Stephen Dertinger

Litron Laboratories  

Tell us a bit about your scientific and educational background.

I was fortunate to have a series of excellent and encouraging science teachers. In high school, Ernie Ladd taught an A.P. biology course that really inspired me to think about a career in the sciences. Importantly, he took the time and interest to point out a newly created biotechnology program at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

At Rochester Institute of Technology, Professors Jean Douthwright and Irene Evans used their new program to teach students the fundamentals of biological sciences and to introduce us to the exciting molecular biology techniques that were just starting to come into wide practice. They really helped me understand a career in science and the associated challenges of keeping up with advances would be a rewarding choice.

Fortunately, my education continued in important ways at my first job out of college. I was hired as a technician by Andrew Tometsko (AT) at Litron Laboratories. I have so many fond memories and learnings from this time, too many to share here. Let me provide one noteworthy, early lesson: “If it’s real, it’s reproducible” (AT, circa 1990). What more is there to say?!

I circled back for additional formal training in the University of Rochester’s toxicology program. There, I had the great privilege of being mentored by Thomas Gasiewicz, who ran a world-renowned AhR receptor/dioxin lab. Among many other things, Tom instilled in his students the value of orthogonal approaches to solve stubborn puzzles. 

 

What do you see as the greatest value or most rewarding aspect of your scientific work?

Together with my amazing co-workers at Litron, I’ve enjoyed working on assays that seek to more efficiently and comprehensively evaluate chemicals for genotoxic potential. This work has introduced me to fantastic colleagues and collaborators that always challenge us to do more. I love this type of environment that constantly asks us to do more, and expects continuous improvement. Kaizen! 

What initially drew you to the EMGS? 

The scientific content of the annual meetings is always compelling. There is so much important information presented, information that ends up influencing how we do things here at Litron on a daily basis. Also, to this day, EMGS meetings have provided a key mechanism for us to receive knowledgeable experts’ feedback on our ongoing lines of investigation. 

How has EMGS impacted your professional development? 

EMGS and sister societies is where I can count on networking with so many of the leaders in the field of genetic toxicology. EMGS has provided such a welcoming environment, and it really does a great job encouraging discussions about next steps, useful collaborations, etc.

The problem with a list is that it will be incomplete, but this is where I’ve met and gotten to know so many leaders in our field. For instance, this is the venue where I got to know, and began working with Jim MacGregor, John Heddle, Makoto Hayashi, Bob Heflich, Vasily Dobrovolsky, Ray Tice, David Kirkland, Maik Schuler, Kristine Witt, David Lovell, Leon Stankowski, Anthony Lynch, Paul White, Francesco Marchetti, George Douglas, Carole Yauk, Stefan Pfuhler, Andreas Zeller, George Johnson, Rosie Elespuru, Stephanie Smith-Roe, Bevin Engelward, Errol Zeiger, George Hoffman, the list goes on. My kids would say I’m flexing, knock it off. No, I’m sharing this impressive, incomplete list of people just to say this was only possible due to EMGS and the ecosystem they created and have maintained. It has enabled me to work with a truly amazing group of people, and this has enabled our very best work. 

What advice would you offer to students or early career investigators? 

I’ll provide two answers for the price of one. First: read, then read some more. I’m not just talking about your exact scientific area, I mean broadly. Our most useful advances all originated from some insight that came from some other, non-genetic toxicology discipline. Second: attend EMGS annual meetings. The networking and mentoring opportunities are there, lean in and take advantage of them. The people there want to help, they want to see you succeed. 

Helina Gyasi has been a student member of the EMGS since 2020. Since joining, she has made many connections within the society, leading to developments in her research, her participation in the Annual Meeting, and recognition for her work. Helina was initially drawn to the EMGS through the society’s specified interest in genomics and environmental toxicology. On her initial impression of the society, she said,

“Since my time as a biology student, I have been working to protect environmental health through the use of sound science, and I thought it was really amazing that there was a society like the EMGS that shared the same goals. I remember my first conference in 2020, and being very interested in the many sessions that were covered like rare mutations, epigenomics, genotoxicology, and risk assessment. I’ve really enjoyed being a part of the EMGS, and I’ve really enjoyed the conferences. A lot of the professionals and colleagues were so excited to share their work, to hear from younger students about their own research, and to bring them into the society. I really like the welcoming aspect of the society where you can really share your ideas and get feedback on your work and in your career.”

