I was born and raised in Shillong, India. I graduated from Cotton College, Guwahati and obtained a Ph.D. degree from Gauhati University in 1965 for my research in carotenoids and vitamin A. In 1965, I became a faculty member in chemistry at Gauhati Universsity. In 1980 I moved with my family to Ames, IA, U.S.A. to join the Biochemistry and Biophysics department, Iowa State University. I continued my research in vitamin A and carotenoids until I retired as an adjunct professor in 2004. I enjoy photography and I owned my first film camera when I started earning. It was an expensive hobby but I did not mind spending on films and developing the photos. Most of my photos are portraits of my relatives and friends I used to meet during special occasions like weddings and similar events. With the availability and affordability of digital cameras, photography has become one of my most favorite activities . I enjoy close up photos of anything, flowers, human faces, wild life, to name a few.