Aleksandar Stanic-Kostic, MD, PhD
Director of Research in Reproductive Personalized Medicine
Reproductive Sciences, Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility
Dr. Stanic is a physician-scientist, who takes care of patients at Generations Fertility Care and runs a lab that focuses on the immunology underlying reproductive disorders, with a special interest into the role of lymphocytes in the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy.
Clinically, Dr. Stanic is board-certified in Ob/Gyn and subspecialty of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility.
| 1998 | Undergraduate | University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Yugoslavia |
| 2000-2006 | M.D. PhD. | Medicine, Immunology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN |
| 2003 | Postdoctoral Fellowship | Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN |
| 2006-2010 | Residency | Brigham and Women’s and Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA |
| 2011-2014 | Fellowship | Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA |
American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility
American Association of Immunologists (Full Member –elected)
American Society for Reproductive Medicine
Society for Reproductive Investigation
American Society for Reproductive Immunology
Stanic lab is focused on deciphering the role of Innate Lymphoid cells and immune cellular networks in the architectural organization of the maternal/fetal interface.
His research program is dedicated to unravelling the cellular networks underlying preeclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction, recurrent pregnancy loss and implantation failure in Assisted Reproductive Technologies. Our lab employs both human and mouse models of reproductive physiology and disease. We use genetic targeting of immune cell development and function to dissect their role in reproductive tissue organization and disease. We collaborate closely with biostatisticians and computer scientists to develop novel workflows for analysis of our high-dimensional flow cytometry data sets and model the reproductive immune cell networks.
A new study in collaboration between the Stanic and Ong research groups in the UW Department of Ob-Gyn will be published in the July 2023 issue of the Journal of Immunology!
“Proteogenomic and V(D)J Analysis of Human Decidual T Cells Highlights Unique Transcriptional Programming and Clonal Distribution”, by Deborah A. Chasman; Rene Welch Schwartz; Jessica Vazquez; Melina Chavarria; Eryne T. Jenkins; Gladys E. Lopez; Chanel T. Tyler; Aleksandar K. Stanic; Irene M. Ong, uses multiomics analysis to reveal regulation of fetal–maternal immune coexistence. The study was selected by the Journal of Immunology editors as a Top Read for the upcoming July issue. The study and its authors will be featured on the Journal of Immunology social media.
The Journal of Immunology is a preeminent basic science journal in the field, and to have the journal choose to feature translational or clinical-adjacent work is truly an exceptional honor.
You can see the study here; keep an eye on the Journal of Immunology Twitter for the future posts about this study and these incredible research teams!
In March 2023, the Society for Reproductive Investigation hosted their 70th Annual Scientific Meeting in Brisbane, Australia. Members of the UW Department of Ob-Gyn brought fantastic representation to the meeting:
Irene Ong, PhD, assistant professor in the Division of Reproductive Sciences, was invited to present during the “Circulating Factors Regulating Maternal/Fetal Immunity” symposium. She presented “Integration of multi-omics datasets (Spatial, scRNAseq, CITEseq, VDJseq) at the Maternal-fetal interface”.
Aleks Stanic-Kostic, MD, PhD, associate professor in the Divisions of Reproductive Sciences and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, was invited to present during the “Circulating Factors Regulating Maternal/Fetal Immunity” symposium. His talk was “T cell dysregulation in preeclampsia at a single cell level”.
Stanic co-chaired the Parturition III mini-symposium during the conference. He also presented in two career development sessions:
“How to be a Good & Creative Mentor” - Mid-Career Session
“Writing to Win the Grant” - Connections Corner (for junior investigators)
Joint work by the Ong and Stanic Labs was selected for oral presentation during the Preeclampsia session. Project collaborator Ai-Ris Collier, MD, presented “Single Cell Multi-Omic Analysis of Intervillous Lymphocytes in Preeclampsia” on behalf of Rene Welch (Ong Lab) and Jessica Vazquez (formerly Stanic Lab).
