Author Archives
Pearl Akazue (née Osirike) is a multipotentialite. She is passionate about teaching, research and writing. She holds a First Class B.Sc. and M.Sc. degree in Biochemistry and a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cell Biology of Infectious Diseases.
Aside from her scientific interests, she loves reading/listening to motivational books, handcrafts, and anything creative. She also enjoys spending time with her family. She is happily married with three adorable kids.
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Life Lessons from Kleon’s “Steal like an artist”
When I first heard about Austin Kleon’s book “steal like an artist” a few years ago, I wasn’t immediately so keen about reading it. My reason was simple: I assumed the book would be helpful to upcoming artists, but definitely… Read More ›
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Grit
A few days ago, I came across one of my handwritten notes from years back: a talk which I had prepared to deliver to a group of undergraduate students who attended the same campus Christian fellowship which I had attended… Read More ›
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My PhD Journey 2: Lessons Learnt So Far
“Do you know how to drive a manual car?” He asked. “If you do, you would understand this illustration vividly: if you want to accelerate, you start with ‘half clutch’, then you slowly release your legs from the clutch and… Read More ›
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Take the pressure off!
It was a sunny afternoon and as I walked down the road that led from my classroom to my hostel room, my heart was palpitating and tears were beginning to form in my eyes. The route was a very familiar… Read More ›
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Legacy…
Just a few weeks after I resumed at the Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology at the University of Ghana, I took a tour of all the laboratories present in the facility. During this tour, I noticed a commemorative… Read More ›
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My Twenty-Nine-Day Open Gratitude Challenge: 2018
The month of October would always be an exceptional month for me – and this year, it is memorable. Every year since October 2015, I embark on a twenty-nine-day gratitude challenge. I call it “October of Gratitude” and the results… Read More ›
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My Twenty-Nine-Day Open Gratitude Challenge: 2017
One of the first things people get to know about me is how special the month of October is to me. The reason is not far-fetched: aside from the fact that October is my birth month, this special month holds… Read More ›
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Bitter-Sweet
Life as a PhD student in a foreign land has been filled with different experiences – some good, other bitter and then there are the bitter-sweet ones. Whenever I think of experiences, I remember a real-life story my Dad… Read More ›
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365 Days…
I sat at my desk working on my Powerpoint slides for a class presentation which I had to deliver the following week on current vaccine approaches for dengue fever. It was about 2:30pm, and I was beginning to feel hungry…. Read More ›
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Writing research proposals: Some hints
Writing a research proposal is always a daunting task, especially for a beginner. However, it is a skill that is vital for anyone aspiring to pursue a career in research. In the past twelve months, I have written at least… Read More ›
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Saying “YES” to help!
I love shopping, but what I find most frustrating is having to tag along heavy shopping bags. A typical street market in Africa is haphazard and navigating is not exactly the most pleasurable experience. Thankfully, here in Ghana, there are… Read More ›
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Finding my balance
There are three categories of people. Those who identify a problem, talk elaborately about it but do nothing to change the situation. They hope someone else will solve the problem, so they walk away. Next, we have people who have… Read More ›
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My PhD Journey: Lessons Learnt So Far
I commenced my PhD programme in Molecular and Cell Biology of Infectious Diseases at the West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), the University of Ghana in August last year. WACCBIP is a world-class research centre where… Read More ›
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Writing a compelling statement of purpose
The statement of purpose is a critical requirement for many graduate applications; it must be clearly and thoughtfully written to highlight your uniqueness. One of the most frequently asked questions by intending graduate students is “how do I write a… Read More ›
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Your ONE Word
I discovered Evan Carmichael’s YouTube channel serendipitously. It soon became my early morning “boost” — I eagerly looked forward to listening to his interviews on the “10 rules of success” every day (I still do). In all his posts, he… Read More ›
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You can overcome every obstacle…NO MATTER WHAT!
It all started with a YouTube video – a story that would change my life, and possibly yours, forever…..by the award-winning motivational speaker and life coach, Lisa Nichols. After watching the video, I knew that I needed to read Lisa’s… Read More ›
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My Open Gratitude Journal
I recall vividly just like it was yesterday when we chorused “happy new year” and well wishes for the new year. Now, we start the countdown to the end of the year 2017. How has your year been? Productive or… Read More ›
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The search for Ph.D. opportunities: Some helpful tips
The search for fully funded opportunities for a PhD could be very competitive and challenging, especially for someone just starting the journey. With tons of highly qualified graduates and limited job opportunities, a PhD seems to be the “path of… Read More ›
Pearl's Blog 