Interview With Dr. Iman Singh Gurung
By Roshan Lal Shrestha
Dr. Iman Singh Gurung, MBBS, PhD is a Gates Cambridge Scholar and Research Fellow in Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge. Dr Gurung passed I.Sc. from Amrit Science Campus, Kathmandu and completed undergraduate in Medicine from Peking University, China, in 2001 AD, under Chinese Government Scholarship. After completing MBBS, he was awarded postgraduate studies scholarship in Surgical Oncology in Peking University. Just before starting his surgical residency, he was awarded Max-Planck Research Studentship to investigate role of Dopamine in Neuroendocrine secretion under supervision of Dr Marjan Rupnik at European Neuroscience Institute, Goettingen, Germany who was working directly under Prof Erwin Neher. Prof Erwin Neher, along with Prof Bart Sakmann was awarded Noble Prize of 1992 on discovery of new methods of studying electrical properties of excitable cells such as Muscle and Neurones. This method is known as Patch-Clamp technique. Dr Gurung learned this new technique and applied it for studying hormone secretion from Pituitary gland. After completing a year long project in ENI, he obtained scholarship through Gates Cambridge Trust and moved to Cambridge University, UK to complete PhD in Department of Physiology, wherein he worked to study the electrical properties and Calcium signalling of G-protein coupled receptors in the bone marrow cells. Currently he holds the positions of Research Fellow in Department of Biochemisty and Murray Edwards College, Unviersity of Cambridge.
Let's hear from Dr Gurung himself more about his career milestones and research interests.
Q: How did you get scholarship to complete PhD in Cambridge University?
Dr. Gurung: While working in Max Planck Society, Gottingen, it happened that I came across the advertisement published by Dept of Physiology, Cambridge University for the position of Post Doctorate to work on elctrophysiology basis in bone marrow cells. Since the project was relevant to the one I was working on in Gottongen, I was very interested to join this. So, despite the fact that the advert was for Post Doc position, I corresponded the supervising professor if I could apply for the post as PhD candidate. He ultimately accepted my application and for funding I applied for Cambridge Overseas Trust and Gates Cambridge Trust. Luckily I got the Cambridge Gates Trust Scholarship and started my PhD.
Q: You are the one and only Gates Scholar so far from Nepal. Can you please tell us more about this scholarship?
Dr. Gurung: In October 2010, Bill Gates donated $210 million to Cambridge University to establish Gates Scholarship Trust. With first entry of scholar in 2001, Gates Cambridge Trust has funded almost 1000 scholars from more than 90 different countries. The funding is for studying postgraduate degrees of international students(Non UK citizen) in all disciplines. Each year it funds about 100 scholarships and scholars are selected through rigous interviewing process.  Most of scholars are graduates of world’s top University and about 44% are American students garduated from Harvard or MIT or Stanford University. Now a days students from India and China are increasing in number with this scholarship.
Q: Can you please shade some light on your current research project.
Dr. Gurung: The project I am currently working on is funded by British Heart Foundation. We work on a clinical condition called Sudden Cardiac Death, in which one dies suddenly without any abnormal signs and symptoms. Since last 20 years researchers have been extensively working on this condtion and found that certain genetic mutations, mainly in ion channels are responsible for this disease. The studies found existence of different categories of this disease, among them I am more interested in a form called Brugada Syndrome. However, I also study other forms including Catecholergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia (CPVT) and Long QT. The experimental approach is first we screen patients with this condition and identify particular mutations. Then we create genetically modified mice carrying this mutation. Currently, we have five different genetically modified mouse models representing these different forms of diseases.  After creating this model we characterise cardiac phenotype, primarily using ECG and monophasic action potential recording in Langendorff’s perfused heart. We then isolate cardiac cells from mouse model  and study abnormalities in electrical properties (ionic currents and action potentials) using PATCH-CLAMP technique. In CPVT model, we also use confocal microscopy to identify abnormalities of Calcium signalling. This is allows us to understand the mechanism of diseases both on cellular level as well as whole heart. And in case of abnormalities, we try to ask the question whether this abnormality can be corrected with drug interventions. We are also trying to develop a biomarker for this condition which can be used as diagnostic tool. Overall, our project aims to develop diagnostic and therapeutic tools for a form of cardiac abnormality through basic science research using different specialised techniques such as ECG, Immunocytochemistry, electrophysiology, mass spectrometry, cell biology and several other basic techniques.
