Simon Lab Spotlight! Charles Gleason
Charles Gleason, Data Manager, from Bergen County, New Jersey
B.S. in Applied Mathematics and Biology from Brown University
Q. Cats or Dogs or Other?
A. All of the above!
Q. What sparked your interest in virology research or led you to join the Simon and Mulder Lab?
A. I joined the Simon and Mulder Lab during the summer of 2020, when virology research was an easy choice. I have been interested in biology more generally since about age 13, though, so some variant of Biology research was probably always in my future.
Q. What is the most interesting part of your job?
A. Analyzing our data
Q. What is your favorite spot in all of New York?
A. I would say all the wonderful restaurants and cafes in NYC, even though that’s cheating. Having so many excellent food options is one of the main perks of living in the city.
Q. How did the Pandemic impact your position on research and virology?
A. I didn’t initially have a specific interest in Virology, so I was looking at work in all kinds of fields before the pandemic hit. Both the pandemic and the quick release of the vaccine really emphasized the importance of studying viruses and the difference it can make for everyone.
Q. What does a day in the lab look like?
A. It's pretty variable. With upcoming grant deadlines or paper submissions, I will end up pretty deep on one project just doing the “final touches” on figures. Otherwise, it’s a mix of cleaning data, writing and running scripts, and generally making sure our digital tools are clean and functioning.
Q. Aside from being a great data manager, what would you describe as your personal superpower?
A. Particularly job relevant: being pedantic. It can be my superpower and my super weakness all at once.
Q. If you could share one piece of advice with people interested in research, what would it be?
A. Practice asking questions! There is so much to learn, and you will never know everything about any one subject, but learning to ask and answer questions will never not be useful.
Thank you Charles for sharing your story and also Aidan Vera for helping with the Spotlight Series!