First person – Iris Sanou and Mathangi Lakshmipathi

ABSTRACT First Person is a series of interviews with the first authors of a selection of papers published in Biology Open, helping researchers promote themselves alongside their papers. Iris Sanou and Mathangi Lakshmipathi are co-first authors on ‘ Temporal dynamics of Sertoli and germ cell development in human foetal and prepubertal testis’, published in BIO. Iris is a PhD student in the lab of Dr Callista L. Mulder at Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and Professor Dr Rod Mitchell at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK, investigating guiding cryopreserved testicular tissue through in vitro maturation and spermatogenic differentiation to restore male fertility and develop new strategies for the treatment of male infertility. Mathangi is a PhD student in the lab of Dr Callista L. Mulder at Amsterdam UMC, focusing on understanding and recreating the human testicular somatic niche in vitro to advance fertility preservation and male reproductive health.