Luke Simon, PhD, is in the second year of his term as Trainee Representative to the Executive Council of the American Society of Andrology. Here, he shares some of his experiences and accomplishments in the laboratory and in the society.
Why did you volunteer to be considered for the TR position?
I completed my undergraduate and master programs in India, my PhD in the UK, and joined as a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Utah, USA. Throughout my studies, I volunteered for extra activities, which provided me an opportunity to find mentors who provided me with valuable advice on my career and to meet like-minded individuals with whom I could associate. As a trainee, the American Society of Andrology is a great opportunity for me to meet prominent scientists and fellow trainees other than my collaborators. When I started my research career in USA (2011), I was not familiar with the American system of funding opportunities and strategies to obtain a successful grant. Although I took coursework at the University to familiarize myself with the grant application process, these courses were too general. It is very important for me to build good collaboration and to master the art of writing and assembling grant proposals, in order for me to develop into an independent investigator. In the beginning, I had a lot to learn, but as I have moved forward in my career, I realized that the knowledge I gained from my experiences could be very valuable to other trainees in the early parts of their careers; therefore, I volunteered to become a trainee representative.
Is this experience living up to your expectations?
Of course! It’s better than I thought tit would be. I had the great opportunity of meeting some of the renowned scientists in Andrology, who were enthusiastic about my research and have provided a network for support. I was also very excited to be part of the inaugural trainee mini-symposium (2015), which provided help and guidance for trainees in the process of making the transition to faculty. Mentors, who have immense experience in this field of Andrology, presented the topics included in the mini-symposium. They were also willing to share their experiences with the trainees that were based on their extensive collaborative research projects and successful grant applications.
What would you say to convince a trainee to become involved in the society?
If you are interested in building your career in Andrology, it is important to be involved in the society. It is wise to learn from those who have immense experience, and are willing to help you transition to a faculty postion.
Are you finding that that service as a trainee representative is a big drain on your time?
I don’t think being a trainee representative is a drain on my time. I am involved in Trainee Affairs Committee meetings (monthly), council meetings (twice a year), the annual conference, and other trainee fund-raising opportunities. The Trainee Affairs Committee is well organized and is always on schedule, and so I don’t feel drained on my part.
Say a few words about your current job and research interests/your typical day?
I love doing research and I enjoy my job. I am a postdoctoral research fellow at the Andrology and IVF laboratories, University of Utah. My research interests are to identify the effect of sperm DNA abnormalities on male reproductive health and assisted reproductive technology outcomes. My projects are focused on specific areas: sperm DNA fragmentation, sperm nuclear proteins, sperm epigenetics, oxidative stress, and sperm selection for assisted treatment. My typical day is flexible and it depends on the number of patients consented for research. Most of the experiments performed are in batches, which provides me plenty of time to read recently published articles, develop grant applications, or write my research papers. I also spend time in reviewing articles submitted to Human Reproduction, Fertility and Sterility, and Andrology. I start my day in the lab about 8:00 am, usually by answering my e-mails. About noon, I take a quick lunch in the kitchen next to my lab and go for a 20-minute walk around the park with my colleagues. I don’t have a fixed time to leave but usually after 4:00 pm, which may vary based on my schedule and workload. Our lab usually meets for journal club or research meetings on Thursday afternoon.
How was your interest in field of andrology developed?
When I grew up, I wanted to become a forest ranger and so I studied biological science as my major at school. During my undergraduate studies, I enjoyed doing research and realized that my interests were shifted towards research and development, so I studied molecular biology for my master’s degree and completed it with a specialization in DNA fingerprinting. I was applying for an opportunity to do PhD in molecular medicine and I received a full scholarship to do my PhD at Queens University, UK, which introduced me to the field of Andrology. I started analyzing sperm DNA fragmentation, and other sperm abnormalities, which made me think that an improvised method of sperm selection prior to assisted treatment, may increase the chances of a positive in vitro pregnancy outcome. My objective was to identify sperm with normal DNA without compromising its structural and functional ability, so such sperm could be successfully used in assisted treatment. This challenge led me to establish a new sperm selection method named ‘micro-electrophoresis’ which utilizes sperm surface charge as a biomarker to identify healthy sperm. I have a strong interest in male reproductive health and my ultimate goal is to improve the quality of patient care by improving the success rates following assisted treatment.
What has been the impact of ASA membership in your career?
As a trainee, being part of ASA is a great opportunity for me to meet and interact with eminent scientists, lead researchers, and mentors, for their encouragement and advice are valuable to my career development. ASA also helped me to share my work and identify like-minded researchers, which lead me to collaborative projects and grant applications. In particular, I received extensive advice and support from established members of ASA during my K-series (career development) NIH grant application. Finally, I have made some good friends and it’s always nice to meet them during the annual ASA conference.
