I graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Biology in Nigeria in 2021, and I knew I wanted to build a
career in scientific research. What I did not know was which area of research would eventually become my passion. My initial interest was in virology and infectious diseases.
However, finding laboratory experience as a fresh Biology graduate was more difficult than I expected. I eventually decided to volunteer, hoping to gain practical experience and find a clearer direction for my future. That decision led me to the Institute of Advanced Medical Research and Training at University College Hospital in Ibadan, Nigeria.
I had hoped to work in virology. However, when I arrived, the virology laboratory staff were on break, so I was temporarily placed in an immunohistochemistry laboratory working on breast cancer research. At first, I saw it as a temporary arrangement. However, it changed the direction of my career.
What started as an interest became a passion
I began reading about breast cancer and cancer biology because I wanted to understand the research happening around me. The more I learned, the more fascinated I became.
What started as an unexpected placement gradually became a genuine interest, and after more than a year of volunteering and working in oncology research, I knew that I wanted to continue exploring cancer research.
After a year fully immersed in oncology, I was honest with myself: there was a knowledge gap I needed to close, and also develop my skills as a researcher.
Further education was the way to do it, so I applied to master's programmes in several countries and received offers from universities in the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom and Finland.
Strong research focus drew me to JYU
Receiving an offer from the University of Jyväskylä made me incredibly happy.
Before that, I had looked into several schools in Finland, and JYU’s Biological and Environmental Science Master’s programme stood out to me. I was attracted by the university’s strong emphasis on research, its excellent research facilities and its outstanding researchers. I specifically looked at the profiles of researchers working on cancer research, and their portfolios were highly remarkable.
Before arriving in Jyväskylä, I had already identified a researcher whose work interested me. Within my first month at JYU, I contacted her and asked if we could meet. Although her laboratory was full at the time, she encouraged me to stay in touch and agreed to keep me in mind when an opportunity became available.
Today, I am working on my master’s thesis on breast cancer research under her supervision.
At the time, the financial feasibility of studying at JYU was also an important factor in my decision, alongside the programme's flexibility, particularly its allowance for taking courses both within and outside the faculty.
Taking a leap into the Unknown
However, accepting the offer was not without doubts. Moving to Finland meant moving to an entirely new country, living alone and, in many ways, restarting my life.
I also worried about the financial demands of studying and living abroad. Even though receiving the admission offer was exciting, the decision to accept it felt like a major leap into the unknown.
If I could speak to my younger self at that point, I would say that it is completely normal to feel both excited and uncertain. You do not need to have every detail of your future figured out before taking an important step.
Curiosity led me from Nigeria to Finland
Looking back, my journey has not followed a perfectly planned path. I went looking for virology and unexpectedly found cancer research. I later chose JYU while feeling both excited and uncertain about starting a new life in another country.
My biggest lesson has been that you do not always need to see the entire path before taking the next step. Sometimes, curiosity and the willingness to take an unexpected opportunity can lead you somewhere you never imagined.
For me, that journey began with a temporary placement in a breast cancer laboratory in Ibadan, Nigeria. Eventually, it led me to JYU.
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