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Trainee Page |
| Received for publication September 21, 2006; accepted for publication September 27, 2006. |
What led you to andrology? What motivated/inspired you to become an andrologist?
As a 23-year-old man, I didn't know what field I should be involved in
during the early days of my career. I went to Australia to pursue my PhD after
my undergraduate years at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. I studied under
Professor Barry Boettcher at the University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia, who
was an eminent reproductive immunologist at the time, and I have stayed in the
field ever since. I also ended up studying in the field of andrology during my
postdoctoral years in the laboratory of Drs Wayne Bardin, Neal Musto, and Glen
Gunsalus. Somehow, the more I learned about the testis, the more I enjoyed the
field because there are so many areas that remain unexplored in the field.
Who was/is the most influential person in your career?
Professor Barry Boettcher first introduced me to the field during my
graduate student years. Thereafter, Drs Wayne Bardin, Neal Musto, and Glen
Gunsalus taught me a lot in the laboratory during my postdoctoral years. This
was followed by more than 2 decades of fruitful collaboration with Professor
Bruno Silvestrini at the University of Rome, Italy, who had introduced me to
the field of medicinal chemistry and drug-related research.
What is your proudest scientific accomplishment to date?
I guess I was very excited when we successfully identified the lead
compound AF-2364 [Adjudin] that could induce drastic germ cell depletion from
the seminiferous epithelium in adult rats—not just 90% of the tubules
but 100%. But this project still has a long way to go until it can become a
viable consumer product. The blood-testis barrier and Sertoli-germ cell
adhesion are regulated by so many exciting molecules and signaling
pathways.
Another exciting moment was to see my former students who could make their own marks in science. For instance, it is very rewarding to see Dolores [Mruk] move on to become an independent investigator.
Another thing was the day we cloned and sequenced testin, one of my favorite proteins, which has recently been shown to be involved in ectoplasmic specialization dynamics.
My joy in science is like raindrops; little by little, they have helped me to move on amidst all the difficulties in science, such as getting your lab funded with sufficient grant money.
Do you have any career advice for trainees?
Work hard and play hard, and enjoy everything you've done in the lab,
including all those rejections—manuscripts and grant applications.
Because you learn from all this, and if you really take advantage of those
critiques, you simply become a better investigator.
Dr Dolores Mruk
At the Population Council in New York City, Dr Dolores Mruk investigates
Sertoli-germ cell interactions, in particular the communication via cell
junctions between these 2 cell types. After receiving her PhD from the
University of Hong Kong, Dr Mruk started a postdoctoral fellowship at the
Population Council, where she currently holds the position of Senior Research
Investigator. She is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of
Hong Kong. Dr Mruk's awards list is extensive, including awards from the
American Society of Andrology (most notably the New Investigator Award), the
Endocrine Society, and the International Society for the Study of
Endocrinology. The following is a short interview with Dr Mruk, in which she
shares a little bit about her background and her journey to, and in,
andrology, as well as offering advice for trainees.
What led you to andrology? What motivated/inspired you to become an andrologist?
I entered the field of andrology unintentionally as a college graduate with
a background in biology. At first, everything seemed a bit overwhelming and
maybe even a bit uninteresting at times, but I have to admit the atmosphere in
the laboratory was one of discovery, understanding, and learning.
Nevertheless, my motivation to remain in the field of reproductive biology
only came when I began to think independently; for me, that was after I
completed my PhD studies.
Who was/is the most influential person in your career?
The most influential person in my career was (and continues to be) Dr C.
Yan Cheng. Although he has taught me basically everything I needed to know to
survive as a student/trainee, he has taught me—more
importantly—never to give up.
What is your proudest scientific accomplishment to date?
I really do not have one specific accomplishment that I am proud of.
Instead, I am proud of every single study that I have published.
Do you have any career advice for trainees?
My advice for a student/trainee is to publish extensively, master the skill
of scientific writing, learn to think critically, and continually advance your
knowledge by reading. Also, be creative with your science.
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