JUDE
I’m from Hyderabad, India. I was fresh out of college when I moved to the U.S. to work at St. Jude. My research mentor at Center for Stem Cell Research, India, did his postdoctoral fellowship at St. Jude. He shared his experience about the hospital, and that intrigued me to learn more.
I came to St. Jude in December 2021, and every day has been an incomparable experience. Since my first year of college, I had dreamed of doing research that has an impactful role in helping patients. It’s hard to get opportunities to do translational research, but it has been worth the wait to do that at St. Jude. On the research side, we’re focused on exploring delivery mechanisms and initiating clinical trials for treating sickle cell disease using gene therapy.
I’m extremely proud of the work I do that directly benefits the children and families I see in the hospital every day. Jonathan Yen, my supervisor, has a very modern, industry-style way of running the lab where everyone gets cross-trained and supports each other while we also focus on our individual expertise. St. Jude has also been a great platform for working in collaboration with multiple labs within and outside campus.
For me, St. Jude + Memphis = comfort and diversity. I see myself here throughout my life. That’s the impact that the city and St. Jude have on me. Memphis is a place where people can feel welcome and find a home, and I’ve found that.
It was the holiday season when I arrived at St. Jude, and a co-worker connected me to stay with an Indian family as I settled into the area and learned about the city.
Chaithu Parupalli in our department was the president of the Telugu Association of Memphis (TAM). Telugu is one language of India. Chaithu spoke about the organization, and I volunteered one or two times. I thought it would be a nice way to venture out, and it has been a great experience. We have a big organization here in Memphis, and I have met many people.
I serve as director of the youth committee, and we do all types of activities—cultural events, food drives, Run for Fun between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, and a Holi/Easter event where kids can learn about our culture and have fun.
Within the walls of St. Jude, culture is part of our routine. We welcome people, have fun, and spread cultural awareness. I’m an inclusion advocate through the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Office at St. Jude. Through our employee resource groups (ERGs), I’ve been able to share who I was to people around me. For our annual Heritage Fest event at St. Jude, I was part of a flash mob and connected with employees of other cultures.
LOVING MEMPHIS
The best part about Memphis? It’s warm, as the weather in the city is warm and the people are too. The cost of living helps me. Being in a smaller city helps me with commuting. People in Memphis are super nice and supportive. That has been my experience ever since I have been here. People just want to help each other, and they stand by you.
There are many activities I like to do in Memphis. I like going to parks like Shelby Farms and walking Beale Street. I live on Mud Island near St. Jude, and I like the experience of crossing the bridge to my home and seeing the sky in different colors. I cherish that view every day.
