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GradExpo 2009 http://www.sc.mahidol.ac.th/GradExpo2009

MUSC Graduate Research Exposition 2009

GradExpo 2009

Faculty of Science, Mahidol University

Palpasa Kansaka

PalpasaV7

Please introduce yourself...

I am Palpasa Kansakar, from Dept of Microbiology

and I am a Ph.D 4th

year student. I am from Nepal.

In brief, tell us about your research

I am working on a bacterial pathogen called Acenitobacter baumanii

; it is emerging as an important cause of hospital acquired infection

among ICU patients and is highly prevalent in Thailand as well. Myresearch focus is to characterize the antimicrobial resistance

mechanisms in these organisms.

Why do you study at Faculty of Science, Mahidol ?

It is a reputed university in Asia and one of the top universities of

Thailand. It has a good infrastructure for research and academics.

In addition, I got a partial scholarship support and my research

interest also matched with my PhD project. Another reason is I

wanted to be near my home country (as I am a family person) and

the application procedure was very fast and welcoming.

Why do you love research?

I feel that more than the titles and degrees, research makes us to

be able to think, be a lot patient and above all it teaches us never

to give up and in life as a whole this sense of never to give up drives

us to go ahead.

Research sometimes can make you feel down,

how would you handle such situation?

I first try to look for solutions search for papers related to the

work and approach my advisor. At times, I give myself a good but a

SHORT break and look out for a support from my close friendsit

becomes easy when you share and listen. Some times the problems

are not as big as they seem to be and I get more regular in my

prayers! Even science seeks GOD.

If you receive a Nobel prize, who will be the first person you

would share this good news with ?

Needless to mention my lab and my advisor here and then my family.

If you have a million baht, what will you do with it?

I will use a part of it to spend quality time with my family, take my

parents and my daughter out to some tour. Save some money in a

bank for future security, and also would like to make some

contributions for encouraging science and research in my country

Nepal.

Who would you love to meet, in person, the most

(not a scientist please)?

Nelson Mandela (He is such an inspiring personality and charismatic,

a nobel loreate who is a freedom fighter)