Research Summary
Twenty percent of women’s health problems worldwide are attributed to reproductive and sexual health issues. Disruptions in normal reproductive function cause health problems that extend beyond infertility, and include increases in cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and cognitive disorders. Furthermore, ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy in women. In part, this is due to a lack of diagnostics needed for early detection. Therefore, the origin, diagnosis, and treatment of gynecological diseases are critical health issues that need to be addressed. Our research laboratory focuses on understanding how the ovary normally develops and functions, and how defects in these processes result in reproductive disorders and cancer development. We use a multifaceted approach, generating data from patient samples, immortalized cancer cell lines, and genetically modified mice. Since the laboratory has started in 2007, our research has contributed a number of key mouse models for genes that cause infertility, ovarian dysfunction, and ovarian cancer. These models are paramount in the search for novel therapeutics and diagnostics for patients with reproductive diseases.