Simon Lab Spotlight! Dr. Hoi Tong Wong

Dr. Hoi Tong Wong, Postdoctoral Fellow, from New York, NY  
Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics and Microbiology from Stony Brook University    

Q. Cats or Dogs or Other? 
A. I would have to say both. 

Q. What sparked your interest in virology research or led you to join the Simon and Mulder Lab? 
A. I’ve always been interested in understanding pathogens and became involved with virology research as a grad student. I was really fascinated by the way viruses manipulated host immune defenses. 

Q. What is the most interesting part of your job? 
A. Getting to try new things and learn about other people’s discoveries.

Q. What is your favorite spot in all of New York? 
A. Somewhere along the East River.

Q. How did the Pandemic impact your position on research and virology? 
A. The pandemic hit when I was in grad school and seeing the quick responses from the field and vaccine development allowed me to witness real-world implications of virology research.

Q. What does a day in the lab look like? 
A. The day starts with our morning huddle where everyone goes over what they're doing. Afterwards I’m usually running experiments or in meetings. 

Q. Aside from being a great scientist, what would you describe to be your personal superpower? 
A. I’ve been told I have a good internal GPS. 

Q. If you could share one piece of advice with people interested in research, what would it be? 
A. Find something that you are passionate about because there will be good and bad days. If you find something that motivates you, then it makes any challenge seem fulfilling.  

Thank you Hoi Tong for sharing your story and also Aidan Vera for helping with the Spotlight Series!