Soma Banerjee, MD, graduate student in the Stanic Lab, received a President’s New Investigator Plenary Award for her Plenary Oral presentation "High-Dimensional Flow Cytometry Analysis of Immune Cell Subsets in Circulation and Follicular Microenvironment in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.”
Incredible work, all!
The 2022 Society for Reproductive Investigation’s Annual Scientific Meeting, held in Denver, CO between March 15-19, features several presentations, posters and abstracts from members of the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Reproductive Sciences! Just some of their exciting accomplishments:
Clinical and Translational Perinatology Oral Presentation:
Breastfeeding Promotes Predominant Bifidobacterium in Farm-Exposed Infants
Deborah Chasman, Krittisak Chaiyakul, Samantha Fye, James E Gern, Susan V Lynch, Christine M Seroogy, Irene M Ong
Maternal Biology and Health oral presentation:
Perfluorooctane Sulfonic Acid (PFOS) Increases Mean Arterial Pressure by Impairing Endothelial Nitric Oxide-Mediated Vasodilation and Enhancing Angiotensin II-Mediated Vascular Contraction in Pregnant Rats
Sri V Dangudubiyyam, Jay S Mishra, Ruolin Song, Sathish Kumar
Preeclampsia oral presentation:
Preeclampsia Differentially Dysregulates Female and Male Fetal Endothelial Cells Function and Transcriptomic Profiles in Lean and Obese Pregnancies.
Chi Zhou, Allison Yang, Colman Freel, Olivia Mills, Jing Zheng
Preeclampsia II Oral Presentation session, moderated by Aishwarya Rengarajan
Abstracts:
An Endogenous Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Ligand Induces Preeclamptic Phenotypes in Rats. Ying-jie Zhao, Chi Zhou, Hui-hui Li, Jay S Mishra, Sathish Kumar, Jing Zheng
Follicular Immune Signature of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome in Women Undergoing Infertility Treatment. Soma Banerjee, Fernanda B Levya Jaimes, Abigail A Zettel, Eryne T Jenkins, Jason Austin, Laura G Cooney, Aleksander K Stanic
Immunohistochemical Localization of ACE2 in the Male Reproductive Tract in the Rhesus Macaque: Implications for Nonhuman Primate Model Development for COVID-19. Hayly Hinkle, Sierra Block, Ann Mitzey, Jenna Schmidt, Gregory Wiepz, Thaddeus G. Golos
Estradiol Protects Against Gestational Intermittent Hypoxia-Induced Hypertension and Metabolic Dysfunctions in the Adult Female Offspring. Ruolin Song, Jay S Mishra, Sri V Dangudubiyyam, Jyoti Watters, Tracy Baker, Sathish Kumar
Novel Role of Angiotensin Type 2 Receptor in Promoting Angiogenesis in Primary Human Uterine Artery Endothelial Cells. Jay S Mishra, Sri V Dangudubiyyam, Ruolin Song, Dong-Bao Chen, Sathish Kumar
Endothelial Dysfunction in Preeclampsia: The Story of the Interleukins. Rachel L Dahn, Amanda C Ampey, Jason L Austin, Ian M Bird
Congratulations to all!
Congratulations to Aleks Stanic, MD, PhD, associate professor in the UW Ob-Gyn Divisions of Reproductive Sciences and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, and Ted Golos, PhD, professor and Chair of the Department of Comparative Biosciences in the UW School of Veterinary Medicine! They are co-investigators on a pilot grant from the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center.
Stanic and Golos received funding for the project “Gestationally Driven Traffic of Decidual Leukocytes”, which will use a new serial intravascular staining methodology to study the trafficking of peripheral blood immune cells to the maternal-fetal interface in nonhuman primates. The $50,000 grant supports direct costs over two years.
Incredible work, Dr. Stanic and Dr. Golos!
We are thrilled to announce that Aleks Stanic-Kostic, MD, PhD, of the UW Ob-Gyn Divisions of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and Reproductive Sciences has been promoted to Associate Professor (tenure track). The promotion will be effective July 1, 2022.
