“Just before I walked into my qualifying exam, the committee convinced me that I was going to fail … Later, when I interviewed for postdoc positions, committee members had nothing positive to say … It was a continuous barrage of criticism aimed at undermining my self-confidence.” – Dr. Fanuel Muindi, Science (18 July 2014, p. 350)

Dr. Muindi’s journey took him from Tanzania, the land of his birth, to far off Palo Alto, California, where he earned a Ph.D. studying the effects of light on sleep mechanisms. Along the way, aided by “intense self-reflection though mindful meditation,” he “gained the confidence needed to stand up to the negative committee” which turned out to be no more (and no less) than the voices emerging from his own brain, constantly telling him that he was unworthy, an imposter who didn’t deserve whatever success had come his way.

Fanuel Muindi is currently a postdoctoral fellow at MIT. He says, “Outside research, I love to meditate, run, drink tea, and talking to the next generation of learners!”