Assistant professor wins an Innovation in Academia Award

Helen Tempest, assistant professor in the Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, is about to receive an award that honors her scientific work and her roots.

Born in Scotland, raised and educated in England, and now teaching at the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Tempest is the 2015 winner of the Innovation in Academia Award for science and technology.

The Innovation in Academia Awards are being given out for the first time this year, as part of a partnership between the University of Kent and BritWeek , a non-profit organization that recognizes and celebrates “creativity and innovation between the U.K. and the U.S.”

“I am honored to receive a BritWeek Innovation in Academia Award. It is especially rewarding that my scientific and educational contribution have been recognized by my peers,” Tempest said. “Pursuing research and educating future physicians in the rapidly evolving field of medical genetics has been, and continues to be extremely rewarding career.”

Tempest in her lab at the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine

Since joining FIU in 2007, Tempest and her lab at the College of Medicine have pursued a major research interest in the genetic basis for male infertility.

Tempest notes that infertility is surprisingly common, affecting around 1-in-6 couples. “Current research suggests that paternal factors contribute to 50 percent of infertility. However, the underlying cause of the infertility is often unexplained,” she said. Her research seeks to better understand the etiology of errors arising during spermatogenesis, the process of sperm cell development.

In choosing her for the award in the category of science and technology, BritWeek noted that Tempest’s professional accomplishments “have made a lasting impact in the field of higher education [and] have earned the respect and admiration of [her] professional colleagues.”

The award ceremony will take place April 30 in Los Angeles. The award will be presented by Professor Dame Julia Goodfellow, vice-chancellor of the University of Kent.