CRS Spotlight on Lauren Ataman

Lauren Ataman is a member of the CRS leadership team who oversee's our center's grant, development, and promotion portfolio's and is the administrative lead for the new Ovarian Contraceptive Discovery Initiative, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Lauren was also responsible for creating CRS's grant toolkit, a valuable resource for all CRS scientists that are writing grants and her work with CRS's promotional materials ensures that our center continues to be visible, valuable, and viable.

Name: Lauren Ataman

Position: CRS Leadership Team Research Project Manager & Program Administrator

What brought you to join the CRS community and what is your current position?

I formally joined the CRS this year as a research project manager and program administrator. I previously worked under Dr. Teresa Woodruff and managed all aspects of the Oncofertility Consortium.

Could you describe what your work entails?

My role covers three important aspects of CRS’s grant, development, and promotion portfolio. I’m the administrative lead on the newly funded Ovarian Contraceptive Discovery Initiative and work with Dr. Francesca Duncan to coordinate the activities of this project, which is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In addition to my work with the Gates Foundation, I assist members of the CRS community with grant proposals and development. As such, I recently put together the CRS grant toolkit to help members of our community with their grant proposals. Ultimately, I work to make sure CRS remains visible, valuable, and viable by promoting our programs and people to all relevant stakeholders within the reproductive science community.

What aspect(s) of CRS do you find most valuable?

Community. I think many times we don’t properly recognize the importance of community in our work, but it drives so much of what we do. CRS is a vibrant community of diverse, yet united individuals and by working together, we are able to accomplish more than we would apart. Common goals, shared experiences, and altruistic attitudes help us accelerate the pace and quality of our work.  The CRS community motivates me to do my best and reminds me every day that we are part of something greater than ourselves.

What has been the most valuable aspect to your work in reproductive science?

While I don’t work in the lab, I think my work is valuable because it brings attention to all of the amazing things we do at CRS.

What would you recommend to students and young professionals in order for them succeed in their careers? ​

Don’t get discouraged by setbacks. Perseverance is key and if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again!

What do you think will be the next big contribution in the reproductive biology field?

I’m really excited to be a part of the Ovarian Contraceptive Discovery Initiative. The goal of this project is to identify novel biological targets to develop non-hormonal contraceptives for women in developing countries. I think this is an urgently unmet need and I cannot wait to see the incredible science that comes out of this initiative.

What hobbies do you have outside of the lab?

I love being outdoors! Hiking, running, walking, eating, sitting, you name it. My husband and I left Chicago in April and have been working remotely in my native New Mexico ever since. Every Saturday we go on a long hike and we’ve clocked over 250 miles this season and submitted our first 14,000ft peak! I also love downhill skiing and am looking forward to getting out there this season (while observing COVID-safe practices, of course). I truly enjoy traveling and exploring new places, so I can’t wait until we can safely travel and socialize again!