Earning a PhD in organic chemistry would likely be hard work for almost anyone.
Add in adjusting to life in a new country, having a child, and standing out in a field lacking diversity, and the degree of difficulty ramps up even further.
But Dr. Maryam Abdollahi, a postdoctoral fellow in Dal鈥檚 Department of Chemistry, has demonstrated that having the right support system and a willingness to embrace and learn from challenges can lead to great things.
In time for , Maryam shares her journey in STEM, from following her passions in science, balancing her career with motherhood, and exploring research innovations.
鈥楳aking the most of any free minute鈥�
After earning bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degrees in chemistry in her home country of Iran, Maryam moved abroad in 2018 to pursue a PhD at Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN). 鈥淪t. John鈥檚 is a beautiful city,鈥� Maryam says. 鈥淧eople are so welcoming. It was the perfect place to start life in Canada.鈥�
Maryam鈥檚 time in Newfoundland also included the birth of her daughter, now three-and-a-half years old. With the support and understanding of her supervisor, Dr. Yuming Zhao, she learned to effectively manage her time and balance her doctoral studies with motherhood.
鈥淢ost of my publications came after my daughter was born,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 learned how to make the most of any free minute I have.鈥�
The perfect place
While her PhD focused on organic chemistry, Maryam was keen on learning more about inorganic chemistry, which led her to move to Halifax to join the lab of Dr. Saurabh Chitnis as a postdoctoral fellow in 2023.
鈥淢aryam is a highly-skilled researcher who I also rely on to guide to overall research activities and operations in our group,鈥� says Dr. Chitnis, an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry and a 2023 Sloan Research Fellow. 鈥淪he asks insightful questions that lead to knowledge generation and brings fresh new ideas to the table.鈥�
One of those fresh new ideas builds on the 鈥檚 prowess at creating synthetic plastics using nitrogen and phosphorus, both abundant elements, rather than planet-harming petrochemicals.
鈥淚nstead of carbon-based polymers, we are hoping to make carbon-negative polymers,鈥� Maryam says. 鈥淏ecause our polymers contain nitrogen and phosphorus, key nutrients found in fertilizers, we want to see if they have end-of-life applications as fertilizers.鈥�
The Chitnis Lab is exploring that possibility in a New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) project involving Dr. Michelle Adams of the School for Resource and Environmental Studies and Dr. Lord Abbey of the Faculty of Agriculture鈥檚 Department of Plant, Food, and Environmental Sciences.
Maryam recently found out she has been awarded a postdoctoral fellowship that will keep her at Dal for two more years, a place she鈥檚 happy to be.
鈥淚 believe Dal is the perfect place for personal and professional growth,鈥� she says, praising the camaraderie and supportive staff in the chemistry department and the expertise and guidance provided by her postdoc supervisor.
The importance of community
In Canada, Maryam found welcoming Persian communities, which helped her meet people like her facing similar challenges.听 鈥淭he way that you see these challenges is really important,鈥� she says. 鈥淐an you learn from them to become stronger, or do they represent obstacles that stop you from succeeding?鈥�
Of course, individual determination can only go so far. 鈥淪ometimes you need someone to believe in you and your abilities before you do,鈥� she says, referencing the supervisors and mentors who celebrated her successes.
Maryam says she has observed an increasing awareness of the importance of diversity in STEM fields. 鈥淚 have seen positive changes, and we are heading in the right direction, but there is still a lot of work to do.鈥�
With that in mind, she wants to help women in STEM, especially fellow immigrants.
鈥淎 little encouragement can make a big difference.鈥