Research

Division of Reproductive Sciences brings research to 2025 SRI Annual Scientific Meeting

The Society for Reproductive Investigation hosted the 2025 Annual Scientific Meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina March 25-29, 2025. Researchers from the UW Department of Ob-Gyn Division of Reproductive Sciences led sessions, gave presentations, and brought posters to the conference. Jessica Vazquez, PhD, moderated the session Immune Cell Programming and Consequences. Sathi... more

Abbott co-authors publication and guest edits Reproduction’s special series on PCOS

David Abbott, PhD, professor in the Division of Reproductive Sciences, co-authored a review in Reproduction as part of a special series on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Origins and Implications. Abbott is a guest editor for the special series. Co-authors on the review and co-editors for the special series include Daniel Dumesic and Vasantha Padmanabhan.In “Polycystic ovary synd... more

Department of Ob-Gyn brings research and leadership to 2025 UW Carbone Cancer Research Retreat

The UW Carbone Cancer Center hosted their annual Research Retreat on April 10, 2025. Members of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology’s Division of Gynecologic Oncology and Division of Reproductive Sciences shared research and provided leadership for the event. Some of their exciting accomplishments:Janelle Sobecki, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Gynecologi... more

Rhoades, Infusino published in BMC Medical Education

Janine Rhoades, MD, director of the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, and Scott Infusino, MD, a Maternal-Fetal Medicine fellow, co-authored a new article published in BMC Medical Education. Co-authors include Adam Lewkowitz, Cynthia Gyamfi-Bannerman, Stephanie Ros, and Patrick Ramsey.In “Maternal-fetal medicine fellow experience in the first year of training compared to i... more

Division of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery at 2025 SGS Annual Meeting

The Society of Gynecologic Surgeons (SGS) hosted their 51st Annual Scientific Meeting March 30-April 2, 2025. Several members of the Division of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery attended the conference and shared their work. Caroline Cox, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery, was selected in early 2024 to ... more

Cutler published article in Obstetrics and Gynecology Open

Abigail Cutler, MD, MPH, assistant professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Obstetrics and Gynecology, co-authored a new article published in Obstetrics and Gynecology Open. Co-authors include Emily Claymore, Jema Turk, and Jody Steinauer.In “Residents Navigating Moral Distress After the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization Decision,” Cutler and co-author... more

Bajpai, Rose publish article in Gynecologic Oncology Reports

UW Department of Ob-Gyn resident Rusha Bajpai, MD, PGY-3, and Stephen Rose, MD, professor in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology, co-authored a new study in Gynecologic Oncology Reports. Co-authors include Tammy Mundale, Natalia Gontarczyk Uczkowski, and Amy Godecker, PhD, MS.In “Adnexal mass referral patterns in Gynecologic Oncology,” Bajpai, Rose, and co-authors sought to... more

Cutler publishes in JAMA Open Network

Abigail Cutler, MD, MPH, assistant professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Obstetrics and Gynecology, co-authored a new article in JAMA Open Network. Co-authors include Corinne Hale and Eliza Bennett, MD, Laura Jacques, MD, and Jenny Higgins, PhD, MPH.In “Experiences of Obstetrician-Gynecologists Providing Pregnancy Care After Dobbs,” Cutler and co-authors analy... more

Green’s REAL Lab shares policy brief on Birth Cost Recovery

Tiffany Green, PhD, associate professor in the Division of Reproductive and Population Health, recently co-authored a new policy brief on Birth Cost Recovery. Co-authors include Klaira Lerma, MPH, Laura Swan, PhD, LCSW, Eva Strelitz-Block, BA, and Emma Romell, MS. The policy brief was published through Green’s Reproductive Equity Action Lab (REAL).In “The Future of Birth Cos... more

Zheng publishes article in American Journal of Physiology-Cell Physiology

Jing Zheng, PhD, professor in the Division of Reproductive Sciences, recently published an article in the American Journal of Physiology Cell Physiology. Ying-jie Zhao, MD, PhD, and Si-yan Zhang, PhD candidate of this study, are the co-first authors. Chi Zhou, PhD, at the University of Arizona is a co-corresponding author. Sathish Kumar, DVM, PhD, professor in the Division o... more

