Simon Lab Spotlight! Neko Lyttle

Neko Lyttle, Senior Clinical Research Coordinator, from Queens, New York
M.S. in Clinical Trial Management from CUNY York College

Q. Cats or Dogs or Other? 
A. Dogs, no doubt! 

Q. What sparked your interest in virology research or led you to join the Simon and Mulder Lab? 
A. My interest in Virology was sparked by my love of biology since it was my major, and I was also interested in microbiology. For the Simon and Mulder lab, I would say I wanted to be a part of something very big and was looking for clinical research positions and when I got the opportunity at the Simon and Mulder Lab, I knew it would be a good opportunity to be a part of something big. 

Q. What is the most interesting part of your job? 
A. Probably for me it is keeping up with all the studies and communicating with upper management and stakeholders on different projects. 

Q. What is your favorite spot in all of New York City? 
A. Nowon in Bushwick, they make a really good burger! 

Q. How did the Pandemic impact your position on research and virology? 
A. The pandemic was really important in terms of how I felt about clinical research. My undergrad degree was in Biology, but my master's degree was in clinical trial management. The pandemic showed me all these things about the field that I wanted to go into and how it was applicable to real life. Working in the Simon and Mulder lab during the pandemic allowed me to see all the real problems being solved by a lot of very intelligent scientists. 

Q. What does a day in the lab look like? 
A. Every day is different, but most days start with checking my emails, writing down what I must do for the day and then at around 10 there is a lab huddle. After that I spend the rest of the day doing my daily tasks.  

Q. Aside from being a great research coordinator, what would you describe as your personal superpower? 
A. Connecting with people, I think that connecting with people and being able to be personable has allowed me to open doors and talk and ask questions that I need answers to. 

Q. If you could share one piece of advice with people interested in research, what would it be? 
A. I think it would be to have an open mind and ask questions. Being open-minded and allowing yourself to learn gives you the best opportunity to thrive in this field of work.

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