Leadership & Staff
Francesca Duncan, PhD
Co-Director
Dr. Francesca E. Duncan earned her doctorate in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Pennsylvania and completed post-doctoral fellowships in reproductive science and medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and at Northwestern University. She is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University where she holds the Thomas J. Watkins Memorial Professorship in Reproductive Science. She co-directs the Center for Reproductive Science and is the faculty director for the Master of Science in Reproductive Science and Medicine program at Northwestern. She is also an Associate Professor in Residence at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in the Center for Reproductive Longevity and Equality. Dr. Duncan leads a research program focused on understanding the cellular mechanisms of how aging – both physiologic and iatrogenic - impacts reproductive potential at the levels of the gamete and ovary. Dr. Duncan has also expanded her research to encompass modulating reproductive capacity as the Principal Investigator of the Ovarian Contraceptive Discovery Initiative whose goal is identification of novel ovarian targets for non-hormonal contraception using innovative models such as in vitro follicle growth and ovulation. In her 24+ year history in the field, she has co-authored >110 manuscripts in the area of reproductive biology through collaboration with nearly 700 co-authors from 196 institutions. Her work has been cited over 14,500 times (Scopus), with 34 documents in the top 1-10% of citation impacts in their fields. Her findings have been highlighted on BBC radio, in Discover Magazine, Marie Claire Magazine, CNN Health, the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg News, and National Geographic. Dr. Duncan is committed to academic publishing and is an ad hoc reviewer for >30 journals, has served on numerous editorial boards, and is the current Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Molecular Human Reproduction. She is an active leader in professional societies, serving on the Board of Directors for the Society for the Study of Reproduction and on the Council for the Histochemical Society. Dr. Duncan is passionate about educating the next generation of leaders in the reproductive sciences, and she has served as a faculty member in prestigious programs such as Frontiers in Reproduction and Biology of Aging held at the Marine Biological Laboratories. Dr. Duncan is the recipient of several prestigious honors including a 2017 United States Fulbright Award, the 2019 Virendra B. Mahesh New Investigator Award from the Society for the Study of Reproduction, and the 2024 Rolly Simpson Frontiers in Reproduction Distinguished Alumni Award.
J. Julie Kim, PhD
Co-Director
J. Julie Kim, PhD, is the Susy Y. Hung Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the director of faculty mentorship and development in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She graduated from the University of Toronto with a BS in microbiology and earned her doctorate in cellular and molecular biology from Université Laval, Quebec. She trained with Asgi Fazleabas, PhD, during her postdoctoral years to study mechanisms of decidualization in the primate endometrium, and then joined Northwestern University as assistant professor in 2003. Kim is an internationally recognized expert in uterine biology and studies an array of reproductive diseases as it pertains to progesterone action. She has established projects in endometrial cancer, uterine leiomyoma, breast cancer and microphysiological systems of the reproductive tract. She is an active member of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, the co-director of the Cancer Biology Cluster in The Graduate School at Northwestern University and the principal investigator of the T32 Predoctoral Training Grant in Reproductive Science. She has worked with and led education programs including the Northwestern Driskill Graduate Program in Life Sciences (DGP), the MD-PhD Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) and the master’s program in bioengineering, as well as our Master in Reproductive Science and Medicine (MS-RSM). She currently directs courses for DGP in tumor cell biology and for the MS-RSM in emerging research in reproductive science and medicine. Pamela Monahan, PhD
Director of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs and Lecturer
Pamela Monahan, PhD, is the CRS director of graduate and postdoctoral affairs and a lecturer for the
Master of Science in Reproductive Science and Medicine (MS-RSM). She graduated from the University of Tennessee with a BS in biological sciences and earned her masters and doctorate in molecular and integrative physiology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign under the mentorship of Lori Raetzman, PhD. Monahan then trained at Northwestern University with Kelly Mayo, PhD, for her postdoctoral fellowship. Monahan’s research aims are in understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in reproductive organ development and as part of an interdisciplinary collaborative team identifying visual and molecular markers of placental dysfunction utilizing rodent models of preeclampsia. Monahan was instrumental in developing and implementing core MS-RSM curriculum, including the foundational courses in Female and Male Reproductive Physiology and Endocrinology (REPR_SCI 405 and REPR_SCI 407) and directs the non-thesis track research curriculum (REPR_SCI 442 and 443) in collaboration with Hoi Chang Lee, PhD. Additionally, Monahan coordinates the educational portfolio of the
CRS Predoctoral Training Program in Reproductive Science, Medicine and Technology (T32), serves as faculty co-lead for the CRS Community Engagement Subcommittee with Giulia Vigone, PhD, and is creator and editor of the CRSpotlights newsletter.
