Upper Midwest Summit for Reproductive Science
In 2023, the Northwestern University Center for Reproductive Science hosted the first Upper Midwest Summit for Reproductive Science (UMSRS), an expansion of the Illinois Symposium on Reproductive Science. This annual symposium began in 2008, when a group of reproductive science faculty from across Illinois conceived of a trainee-focused meeting hosted by a rotation of Illinois universities including Northwestern, UIUC, UIC and Southern Illinois University (SIU). In 2023, the symposium expanded into the Upper Midwest Summit for Reproductive Science.
This event convenes trainees, junior and senior faculty, and other research staff and scientists from institutions across the upper Midwest region (Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Wisconsin) to:
- Foster the exchange of scientific information in the reproductive sciences.
- Facilitate the training and career development of future reproductive scientists.
- Leverage the collective institutional strengths of participants to maintain the region as preeminent leaders in this critical research field.
This event offers graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and others in the reproductive sciences from across the Midwest region the opportunity to plan a meeting and present their research to peers, mentors, faculty and other scientists. A traditional and highly valued component of this event is the trainee committee who plan and organize many aspects of the meeting. The trainee committee includes members from across Illinois and the Midwest and promotes a regional peer and mentor network for our trainees.
UMSRS will be hosted by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2024.
Past Summits
2023 Summit
The Upper Midwest Summit for Reproductive Science 2023 took place October 30-31 at Simpson Querrey Biomedical Research Center in downtown Chicago. The meeting was titled Reproductive Technologies: From “Conception” to the Future. The 2023 Planning Committee was led by by MSTP student Caroline Kratka and MS-RSM student Marian Charles, both trainees in the Duncan Lab.
All Planning Committee Members:
- Teresa Chou, Graduate Student, Northwestern University
- Pooja Devrukhkar, MS, Research Staff, Northwestern University
- Shweta Dipalia, Graduate Student, Northwestern University
- Chad Driscoll, Graduate Student, Michigan State University
- Samantha Exner, MS Student, Northwestern University
- Endia Fletcher, Graduate Student, University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign
- Mohammad Mousaei Ghasroldasht, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Chicago
- Dilan Gokyer, MD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Northwestern University
- Alaina Houghton-Chamberlain, Graduate Student, University of Wisconsin
- Kendall Hyde, Graduate Student, Southern Illinois University
- Hayce Jeon, Graduate Student, University of Kentucky
- Emma Lee, Graduate Student, University of Illinois, Chicago
- Ilka Lorenzo, Graduate Student, Northwestern University
- DruAnne Maxwell, Graduate Student, Wayne State University
- Hannah McDowell, Graduate Student, Northwestern University
- Sierra Orr, MS Student, Northwestern University
- Taylor Schissel, Graduate Student, University of Michigan
- Bruna Tatematsu, Graduate Student, Loyola University
- Janavi Thyagraj, MS Student, Northwestern University
Keynote Speakers
Barbara Vanderhyden, PhD, is a Distinguished Professor at the University of Ottawa. She presented the opening keynote lecture: "The Aging Ovary and Ovarian Cancer Risk." Lonny Levin, PhD, Professor, Weill Cornell Medical College, gave the closing keynote lecture: "On Demand Male Contraception Via Acute Inhibition of Soluble Adenylyl Cyclase."
Session Speakers
Session 1: Gamete Quality and Assisted Reproduction
Binyam Mogessie, PhD, Assistant Professor, Yale University; "Deciphering chromosome segregation mechanisms in female meiosis"
Session 2: Reproductive Tract Development and Disease
Ripla Arora, PhD, Associate Professor, Michigan State University; "Insights from imaging the implanting embryo and the uterine environment in three dimensions"
Session 3: Innovations in Reproductive Science
Shuo Xiao, PhD, Assistant Professor, Rutgers University; "A small follicle tells a big story"
Shaw Family Pioneer Award Talks
The Shaw Family Pioneer Awards were established by Robert Shaw ('70, '81), and Charlene Shaw ('70), both alumni of Northwestern University, to provide funding for sex-inclusive research that focuses on sex-based mechanisms and determinants of health and disease. The Shaw Family Pioneer Awards are given annually to support Northwestern University investigators who conduct or are interested in sex-based research. 2022 award winner Jennie Lin, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, presented on "Sex-Based differences in Immune-Mediated Kidney Injury," and 2022 award winner Heather Mahoney, PhD, postdoctoral fellow, Schmidt Lab, Department of Neurobiology, presented on "Sex differences in visual modulation of mood and nicotine abuse."
Special Session and Book Signing
Deena Emera, PhD, Senior Scientist at The Buck Institute, presented a special session followed by a book signing to discuss her recent book A Brief History of the Female Body: Evolutionary Insights into the Mysteries of Female Reproductive Biology.
Panel: Innovations and Applications of Reproductive Science
This year's summit featured a virtual panel of reproductive scientists working in industry. Panelists included:
- Mariano Bufone, PhD, Co-Founder & Co-CSO, Fecundis
- Petrina Kamya, PhD, Global Business Development Director, Insilico Medicine
- Marcos Meseguer, PhD, Senior Scientist, IVIRMA Innovation
Trainee Talks
The following trainees were selected to give talks:
- Arpita Bhurke, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Mohammad Mousaei Ghasroldasht, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Chicago
- Emily Hayes, Graduate Student, University of Illinois Chicago (Constance Campbell Memorial Research Award)
- Emmanuel Paul PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Michigan State University (Constance Campbell Memorial Research Award)
- Giangela Stokes, Graduate Student, Northwestern University
- Bruna Tatematsu, Graduate Student, Loyola University (Constance Campbell Memorial Research Award)
- Russell Urie, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Michigan
- Andres Valdivia, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Northwestern University
- Shuangqi Wang, Graduate Student, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
The remaining 87 abstracts were presented as posters. All posters were judged at the summit and the following trainees received Constance Campbell Memorial Research Awards:
- Harun Cignoz, Graduate Student, Northwestern University
- Maria Victoria Bariani, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Chicago
- McKenna Crossen, Graduate Student, University of Wisconsin-Madison