Naveen graduated from King’s College London where she attained a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry. Within this course, she chose to study topics pertaining to the biology of cancer, molecular immunology, molecular biology, and protein structure. Throughout her degree, she partook in writing various practical proposals, reports, and literature reviews whilst also gaining multifaceted laboratory and research experience. It was through these projects that Naveen discovered her interest for scientific writing as it allowed her to remain intellectually curious, creative, and detail-orientated.
Amongst the vast array of projects she worked on, Naveen thoroughly enjoyed an intense research project within molecular biology. This involved investigating certain mutations that had the potential to enhance the functional activity of an enzyme known as Catechol-2,3-dioxygenase. This provided her with an insight into the positive impacts research could make as scientists aim to use improved versions of this enzyme to tackle the rising issue of phenol pollution in landfills and water ways in the future.
Moreover, another project she showed great interest in involved writing an in-depth literature review on the mutations associated with causing an eye disease known as glaucoma, a condition that causes gradual blindness. This research focused on the cytochrome and myocilin genes that displayed a strong genetic association with glaucoma.
Once again, working on this project made her appreciate the current research efforts dedicated to gaining a better understanding of diseases for the benefit of many lives. Especially since researching the genetic basis of glaucoma has allowed scientists to diagnose the disease earlier and develop novel sight-saving therapies that are more effective for treating glaucoma patients, a luxury her grandmother with glaucoma did not have many years ago causing her to become blind.
After completing her degree, Naveen started her career in life sciences by becoming a medical laboratory assistant within clinical biochemistry. This role involved running patient blood samples on analysers to be tested, performing maintenance of laboratory machinery, and communicating with doctors who required additional testing on previous patient blood samples for further investigations. After this experience, she is now transitioning into working within the medical communications industry as a medical writer, a role that aligns more with her interests and passions.