Maverick Science - Women in Science

Piya Ghose

Dr. Piya Ghose’s interests in genetics and developmental biology led her to study programmed cell death, which can lead to cancer through the creation of tumors. As a postdoctoral researcher, she discovered a novel cell death phenomenon which she called compartmentalized cell elimination, or CCE, in which different parts of a cell degenerate in different ways. One excellent subject through which to study CCE is the roundworm C. elegans, which has many genes that are similar to genes in humans. By studying the genes of these small creatures, Ghose is helping to unearth new knowledge in cancer biology.

“Striving to be a role model and encourage women to become involved in science is a major driver for me, and I'm so proud of my scholars so far. I also hope to inspire anyone we can reach with our work. We can help attract more women to STEM fields by representing, for one. We can really help this important mission by leading as good examples and sharing exciting work. We should also tell our stories; it may surprise some budding scholars where some of us started from.”