Reproductive Science & Medicine Summit

The 2022 Reproductive Science & Medicine Summit took place May 12-13 at Simpson Querrey Biomedical Research Center in downtown Chicago. The theme of this year's summit was "Frontiers in Reproductive Science and Medicine." 

The 2022 Planning Committee was led by Kelsey Andersen, an MS-RSM student in the Duncan and Miller Labs, and Katy Trotter, the research lab manager for the Duncan Lab. Other 2022 Planning Committee Members included:  

• Pooja Devrukhkar: MS-RSM student, Duncan Lab
• Madison Gowett: MS-RSM student, Duncan Lab 
• Tanvi Potluri, ScM: Graduate student, Bulun Lab 
• Khadija Snowber: MS-RSM student, Miller Lab 
• Tracy Zhou, MS: Research associate, Duncan Lab 

Keynote Speaker 

Nicolas Plachta, PhD, is the William Richard Gordon President’s Professor in Genetics in the department of cell and developmental biology at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. He presented on “Imaging how the preimplantation embryo forms.” 

CRS Alumni Speaker  

CRS was pleased to welcome back Molly Moravek, MD, MPH, MSCI, as this year's CRS alumni speaker. Moravek is a clinical associate professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology in the division of reproductive endocrinology and infertility and the department of urology at the University of Michigan. She is also the director of the Fertility Preservation Program and the associate program director for the fellowship in reproductive endocrinology and infertility. Moravek completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Michigan, and her fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Northwestern University, where she also received a Master of Science in Clinical Investigation. She completed her fellowship thesis project in the lab of Serdar Bulun, MD, investigating the role of stem cells in uterine leiomyoma. Moravek presented on "Fertility and Fertility Preservation in Transmasculine Individuals." 

Session Speakers  

Session 1: Frontiers in Reproduction - Model Systems 

Miguel Brieño-Enriquez, MD, PhD: Assistant Professor, Department of OBGYN and Reproductive Sciences at Magee-Womens Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh; “Forever young: Lessons from the naked mole-rat ovary”  

Session 2: Frontiers in Reproduction – Extreme and Unusual Conditions 

Jonathan Steller, MD: Clinician Scientist, Department of Maternal Fetal Medicine, University of California-Irvine; “Reproductive and Developmental Considerations in the Space Environment" 

Session 3: Frontiers in Reproduction– Sex Differences  

Bérénice Benayoun, PhD: Assistant Professor of Gerontology, Biological Sciences, Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Southern California; “Sex differences in immune aging: are we missing half of the picture?” 

Shaw Family Pioneer Award Talk  

The Shaw Family Pioneer Awards were established by Robert Shaw ('70, '81), and Charlene Shaw ('70), both alumni of Northwestern University, to provide funding for sex-inclusive research that focuses on sex-based mechanisms and determinants of health and disease. The Shaw Family Pioneer Awards are given annually to support Northwestern University investigators who conduct or are interested in sex-based research. Hong Zhao, MD, PhD, research associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, was the winner of this year’s award. Zhao presented on “Estrogen, Astrocyte, and Sex Differences in Alzheimer’s Disease." 

Alumni Panel 

This year's summit featured a Q&A session with a group of CRS Alumni: 

Molly Moravek, MD, MPH, MSCI 
Current Role: Associate Professor and Director of Fertility Preservation, University of Michigan 
Former CRS Role: REI fellow at Northwestern 

Stacey Tobin, PhD 
Current Role: Biomedical Writer and Editor, The Tobin Touch, Inc. 
Former CRS Role: PhD student, Woodruff Lab 

Hunter Rogers, PhD 
Current Role: Equity Research Associate, Biotech at William Blair 
Former CRS Role: PhD student, Woodruff Lab 

Chanakarn Suebthawinkul, MD 
Current Role: OB/GYN, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand 
Former CRS Role: MS-RSM student, Northwestern University 

Beatriz Peñalver Bernabé, PhD 
Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Medicine, UIC 
Former CRS Role: PhD student, Shea Lab 

Trainee Talks  

The following trainees were selected to give talks, divided across the three sessions: 