Since joining the UW Department of Ob-Gyn in 2014, Stanic has earned a reputation as a talented researcher, educator and clinician. Just a few of Stanic’s impressive accomplishments over the last few years include research grants like multiple Reproductive Scientist Development Program grants, the Burroughs-Wellcome Fund grant, and the Basil O’Connor Starter Scholar grant to study the role of the immune system in pregnancy; publishing countless papers; and earning mentorship awards.
Congratulations, Dr. Stanic, on this incredible accomplishment!
A new article out of collaborative research between Aleks Stanic-Kostic, MD, PhD and Irene Ong, PhD was published in the American Journal of Reproductive Immunology!
“Multiomic analysis reveals decidual-specific transcriptional programing of MAIT cells” examines the possible role of Mucosal-Associated Invariant T (MAIT) cells in tissue-repair mechanisms at the maternal-fetal interface. Stanic Lab members Jessica Vazquez, PhD and Melina Chavarria are shared first authors on the publication, while Stanic and Ong are senior authors.
Read the whole publication here!
Aleks Stanic, MD, PhD, of the UW Ob-Gyn Divisions of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and Reproductive Sciences, was recently invited to speak as part of a group of experts at the NIH National Institute on Child Health and Human Development’s workshop “Idiopathic/Non-aneuploid Early Pregnancy Loss: The State of the Science”. Stanic presented as part of the session “Impact of Maternal Health, Infection and Immunological Factors”.
Stanic gave the lecture "Leveraging integration of single cell data to unravel decidual immunology":
“Lymphocytes at the maternal-fetal interface are a complex mixture of innate and adaptive immune cells, dynamically responding to changing local and systemic signals across the continuum of pregnancy. Their alterations are implicated in full spectrum of pregnancy pathology – from euploid miscarriage to preeclampsia, preterm labor and abruption. Understanding of mechanisms underlying the pivotal role lymphocytes have at the decidua is undergoing a revolution due to increasing availability of single cell analysis platforms at the transcriptome, antigen receptor repertoire, surface proteome and epigenome levels. While this deluge of data has allowed for discovery of novel cell types and revealed new and unexpected functions of decidual lymphocytes, unbiased analysis and integration of such datasets is the rate-limiting step impeding progress in reproductive immunology. Herein, we will discuss methods for normalization, matching, and analysis of single cell RNA sequencing data reflecting decidual T cell gene expression, limited surface proteomes and V(D)J repertoire. We will additionally discuss the opportunity to match and use scRNAseq data in conjunction with previously available bulk/sorted cell sequencing data to expand our ability to interpret existing datasets. Taken together, we aim to address gaps in our understanding of decidual immunology necessary to address the scourge of unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss.”
The presentation was reflective of collaborative efforts between the Stanic Lab and the Ong Lab, led by Irene Ong, PhD. In an exciting first, Stanic’s lecture was mentioned on the NICHD Twitter!
Incredible work, Dr. Stanic!
Our congratulations to Aleks Stanic-Kostic, MD, PhD, of the UW Ob-Gyn Divisions of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and Reproductive Sciences! He attended the American Society for Reproductive Immunology virtual meeting in May, where he won the Best Poster award.
Stanic received the award for the poster “The integration of disparate single cell data in decidual immunology reveals restriction of inflammatory T cell fate at the maternal-fetal interface.”
Incredible work, Dr. Stanic!
Lindsey Block, graduate student in the Golos Lab, is first author on a recent paper in the journal Biology of Reproduction entitled “The promise of placental extracellular vesicles: models and challenges for diagnosing placental dysfunction in utero”.
Co-authors include Aleks Stanic, MD, PhD, of the UW Ob-Gyn Divisions of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and Reproductive Sciences, and Ted Golos, PhD, of the Division of Reproductive Sciences.
Block’s paper was featured in the Weekly News email from the Society for the Study of Reproduction. Read the whole article here. Congratulations to the publication team!
