Dr. Kara McKinley delivers the CRS New Year's Lecture
The Center for Reproductive Science began 2024 with a stimulating presentation by Dr. Kara McKinley, PhD. Dr. McKinley is an Assistant Professor of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology at Harvard University and a Freeman Hrabowski Scholar for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Dr. McKinley’s presentation titled “Regeneration in the uterus”, showcased some interesting perspectives on uterine regenerative biology.
The human endometrium in menstruating individuals must regenerate each month, propagating a whole lining from existing stem cells. Our understanding of the changes in the endometrium each cycle has been limited by the scant animal models that menstruate. Dr. McKinley discussed the few options currently available including non-human primate models and spiny mouse. But these options do some with their challenges. With this in mind, Dr. McKinley’s group set out to establish a mouse model that mimicked menstrual bleeding and regeneration. Now testing a innovate transgenic mouse model, Dr. McKinley’s research brings a much-needed tool to intensely studying pathologies including endometrial cancers, endometriosis, abnormal uterine bleeding and hopes to further our understanding of regeneration in the uterus.
As early career investigator, Dr. Kinley started her lab in January 2021, in addition to her research program, she has a strong interesting in cultivating a support network for women and non-binary trainees including postdocs and assistant professors in the biomedical sciences. To address this need, Dr. McKinley started Leading Edge and initiative whose goal is to provide women and non-binary scholars with opportunities to present their work, engage with other Leading Edge scholars, and support their growth with mentorship and career development training. Leading Edge also provides some insightful resources that range from “The Transition Phase: Preparing to Launch a Laboratory” to “Things I wish I knew before going on the academic job market”, tools that remove the veil of the steps to becoming a faculty member.
Hannah McDowell, a DGP grad student and CRS T32 trainee, sums up the impact of Dr. McKinley’s visit, “As a T32 trainee, I had the pleasure of interacting with Dr. Kara McKinley over lunch in addition to her lecture. Along with being extremely personable and an incredible scientist, Dr. McKinley truly cares about her trainees and other young scientists. I was so excited to have a portion of her lecture specifically dedicated to addressing us as trainees. The resources she has laboriously generated and provided to the scientific community are invaluable. I'm so grateful to have gotten a chance to receive advice from such an enthusiastic early career investigator.”
The CRS New Year’s Lecture was an engaging way to kick-start the calendar of special events upcoming for 2024 by highlighting an early career investigator who really is at the leading edge of regenerative biology and biomedical research.