Reproductive Science Trainees
Northwestern Reproductive Science, Medicine & Technology trainees are part of an exhilarating and rigorous educational program that offers them not only exceptional research training support but also many opportunities to explore their own career development. Unique to the Center for Reproductive Science's predoctoral program is the opportunity to engage in academic accelerator partnerships, internships and externships that encourage collaborative science and support trainees in learning and applying cutting-edge technologies to their research.
We encourage trainees to explore career development through our Career Catalysts and Reproductive Research Updates series and through leadership opportunities with our subcommittees. We also offer a wide range of additional resources for trainees.
Current
Teresa Chou (2023- Present)
Graduate Program: MSTP Graduate Program
Thesis Mentor: Dr. Jeffrey Goldstein, MD, PhD
Thesis Project: "Leveraging machine learning to study spatial transcriptomic changes in COVID-19 placenta"
Caroline Kratka (2022- Present)
Graduate Program: MSTP Graduate Program
Thesis Mentor: Dr. Francesca Duncan, PhD
Thesis Project: "Harnessing age-driven transcriptomic and morphotemporal changes in ovulation for discovery of non-hormonal contraceptives"
Ilka Lorenzo (2023- Present)
Graduate Program: Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Graduate Program (IBiS)
Thesis Mentor: Dr. Sadie Wignall, PhD
Thesis Project: "Unraveling the mechanisms of acentrosomal spindle stability in mammalian oocyte meiosis"
Hannah McDowell (2022- Present)
Graduate Program: Driskill Graduate Program (DGP)
Thesis Mentor: Dr. Monica Laronda, PhD
Thesis Project: "Determining the role of chemotherapy-induced neoangiogenesis in primordial follicle activation"
Alumni
Rosemary Bauer (2021 - 2023)
Graduate Program: Driskill Graduate Program (DGP)
Mentor: Dr. Margrit Urbanek, PhD
Thesis Project: "The role of genetic variation in the insulin signaling pathway in PCOS etiology"
Shweta Dipali (2019 - 2021)
Gradudate Program: Driskill Graduate Program (DGP)
Mentor: Dr. Francesca Duncan, PhD
Thesis Project: "Ovarian Inflammaging as a Mechanism for Ovarian Cancer"
Grace Foley (2020 - 2022)
Graduate Program: Driskill Graduate Program (DGP)
Mentor: Dr. J. Julie Kim, PhD
Thesis Project: "Understanding Racial Disparities in Endometrial Cancer Through Cancer Genomics"
Juhi Narula (2020 - 2022)
Gradudate Program: Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Graduate Program (IBiS)
Mentor: Dr. Sadie Wignall, PhD
Thesis Project: "Investigating the role of a conserved kinase in acentrosomal spindle organization using C. elegans oocytes"
Emily Zaniker (2021- 2023)
Graduate Program: MSTP Graduate Program
Thesis Mentor: Dr. Francesca Duncan, PhD
Thesis Project: "Mapping the spatiotemporal determinants of ovulation"
Jennifer Zhu (2019 - 2021)
Gradudate Program: Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program
Mentor: Dr. Evan Scott, PhD, Dr. J. Julie Kim, PhD
Thesis Project: "Investigating nanoparticle-mediated costimulation blockade as a cell-selective immunotherapy for endometriosis"