E34. Cancer Biology and Life With Rukia Henry

The Research Her

Growing up in Guyana, Rukia Henry thought that she would be a detective or an author because of her love for writing. She had no clue that she would eventually pursue her Ph.D. in a science field. She describes her passion for learning and understanding life even as a small child playing in her backyard. It was only fitting that in her Caribbean high school that she chose the science stream. When she was younger, Rukia did not know that career as a scientist was a possibility thus she never expected to pursue it as a career. She discusses that although she is a graduate student, she is so much more than that. After spending hella bread ($3000-4000) on MCAT prep and submitting her primary applications to medical school, Rukia realized that pursuing medical school was not her for her. Instead, she wanted to pursue scientific research to create knowledge instead of following the rules.

We talk about why she chose to attend Rutgers and their response to the murder of George Floyd. She discusses her conversation with the Dean of the graduate school at her university. She discusses the culture shock of moving from D.C. to Jersey. We also discussed how she chose to pick a research lab that allowed her to have a life outside of graduate school. During a time where she had to make a decision about what group to join and take her first year qualifying exam, her personal life too a left turn, which led her into the field of cancer research. She discusses the types of breast cancers and challenges in the research field. She shares with me the motivation behind her brand Life With Rukia.

Rukia Henry is a Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology Ph.D. student at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, focusing on cancer biology research and creator of the LifewithRukia brand. She grew up in Guyana. She showcases the amazing world of science and her pursuit of a Ph.D. and also uses her blog to inspire those who want to be a scientist to learn something new and feel empowered while doing so.

Connect with her:

Website: LifeWithRukia.com

Instagram: @LifeWithRukia

Connect with me:

Website: TheResearchHer.com

Instagram: @TheResearchHer

Twitter: @TheResearchHer

Facebook: @TheResearchHer

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