Valentine's Day Stories: How These LI Scientists Found Love

MANHASSET, NY — Science has saved lives, cured diseases, and changed the way we exist as a society.

But for four Northwell Health employees, science has also helped them find love.

In honor of Valentine's Day, Patch is highlighting two couples who've been struck by Cupid's arrow. They found their other half while working at Northwell's Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, which is based in Manhasset. Their stories were submitted on behalf of Northwell Health.

Following Their Hearts (And The Science)

A decade ago, Michael Ryan would steal a glance or two across a lab bench before he built up the courage to blurt out "G'day" to Australian-born geneticist Kim Simpfendorfer.

"When I joined the Feinstein Institutes, I obviously came to New York on my own," Simpfendorfer said on a podcast for Northwell Health. "I didn't know anyone, so I was keen to make friends. And Mike was a really friendly face."

At the time, Simpfendorfer was living in Queens and took the bus and the Long Island Rail Road to commute to work. But since Ryan had a car, he would frequently drop her off at the station.

"One day I invited her out to drinks at a local bar," Ryan explained on the podcast. "And from that point on she never left. It was great."

Having children wasn't always part of the couple's plan. But after a few trips to Australia and spending time with Simpfendorfer's nieces and nephews, things changed.

The couple got married and tried to start a family. But when they had trouble getting pregnant, they turned to in-vitro fertilization.

Simpfendorfer and Ryan now share three kids together. They most recently welcomed twins through IVF.

"Mike, now an actual father to our three girls, has expanded his Dad joke repertoire, and makes us laugh every day," Simpfendorfer said.

More about their love story and their IVF journey can be found here.

Friends To Lovers

Rich Ramdeo's first memory of meeting Dorean Flores at Feinstein Institutes was her Queens-born attitude and getting the cold shoulder. Eventually, after a few lunch dates and time building a strong friendship, the pair started dating.

Flores's work focuses on prioritizing the safety and ethical reviews of COVID-19 research. And Ramdeo works with paralyzed people at Northwell. He worked up the courage to propose to Flores on Christmas in 2019.

As was the case for many couples, the pandemic threw a wrinkle in Ramdeo and Flores' 400-person wedding. The love birds are still deciding on a new date to tie the knot.

Editor's note: Photos were only submitted by Michael Ryan and Kim Simpfendorfer.