Questions About Grad School? Sahiba Dogra Kaur ’24 Shares Her Route to a PhD in Pharmacology

For much of her life, Sahiba Dogra Kaur ’24 has wanted to work in the biomedical field, treating rare or previously incurable diseases. 

While studying Biology with a minor in Data Science at Saint Mary’s, she conducted cutting-edge research on campus and landed competitive internships at nationally renowned laboratories. She served as president of the DiverseAbilities Club, educating the campus about disability issues and hosting events for differently abled Gaels. In her final year, she won three academic awards, including the De La Salle Award, the College’s highest award for academics and overall excellence. 

Her interest in medicine stemmed, in part, from her own diagnosis with the rare genetic disease Eosinophilic Esophagitis, or EoE. After a lifetime of eating only seven foods, she found her life and diet transformed when the drug Dupixent was approved to treat EoE in 2022. 

That experience fuels her passion for “empowering the patient,” as Kaur told us in 2024. “Anything I can do to support that would be the dream.” 

But how to get there? Kaur may not have known the precise answer back then. Two years later, she has a much better idea. In the fall of 2024, she was selected for a post-baccalaureate research position at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, a first-of-its-kind biomedical research center in her hometown of Novato, California. And this August, she entered a PhD program in Pharmacology at the University of Washington. 

We recently spoke with Kaur about life after SMC, her PhD journey, and her advice to Gaels considering graduate school.

Hey Sahiba! What’s life been like post-Saint Mary’s?

When I graduated two years ago, I was considering all the pathways I’d heard Biology majors pursue—medical school, a master’s or PhD program, biotech, or industry. I wanted to make sure I evaluated everything.

I started interviewing for post-baccalaureate programs, which are structured training positions for recent college graduates, usually one to two years long, designed to help you explore career options and strengthen graduate school applications. I was lucky enough to be accepted to the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in Novato, where I live. 

What was that experience like? Obviously, you’d done plenty of research here at SMC and in internships, but the Buck Institute is a world-renowned biomedical facility. 

The first month was a boot camp of sorts, where we met and learned from a wide range of scientists focused on aging research. Some look at the brain and diseases like Alzheimer’s; others focus on the kidney or computational work. We spent a week in each professor's lab, helping with experiments. From there, I matched with my top choice, Dr. Julie Anderson, who focuses on drug discovery work.

I’m really passionate about developing new therapeutics for people with difficult-to-treat diseases. During my post-bacc in Dr. Anderson’s lab, I focused more on drug discovery than ever before. We did many drug-target evaluations, assessing biological targets and determining whether they might be good candidates for later drug development.

The whole experience informed my decision to pursue a PhD, specifically in pharmacology and drug development. 

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What were you looking for in a PhD program?

I applied and interviewed all across the country, mostly in New York City, but also in California and Washington. I’m personally more tied to the West Coast, with lots of friends and family here. That’s part of why I ended up at the University of Washington. Seattle is a big city, but very welcoming—and not quite as big a jump from the quieter towns of Novato and Moraga that I know well. It’s the perfect happy medium.

As for my checklist, the first thing was the science. My main question was, Do I see enough professors here who are taking on students and researching topics I’m interested in? The second thing was funding. Some schools take on too many students and then reject them post-admit because of funding issues. I asked some programs directly, and if that had happened, it was a red flag for me.

It may sound silly, but vibes mattered too. Do I feel welcome? Do I feel like these are my people? The applicants you’re interviewing with, they may be in your cohort. And then, in conversations with professors, you want to see if they’re genuinely engaging with the prospect of you becoming their colleague. 

Another factor was doing research at a children’s hospital. Most of the schools I interviewed at had an adjacent hospital where researchers, physicians, and patients can all collaborate. But UW is unique in its partnership with the Seattle Children’s Hospital, the Fred Hutch Cancer Center, and many other medical centers in the area.  

During my interviews, I had the best conversations with UW faculty. You could tell they were excited to talk to me; it felt like I was already a part of their community. Even now, I’m realizing just how many professors are interested in drug discovery. And the funding situation is relatively solid. So UW ticked off just about every box.  

“Saint Mary’s really prepared me to succeed in my post-grad research and now my PhD. I was always encouraged to follow my curiosity, ask deep questions, and present my research often. Honestly, I don’t think I’d be where I am without all the mentorship and community I created.”

I know part of what drew you to Saint Mary’s was the opportunity to explore. How did your time at SMC prepare you for your post-bacc and now your PhD program? 

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Saint Mary’s taught me to think deeply about my research. Early on, I conducted biology research with former visiting professor Kai Blaisdell and Professor of Biology Vidya Chandresan. My approach to the research was initially very mechanistic, and Dr. Vidya encouraged me to understand the why and to ask questions. That skill of asking good questions has been invaluable.

I also credit Saint Mary’s for my presentation skills. We had many opportunities to present our research, including at the annual Student Research and Creative Works Conference. In 2024, I gave a drug development talk where I shared my journey with the condition EoE and how the medication Dupixent was developed. That was my first time talking about pharmacology on a bigger stage. It has definitely come in handy since.

Saint Mary’s really prepared me to succeed in my post-grad research and now my PhD. I was always encouraged to follow my curiosity, ask deep questions, and present my research often. Honestly, I don’t think I’d be where I am without all the mentorship and community I created. 

Any advice for Gaels considering graduate school?

As an undergraduate, I spent a lot of time trying to make things work, evaluate options, plan and plan and plan…Ultimately, your path is going to take you where you want to go. Of course, that means taking opportunities as they come, even if they’re outside your wheelhouse. 

If I could give myself advice as an undergrad, it would be this: Don’t worry too much about planning every single detail. Just take each opportunity seriously—even if it’s something you never planned for.

Hayden Royster is the Associate Editor in the Office of Marketing and Communications at Saint Mary’s College. Write him.