Meet the Ovation Star Daniel Deresh, Andrologist From Indianapolis
Daniel Deresh has been working in the field of fertility for 25 years, and has been a consistent presence in Indianapolis since Ovation expanded there in 2018. He graduated from the University of Toledo in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and a minor in chemistry. He loves his job because he sees himself as an analytical problem solver who has a passion for helping others and has a true understanding of how patients become parents.
How did you get into your line of work?
I come from a medical background. My mother was a surgical nurse, and she worked for my uncle, who was an orthopedic surgeon, and my aunt was a physical therapist. They all had an office together.
When I was young, I would spend time just studying and looking at scientific journals. I loved it. I was drawn to the field because I saw it as challenging, and it was analytical, and I could solve problems.
I started my career working on an FDA clinical study at the Genetics & IVF Institute in the Washington, D.C., area. I started there in 1997, and in 2000, I became the laboratory supervisor and spent time in project management roles. I was fascinated with genetics, and we studied X and Y chromosomes, trying to understand how to help avoid X-linked disorders.
I spent time in 2001-2002 performing the setup and opening of a second laboratory for this FDA clinical study in Laguna Beach, California.
In 2011, my wife and I moved to Indiana, as she was pursuing her doctorate at Notre Dame, and at that time, I started at the Indianapolis lab part time. I was also studying for a clinical research certification and taking graduate work in molecular genetics. But our patient load began to increase so much that it moved to full-time work. It’s steadily grown, which is exciting.
What is an average day like for you?
My day starts early, which means I leave the house before 6 a.m. My wife has a position at Ball State, and we are outside of Muncie, which means I have a 60-mile commute to work one way. The commute really isn’t that bad. It’s nothing like in D.C., when it could take a few hours to go just 12 miles.
I arrive at the lab a bit after 7, and generally, procedures begin about 7:30 a.m., so I always arrive early to get everything prepared. I always try to arrive early for everything.
Once I arrive, we go through the schedule, but we know that it is an ever-changing schedule, meaning it’s not unusual for things to be added on. Our volume is just very high. It’s just part of what we do in helping so many patients.
Much of our daily work involves semen analysis, IUI and cryopreservation. It’s constant where we are just multitasking and working every second of the day.
But what I do really appreciate about this position is while we are busy, we are efficient and work well with each other as a team. And once I leave work, I can be home with my family.
What’s your favorite part of working for Ovation?
We have such an exceptional staff who are professional and talented. Everyone is so dedicated. It’s a joy to work with a team that knows they are making a difference.
I also love that as Ovation, we work to help each other as a network of labs. What that means is we can share ideas and work together to answer questions. I know I can reach out if we need help or have concerns. During COVID, I worked directly with supply ordering, and it was difficult with things being back ordered or in short supply, but we could directly contact another lab to get what we needed. We all cooperate and help each other. It makes you feel like you’re not alone, and it’s a tremendous advantage for all of us.
What do you like most about working in fertility care?
For me, this is personal because it’s made a huge difference in our family. I have two sons who are 15 and 12 years old. We are grateful to have our own children through this technology, specifically through IUI. I am so thankful to those who have helped us, and now I have the chance to help others, to be on the other side.
For a lot of these couples, I know the opportunity for them to have children is the most special gift you can give them.
I am also driven to help fellow parents whose children are cancer patients. I want to try to help them if at all possible. We will freeze any specimen we can because you never know what scientific technology will be available when they are ready to use it. Being able to help others with our knowledge is powerful, and working to provide hope to others is incredibly rewarding.
What do you like to do for fun?
I like to stay active working out, biking, hiking and golfing. I enjoy time with my wife, Pamela. We have been married for 22 years. I am involved with my kids’ sports activities. We love to travel as a family. Recently, we drove from Indiana to see the Badlands National Park, Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone National Park and Rocky Mountain National Park. Having those experiences with your children is amazing. I love to do that. To see their expressions when they see new things, you can’t beat that.