• Aubrey Converse, PhD: Postdoctoral fellow, Duncan Lab 
• Kadir Büyükçelebi̇, MD: Postdoctoral fellow, Adli Lab 
• Chanakarn Suebthawinkul MD: MS-RSM student, Duncan Lab (Constance Campbell Research Award) 
• Ross McNally, PhD: Postdoctoral fellow, Kim Lab
• Alena Hanson, BA: Research technologist 2, Urbanek Lab 
• Kelsey Andersen, MS: MS-RSM student, Duncan Lab & Miller Lab 
• Tanvi Potluri, ScM: PhD candidate, Bulun Lab (Constance Campbell Research Award) 
• Grace Foley: PhD candidate, Kim Lab 
• Hana Kubo: PhD candidate, Laronda Lab (Constance Campbell Research Award)  

The remaining 31 abstracts were presented as posters. All posters were judged at the summit, and the top five received a Constance Campbell Research Award:

• Rosie Bauer: PhD candidate, Urbanek Lab 
• Shweta Dipali: PhD candidate, Duncan Lab 
• Luce Kassi, MD: Resident physician, Pavone Lab 
• Alina Murphy: PhD candidate, Kim Lab 
• Yinu Wang, PhD: Research assistant professor, Matei Lab 

The 2021 Reproductive Science & Medicine Summit took place virtually on May 7. The event was hosted on the vFairs virtual event platform. This year's summit was focused on "Diversity Across Reproductive Science and Medicine." The virtual setting meant that the summit was more accessible than ever, with more than 120 attendees.

The 2021 Planning Committee was led by Co-Chairs Tracy Zhou, a research associate in the Duncan Lab, and Tanvi Potluri, a graduate student in the Bulun Lab. Other 2021 Planning Committee Members included:

• Lauren Butler: MS-RSM student, Goldman Lab
• Ashley Diaz: MS-RSM student, Laronda Lab
• Feng Fei: MS-RSM student, Chakravarti Lab

Keynote Speakers

• Opening Keynote: Kelle Moley, MD; Deputy Director of Reproductive Health Technologies, Global Health at Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; "Global Priorities in Reproductive Health Technologies" 
• CRS Keynote: Sarah Temkin, MD, Associate Director for Clinical Research, Office of Research on Women’s Health, NIH; "Achieving Equity in Reproductive Science" 
• Closing Keynote: Chandra Jackson, PhD, MS, Stadtman Investigator, Epidemiology Branch, NIEHS; "Intersectionality and Reproductive Health Justice: The Sleep Exposome Example"

Breakout Sessions

Session 1: Sex & Gender in Reproductive Health

Diane Chen, PhD: Associate Professor, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University; "Fertility Considerations in Gender Affirmative Care for Transgender and Nonbinary Youth"

Brian Mustanski, PhD: Director, Institute for Sexual & Gender Minority Health & Wellbeing, Northwestern University; "Using new media and technology for sexual health promotion with youth"

Session 2: Reproductive Sciences Research in a Pandemic

Sabra Klein, PhD: Professor, Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public School; "SeXX affects the outcome of viral infections and vaccinations"

Maha Othman, MD, PhD: Professor, Department of Biochemical & Molecular Sciences, Queen's University School of Medicine ;"COVID-19 Coagulopathies and Pregnancy: Learning as We Go"

Session 3: Bench to Bedside: Translation of Reproductive Research & Medicine

Nanette Santoro, MD: Professor and E. Stewart Taylor Chair, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Colorado; "NIH-Based Clinical Trials in Reproductive Medicine: Why They Are Useful and What They Have Taught Us"

Kaylon Bruner-Tran, PhD: Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vanderbilt University; "Pregnancy and Neonatal Outcomes following a Paternal Toxicant Exposure"

CRS Alumni Speaker

CRS was pleased to welcome back Emily Su, MD, as our CRS alumni speaker. Su is the director of perinatal research and an associate professor in the divisions of maternal-fetal medicine and reproductive sciences at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. She completed her OB/GYN residency in 2004 and Maternal-Fetal Medicine fellowship in 2007 at Northwestern University. Su was a member of the Bulun Lab and received her MS in Clinical Investigation during her time here. She was a faculty member at Northwestern for several years following her fellowship. Su presented on "Severe, early-onset fetal growth restriction: An on-going clinical conundrum."

