CRS Shines at the Upper Midwest Summit for Reproductive Science
The 2024 Upper Midwest Summit for Reproductive Science (UMSRS) gathered universities across the upper Midwest region at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, to share, encourage, and highlight exciting and innovative research across the reproductive sciences. The theme of this year’s meeting was “Environmental Impacts on Reproductive Health”, extending the opportunity for scientists and trainees to investigate and share research topics interested in the effects of phthalates, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, or other environmental events on reproductive function. 
What started as mini-symposiums at Northwestern University and the University of Illinois, the meeting has expanded over the years, first including Illinois schools as the Illinois Symposium on Reproductive Sciences (ISRS), and now as the UMSRS including 16+ universities across the upper Midwest region. Throughout its development and expansion, the meeting aims to bring together reproductive scientists and foster collaborative reproductive science research.
Keynote speakers Francesco J. DeMayo, PhD and Carmen J. Williams, MD, PhD shared their work titled, “Understanding the role and regulation of progesterone receptor in pregnancy” and “Diverted trajectories: Developmental estrogen exposure alters adult cell fate and function”, respectively. DeMayo and Williams’ talks fostered collaborative conversation and thought-provoking questions all with the goal of expanding reproductive research amongst the upper Midwest community.
The meeting offered the opportunity for trainees to share their work, with three oral sessions spanning topics including ovarian and uterine development, sperm and fertility, and placental and endometrial biology. Two Northwestern CRS members, Jeff Pea and Hannah McDowell, presented their ongoing projects investigating “A comprehensive gene ranking strategy for prioritizing ovarian targets for non-hormonal contraceptive drug discovery from transcriptomic datasets” and “A community supported machine-learning algorithm to enhance ovarian follicle staging and improve follicle health classifications," respectively.
In addition to the oral session, trainees shared their work during the poster session, offering students the opportunity to discuss their research and expand their reproductive science interests. Over 18 members of the CRS community shared their work, with topics ranging from the use of adeno-associated viruses to modulate granulosa cells to mapping senescent signatures in the ovary using spatial transcriptomics.
CRS trainees Hannah McDowell, Anna Heinrich, and Prianka Hashim received awards for the work in oral and poster presentations with over 50+ CRS members in attendance helping to celebrate our trainees’ accomplishments.
The 2024 UMSRS was an exciting and inspiring event for all scientists and trainees interested in the reproductive sciences. The CRS and Northwestern communities shared compelling and innovative science while expanding their networks and scientific horizons amongst the other institutions.