Q: By now you have spent almost a decade in the field of scientific research in different institutes. What do you think about the current status of life science research in Nepal and what needs to be improved?
Dr. Gurung: To be honest my interaction with Nepalese scientists in terms of scientific collaboration is very limited. However I do get chance to meet with few scientists and faculties of NAST and TU during meetings of International Nepalese Biomedical Society (INBS).  As far as I am aware scientific research is still in primitive stage. But one thing that I do often find quite common among developing countries including Nepal is research is not pursued to quench the curiosity of individual scientist but rather to discover something useful. While it is possible that one could discover something uselful that could bring new medicine or new technology when doing research, it should not be ultimate aim of science.
Regarding science teaching, to my knowledge, science teaching in Nepal is primarily theoretical with little exposure to experimentation and because of this, students often seems to lack confidence. Undergraduate courses are designed with subspeciality such as Microbiology, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology whichever is popular at the time.  There was a time when microbiology was very famous and there was a concept that if not MBBS, should go for microbiology, now is Molecular Biology and Biotechnology. While this may equip students with in depth knowledge of particular field, its usability in real life is limited and limits students’ exposure to broader picture which is understanding Nature. Therefore when you interact with these students, they seems to lack even a basic understanding of Biology in general. This leads to a lot frustration among young graduates who have this wonderful degree but still can not understands the basic. But in developed countries that is not the case, for instance , in Cambridge University all the biological subjects are taught under natural sciences which gives you broad idea about the science and finally its upto you what your interest is in and do specialisation in that particular area. In this part of the world people use science to solve the curosity which lacks in our country. We say that there is no infrastructure for research in Nepal, but for research all you need is a question and a concept to use science to solve this question. We are still far behind in formulating a concept and it does not seem to be curosity driven. We keep on saying that we do not have infrastructure, qualified professions, budget etc but the fact is best scientific results always come from simple ideas. Therefore, firstly, the concept of the people should be improved.
Q: What kind of researches do you think students should take on in Nepal. What things are necessary to keep in mind when one is designing a research project?
Dr. Gurung: Let me first tell you that nobody expect in depth knowledge or a lot exposure to research from Undergraduate students. So forget about genes...molecules....signalling...., just try to get good basic concept right. Research teaches you the ways to dig deeper-either through literature review or experimentation. So any opportunity to do research is better than just reading books. Ideally, if it is possible, try one that involves doing experiments. That is where you can put what you have learned into practise. Secondly, the major shift in biomedical research now a days is towards what we call multidisciplinary approach. So you have to be able to converse and collaborate with people from other disciplines. For instance, as a physiologist, I have little knowledge of doing point mutations in genes of interst so I seek help from a molecular biologist. But at the same time molecular biologist has little knowledge of testing functional significane of mutated genes, so he needs me to test that. This also means, the technique you have learn for one project could be applied for so many other projects. For instance a microbiologist can use his expertise of viral transfection into neuronal cells and study the neurodegenerative diseases. So even if you are trained as microbiologist, you can apply graduate school in Neuroscience. So students should try to go for a project where you can learn several techniques and then think what are the other areas you can use the same techniques. This will help to explore different fields at the same time and gain more knowledge. But the most important is understanding basic concept. Therefore cross-displinary interaction and collaboration is the must.
Q: But do you think there is practice of good collaborative work in Nepal?
Dr. Gurung: Currently scientists in Nepal are in the phase where they are all trying to create their own identity in research. When you are in that phase you often tend to focus on creating individual identity rathar that collaboration.  And if you collaborate, you tend to seek more glory than what you deserve for your contribution. That is what kills collaboration. One of the key ingredients for a good collaboration is fair acknowledgements of an individual’s contribution. So someone should start the tradition of collaboration and this is what I hope from BSN. Do not stay just within the Biotechnology. Please interact with microbiologists, clinicians, biologists, chemists and see what you can learn from others. You already have learnt everything of your part now try to learn from others.
Q: In your opinion, what should be the government’s role for development of research field?
