Dr Suman Rice elected as Chair of the Society for Reproduction & Fertility Programme Committee
Published: 04 August 2020
St George’s Reader in Reproductive Physiology, Dr Suman Rice has been elected to a prominent position within the Society for Reproduction & Fertility (SRF) and is the first female council officer of BAME background in the society.
Dr Rice teaches across courses at St George’s, running the third-year module, Science of Reproduction, and is also actively involved in research into polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and dysfunctional ovarian follicle growth. We spoke with her to find out more about her commitments to reproductive science, her new role and how the current situation has affected her work.
What is your area of research?
By background I’m a physiologist, having done a PhD in neurophysiology. But after a seven-year career break, I moved into reproductive physiology, which is now my focus, carrying out research into PCOS in particular.
PCOS is the most common endocrine disorder (affecting hormones) and the most common cause of infertility in women, being the main reason why they may be referred for assisted conception. In the lab, I investigate the signalling pathways of the granulosa cells that nurture the egg, control follicle growth and ovulation of the mature egg. It’s these signals which can go wrong in PCOS. In the clinic, alongside my clinical colleague, Dr Gul Bano, we look at the effects of abnormal hormone levels in women with PCOS and the impact on their menstrual cycles and other symptoms.
What do you hope the impact of your research will be?
We want to build a comprehensive picture of how menstrual cycles are disrupted in women with PCOS, and be able to give helpful evidence-based advice on treatments and interventions for women and doctors.
Many women with PCOS have pre-diabetes which puts them at higher risk of becoming diabetic in later life. In addition, we believe that this can impact on the quality of the eggs that are retrieved during IVF. By assessing the insulin status of women with PCOS and measuring various hormones in blood and urine, we can better understand monthly cycles in these women and try and find ways to improve them. For example, if someone has a vitamin D deficiency, we can offer supplements and monitor to see if that might improve cycles.
PCOS is a lifelong journey for those that have it, impacting on every aspect of their life, and it is important to try and detect it as soon as possible. Maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly and having a healthy diet can all help to reduce the risk of diabetes, as well as cardiovascular conditions that they may become susceptible to as they get older.
What will you be doing in your new role in the Society for Reproduction and Fertility?
I have just been appointed as chair-elect of the programme committee and am the first female BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnic) council officer for the SRF. As part of the programme committee I will share responsibility for organising the conference programme of Fertility – the annual joint conference between the three premier fertility societies (SRF, British Fertility Society and The Association of Reproductive and Clinical Scientists).
It’s a great conference because it brings together the different strands involved in reproduction and fertility in men and women, clinical and non-clinical settings and in humans and animals. We can all learn from each other. I hope to build on the good work of my predecessors and continue to grow the meeting with a diverse and interesting programme. This year will be difficult, but hopefully once the pandemic is over, we can continue to grow from strength to strength.
How has coronavirus affected your work?
From the St George’s point of view, teaching was suspended, and I’m working now to deliver sessions online in a stimulating way, keeping the discussions and interactive nature going. The clinical trial that I run with Dr Bano is currently suspended, but we hope to resume that soon.
It’s going to be difficult not seeing students, because we build a good rapport with them and I see them every week on my 3rd year module. The same goes for lab students doing research projects. We need to look at how we can offer projects in wet labs and data management to a high standard. While the data projects won’t be so difficult to conduct remotely, it won’t be the same as sitting next to a student and helping them. Saying that, it’s amazing how quickly we’ve all adapted and have become adept at meeting via Teams and Zoom!
I have attended virtual sessions of other international conferences, and aspects of it were very good and successful, providing opportunities for people to join in from around the world who wouldn’t normally come. It has opened the door to people, particularly for low resource countries.
How does it feel to be the first female council member of BAME background in the SRF?
I’m really pleased, as there was a lack of women compared to men in the history of SRF, let alone ethnic representation. There had only been one male council officer of BAME background before now.
I hope it will encourage more women and people from different backgrounds to realise that they can progress in science. Hopefully it will reduce barriers, especially for the early career researchers whom I work with a lot.
In general, we need more representation in science and I’m always willing to try and help and mentor people when they message me. For that reason, I also work with the Daphne Jackson Trust, who help both men and women who have had a career break, return to work in STEM subjects.