In this week’s roll of The News at GeneArche, Rajat Kumar Mondal, our Senior Bioinformatics Scientist, talks about his bioinformatics beginnings, the journey into personalised wellness, the challenges along the way and how he’s helping build the future at GeneArche.

To begin, could you briefly introduce yourself and your journey so far?

I’m Rajat Kumar Mondal, and I work as a Senior Bioinformatics Scientist at GeneArche Wellness. My journey started with a BSc in Zoology, followed by dual Master’s (MSc and MTech) in Bioinformatics. Over time I have focused on data curation, AI and ML, software development, and developing biological databases, which naturally led me to applying genomics and computational biology to real-world healthcare and wellness.

Tell us about the first thought that came to your mind when you encountered the idea of connecting bioinformatics with personalised wellness?

It felt like the perfect bridge between research and daily life, turning complex genomic data into actionable insights that can genuinely help people make better health decisions.

From your perspective, what’s more challenging – making sense of the DNA data or convincing people why genomic insights truly matter?

Both are challenging in different ways, but convincing people is harder. The science keeps advancing, but building trust and helping individuals understand why these insights are valuable takes patient communication.

The Government of India has recently launched initiatives like the GenomeIndia Project. What impact do you foresee these efforts having on healthcare and wellness in India?

GenomeIndia aims to map the genetic diversity of people across the country. By creating a large reference of Indian genomes, it will allow researchers and clinicians to understand population specific risk factors, identify novel disease markers, and design treatments that are more accurate for Indian patients. Over time this will make preventive healthcare, early diagnosis, and personalised nutrition or drug recommendations far more reliable and affordable.

Building on that, what’s coming up at GeneArche that excites you the most, and how do you see it shaping the future of wellness?

I am excited about the advanced AI based wellness tools we are building to help users explore their own genetic data in a simple and interactive way. These features will make it easier for people to understand their reports and take meaningful steps for their health without needing a technical background.

Finally, looking ahead, what’s one breakthrough you hope to see in the personalised wellness sector within the next 10 years?

I hope to see a seamless system where genomic data, wearable sensors, electronic health records, and lifestyle tracking all come together in real time. Such an ecosystem would allow doctors and individuals to predict and prevent diseases before symptoms appear, tailor treatments to each person’s biology, and keep wellness management continuous rather than reactive.

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