Dr. Gurung: First is having some vision as to where we want to see Nepal in the field of research in next 20-30 years.; it may not be the perfect vision but having any vision is better than none. Â This helps to make some strategic decisions. You can only start moving once you known where you are going; otherwise you just go around and around not knowing where you are heading. Second thing is, you have to explore what is your competitive advantages and what do you need to exploit that; for example we have different varieties of medicinal plants and government is encouraging to exploit it. But to do that you need to produce a good chemists who can isolate the active ingredients, toxicologists to test toxicity and pharmacologists to test the therapeutic value. Thirdly, develop a good science curriculum that is practical and applicable for national need and at the same time able to encourage young generation to study science. Current curriculum does not give enough exposure to practical use of knowledge learned in science lesson. If my Physics curriculum is designed in Oxford, Chemistry is written in India; how will I ever learn to use science in Nepal.
Finally, government have to formulate policy that encourages science students/scientist to use their knowledge and technology to advance our local knowldge and traditional products. If Scotland had policy like Nepal where you destroy local brewers, we would never have SCOTCH WHISKY.  So instead of punishing these poor brewers, government should focus on training them to use good quality of yeast—MARCHA- and help them in quality control with the help of Microbiologists, chemists and Biotechnologists.Personally I feel that if a country wants to move forward in research, it should focus on basic science research where research is done for the purpose of solving curiosity that will advance our understanding of nature. This will nurture a culture of scientific approach in solving problem, by which I mean using science as a tool to explore the truth and solve our curiosity. It allows one to question legitimacy/truth of any statement, debate about it and prove it either conceptually or experimentally. The curriculum should be developed in such a way that students get nortured to solve the curosity using the education that they gained.
Q: What would be your advice to those who want to study life science courses abroad?
Dr. Gurung: There is great opportunity to study life science courses wordwide, however make action plan and know among yourself what is your interest on. Do not simply jump into any lifescience course that you may not be interested of. Narrow down your interest and choose the university/lab that provides the course of your interest. While you are applying in a lab make sure that you know what it works on. Spend few hours reading the papers from that lab, get feeling of the work being done in that lab, write good personal statement stating why you want to join that lab. Broaden your horizon and try to apply in as much labs as you can but please be serious and do not apply randomly sending same email to every lab.
Q: Do you think there is any chance for nepalese students to get scholarship in Cambridge Unviersity to do PhD in life sciences? If yes what are the possible routes to go for it?
Dr. Gurung: More than 50% students in Cambridge University are foreigners and more than 90% of them are under one or other scholarships. If students from other countries can get the scholarhips then why not students from Nepal. Few shloarships where Nepalese students are eligible to apply for are Cambridge Overseas Trust and Gates Cambridge Trust, later one is the most popular among foreigners. If you are applying for any scholarhip in Cambridge University, make sure that your CV is very good. They do not believe only on good grades in exams, they look for the well rounded personalities.
Q: What potentials you find in the young minds/ generations of Nepal, looking back from the time you started what changes you find in them?
Dr. Gurung: World has changed a lot in last 20 years, primarily because of rapid growth in the internet. The knowledge gap across world is narrowing rapidly. This is providing label playing field for young students from developing countries. In the past when I wanted to get a journal paper I had to write to the library and wait for it to come.  Now young generations can access most of the articles through internet.  Get in touch with most of the scientists through e-mail, learn about their research.  I feel that young generation in Nepal is much more prepared than myself when I was in their age to embark in international career. One down side of this easy accessibility to information and knowledge is that endurance and patient of students to explore knowledge through hard work tend to decline.
Q: Any suggestions for BSN Nepal?
Dr. Gurung: I have seen several organisations in Nepal which start with high ambitions, over the period of time because of lack of interest they disintegrate and slowly disappear. I hope this will not be case with BSN and I really hope it will be able to achieve what it is looking for. For this I think BSN has to build the strategy and has to have a clear goal. Make very simple and achievable goals at the beginning so that the society can fulfill them which gives more confidence to the members and help moving the society forward. As I said earlier collaboration is the key of success so integrate with other societies or organisations so that you have one in five voice and one in five concern. Finally all the best for future endeavors.