WISENET Journal 35, July 1994, pp. 11-12.
Adrianne Pope is one of the new breed of geneticists; a human reproductive biologist. She is the supervisor of reproductive biology for the Queensland Fertility Group, a private medical consultant firm specialising in 'in vitro' fertilisation (IVF). She gained her PhD from Queensland University in 1985 with a thesis on evolutionary genetics with Assoc. Prof Wharton B. Mather, and her first employment outside the University was with her current employer, starting her in the field of human reproductive biology. She feels herself very fortunate to be in such an area, because it is difficult to find a relevant professional field so related to an area of research interest.
At such an early stage of the discipline it was essential to gain the most up-to-date experience, and so Adrianne soon headed for the USA. There, also, IVF was in its early stages, and people with her skills were few and far between, particularly someone from Australia with its excellent reputation. This latter factor she feels really gives our scientists an edge. Adrianne was therefore in the fortunate position of choosing between jobs. She chose to work as director of reproductive biology at a private Fertility Institution in Southern California where she worked for two years. After California she went to Tulsa, Oklahoma to the Hillcrest Fertility Centre, and was the director of Reproductive Biology and Andrology for four years.
Adrianne found the USA experience of great value. It was a wonderful challenge and gave her the opportunity to test new things and test her endurance. The USA offered a greater opportunity to engage in the scientific side of medicine than in Australia, with its larger population and long traditions. Additionally, the scientist in the IVF unit was included as an equal partner in patient management rather than as the 'backroom' scientist we are more familiar with. This team approach she feels makes the whole process more efficient, as it reduces the number of steps and points of translation from medico to scientist at which interpretations can go wrong.
Being a good scientist she also absorbed the culture and took the opportunity to travel. Adrianne was struck by the cultural variety in the US, with Tulsa being a classical country town especially in contrast to southern California. The US was not at all like Australia, despite our fears.
In 1992 Adrianne returned to Australia, accepting a job at the Queensland Fertility Group prior to leaving the US. The decision to return was difficult, but family responsibilities predicated the move. She finds, in 1994, she is still adjusting to the Australian conditions for scientists.
Looming large at the moment is the organisational component of the job; as head of the laboratory there is a lot of day-to-day management involved. The IVF clinic is run as a business offering a service to a client, and the scientists have to service these needs to the best of their ability. IVF technology is right on the cutting edge of discovery and the desires of the client/patient often run ahead of the technology. There is consequently a sense of urgency and tremendous competition between laboratories. This has largely been brought about by the media and exaggeration of the actual skills certain laboratories possess. One is asked 'can we do that?' and if not, why not. The head of the laboratory has thus to engage in a constant review of science relevant to the area, including prepublication conference presentations and discussions with researchers at Universities, engage in research of their own and glean as much good information as they can on the way. The skills of the head scientist are thus critical to the success of the venture, for it is the analytical and deductive skills of that person that can pick at a very early stage the work that will bear fruit and fit together disparate pieces of work that will produce a new technique.
Adrianne's current research interest is in the theoretical side of IVF; spermatogenesis and folliculogenesis. She is also interested in monitoring levels of anticardiolipins and other immunological markers in serum, as well as the genetical abnormalities that result from polyploidy. Being involved in private consultancy has its drawbacks for a scientist, especially one that has to keep up so sensitively with activities in the field. This is primarily because of the code of secrecy inherent in any business of this nature. It is partly secrecy that has resulted in the exaggerated claims by some IVF clinics, but it is also secrecy that will prevent the free flow of information between scientists which is essential for the scientist to provide the most up-to-date service for the client. These problems are yet to be resolved. There are some advantages however, of being employed in a private consultancy, one of which is the ready availability of money if a discovery looks promising.
Adrianne has found that one of the things most valuable in her career is getting encouragement and positive reinforcement when doing well. For females in a predominantly male workplace this can be reassuring. She has only been aware of being female in her career in the commercial workplace. The headmaster at her state high school was enlightened and encouraged all students, regardless of sex. This despite the fact that her class, the top academically, had only three females in a total of twenty eight pupils. At present she couples her work with the IVF unit with a weekly lecture to sixth year obstetrics and gynaecology students from Queensland University on IVF techniques, andrology, the effects of alcohol and drugs on spermatogenesis and so on. She is currently on the organising committee for the annual conference of the Fertility Society of Australia to be held in October in Brisbane. Her life is obviously rich and full. It remains to be seen whether Australia can continue to hold her.