Ovation News

Meet Shyni Thomas, Embryologist, Ovation Las Vegas


Shyni Thomas, Embryologist, Las Vegas Shyni Thomas has been with The Fertility Center of Las Vegas since 1994 and Ovation® Las Vegas since it started in 2015. She has a degree in clinical laboratory sciences and extensive experience as an embryologist, which has given her the skills she uses every day in her work in the laboratory.

Shyni Thomas, Embryologist, Las Vegas

How did you get into your line of work?

My story goes back a long way. I moved from India to California with my parents and sister in 1986. We then moved to Las Vegas, where I attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) to study clinical laboratory science. After I got my degree, I was a fresh graduate who was married with kids, and I wanted to start working in a lab.

I saw that Dr. [Bruce] Shapiro had an opening in his laboratory in 1994, and long story short, I interviewed and he hired me. I worked there for several years before he asked if I would like to train in the embryology laboratory. I love learning new skills and trying new things, so I said yes, and I’ve been working as an embryologist ever since. It’s been a long time with one employer, but I love my job and my coworkers, which is why I’m still here.

How did you start working at Ovation?

I’ve been with Ovation since the beginning because I was working in The Fertility Center of Las Vegas embryology lab when it became Ovation Fertility Las Vegas. It was a bit of an adjustment with the switch, but it was a smooth transition, and I’m happy to be working for Ovation today.

What is an average day of work like for you?

I love my job and I love embryology because every day is unique. You’re doing different procedures for different patients, so it keeps things interesting.

A typical workday for me starts early. I’m in by 5:30 or 6:00 in the morning to get everything set up for the day’s egg retrievals and lab procedures. The mornings can get really busy because there’s so much going on, so I’ve gotten very good at multitasking.

Throughout the day, I’m doing everything from intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and embryo biopsies to egg and embryo freezing. My work also includes a lot of cleaning and paperwork.

It’s a lot of work, but Martha [Ovation Las Vegas laboratory director] and my team in the lab are all great. We have strong relationships, and they’re like a second family to me. We all work together and help each other to help the patients have successful outcomes.

What’s your favorite part of working for Ovation?

Ovation is a great place to work because they understand us and how hard we work every day to help the patients overcome infertility and have children. I also really do love my work and my team. Being passionate about what you do and having great coworkers makes such a big difference, and I feel very lucky.

What do you like to do outside of work?

I’m someone who really enjoys working, so when I have time off, I sometimes don’t know what to do with myself. I do enjoy cooking, taking walks, jogging and watching movies. My husband and I also love spending time with our three adult children when they come to visit.

Ovation Fertility