Nearly six years ago, Mancy Tong moved to New Haven from New Zealand for postdoctoral training at Yale School of Medicine. Now she’s launching her own Yale lab as an assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences.
We recently caught up with Dr. Tong for the latest edition of Office Hours, a Q&A series that introduces Yale newcomers to the broader university community.
| Title | Assistant Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences |
|---|---|
| Research interest | Endometrial causes of miscarriage and other obstetric diseases |
| Prior institution | University of Auckland |
| Started at Yale | Sept. 1, 2022 |
How would you describe your research to someone not in biomedicine?
Mancy Tong: Globally, one in five pregnancies will end in miscarriage. In about 50% of cases, there are genetic abnormalities in the embryo that cause miscarriage. But for the other half of cases, we really don’t know why they happen. I work on trying to understand these causes.
In particular, my lab is interested in whether the function of the uterine lining, or the endometrium, is affected during the body’s early preparations for pregnancy. Every month, as part of the menstrual cycle, the cells of the endometrium undergo a process called decidualization, which prepares the endometrium for implantation of the fertilized egg. Right now, we’re looking at how viral infections affect endometrial inflammation and how that might perturb decidualization.
Are there any research collaborations you’re particularly excited about?
Tong: Yes, we’ve established a collaboration with researchers at the University of Warwick who have a really cool 3D model of the different cell types of the endometrium. So we’ve been able to test our infection model in their system and identify some exciting new research directions centered on a type of immune cell that may be involved in the pathology of implantation failure and miscarriage.
You did your postdoc at Yale School of Medicine. What made you decide to stay as a faculty member?
Tong: I never thought I would stay long term at Yale when I left New Zealand, but I have a lot of supportive mentors in this department, and I enjoy New Haven as a city. There are a lot of opportunities to grow and I am excited to continue developing my research here.
What were your first impressions of New Haven and how have they changed?
Tong: Coming from New Zealand where the weather is really mild, I was terrified of the winters here. But I’ve found that I really enjoy the snow, at least the amount New Haven gets, and I love having four distinct seasons.
What do you look forward to most when you go home?
Tong: Catching up with family and friends over good food! For the small country that it is, New Zealand, especially Auckland where I am from, really is a melting pot of different cultures so we have really authentic foods from all over the world which is always a treat.
What do you like to do in your free time?
Tong: Like a lot of people, I got into bread baking during the pandemic. It’s therapeutic in a way to be following a protocol that’s not a lab protocol. It’s familiar yet low risk. The worst that can happen is that the bread doesn’t rise.