Hoi Chang Lee, PhD
Lecturer
Hoi Chang Lee, PhD, is a lecturer in the Master of Science in Reproductive Science and Medicine (MS-RSM) program and a research assistant professor within the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern University. He earned his PhD from University of Massachusetts at Amherst in animal biotechnology and biomedical sciences. During his thesis study, his research focused on understanding the mechanisms of calcium signaling and channel pathway during fertilization. He joined the laboratory of Teresa Woodruff, PhD, as a postdoctoral fellow where he broadened his research interests and expertise to include mammalian ovarian follicle biology, zinc biochemistry and oncofertility. His current projects focus on zinc signaling during egg maturation and fertilization in various species. He joined the CRS community as a lecturer in 2016. He has covered Reproductive Technologies (REPR_SCI 440) as an assistant course director and Reproductive Endocrinology and Fertility Management (REPR_SCI 415) as a lecturer.
Giulia Vigone, PhD
Director of MS Affairs and Lecturer
Giulia Vigone, PhD, is a lecturer in the Master of Science in Reproductive Science and Medicine program. She completed her Master of Science and doctorate research in the laboratory of developmental biology at the University of Pavia (Italy), where she specialized in the biology of the ovarian follicle, with a focus on markers of the oocyte quality. For her postdoctoral training in 2015, she joined the laboratory of Laurinda Jaffe, PhD, at UConn Health, where she studied the signaling mechanisms by which luteinizing hormone controls meiotic resumption and ovulation. Along with her research, she has cultivated an interest in professional development and education which led to her co-founding of the Academia-Industry Opportunities Group (AIOG). Vigone joined CRS in 2020 and directs the course Responsible Conduct of Research in Reproductive Science (REPR_SCI 425) in addition to teaching the professional development courses Research Proposals (REPR_SCI 455) and Assessment and Career Planning (REPR_SCI 497).
Lindsey Block, PhD
Lecturer
Lindsey Block, PhD, is a lecturer in the Master of Science in Reproductive Science and Medicine program. Block graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) with a Bachelor of Science degree in molecular and cellular biology and a minor in chemistry. During her time at UIUC, Block joined the Gene E. Robinson, PhD, honeybee research laboratory. She then enrolled in the cellular and molecular pathology program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to obtain her PhD. Block completed her thesis work in the lab of Ted Golos, PhD, where she studied the impact of Zika virus on embryos and trophoblasts. After graduating, she was a postdoctoral research fellow in the Rebecca Simmons, MD, lab at the University of Pennsylvania where she established models to better study pregnancy complications and identify biomarkers of placental dysfunction. As a lecturer within the Master of Science in Reproductive Science and Medicine program, Block develops curriculum, coordinates and teaches the laboratory-based class Reproductive Technologies Laboratory (REPR_SCI 440). She also assists in teaching MS-RSM professional development courses, advises students and supports other team-taught courses within the program. Lauren Ataman-Millhouse, MA
Program Administrator
Lauren Ataman-Millhouse graduated from the University of Southern California in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and business administration and went on to complete a Masters in Public Policy and Administration from Northwestern University. In 2011, Lauren joined the team as a program assistant for Teresa Woodruff, PhD, and has worked with Francesca Duncan, PhD, in a variety of capacities since then. Prior to her role with CRS, Lauren worked as the research project manager for Oncofertility Consortium and provided programmatic support for the consortium's administrative activities, which included comprehensive grant and research administration support. She now oversees CRS’s grant, programming, development and promotion portfolio. She is actively looking for ways to support CRS through grants, industry and other mechanisms. Her portfolio also includes the CRS professional network, working closely with Rebecca Willingham on CRS programming and community relations. Her work promotes CRS programs to all relevant stakeholders and helps CRS sustain valuable research efforts in the reproductive health sciences community.
Nimra Chohan
MS-RSM Program Coordinator
Nimra Chohan joined CRS in December 2021. She oversees and supports all administrative tasks and operations of the Master of Science in Reproductive Science and Medicine (MS-RSM) program including communications, student and faculty support, recruitment, and academic and curricular management. Chohan comes to CRS from the OB/GYN Education Department at the Feinberg School of Medicine, where she supported third-year medical students, as well as Northwestern's OB/GYN residents. Prior to joining Feinberg, she worked in public relations at Penguin Random House in New York. She received her MFA in Prose & Poetry from Northwestern University’s School of Professional Studies.
Rebecca Willingham
CRS Program Coordinator
Rebecca Willingham joined CRS in March 2021. She oversees administrative tasks and operations of CRS. Willingham also coordinates all CRS programming and events. She previously worked in the Biomedical Engineering Department at Northwestern and at The Theatre School at DePaul University. She is an alumna of Emerson College and received her MFA in directing from The Theatre School at DePaul University.