What is your hometown?
Jerusalem, Israel.
When did you join the UI faculty?
July 2005.
How/when did you become interested in science and medicine?
I believe it was in high school, where I participated in a fascinating biology and nature sciences program.
What interested you to pursue a career in medicine?
The opportunity to combine direct clinical patient contact with research of those particular medical conditions and disorders.
Is there a teacher or mentor who helped shape your career?
Two people had a great impact on shaping my career: Drs. Craig Niederberger and Lawrence Ross (my fellowship mentors). Both have been very supportive and generous, and they have demonstrated by example how great clinical knowledge and experience may be combined with outstanding surgical and teaching skills.
How or why did you choose the UI?
When I visited the University of Iowa, I was deeply impressed by the caliber of faculty and residents in the department and related services, and by the quality and availability of the clinical and research laboratory facilities.
What kinds of professional opportunities or advantages does being a faculty member at Iowa provide? What about challenges?
The University of Iowa provides an optimal professional setting for clinical practice and research in male infertility, given its outstanding Reproductive Endocrinology (the female fertility specialty) service and Reproductive Testing laboratory. As a male infertility specialist, I work in close collaboration with these teams, and benefit from their experience and expertise.
Please describe your professional interests?
My professional interests include the usage of cryopreserved (frozen) sperm for assisted reproductive techniques, namely in-vitro fertilization (IVF). This allows to separate the sperm retrieval procedure from the egg retrieval, and to perform the actual IVF procedure at a later time, at the couple's convenience. I am also interested in testosterone replacement therapy for older men, and in sexual dysfunction associated with infertility and its evaluation, treatment and outcome.
What are some of your outside interests?
Spending time with my wife and three children and reading, especially science fiction, fantasy, and history.
Do you have an insight or philosophy that guides you in your professional work?
I do - I try to provide my patients with as much information as possible concerning their medical condition, including an extensive discussion of all diagnostic and/or therapeutic options, allowing them to make an informed decision regarding the next step to be taken.
If you could change one thing about the world (or the world of medicine/science), what would it be?"
It would be to further increase the efforts (and success rates) in preventive medical measures, such as smoking cessation and weight reduction.
What is the biggest change you've experienced in your field since you were a student?
The introduction of intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), which involves the injection of a single sperm into the female's egg, as part of in-vitro fertilization. This procedure has revolutionized the treatment of severe male infertility, allowing for men who were previously considered to be irreversibly sterile to have their own biological offspring.
What one piece of advice you would give to today's medical students?
Take advantage of the clinical rotations to identify a medical specialty that most fits your interest as an area for future practice.
President Skorton named 2005 as the "Year of Public Engagement." In what ways are you engaged with the greater Iowa public?
I am frequently giving off campus talks regarding my area of expertise, usually to primary care practitioners and to practitioners in other related fields.