Teresa Woodruff Names New Directors
Please join the Center for Reproductive science in bidding farewell to our Director, Dr. Teresa K. Woodruff, as she begins her transition to Provost of Michigan State University! As Director of the Center, Dr. Woodruff has been at the forefront of the Center's most prolific period of growth thus far, overseeing every aspect of the creation and development of our Master's of Science in Reproductive Science and Medicine program, as we welcome more students, faculty, and scholars to our rapidly growing and more diverse community. The Center is confident that Dr. Woodruff will continue her unparalleled record of leadership and cannot wait to see what is in store for her at Michigan State!
Dr. Woodruff also just announced that Drs. Francesca Duncan and J. Julie Kim will be the new co-Directors of the Center for Reproductive Science effective June 1, 2020!
Dr. Duncan received a B.S. in Biology and Biochemistry from Haverford College in Haverford, Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. under the guidance of Dr. Carmen Williams at the University of Pennsylvania. She also completed post-doctoral training with Dr. Richard Schultz at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Duncan then worked in the Woodruff laboratory, where she transitioned from a Post-Doctoral fellow to a Research Assistant Professor. She then established an independent research laboratory as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the University of Kansas Medical Center before being recruited back to Northwestern as an Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Executive Director of the Center for Reproductive Science. Her laboratory investigates the mechanisms underlying reproductive age-associated changes in egg quality and quantity. Francesca has published outstanding manuscripts in the field and has mentored numerous undergraduates, graduate students, medical students, and post-doctoral fellows. Further, she is an active member of the Society for the Study of Reproduction (SSR) and currently serves as Chair of the SSR Publications Committee. Furthermore, Dr. Duncan recently won the 2019 SSR Virendra B. Mahesh New Investigator Award, which recognizes an active, regular member of the SSR for outstanding research completed within 13 years of receiving the Ph.D. or other equivalent professional degree.
Dr. Kim received a B.Sc. in Microbiology from the University of Toronto in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and a Ph.D. under the guidance of Dr. Michel Fortier at Laval University in Quebec City, Canada. She also completed post-doctoral training with Dr. Asgi Fazleabas at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Kim then established an independent research laboratory as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology rising through the ranks to Professor at Northwestern University, including being awarded the Susy Y. Hung Endowed Professorship in 2012. Her laboratory investigates the mechanisms of sex hormone action in the uterus and breast in the normal and diseased contexts. She is a member of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center and is actively involved in the education programs of the graduate school (including our very own MS-RSM program!). Julie has published outstanding manuscripts in the field, attaining her 100th publication last year and has held multiple NIH grants at a time through the past 17 years. She has mentored numerous undergraduates, graduate students, medical students, clinical fellows, and post-doctoral fellows. Further, she is an active member of the Society for the Study of Reproduction (SSR), Endocrine Society, AACR, and Society for Reproductive Investigation (SRI).
The Center is delighted that Dr. Duncan and Dr. Kim will be at the helm of this ship as we head into the next exciting chapter of reproductive science and medicine! Please join us in congratulating them both!