Trainee Talks

Since this year's summit was virtual, only oral presentations were selected from the submitted abstracts. The following trainees were selected to give talks:

• Hannah Anvari: Graduate student, Northwestern University
  
• Enitome Bafor, PhD: Postdoctoral fellow, NIH (Constance Campbell Research Award)
  
• Julia Balough: Graduate student,  Buck Institute for Research on Aging (Constance Campbell Research Award)
• Nathaniel Henning: Graduate student, Northwestern University
• Ashwin Koppayi: Graduate student, University of Illinois at Chicago
• Hannah McDowell: Graduate student, Northwestern University
  
• Alina Murphy: Graduate student, Northwestern University (Constance Campbell Research Award)
• Juhi Narula: Graduate student, Northwestern University (Constance Campbell Research Award)
• Zainab Taghvaei: Graduate student, Northwestern University (Constance Campbell Research Award)
• Karen Velez: Graduate student, Northwestern University
• Elizabeth Wenzel: Graduate student, University of Illinois at Chicago (Constance Campbell Research Award)
• Yaqi Zhang: Graduate student, Northwestern University
  

The 2018 Reproductive Science & Medicine Summit took place on June 1 at Prentice Women's Hospital in downtown Chicago. This year's summit was dedicated in memoriam to our dear friend, mentor and founder, Neena Schwartz, PhD.

The 2018 Planning Committee was led by Co-Chairs Shimeng Liu and Christia Sison; two graduate students from the Bulun Lab. Other 2018 Planning Committee Members included: 

• Nisan Hubbard: Graduate student, Mayo Lab 
• Emma Gargus: Graduate student, Woodruff Lab 
• Hunter Rogers: Graduate student, Woodruff Lab 
• Yucheng Gao: Graduate student, Gius Lab 
• Bahar Dikmen Yilmaz, MD: Fellow, Bulun Lab 
• Ariel Dotts: Graduate student, Bulun Lab 
• Yu-Ying Chen: Graduate student, Woodruff Lab 
• Jennifer Rowley: MS-RSM student, Duncan Lab 
• Hyebin Roh: MS-RSM student, Matei Lab 
• Julia Balough: MS-RSM student, Woodruff Lab 
• Leah Simon: MS-RSM student, Duncan Lab

 Distinguished Speakers

• Martin M. Matzuk, MD, PhD: Director of the Center for Drug Discovery, Stuart A. Wallace Chair and Professor, Robert L. Moody, Sr. Chair, Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, and Director of Clinical Chemistry, Ben Taub Hospital
• Paula Cohen, PhD: Professor of Genetics, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Director, Center for Reproductive Genomics, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine
• Christopher Geyer, PhD: Associate Professor, Society for the Study of Reproduction New Investigator Award 2017, Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine
• Evan Scott, PhD: Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University McCormick School of Engineering
• Shohreh Shahabi, MD: Chief of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, John and Ruth Brewer Professor of Gynecology and Cancer Research, Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology (Gynecologic Oncology) and Medical Social Sciences
• Carole LaBonne, PhD: Professor, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences

CRS Alumni Speaker

• Ulrike Luderer, MD, PhD, MPH: Professor of Medicine, Developmental and Cell Biology, and Public Health, Director, Environmental Health Sciences Graduate Program, Interim Chief Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Director, Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, University of California Irvine

Lunch Panelists

The 2018 Summit included over 100 attendees and a special panel lunch on "Communicating Science to the Public." Summit attendees were also encouraged to bring "lay" projects for a display table. Our panelists for the lunch included: 

• Nicole Woitowich, PhD: Director of Science Outreach and Education, Women's Health Research Institute  
• Kelly McKinnon: Graduate student, Woodruff Lab 
• Christia Sison: Graduate student, Bulun Lab 
• Jordan Machlin: MS-RSM student 

Trainee Talks

Three CRS trainee abstracts were selected for oral presentations, and each received a Constance Campbell Research Award:

• Jacqueline Lee, MD: Resident physician, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology – Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Northwestern University
• Batzaya Davaadelger, PhD: Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Northwestern University
• Ian Wolff: Graduate student, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University

The remaining 42 abstracts were presented as posters. All posters were judged at the summit, and the top three received a Constance Campbell Research Award:

• Hunter Rogers: Graduate Student, Woodruff Lab 
• Christia Sison: Graduate student, Bulun Lab 
• Patrick Madden: Graduate student, Hope Lab 

The 2017 Reproductive Science & Medicine Summit took place on June 12 in the Robert H. Lurie Medical Research Center and Prentice Women's Hospital on Northwestern's Chicago Campus.

