"That’s where Charles Darwin used to live": Anfas Muhammed on science and study

Can you summarise your educational journey before starting your MPhil?

I spent the first eighteen years of my life in a rural part of southern India, where I completed my schooling. For my undergraduate degree, I moved to the opposite side of the country after securing admission to the University of Delhi, which opened up a wide range of academic and extracurricular opportunities. I wouldn’t say I was at the top of my class, but I did make the most of my time as a university student, taking up internships, attending conferences, exploring competitive debating, and going on trips with friends.

Tell us a bit about the experience of leaving India for the first time to start your postgraduate degree. Any things that particularly challenged you or supported you along the way?

My route to Cambridge was rather dramatic. On 25 August 2024, exactly thirty days before my flight to the UK, I was in a severe motorcycle accident. I broke my arm and had to undergo emergency surgery to have a metal plate inserted. I didn't think I was going to make it this year. By the time I was discharged, it was too late for my parents to get a visa to accompany me.

"This meant I had to leave India – for the first time in my life – move to an entirely new country where I had no family or friends, with only one functional arm, take two flights, and manage three bags of luggage on my own. I thought I was going to have the worst time of my life. But it turned out to be quite the opposite."

Cambridge has been an unexpectedly wonderful experience, filled with supportive people, a welcoming atmosphere, and every facility I could need within the University.

Were there any memorable moments that shaped your first impressions of the University or life abroad?

I still remember, on my very first day of class, heading toward the Department when I happened to run into Professor Ben Luisi, from the Department of Biochemistry, who had interviewed me a few months earlier. He said hello, and we ended up walking together. As we chatted, I mentioned how strange it is that certain streets or places quietly carry so much history – sometimes stories you only discover after you’ve already been walking them for weeks.

"He smiled and said, 'Let’s take a quick detour.' We turned into a narrow side lane, and he pointed to a blue door. 'That’s where Charles Darwin used to live.'"

It was an incredibly inspiring experience, and not just on that first day – Cambridge constantly inspires me, whether it's visiting The Eagle, the pub where Watson and Crick first announced their discovery of the structure of DNA, walking to Trinity College to see Newton’s apple tree, or passing by the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, where Stephen Hawking spent most of his career.

How have you found the course and its teaching? Can you briefly tell us about your research project?

My course far exceeded my expectations. The programme included both lab work and weekly workshops. I spent four days a week in the lab, and once a week, scientists from around the world are invited to deliver workshops on their areas of expertise.

My favourite was a workshop by Richard Morimoto, who flew in from the US to teach us about heat shock proteins. It was especially relevant to my own research, where I expose leukaemia cells to heat, cancer drugs, and gene editing to study their stress responses. On the topic of gene editing, I also had the chance to interact with the CRISPR pioneer Feng Zhang from MIT (the other Cambridge) during a department seminar.

"This was a big part of what drew me to the course; the people teaching it were exactly the kind of scientists I’d want to learn from, and maybe one day become. Speaking of people I learn from, I’ve been lucky to have an incredible supervisor in the lab; we get along really well, share plenty of laughs, and it makes doing science genuinely fun."

As for what excites me about my subject, I love that you can never really 'finish' learning science. There’s always one more layer to peel back.

Tell us about your experience of College life and some of the activities you are involved in at Wolfson and across the University.

"When I first moved to the UK, I was overwhelmed, lost and homesick. In those uncertain moments, I could not have landed in a better place than Wolfson. It’s one of the most inclusive Colleges of Cambridge, where people of all ages, races, and disciplines come together to create a truly welcoming community."

Wolfson has a remarkable way of making you feel like you belong, no matter where you come from or what your story is. The highlight of my time so far was when my friends Amro, Mohamed, and I won the 2025 Wolfson Beer Pong Tournament. I think I may have been more excited that day than when I got my Cambridge offer!

As for my involvement in the College, I served as a student ambassador, I was a core committee member of the Wolfson Entrepreneurship Society, and I was the captain of the College's Chess Team. Beyond Wolfson, I was a resident of the King’s Entrepreneurship Lab and a selected participant in the Social Venture Residential Programme at King’s College.

"One day, if academia leaves me just enough room to try, I hope to build something of my own. Having a College President who has walked this very path herself is a constant source of inspiration."

What advice do you have for any prospective or incoming MPhil students?

Make sure you have as much fun as you study. The course can be intense, and it’s easy to get buried in library hours (I’m there 90% of the time myself), but don’t forget to enjoy Cambridge too. Try punting: even if, like me, you have no idea what you’re doing and mildly endanger your friends’ lives in the process. Go to College BOPs (Big Organised Parties), meet people outside your course, and – I hope my parents won’t read this – don’t miss out on the occasional pub crawl.

This article is part of our 2025-6 Postgraduate Student Profile Series.

You can learn about the funding available at Wolfson and how to apply to study for a postgraduate course at Cambridge University as a Wolfson College student on our website.

You can also read about studying at Wolfson as an international student.