Srinagar, June 23: Momina Javid, a young biochemist who hails from north Kashmir’s Sopore has won the coveted IDEX Master’s Excellence Fellowship awarded by the prestigious Université Paris-Saclay in France, earning a place in its highly competitive international Master’s programme in Life Science and Health – Infectiology: Biology of Infectious Diseases.
A former Gold Medalist in Biochemistry and currently working as a Junior Research Fellow at Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi, Momina will now undertake a research-intensive Master 2 programme that spans two continents. Her first semester will be held in Cambodia, with the Institute Pasteur du Cambodge, followed by a six-month Master’s thesis in France. Upon completion, she will be awarded two Master’s degrees, one from Université Paris-Saclay and another from the University of Health Sciences, Cambodia.
With such honour, Moomina is feeling excited to represent Kashmir and India at global academic platform, which she credited to her mentors, particularly those at JK Scientists.
Momina’s journey reflects dedication at every stage. After completing her BSc in Biochemistry from Jamia Hamdard with distinction, she pursued her Master’s from Jamia Millia Islamia, where she graduated with a CGPA of 9.24. Her Master’s thesis at AIIMS focused on the expression profile of miR-223-3p in Vitamin D-deficient allergic rhinitis patients, cutting-edge research that underscored her growing interest in immunology and disease biology.
Currently, she is engaged in translational research on CAR-T cell therapy, one of the most advanced areas in immunotherapy, at Jamia’s Multidisciplinary Centre for Advanced Research and Studies (MCARS).
Her selection for the IDEX Fellowship was based on her academic excellence, demonstrated research capability, and the potential to pursue doctoral studies. The Université Paris-Saclay fellowship is part of France’s prestigious Investissements d’Avenir initiative, which aims to bring top global talent into French academia.
“This fellowship is competitive and selective. To have a Kashmiri girl win it is a matter of immense pride,” said a representative from JK Scientists, who mentored Momina through her fellowship application process. “Her success shows what is possible when students from our region get the right platform, resources, and guidance.
Momina is not stopping here. After completing her Master’s, she intends to pursue a PhD in Infectious Disease Biology. “We come from a place that has long needed scientific minds to bring solutions rooted in compassion and innovation,” she said. “I want to contribute to that transformation.”
