Arshdeep Singh: Teen wildlife photographer seeing the world through the lens

, a lab coat, and miniature goggles. This was enough to keep the fire of becoming a scientist alive in him.

[caption id="attachment_23956" align="aligncenter" width="460"] Prathik Naidu is an Indian-American innovator[/caption]

The dream translated into a passion when he applied for internships at Johns Hopkins University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology while attending Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Fairfax County. During one such summer spent at Johns Hopkins University, he discovered computational biology - a field wherein scientists make predictions on computers using biological data. The revelation broke his myths around science, and he knew he had found his calling.

"I always envisioned a scientist to be someone who is in a lab coat and pouring chemicals wearing goggles. But what I didn't realise was that science also comes in the form of working at a computer and analysing data and making predictions and writing software. That transitionally helped me understand what science is. It's not just about mixing chemicals, it's really about answering tough questions," the young Global Indian said in an interview.

[caption id="attachment_23957" align="aligncenter" width="768"] Prathik Naidu at the Regeneron Science Talent Search[/caption]

He knew computation biology was his way of answering those questions. "Computational biology is using computer science techniques to solve biological problems. This was something I was trying to pick up when I was in high school as genetics started to get popular. And I was reading more about it in the news and classes, that's when I got interested in the field," added Prathik Naidu.

Curiosity led to innovation

This interest made him dive deep into the subject, and one such class on biology made him interested in the fundamental aspects of how genes are activated or deactivated, which impacts the progression of cancer. "Even after decades of research on the genetics behind cancer, there's still a lot more work to be done in this area and I wanted to see if I can help answer some interesting questions in the field," he explained.

This curiosity led him to explore more on the subject during a summer internship at MIT wherein he developed DNALoopR, a fast and easy-to-use tool, that examines the genes of cancer cells in a three-dimensional way and helps discover new biological patterns. "The software can help scientists find new ways of reactivating genes that could help stop the growth of cancer cells and also lead to new types of genetic-based treatments that are more targeted than conventional methods," he added.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQyLPgO6Aqs

For months, he focused incessantly on learning math, algorithms, and statistics that were useful in creating the software. This project helped him take home $70,000 in the Regeneron Science Talent Search, also known as Junior Nobel Prize, where he secured seventh place. Later, this passion for computational biology took him to an international conference in Dublin, making him the only high school student to present a research paper. He even established a computational biology conference to get more high school children interested in the real-world applications of computer science. "If I learn something cool, then someone else should know it, too," he added.

The Indian American, who has his roots in Chitoor, now works as the product lead at Rutter. When not busy with research and work, the 22-year-old loves playing basketball and hiking.

Prathik's creation of easy-to-use software for analysing cancer DNA is a big step forward in cancer research. By making it simple for researchers and doctors to study the genetic details of cancer, his software helps improve the understanding and treatment of the disease. Naidu's work shows how innovative thinking can make a real difference in health care, giving hope for better, more personalised treatments for cancer patients everywhere.

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pened for the award-winning singer/rapper Pharrell Williams at the Something in the Water Music festival in Virginia, before an audience of 100,000.

[caption id="attachment_23516" align="aligncenter" width="402"] Tanishq Joshi. Photo: Instagram[/caption]

From Indore to the United States

Growing up, Tanishq wanted to play soccer, like most boys his age. Although he showed a natural talent for dance, taking inspiration from Hritik Roshan and Ganesh Hegde to perform at school events, he never thought about it as a career. That changed when he was in the tenth grade. Tanishq was hit by a car, leaving him with multiple fractures in his left leg.

After a series of painful surgeries, which involved the insertion of metal rods and screws, Tanishq was put in an extended rehabilitation programme. "After a year of long recovery, I had been advised by the doctors to undergo physical therapy. Instead of signing up for a traditional physical therapy session, I joined a dance class in the area and that's where I discovered my passion for dance," Tanishq told VoyageLA. It was a slow, slow process. "In the beginning - and in a super-beginners'-level dance class, there was one step that took me three or four days to get," he told Dance Spirit.

A couple of years later, Tanishq moved to the United States to study Finance at Drexel University, where he had been awarded a full scholarship. "I even earned $25,000 from Live Mas Scholarship by the Taco Bell Foundation for showcasing my outstanding leadership in dance," he said.

Rising above challenges

Even with all the doors that had opened for him, life in the US was not easy. Tanishq devoted himself to training as much as possible, supporting himself with a 9 to 5, working at part-time gig as a barista in Starbucks and taking a full course load at university. It meant a packed schedule  with half a dozen classes to attend, work hours till 10 pm and returning home to catch up with academics until midnight. Still, he would go out into the streets at night to freestyle, to choreograph and to learn.

Tanishq's hard work paid off when he was spotted by dance crew, Creative Reaction. Every weekend, he would hop on the bus from Philadelphia, where he lived, to New York city for classes on weekends. "My perseverance started paying off when I choreographed and danced for my team at World of Dance, Philadelphia and won second place," he said, in the interview with VoyageLA.

 

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However, his student visa prohibited him from working anywhere except the university itself. He was not allowed to earn money through dance. Instead, he hosted free classes, holding open sessions and putting out calls to dancers across the city. Tanishq wanted the dance circuit to know his name. And although his talent was appreciated, he was still stereotyped.

LA calling

When he arrived in LA, Tanishq had to deal with what is possibly another form of racism - the stereotype. "I was always seen as a good dancer 'for an Indian'," he says. "This notion bothered me until I started making this my strength." Instead of shunning his cultural heritage, Tanishq learned to lean into it. Now he teaches at some of LA's biggest dance studios but makes sure he fuses Bollywood music with Hip Hop or Popping.

"I'm challenging the stereotype in the baddest way I can," he remarks. "I'm proud to be an Indian and it runs through my veins." Indian he might be but Tanishq has found appeal among American audiences too, making a name for himself in the LA dance industries, starring in music videos and taking on other big projects. "I'm not just a really good dancer 'for an Indian'. I'm skilled and my craft speaks for itself. Period."

All this resulted in Tanishq developing a style that is uniquely his own. The boy who wanted to hide from the world - his culture, background, country and family - became his source of strength. He auditioned constantly for multiple agencies and failed to get into any. He learned then that it wasn't about skill, it was the fact that he wasn't 6'2, muscular black man. So, he leaned into who he was, rather than who he imagined himself to be and began dancing to Bollywood.

The entrepreneur

When he graduated from college, Tanishq decided to establish his own e-commerce business, Asha Creative, LLC, providing dance and choreography services to brands across platforms. The big brands came calling - "I worked as a choreographer and director for a social media ad campaign for Fanta," he said.

As his social media presence increased, Tanishq was invited to take classes and attend programmes around the world, including India, London and the Middle East. The pandemic hit around this time although he didn't let it get him down. "I trained at home and taught online via Zoom in multiple countries," he says. Tanishq's dance videos were reposted by superstars like Shakira, Missy Elliot and the Black-Eyed Peas. "I also became one of the first South Asians to teach at globally renowned dance studios like Tmilly TV, Snowglobe Perspective and the West Course Dance Theatre.

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