Beauty at a geographic intersection

I am a recent transplant to San Antonio, having moved here from Dallas where I was a professor of radiation oncology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. In 2019, I was recruited by the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio where I am a professor of neurosurgery and biochemistry and molecular biology and vice chair (research) of neurosurgery.

Bipasha Mukherjee

Sandeep Burma hikes in the Natural Bridge Caverns in San Antonio.

My lab is housed in the South Texas Research Facility within the sprawling Medical District, which includes other research institutions, hospitals and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center. My lab works on DNA double-strand break repair mechanisms with the translational objective of targeting DNA repair pathways to augment glioblastoma therapy.

I decided to move here primarily because UT Health San Antonio recently recruited several outstanding DNA repair researchers; the university is poised to become a world-class genome stability research hub. In my few years here, I have enjoyed working on collaborative projects with some of the best minds in DNA repair.

I also enjoy working here because the center is bounded on one side by nature preserves and trails — watching deer meandering outside your lab as evening falls is simply priceless. San Antonio is a green and charming city with a distinct culture of its own, and the vibe here is laidback and friendly. It also doesn’t hurt that here you can find some of the most authentic Mexican cuisine outside of Mexico.

When I moved to San Antonio, I was perplexed by the three different nightly weather forecasts on the local TV channel. I learned later that the city lies at the intersection of several distinct geographic areas, all undeniably beautiful. Drive an hour north, and you will find yourself amongst the incredibly green rolling hills of Texas wine country. Drive a couple of hours south, and you will hit the pristine beaches of the Gulf Coast. Drive a few hours west, and you will find yourself mesmerized by the stark beauty of the desert landscape. Drive east … well, I’ve never driven east — that would just take me back to Dallas.