During both the annual meeting and in her work at the Environment and Climate Change Canada’s National Wildlife Research Center with Dr. Jason O’Brien and research biologist Doug Crump, Helina has had the opportunity to meet many prominent individuals within the EMGS including Carole Yauk, Paul White, Francesco Marchetti, and other associated technicians, biologists, and students, all whom Helina cited as having influenced her academic and professional career.

One major instance of the EMGS impacting Helina’s career development occurred at the 2022 International Conference on Environmental Mutagens (ICEM). Helina acted as co-chair for the symposium “From Genomes to Ecosystems: What are the Ecological Consequences of Genotoxicity?” during which she gave her presentation, “Investigating the Mutagenicity of Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds from the Athabasca Oil Sands Region in River Otters and a Mammalian Cell Line.” Helina described the experience of acting as co-chair, stating,

“I’ve never done something like that before. My supervisor, Dr. Jason O’Brien, who was one of the chairs made it a very good experience. I got the opportunity to introduce the presenters and share my own research in eco-genotoxicology in an actual in-person setting with various professionals in attendance, which was an honor. Before that, my presentations were usually done virtually, because when I started my Master’s, after my first semester, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, so this was my very first real in-person presentation.”

During the 2022 ICEM, Helina was awarded the Student Best Paper Award for her research article, “Microsatellite mutation frequencies in river otters (Lontra Canadensis) from the Athabasca Oil Sands region are correlated to polycyclic aromatic compound tissue burden,” published in February 2022 in Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis. Regarding her feelings towards that recognition, she said,

“I wasn’t expecting it at all! This was my first first-author paper that I have ever published as a student. To be able to be recognized is really amazing. I guess it’s also one of the perks of being an EMGS member, being able to be recognized for your work in that way. It was really just a great start to my career.”

Helina is currently working on publishing a follow-up paper to her award-winning research article as well as working as an evaluator at Environment and Climate Change Canada where she is conducting risk assessments of new substances to determine if they may be harmful to the environment. When asked how the research and activities of the EMGS impact her current work, she said,

“Although I’m not currently working in the field of mutagenesis or genomics, as a new evaluator at Environment and Climate Change Canada, I’m gaining experience in the field of risk assessment and contributing to program advances through my involvement in a New Approach Methods (NAMs) working group. So, there is work that I would love to share with the society, along with my repertoire of knowledge as I grow as an expert, wherever that research and experience may seem fit.”

As a student member herself, Helina offered a few final words of advice to her peers in the EMGS membership, saying,

“My advice is to step out of your comfort zone and seek engagement in the EMGS. If there is a SIG or a committee of interest, you can reach out to the members and learn more about the group and how you can be an active member. There are so many benefits to being a part of the EMGS. As I mentioned before, there are a lot of inspirational professionals in the society, many of whom are happy to interact and even possibly collaborate with you as a new student or a new investigator. Being a part of the EMGS provides access to a lot of emerging science and knowledge in the field, and it helps you keep up to date with current events which can inform your own study and research when you are an active part of the society.”

Dr. Kelly Harris joined the EMGS in 2016 as a postdoc working under Dr. Barbara Parsons. During her first year as a postdoc, Barbara approached Kelly with the opportunity to attend the 2016 EMGS annual meeting. While initially hesitant, Kelly accompanied Barbara to the meeting in Kansas City, Missouri. It was here that the EMGS left an impression on Kelly as a unique organization with an emphasis on community and focused research. On the topic of joining the society, Dr. Harris said:

“Usually, you’re just a number in attendance. I will admit that EMGS is all about attending the meetings, but you’re needed to help move the science, move the society. And you can be involved. It can help you!  For one, your involvement in the scientific community is always looked at. And it’s great to be in EMGS, because it’s not just something to put on your CV. You’re actually working, you’re actually doing things, you’re really there to touch the sciences and make the connections that you need to get recognition and funding, and you can work on a platform to get that research out there to everyone in the community!”

