Member Q&A: Timothy P. Yoshino, PhD, Professor of Parasitology, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Veterinary Medicine

"ASTMH is the single most important organization to provide the necessary knowledge and personal contacts to be successful in their research and careers." - Timothy P. Yoshino, PhD

Professor of Parasitology in the Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Veterinary Medicine, Timothy P. Yoshino, PhD, is also the Director and PI of a NIAID-supported “Parasitology and Vector Biology” (T32) training grant program that is in its 22nd year. In addition, Tim has served during the last three years as the Responsible Official for the UW-Madison Select Agent and Toxin Program. His research focusses on the cellular and molecular interactions between early invading stages of larval schistosomes and their molluscan intermediates hosts. A member of ASTMH since 1995, Dr. Yoshino is a Councilor for the subgroup American Committee of Molecular, Cellular and Immunoparasitology (ACMCIP). 


Timothy P. Yoshino, PhD (photo by Nik Hawkins)

Tropical medicine is a relatively foreign concept to most Americans. How do you help your family and friends understand the work you do and why it’s important?

The recent coverage of “exotic” disease outbreaks in the world by the news media has really sensitized the American public to tropical diseases. Examples include the recent outbreaks of Ebola, dengue and the Zika virus, as well as public awareness campaigns to eradicate malaria.  So, the public is much more aware of tropical diseases and the medical care required to deal with them.  With this general awareness, it makes it easier for me to engage conversation about my own work on schistosomiasis and its importance to global human health, when put into the context of recent disease events. 
       
If a peer asked you why you belong to ASTMH, what would you say?

My answer would be simple: For professional colleagues with interests in infectious diseases of the tropics, global public health (including clinical practice, infrastructure, disease prevention, etc.), basic and applied (translational) research on tropical disease-causing organisms and their hosts, and, importantly, how one can obtain funding to support their research activities, the ASTMH is the single most important organization to provide the necessary knowledge and personal contacts to be successful in their research and careers. This is why I joined.

What do you predict will be the key issue(s) that ACMCIP will face this year?

With a growing Society membership with diverse interests emphasizing larger global health issues and clinical/translational research, one of the main challenges for the ACMCIP is to make ourselves more visible to the ASTMH membership, and in so doing, foster interest in basic parasitology and grow our own subcommittee membership.  Promoting the value and significance of basic parasitology research through pre-meeting courses, annual symposium and several new trainee awards for meeting travel or to attend research training courses are crucial to attracting new members and will be continued. In addition, a new high-profile award, the William Trager (ASTMH President, 1979) Prize for Basic Parasitology, was launched last year, which will highlight the importance of basic research contributions to the ASTMH and our group. 

What can the Society do – if money was no object – to help students and trainees with career development?

The lifeblood of the ASTMH, as with all scientific organizations, is the young, early career trainees with interest in tropical medicine who are new to our meetings. The Society can, and should, continue to be instrumental in assisting those students, post-docs, young researchers and other trainees as they launch their careers.  Assistance can take the form of providing travel funds to attend meetings (including Trop Med)/workshops, awards for research presentations/posters, and small research grants (seed money). Other crucial benefits the Society should continue to provide to trainees are the opportunity to present and receive feedback on their research, as well as to learn about the cutting-edge research being conducted in multiple disciplines. Also important are the various opportunities to meet and network with more senior members through their more formal meet-the-professor sessions, and informal social gathers organized through symposia gatherings or subcommittees. 
  
Now for our final question – we ask it of everyone: You get the opportunity to go back in time. You can either have a conversation with any scientist who has ever lived OR observe a moment of scientific history. What would you choose and why?

As a fan of the “Big Bang Theory” TV series, which has absolutely nothing to do with the Big Bang, I have often wondered what the pre-universe was like at the very instant of the Big Bang, when the universe was first created. I think it would be pretty cool to be witness to the original Big Bang show.