Simon Lab Spotlight! Komal Srivastava
Komal Srivastava, Director of Strategy and Operations, from Harrigton Park, New Jersey
Masters in Healthcare Delivery & Leadership from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Q. Cats or Dogs or Other?
A. Dogs for sure but I am growing fond of Cats!
Q. What sparked your interest in virology research or led you to join the Simon and Mulder Lab?
A. The COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2020, I was working in the Department of Orthopedics as a Research Manager, and the entire department was shut down because of the health crisis and everyone was redeployed. Knowing that someone must need help with research for this brand-new virus and catastrophic disease, I organized research staff who were in the same position my team and I were in to do what we could to help in the fight against COVID-19. I was redeployed to the Department of Medicine Clinical Trials Office (MCTO) led by Michele Cohen and I was given the task of running COVID-19 research at Mount Sinai West under the Chief of Infectious Disease at the time, Dr. Erna Kojic.
During my redeployment I met Dr. Simon, renowned virologist, and after the first wave of the pandemic, I wanted to keep doing my part for pandemic preparedness.
Q. What is the most interesting part of your job?
A. I like chaos that comes with a fast-paced environment and dynamic demands. The department of Microbiology at Mount Sinai is world famous and has made tremendous contributions to science. Where there is a lot of work and a need to adapt to changing needs for the Pandemic and now science in general, it’s really interesting to identify and design solutions for operational challenges. I don't like to stay still for very long periods of time, so constantly being on my feet and interacting with the team is what I find the most interesting.
Q. What is your favorite spot in all of New York?
A. South Street Seaport! I am a big fan of water and the sea; it’s one of the places in the city that reminds you that Manhattan is an island and the view of the Brooklyn Bridge is pretty hard to beat.
Q. How did the COVID-19 Pandemic impact your position on research and virology?
A. I worked in research my entire career at Mount Sinai, what the pandemic showed everyone was the value of good research being done to help people. Clinical research is important and drives the standard of healthcare forward. Research is meant to help our communities – sometimes I think about what the pandemic response might have looked like without the brilliant minds of our scientists and all the team members that work to make research possible.
Q. What does a day in the lab look like?
A. Like everyone else in the lab every day is unique, but I like it that way. It starts with our huddle in the morning and finetuning the schedule for the day. I’m a liaison for a lot of our collaborations and it is my job to keep our projects on task and our pipelines running smoothly. It means I end up in a lot of meetings, working on data and checking our system tracking, and then supporting administration of the lab by doing our finances, helping with the website and coming up with team-based activities.
Q. Aside from being a great research director, what would you describe as your personal superpower?
A. I’ve got rhythm, I like to think of myself as a good dancer!
Q. If you could share one piece of advice with people interested in research, what would it be?
A. My biggest piece of advice is to volunteer in a lab or any research setting that you are interested in. There are many avenues to go down in research – and people willing to teach you – it is just up to you to seek the opportunities out!
Thank you Komal for sharing your story and also Aidan Vera for helping with the Spotlight Series!