After joining the EMGS, Kelly has been very active in both scientific and leadership roles within the society. In 2017, Harris became the chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, her first leadership role in the society. During her tenure as chair, she got to know the workings of the EMGS, “behind the scenes,” working closely with her committee members. Regarding leadership in the EMGS, Dr. Harris remarked:

“It’s a very close-knit team, so everyone has their own kind of work, but it’s great because you know your ideas are going to be heard. They’re always wanting fresh ideas, so that’s been a wonderful aspect. Say for instance with DEI. We aim to work with other committees, making sure we’re carrying out the mission of the EMGS as far as diversity goes, and making sure we’re reaching all the audiences we can in the scientific community. Now I get to see, for instance, how scholarships are analyzed and evaluated as they come in. One of the scholarships they were doing included a video recording as part of the application process. So, you get to see where ideas are coming in, but also how we can make sure that we’re not missing people who otherwise might not have the opportunity to apply, or even become a member of EMGS. We’ve gone through a lot of evaluation on making sure that we are a diverse society. Not just on race or ethnic background, but on religion and making sure the members of the LGBTQIA are represented and their science…there’s a lot of science around populations of LGBTQIA that’s very important and needs to be highlighted.

“Thankfully, with me working in DEI, moving to council was really easy because I was able to come in and have the focus of, ‘Okay, so how are we making sure we’re reaching the audiences we want.’ And they’re always asking for ideas. Nothing really gets shot down, and especially as a younger researcher it’s great, because not only are you able to work on this side [of administration in the EMGS], but you get mentors, and I didn’t expect that would happen along the way.”

During her term as chair of the DEI, Dr. Harris worked with several past EMGS presidents as members of the committee, including Dr. Ofelia Ana Olivero and Dr. Bevin Engelward. Kelly noted that the guidance and insights of Drs. Olivero and Engelward were immeasurably beneficial to her as an emerging leader, setting her on a course that would eventually lead to EMGS council. She stated:

“When I get to pick their brains about things, not just about being an EMGS member, but also career-wise…it’s great as a young scientist, because I have all of these thoughts and ideas, but navigating how I can actually utilize and be effective in my job and in my community…that’s always a balance. Sometimes, it’s like one is overtaking the other, so trying to get that work-life balance as well as community service balance, that really felt good. Bevin and Ofelia give a lot of insight on how to do that.”

In her own mentoring experience, Kelly was able to provide guidance to a postdoc outside of EMGS. She shared that during his fellowship at NCTR where Harris was working, this postdoc approached her with questions, not only on their area of study, but also on how to move forward in the industry. Dr. Harris said:

“Being able to see that…people coming to me to see how they can move forward in science, especially at the finish, whether it’s going into industry or government, sometimes we lose people. And I get it. It’s very long hours, sometimes for very little pay depending on where you are, but it’s good to see that pipeline still going.”

Most recently, Dr. Harris has been working on the CarcSeq assay to identify prominent cancer mutations in different human tissues. Kelly stated that the assay, “gives us a snapshot over time of where those mutations are, how they may develop, and at what age.” Kelly cited this as her first step into applied science, as previously she was more focused in an academic setting. She was very excited to have a hand in a developing study that has the potential for further research and even utilization in future identification of cancers. Dr. Harris said, “I know that something was left behind that I could be proud of.”

Dr. Harris went on to say how her current career path has been influenced by EMGS in both the sciences shared at the annual meeting, and the networking opportunities presented there. On the subject of the society as a whole, she said:

“A lot of people might view it as a little too linear, working with mutations, or it’s all about genotoxicity, but it helps when you’re trying to develop your niche. In the field, when you come to a society where you have so many experts that can guide you on the new technology, that you can directly use…other conferences I’ve gone to, you’re pinpointing a talk here, a talk there, and they might be spaced out a day or two apart. At EMGS, at every talk you can grab something that can help you. Even if it’s not exactly related, there’s always something where you can go, “oh that might actually work for me.” Or you can find a new collaborator! Especially for me, since more young scientists are there, and we’re always trying to find more places where we can collaborate.”

