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Abstract
STEM graduate students go through various stages in their development as researchers. Specifically, PhD students are expected to complete coursework, work on their research, help with projects in the lab they are working in, maintain equipment, mentor other researchers, and fulfill departmental requirements. In this dissertation, I have explored three different aspects of a PhD. After joining a PhD program, the first thing a student has to do is to transition into the department, find a research lab and settle into a new city or country if they have moved geographically. I studied the transition experiences of South Asian international students in life science doctoral programs in the United States. Then, a student has to work on their own research, both to make discoveries and to develop their own research expertise. I accomplished this by studying xenobiotic detoxification in C. elegans, with a focus on 1-hydroxyphenazine (1- HP) detoxification. Finally, a student has the option to solidify and share their knowledge and develop their mentoring skills by mentoring junior researchers. I describe this process in my chapter on postgraduate perspectives on mentoring undergraduate researchers serves that purpose. Taken together, this dissertation outlines the career development of postgraduate researchers while simultaneously providing insights on detoxification in C. elegans.