Kozhikode, Kerala: Ladida Kalana, a native of Thondayad in Kozhikode district, has realised her dream through determination and hard work, securing a prestigious Marie Curie Fellowship worth ₹2.8 crore for her research at Radboud University in the Netherlands.

Ladida completed her schooling up to SSLC at Silver Hills Higher Secondary School in Kozhikode and pursued her Plus Two at the P.C. Thomas Institute in Thrissur. She later joined the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in Mohali, Punjab, where she earned an integrated BS-MS degree with a major in chemical science and a minor in biology.

She also completed a 6-month internship at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Hyderabad before applying for the Marie Curie Fellowship.

Currently, Ladida is conducting research on synthetic cells at Radboud University. She is the daughter of KP Jahafar and Haseena Jahafar.