Wagar discusses LEAP trial findings with OncLive

Matthew Wagar, MD, fellow in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology, spoke with OncLive for a recent story about the phase 3 LEAP-001 trial and what it means for treating patients with advanced endometrial cancer.In “Dr. Wagar on Lenvatinib Plus Pembrolizumab vs. Chemo in First-Line Advanced Endometrial Cancer,” Wagar explained how a mismatch repair-deficient (dMMR) population... more

Green published in Demography

Tiffany Green, PhD, associate professor in the Division of Reproductive and Population Health, recently co-authored a new article published in Demography. Co-authors include Molly Martin and Alexander Chapman.In “The Causal Effect of Increasing Area-Level Income on Birth Outcomes and Pregnancy-Related Health: Estimates From the Marcellus Shale Boom Economy,” Green and co-aut... more

Zheng receives grant from Meriter Foundation

Congratulations to Jing Zheng, PhD, professor in the Division of Reproductive Sciences! Zheng received a 2025 grant award from the UnityPoint Health - Meriter Foundation Research and Education Committee to support preeclampsia research.The grant Uncovering the Function of Long Non-coding RNA 00704 in Endothelial Cell will support research into the role of a newly identified ... more

Hoppe attends PRC Week 2025

Kara Hoppe, DO, PhD, associate professor in the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, joined leadership from the UW-Madison Prevention Research Center (PRC) at PRC Week 2025. The event, which kicked off the 2024-2029 CDC Prevention Research Center funding cycle, was held January 14-16, 2025 in Atlanta. Hoppe, who is the principal investigator of the UW PRC Core Research Proj... more

Hanks discusses post-Dobbs sterilization study with Cap Times

Laura Hanks, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Obstetrics and Gynecology joined the Cap Times for a story about local sterilization rates.The Cap Times article “Sterilization rate at Madison hospital doubled after abortion ruling, study finds” shared data from a study co-authored by Hanks in the most recent issue of the Wisconsin Medical Jour... more

Hoppe, Kumar publish study in Reproductive Toxicology

Kara Hoppe, DO, PhD, associate professor in the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, and Sathish Kumar, DVM, PhD, professor in the School of Veterinary Medicine, co-authored a new study published in Reproductive Toxicology. Co-authors include Jay Mishra, Bradley Bosse, Kristen Malecki, and Scott Hetzel.In “Perfluoralkyl substances (PFAS) exposure and preeclampsia risk: Impai... more

Senderowicz publishes in Population Studies

Leigh Senderowicz ScD, MPH, assistant professor in the Division of Reproductive and Population Health, recently published a new article in Population Studies. Senderowicz co-authored the article with Rishita Nandagiri, PhD.In “Thirty years of ‘strange bedmates’: The ICPD and the nexus of population control, feminism, and family planning,” Senderowicz and Nandagiri reflects o... more

Abbott co-authors new publication in Journal of the Endocrine Society

David Abbott, PhD, professor in the Division of Reproductive Sciences, recently co-authored a new publication in the Journal of the Endocrine Society. Co-authors include Marissa Kraynak, Molly Willging, Daniel Uhlrich, Robert Shapiro, Matthew Flowers, Karen Manning, Sara John, Samantha Williams, Lukas Henjum, Rebecca Marrah, Hannah Yohnk, Carter Berg, Kevin Brunner, Ricki Co... more

Bailey, Hoppe co-author publication in Wisconsin Medical Journal

Erin Bailey, MD, MS, assistant professor in the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, and Kara Hoppe, DO, PhD, associate professor in the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, co-authored a new publication in the Wisconsin Medical Journal. Co-authors include Maria Kamenetsky, Alexa Lowry, Ronald Gangnon, and Brian Stafeil.In “The Role of Neighborhood in Individual and Disparit... more