I completed my undergraduate and master programs in India, my PhD in the UK, and joined as a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Utah, USA. Throughout my studies, I volunteered for extra activities, which provided me an opportunity to find mentors who provided me with valuable advice on my career and to meet like-minded individuals with whom I could associate. As a trainee, the American Society of Andrology is a great opportunity for me to meet prominent scientists and fellow trainees other than my collaborators. When I started my research career in USA (2011), I was not familiar with the American system of funding opportunities and strategies to obtain a successful grant. Although I took coursework at the University to familiarize myself with the grant application process, these courses were too general. It is very important for me to build good collaboration and to master the art of writing and assembling grant proposals, in order for me to develop into an independent investigator. In the beginning, I had a lot to learn, but as I have moved forward in my career, I realized that the knowledge I gained from my experiences could be very valuable to other trainees in the early parts of their careers; therefore, I volunteered to become a trainee representative.
Is this experience living up to your expectations?
Of course! It’s better than I thought tit would be. I had the great opportunity of meeting some of the renowned scientists in Andrology, who were enthusiastic about my research and have provided a network for support. I was also very excited to be part of the inaugural trainee mini-symposium (2015), which provided help and guidance for trainees in the process of making the transition to faculty. Mentors, who have immense experience in this field of Andrology, presented the topics included in the mini-symposium. They were also willing to share their experiences with the trainees that were based on their extensive collaborative research projects and successful grant applications.
What would you say to convince a trainee to become involved in the society?
If you are interested in building your career in Andrology, it is important to be involved in the society. It is wise to learn from those who have immense experience, and are willing to help you transition to a faculty postion.
Are you finding that that service as a trainee representative is a big drain on your time?
I don’t think being a trainee representative is a drain on my time. I am involved in Trainee Affairs Committee meetings (monthly), council meetings (twice a year), the annual conference, and other trainee fund-raising opportunities. The Trainee Affairs Committee is well organized and is always on schedule, and so I don’t feel drained on my part.
Say a few words about your current job and research interests/your typical day?
I love doing research and I enjoy my job. I am a postdoctoral research fellow at the Andrology and IVF laboratories, University of Utah. My research interests are to identify the effect of sperm DNA abnormalities on male reproductive health and assisted reproductive technology outcomes. My projects are focused on specific areas: sperm DNA fragmentation, sperm nuclear proteins, sperm epigenetics, oxidative stress, and sperm selection for assisted treatment. My typical day is flexible and it depends on the number of patients consented for research. Most of the experiments performed are in batches, which provides me plenty of time to read recently published articles, develop grant applications, or write my research papers. I also spend time in reviewing articles submitted to Human Reproduction, Fertility and Sterility, and Andrology. I start my day in the lab about 8:00 am, usually by answering my e-mails. About noon, I take a quick lunch in the kitchen next to my lab and go for a 20-minute walk around the park with my colleagues. I don’t have a fixed time to leave but usually after 4:00 pm, which may vary based on my schedule and workload. Our lab usually meets for journal club or research meetings on Thursday afternoon.
How was your interest in field of andrology developed?
When I grew up, I wanted to become a forest ranger and so I studied biological science as my major at school. During my undergraduate studies, I enjoyed doing research and realized that my interests were shifted towards research and development, so I studied molecular biology for my master’s degree and completed it with a specialization in DNA fingerprinting. I was applying for an opportunity to do PhD in molecular medicine and I received a full scholarship to do my PhD at Queens University, UK, which introduced me to the field of Andrology. I started analyzing sperm DNA fragmentation, and other sperm abnormalities, which made me think that an improvised method of sperm selection prior to assisted treatment, may increase the chances of a positive in vitro pregnancy outcome. My objective was to identify sperm with normal DNA without compromising its structural and functional ability, so such sperm could be successfully used in assisted treatment. This challenge led me to establish a new sperm selection method named ‘micro-electrophoresis’ which utilizes sperm surface charge as a biomarker to identify healthy sperm. I have a strong interest in male reproductive health and my ultimate goal is to improve the quality of patient care by improving the success rates following assisted treatment.
What has been the impact of ASA membership in your career?
As a trainee, being part of ASA is a great opportunity for me to meet and interact with eminent scientists, lead researchers, and mentors, for their encouragement and advice are valuable to my career development. ASA also helped me to share my work and identify like-minded researchers, which lead me to collaborative projects and grant applications. In particular, I received extensive advice and support from established members of ASA during my K-series (career development) NIH grant application. Finally, I have made some good friends and it’s always nice to meet them during the annual ASA conference.
RSS Feed