Oral Presentation Winners

• Amanda Bayer: Graduate student, O’Halloran Laboratory
• Alexandra Garcia-Moreno: Graduate student, Maatouk Laboratory
• Roslyn Taylor, PhD; Postdoctoral fellow, Hope Laboratory

Poster Presentation Winners

• Hoi Chang Lee, PhD: Postdoctoral fellow, Woodruff Laboratory
• Luhan (Tracy) Zhou: Master of Science in Reproductive Science and Medicine (MS-RSM) student, Duncan Laboratory
• Rexxi Prasasya: Graduate student in Molecular Biosciences, Mayo Laboratory

Breakout Sessions

Key Players in Reproduction: the HPG-axis, the Gonads, the Gametes & the Tract

Wei Yan, MD, PhD: University of Nevada, Reno Foundation Professor, Director, Single Cell Genomics & Fenome Editing Core Lab; “New Insights into the Functions of Motile Cilia in the Reproductive Tracts” 

Thomas O'Halloran, PhD: Morrison Professor of Chemistry, Molecular Biosciences, Director, Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Associate Director of Basic Sciences, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences; “Zinc Fluxes in Control of Gamete Maturation and Fertilization" 

Amanda Bayer, Graduate student, O’Halloran Laboratory; “Zinc-mediated nuclear restructuring protects against DNA damage during sperm capacitation”

“Error detection and SUMO-mediated regulation of anaphase progression during C. elegans oocyte meiosis” Amanda Roca, Graduate Student, Wignall laboratory

Translational Perspectives & Clinical Applications

Wei Yan, MD, PhD: University of Nevada, Reno Foundation Professor, Director, Single Cell Genomics & Fenome Editing Core Labs; “New Insights into the Functions of Motile Cilia in the Reproductive Tracts” 

Thomas O'Halloran, PhD: Morrison Professor of Chemistry, Molecular Biosciences, Director, Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Associate Director of Basic Sciences, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences; “Zinc Fluxes in Control of Gamete Maturation and Fertilization"

Amanda Bayer: Graduate student, O’Halloran Laboratory; “Zinc-mediated nuclear restructuring protects against DNA damage during sperm capacitation”

Amanda Roca: Graduate student, Wignall Laboratory; “Error detection and SUMO-mediated regulation of anaphase progression during C. elegans oocyte meiosis”

Regulation & Dysregulation of Reproduction: Disease & Pathology

T. Rajendra (Raj) Kumar, PhD: Edgar L. and Patricia M. Makowski Endowed Professor & Associate Vice-Chair of Research, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Colorado Denver-Anschutz Medical Campus; “Regulation of Age-Specific FSH Glycoforms” 

Patrick F. Kiser, PhD: Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Reproductive Science in Medicine), Northwestern University McCormick School of Engineering and Feinberg School of Medicine; “The challenges of long-acting drug delivery systems to prevent sexual transmission of HIV”

Shimeng Liu: Graduate student, Bulun Laboratory; “Epigenetic Modification and the Mutation Status of MED12 Affect Progesterone Responsiveness of RANKL in Uterine Leiomyoma”

Roslyn Taylor, PhD: Postdoctoral fellow, Hope Laboratory; “Localization of infection in neonatal rhesus macaques after oral viral challenge”

CRS Alumni Speaker

Ariella Shikanov, PhD: Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan; "Biomimetic hydrogels to promote and study folliculogenesis"

2017 Summit Trainee Committee

• Ann Marie Carias, PhD: Postdoctoral fellow, Cell and Molecular Biology, Hope Lab
• Max Edmonds: MD/PhD candidate, OB/GYN, Woodruff Lab
• Allison Grover: MS-RSM student, Duncan Lab
• Shimeng Liu: Driskill Graduate Program in Life Sciences student, Bulun Lab
• Kelly McKinnon: PhD candidate, OB/GYN, Woodruff Lab
• Pam Monahan, PhD: Postdoctoral fellow, Molecular Biosciences, Mayo Lab
• Drew Nowakowski, PhD: Ruth L. Kirchstein Postdoctoral Fellow, O’Halloran Lab
• Christia Sison: Driskill Graduate Program in Life Sciences student, Bulun Lab