In closing, Dr. Harris had to say:

“Just like any society, nothing is perfect, but I will admit that we have people who are striving for that perfection as far as how the society is represented population-wise, member-wise, and how we are viewed in the scientific community. I believe the society itself takes it very seriously in terms of pushing the sciences, getting people out there, and really being impactful in the scientific community. A lot of societies…I’m not saying they don’t feel that way, but sometimes that message can get lost. I have never, in the six years I have been a member, seen that message get lost in any aspect of the EMGS.”

EMGS celebrates its LGBTQIA+ scientists during June Pride Month. In recognition of these scientists and as a final celebration of Pride Month, please enjoy this article spotlighting Zac Nagel, Assistant Professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and member of the EMGS Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Thank you to Catherine Klein for taking the time to craft these interview questions, and to Zac Nagel for his thoughtful answers.

Can you tell us about your research?

Research in our laboratory is focused on understanding how the pathways responsible for maintaining genome integrity affect our susceptibility to the health effects of DNA damage and the response of cancers to therapy. At the core of our work are functional assays that I originally co-developed during my postdoctoral research in Leona Samson’s laboratory at MIT. Fluorescence multiplex host cell reactivation (FM-HCR) assays utilize fluorescent reporter plasmids modified with site-specific DNA lesions to measure DNA repair capacity in mammalian cells. We are continuing to expand the repertoire of DNA repair processes that can be measured with these reporters. We have now developed reporters for microhomology mediated end joining, translesion synthesis, joining of double strand breaks with chemically complex structures, reporters that can distinguish between subpathways of nucleotide excision repair, and reporters that measure the accuracy of double strand break repair.

We are applying this technology in several areas where genome integrity is emerging as an important and underexplored dimension of public health. These applications include screening engineered nanomaterials for potential genotoxicity, determining how inter-individual differences in DNA repair capacity affect susceptibility to lung cancer and clinical radiosensitivity, and predicting therapeutic responses in glioblastoma multiforme. We have several exciting collaborations with EMGS members that are focused on basic mechanisms of DNA damage tolerance and repair. For example, we’re investigating structure-function relationships in REV7 together with Graham Walker. We have also been studying DNA repair mechanisms in cancer cells with Natalie Gassman and Joann Sweasy, and we are measuring DNA repair in populations in collaboration with Bevin Engelward. In the longer term we hope this work will collectively advance personalized medicine by providing insights into individual susceptibilities and determining which therapies are most likely to work for individual cancer patients.

When did you know what kind of career that you wanted?

I wish I could say I always knew I wanted to be a scientist, but in fact curiosity is what came first. Once I started doing undergraduate research, I realized that doing experiments was the most gratifying way to satisfy my curiosity. And as I got further into my career, I realized it was also possible to make useful tools and answer important questions about human health. That’s what I do now in my dream job, and it makes sense in hindsight, but I’d never have guessed I’d be here 20 years ago.

Did your career involve any missteps, or divergences?

I’ve taken a winding path, but I don’t regret it. I got my start studying photosynthesis at the University of Michigan. My PhD project in chemistry was about the role of quantum tunneling in enzymatic catalysis in Judith Klinman’s laboratory at UC Berkeley. So, moving to Leona Samson’s laboratory at MIT for my postdoc was quite a leap, but that experience opened my eyes to the possibility that we can do basic and applied research at the same time. Now at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, I find I can apply everything I learned along the way, which gives me a unique perspective on public health. 

Were there any LGBTQ issues that impacted your career choices?

As we close out pride month, I’m grateful for the progress we’ve made since I started my career. Being a member of this community is a source of joy for me, and fortunately it did not impact my career choice even though a common perception in the late 90s was that being openly gay could be a career killer. For many of us it does come with some challenges, including growing up worrying about how we’re perceived, and whether we’ll be welcome. Since peer review is at the core of the scientific enterprise, I think this primes us for experiencing the imposter syndrome. For me the antidote has been to surround myself with supportive people, and I’m proud to say EMGS has been a wonderfully supportive community.

What advice would you offer to upcoming young scientists?

Change your mind often. It’s good to keep your mind flexible so you don’t miss the message when some surprising or even disappointing data come from your experiments. I think this is good advice for life in general; when new information comes in, we should be open to the possibility that we’ve been wrong about something, even if we’re really attached to it. Whether it’s a trivial matter or a major life decision, I find that changing my mind as I learn new things is one of the most satisfying exercises!