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Meet Jaikin Patel, MD and MBA candidate
Research Intern
Can you share a bit about your background and what led you to join Paterna BioSciences?
In 2017, I worked on NASA’s OSIRIS-Rex mission which is where I think I established my desire to pursue a career that involved scientific discovery. Shortly thereafter, I received my Biochemistry degree from UCLA in 2021 before I began medical and business school at Creighton University. I quickly developed an interest in the overlap between medicine and business and sought out opportunities to learn more about potential opportunities in this market – which is where I learned about Paterna BioSciences. After having fantastic conversations with Dr. Alex Pastuszak and Dr. Jim Hotaling, I was provided the opportunity to intern with Paterna as I complete the MBA portion of my degree online through Creighton. I was immediately drawn to Paterna, not only because of the work being conducted there, but because of how supportive everyone was (and has been) toward my desire to gain this type of experience in this space.
What is your role at Paterna, and how does your work contribute to the mission of solving male infertility?
I am a Research Intern at Paterna, which means that I am lucky enough to lend a hand with many organizational function. I have worked on our Commercialization and Scaling plans. I have even been able to utilize my Biochemistry and Medicine background to contribute ideas to the Science team to advance the work currently being performed. In whatever capacity that may be, I try to be as useful as I can to assist in any project that the Paterna team needs assistance with.
What aspect of working in the field of reproductive health are you most passionate about?
In medical school, we learned about different pathologies that could affect reproductive health. However, when we covered these pathologies, treatment modalities to remedy the situation were often very limited. After working for Paterna, it is exciting to have the opportunity to change that and provide people with the chance to become parents.
What drives you to innovate in the area of male fertility?
The lack of treatment modalities for males who experience infertility is what drives me to innovate in this space. I believe it is really important to pursue any opportunity where there is a chance to create novel therapeutic options for patients to consider.
Why is fertility and the treatment of infertility so important to you?
I think it is fantastic to be able to provide people with the chance to become parents – and if I can help out even a little bit toward making this a reality for someone then I would consider myself very lucky.
Do you have any published papers to highlight your expertise?
I have multiple published materials that I can share:
How does collaboration within the team contribute to the success of Paterna?
The collaborative spirit of Paterna was something that I noticed immediately when I started working here. I actually chose Creighton for medical school because of how collaborative the student body appeared during my application cycle. Thus, I was thrilled to see that Paterna had a similar working environment. People here are always willing to help in any way they can, and I think this contributes a lot toward the success that Paterna has seen. As an MBA student, we learn about the importance of a collaborative work environment on the success of a company – and I am witnessing this firsthand at Paterna. Paterna is attempting to solve an issue that has not been tackled before, and in order to accomplish this, people must be able to work together across departments and specialties to get this done. I really could not be prouder to be associated with a team of people like I am at Paterna.
What’s unique about the culture at Paterna that differentiates it from other places you’ve worked?
It really is the collaborative and innovative spirit at Paterna that sets it apart. People here are doing things that are really groundbreaking and everyone is willing to share their experience and knowledge with one another to help reach our collective goal.
What impact do you hope your work will have in the community?
Ultimately, I hope that my work at Paterna not only directly has a positive impact on those wishing to become parents, but also that it inspires my work as a future physician to continue seeking out opportunities to improve the lives of my patient population. If I can have a career similar to that of Dr. Pastuszak or Dr. Hotaling I would be thrilled.
Where do you see the future of fertility treatments going, and how is Paterna positioning itself to lead that change?
The field of medicine is constantly changing and improving, and fertility treatments are no exception. Paterna is unique in the sense that for the first time we are seeing major strides toward improving male factor infertility. In this manner, clinicians will be able to offer their patients a greater array of treatment modalities, which is absolutely amazing.
What do you enjoy doing outside of ‘the office’?
Outside of the office, I enjoy exploring Utah’s beautiful outdoors, watching American football with friends, and playing with my golden retriever, Maggie! I am definitely looking forward to going to a few Jazz and Hockey Club games while I am out here in Salt Lake as well.
Share a ‘fun fact’ about yourself!
I have a twin sister! We could not be more different as people, but are very close.
If you were describing your job to a five-year-old, what would you say you do at work?
I try to help the people who are helping people become parents.