About Me

Srijit Mukherjee — a name lovingly given by my parents, Swapnajit and Rita Mukerji — currently finds himself as a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Chemistry at Stanford University, under the mentorship of the legendary Prof. Steven G. Boxer.

Now, I know what you're thinking — “That name sounds familiar.” And you're not wrong. There are a few of us floating around: from the iconic Srijit Da of Tollywood fame, conjuring award-winning Bengali dramas with cinematic finesse like Chutoshkone and Baishe Shrabon, to a couple of fellow Srijit Mukherjees dotting Google Scholar with respectable h-indices. In fact, shout out to the Srijit Mukherjee in my own extended family — my cousin’s son — a bona fide rockstar in his boy band and a Gen-Z heartthrob, probably with more Instagram fans than I have citations. He's cooler, no doubt. I just play with lasers and molecules.

Now, flipping the narrative back to first person —

I was born in the endlessly buzzing streets of Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), a city where chaos and culture sync in eternal harmony. My schooling happened under the rather sturdy discipline of the Assembly of God Church School, Park Street. It was here, under the rather formidable discipline of AGCS, that I sort of learned to respect structure — and secretly find ways to bend around it. Iconic teachers like Sir Debu Das and Ma’am Joyeeta Mukherjee served as both my class teachers and moral compasses — figures I feared during exam seasons but revered for their integrity and quiet insistence on excellence. Their presence shaped my earliest ideas of diligence, humility, and the quiet rebellion of learning beyond the syllabus. While the world around me was being swept up in a silicon-fueled sprint toward engineering, I zigged when others zagged — drawn instead to the elemental beauty of Physics and Chemistry. That landed me at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Mohali (IISER-M), where I indulged my curiosity in the basics — the uncut gems of science.

The rather new and unconventional environment at IISER was like a slow brew — sharp, intense, and flavorful. (Yes, I am a caffeine addicted academic). It nudged me, inspired me, and eventually launched me across the globe to the University of Colorado at Boulder for graduate studies. At IISER, I worked with Prof. K.S Viswanathan, (dearly known as KSV) an excellent educator who sheltered me in his lab. At JILA, the boundaries between disciplines blur in all the right ways. My initial interest in low-temperature infrared spectroscopy and matrix isolation experiments from KSV's lab had me looking at atomic, molecular, and optical (AMO) physics, as well as ultrafast laser spectroscopy — and JILA was at the heart of it all. The sheer concentration of pioneering research, cutting-edge instrumentation, and collaborative culture was unlike anything I had encountered before.

Then came Prof. Ralph Jimenez, who completely changed my trajectory with a deceptively simple pitch: proteins are cool, you don’t even have to synthesize them, and cells do all the hard work for you. And these proteins he worked with were fluorescent green, red or even blue and sometimes even yellow - their interaction with light was no short of a fun movie. His lab was a revelation. Suddenly, I saw how biophysics — especially molecular biophysics — could be a perfect blend of forces, structure, and function, all playing out at the atomic scale.

Though my degree says "Chemistry," JILA let me follow my real passions: the elegance of physics and the complexity of biology. It’s a place where crossing disciplines isn’t just allowed — it’s expected. If you're looking for a graduate school that encourages fearless exploration, thrives on interdisciplinary collaboration, and has a front-row seat to fundamental science in action, JILA is it.

But hey — I’m not just spinning pipettes and debugging simulations all day.

I love of wide skies, winding trails, chaotic cities with hole in the wall eateries and fine dining. Hiking, running, and lately, a borderline obsession with cycling keep me sane. While I may not be an Olympian (I do know one, somewhat, maybe?) , hand me a soccer ball, cricket bat, or badminton racquet and you’ll see pure, unfiltered joy. I'm a lifelong Manchester United loyalist (Red Devils, always), with a heart that still cheers for the German National Team. On the subcontinental side of fandom, I back the Kolkata Knight Riders with the kind of passion only a true Bengali can understand.

Born into a traditional Ghoti family, my DNA comes hardwired with undying love for Mohun Bagan and an equally fierce disdain for East Bengal FC — no explanations needed, just cultural inheritance.

Outside the lab and off the field, I find joy in experimenting with flavors in the kitchen, sipping on a soul-soothing beverage (coffee, chai, or cocoa — I don’t discriminate, maybe I do - lets put it as a coffee for now), and winding down with a dose of storytelling via Netflix.