Alumni Spotlight on Kara Wingo

Kara Wingo is a graduate of the MS-RSM program, class of 2024. She completed the non-thesis track and conducted research with Dr. Pamela Monahan. She is currently at Research Assistant/Coordinator at the Carilion School of Medicine at Virginia Tech.

Mentor: Pamela Monahan, PhD 

Project Title: “A tale of two pathways: examining the interactions between notch and activin signaling in the prepubertal granulosa cell” 

What is your connection to the CRS community and what is your current position? 

I was a non-thesis student in the MS-RSM program. I am currently a Research Assistant/Coordinator in the Howell Lab at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine 

Could you describe your current research/studies? 

I process maternal blood and placenta samples from pregnant people who use substances during pregnancy to understand the cellular differences within these tissues that may impact child neurodevelopment. We know that substance use in pregnancy has been shown to be linked with behavioral disorders and varying developmental pathologies in childhood. However, we have not been able to fully elucidate the effect that opioid agonists/antagonists used for detoxification such as methadone and suboxone, respectively, impact neurodevelopment during pregnancy and beyond. This work could lead to the creation of alternative substances to better support patients during treatment without adverse short/long term consequences to parent and child.  

What aspect(s) of CRS did you find most valuable?

The unwavering support from CRS faculty. The small class size of the MS-RSM program allowed students to establish and maintain strong relationships with CRS faculty. Exposure to varying subfields within reproductive science allowed me to delve into pre-existing interests as well as explore new avenues I didn’t know existed. The exploration of these new topics gave me tools to approach unfamiliar concepts with confidence and curiosity.  

What has been the most valuable aspect to your training as a reproductive scientist in CRS? 

Exposure to many different types of public speaking opportunities and leadership through the MS-RSM program allowed me to strengthen my communication skills  interpersonally as a team member as well as to scientific/nonscientific communities alike. 

What would you recommend to junior scientists in order for them to succeed in their scientific careers?​  

Maintain an open mind and be persistent and fierce in the pursuit of your passions!  

What do you think will be the next big contribution in the reproductive biology field?  

As GLP-1 inhibitors such as Ozempic continue to rise in popularity, I think we will see more research on the long term impacts that sustained alteration of these cellular pathways affect the reproductive systems. Additionally, further investigation of the utility of GLP-1 inhibitors in supporting fertility in patients with PCOS.  

Do you have any notable stories from your time in CRS? 

I remember my research group and I working through a new protocol for isolating granulosa cells. There was an incubation step where your tubes containing the ovaries had to be placed in a water bath. After multiple failed attempts with obtaining high cell yield, we found that the temperature was too high on the water bath, thus giving our cells a nice hot tub swim! This was a funny “aha” moment for our group, and shows how essential resilience in science is!