2018

On December 4th, the Master of Science in Reproductive Science and Medicine (MS-RSM) students connected with the Masters in Biology and Technology of Reproduction in Mammals students at the University of Murcia in Spain via our second Virtual Journal Club. We were thrilled to be able to interact with the University of Murcia and to transcend the boundaries of “ordinary” ways of work!

Please join the Center for Reproductive Science in congratulating these CRS members who will be presenting their work at national and international meetings, as winners of the 2018 Fall/Winter Constance Campbell Trainee Travel Awards!

Several CRS members attended the 2018 Illinois Symposium on Reproductive Science (ISRS) at SIU last week. ISRS is an annual regional meeting that offers a unique opportunity for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and clinical fellows in the reproductive sciences to plan a meeting and present their research to their peers and senior scientists from across Illinois and beyond. The goals of ISRS are to celebrate our strong research and educational heritage, to foster the exchange of scientific information in the reproductive sciences, to facilitate the training and career development of future reproductive scientists, and to leverage our collective institutional strengths to maintain Illinois in a preeminent nationwide position in this critical research field.

Teresa K. Woodruff, vice chair for research in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine, an independent organization of professionals from the fields of health and medicine and natural, social and behavioral sciences. Being elected to the academy is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievements and commitment to service.

What a vibrant academic year it has been for the Center for Reproductive Science! The lifecycle of students, faculty, learning, discovery, and funding is the foundation of our Center, and we continue to embody our mantra of being visible, viable, and valuable! We invite you to peruse this Year in Review to share in the 2017-2018 highlights.

Many members of the CRS Community attended the Society for the Study of Reproduction (SSR) 5th Annual Meeting, July 10-13th, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Reproductive scientists from around the globe gathered for this four-day long meeting, which included lectures, committee meetings, poster sessions, workshops, symposiums, and receptions! We look forward to the 2019 SSR Annual Meeting in San Jose!

The Society for the Study of Reproduction (SSR) Trainee Mentoring Award recognized an SSR member who as a mentor has had significant impact on Trainees within SSR. This year, the Society recognized Teresa K. Woodruff, PhD with this honor. The award was presented at the SSR Annual Meeting in New Orleans. Please join the Center for Reproductive Science in congratulating Dr. Woodruff on this award!

Please join the Center for Reproductive Science in congratulating the first graduating class of the Master of Science in Reproductive Science and Medicine (MS-RSM) program! The 2018 class included 7 thesis track and 2 non-thesis track students. This group culminated their tenure in the program last week with research presentations to colleagues, friends, and family, followed by a celebratory reception.

The late Danielle Maatouk, PhD, an Assistant Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology and a CRS Member, was a co-author on a recent study published in Science. The study deepens understanding of the normal process of sex determination in mammals. This is the first time scientists have identified an enhancer of Sox9 that, when lost, causes sex reversal.

Please join the Center for Reproductive Science in congratulating our faculty member, Sadie Wignall, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular Biosciences, for her feature in "How Cell Biologists Work" by the American Society for Cell Biology.

The 2018 Reproductive Science and Medicine Summit will take place this Friday, June 1st, 2018, in Prentice Women’s Hospital, Chicago, and we are looking forward to presentations from our distinguished speakers! Featured in this CRS New Story are interviews with Dr. Evan Scott, and Dr. Shohreh Shahabi.

Our Planning Committee has been busy getting to know our distinguished speakers in preparation for the 2018 Reproductive Science and Medicine Summit, which will take place on Friday, June 1st in Prentice Women’s Hospital, Chicago. Featured in this CRS News Story are interviews with Drs. Ulrike Luderer, Marty Matzuk, and Chris Geyer. Register by Friday, May 25th for the 2018 Summit and have the opportunity to interact with these vibrant leaders in reproductive science and medicine!

Winners have been chosen for the 2018 Spring/Summer Constance Campbell Travel Awards. Please join us in congratulating these CRS members who will be presenting their work at national and international meetings!

It is with heavy heart that we announce the passing of Professor Neena B. Schwartz, The William Deering Professor of Endocrinology Emerita at Northwestern University. Neena was surrounded by family on April 15th, 2018, when she passed away peacefully at the age of 91.  

Christia Angela Sison, a third-year student in the Driskill Graduate Program in Life Sciences, and a CRS trainee in the Bulun lab, presented, “GATA6, genome-wide H3K27ac histone modification, and active transcription in endometriosis” and won the Women Faculty Organization award for excellence in women’s health research, basic science!

Communicating science to the public is an important part of being a scientist. As part of our Human Reproductive Development course (REPR_SCI 406), our Master of Science in Reproductive Science and Medicine students used their creativity to create presentations about reproductive science in terms that the general public could easily understand. The group’s projects ranged from poetry, songs, and crossword puzzles, to Facebook posts, surveys and prototypes!

The Center for Reproductive Science Director, Teresa K. Woodruff, was recently highlighted in Technology Networks’ latest eBook, Women in Science. This eBook is a celebration of the exceptional contributions today’s female researchers make to the world of science.

The Center for Reproductive Science has had a busy start to 2018! In this article, we recap all of the exciting programming and events that have happened so far in January.