Ned Place, PhD, MD
- What aspect of your research are you most excited about right now?
- In our investigations of naked mole-rat ovaries, most every finding will be a new discovery;
- Determining whether female reproductive/ovarian aging is attenuated in mice that express the naked mole-rat transgene for hyaluronan synthase 2;
- Determining whether the serum concentration of anti-Mullerian hormone is a good predictor of ovarian stimulation outcomes in exotic species, such as cheetahs.
- What inspired you to study reproduction, in general?
- During my clinical rotations in medical school, I discovered obstetrics and gynecology has a little bit of everything – preventive medicine, primary care, surgery and delivering babies. When I decided to leave clinical practice for a research career, I chose to build on my experiences as an Ob/Gyn by studying various aspects of female reproductive biology.
- When you’re not doing research, what are your hobbies or non-work-related interests?
- I thoroughly enjoy playing pick-up basketball. I also enjoy hiking and mountain biking;
- Attending live concerts;
- Spending time with my two sons, who are both taller than me and much better at basketball.
- What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve received over your research career?
- You’re not too old to switch careers;
- Collaborate with people who are very smart and nice to work with.
- Ideally, how do you envision your research contributing to the broader field of reproduction (be it societal, ecological, etc.)?
- Ideally, my lab’s discoveries will ultimately contribute to the development of a contraceptive that is safe, effective and reversible, while also preserving the quantity and quality of oocytes into the late 30s and 40s. If it also reduces the risk of breast and gynecological cancers, all the better. That’s not too much to ask, is it?