Anderson-Carter, Gaston co-author study in Wisconsin Medical Journal

India Anderson-Carter, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn, and Luther Gaston, MD, clinical associate professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn, co-authored a new study published in the Wisconsin Medical Journal. Co-authors include Kathleen Antony, MD, MSCI, Aime Teo Broman, Sarah Gnadt, Delores Krickl, Shefaali Sharma,... more

Zheng published in Journal of Physiology

Jing Zheng, PhD, professor in the Division of Reproductive Sciences, recently published an article in the Journal of Physiology. Division of Reproductive Sciences trainees Ying-Jie Zhao, MD, PhD, and Chi Zhou, PhD, are co-first authors on the article. Sathish Kumar, PhD, is also co-author. In “An endogenous aryl hydrocarbon receptor ligand induces preeclampsia-like phenotype... more

Ong co-authors new article about radiation therapy

Irene Ong, PhD, associate professor in the Division of Reproductive Sciences, co-authored a new study in Science Translational Medicine about mixed-dose radiation.In Intratumoral radiation dose heterogeneity augments antitumor immunity in mice and primes responses to checkpoint blockade, Ong and co-authors studied the impacts of combined high and low-dose radiation on tumors... more

Stanic, Golos co-author articles in Frontiers in Immunology and Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Aleks Stanic, MD, PhD, associate professor in the divisions of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and Reproductive Sciences, as well as Thaddeus Golos, PhD, professor in Comparative Bioscience and Ob-Gyn, co-authored recent articles in two journals.In “Decidual leukocytes respond to African lineage Zika virus infection with mild anti-inflammatory changes during acute... more

Golos, Antony co-author new article on placental gene therapy in primates in Molecular Human Reproduction

Thaddeus G. Golos, PhD, professor of Comparative Bioscience and Obstetrics and Gynecology in the UW Center for Human Genomics and Precision Medicine and the UW Department of Ob-Gyn, along with Kathleen Antony, MD, MS, a former member of the UW Department of Ob-Gyn Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, co-authored a new article in Primates. Other co-authors include Rebecca L. ... more

Ong publishes in article in Bioinformatics

Irene Ong, PhD, associate professor in the Division of Reproductive Sciences, is the senior author of a new article published in Bioinformatics. Co-authors include Sean J. McIlwain, Anna Hoefges, Amy K. Erbe, and Paul M. Sondel.In “Ranking Antibody Binding Epitopes and Proteins Across Samples from Whole Proteome Tiled Linear Peptides,” Ong and co-authors developed HERON, or ... more

Research and leadership at 2024 AUGS PFD Week Conference

Members of the Department of Ob-Gyn Division of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery brought research and presentations to the 2024 AUGS PFD Week Conference in Washington, DC October 22-25,2024! A few of their exciting accomplishments:Jon Pennycuff, MD, MSPH, assistant professor in the division, presented Exploring Early Career Surgeons' Views on Support and Mento... more

Vazquez earns K01 grant from NIH

Congratulations to Jessica Vazquez, PhD, postdoctoral research associate in the lab of Aleks Stanic-Kostic, MD, Phd! Vazquez received a K01 award from the National Institutes of Health National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.Vazquez received a $219,000 grant for the project “Sterile inflammation at the maternal-fetal interface and fetal immune programming in a ... more

Betancourt Ponce presents poster at European Association for Cancer Research meeting

Congratulations to Mayra Betancourt Ponce, UW School of Medicine and Public Health MD/PhD student and trainee in the labs of Lisa Barroilhet, MD, MS, and Manish Patankar, PhD, who brought her research to an international event in October! Betancourt Ponce attended the European Association for Cancer Research Cancer Metabolism Conference in Bilbao, Spain, where she brought th... more

Virumbrales-Muñoz builds research profile at national conferences

María Virumbrales-Muñoz, PhD, assistant professor in the Division of Reproductive Sciences, brought research and built connections at several national research conferences in the summer and fall of 2024!In early August 2024, the National Science Foundation sponsored the first-ever ElevateHER (Engineering Innovations for Women’s Health Discovery) Conference at Texas A&M Unive... more

Department of Ob-Gyn faculty and residents at ACOG District VI annual meeting

Members of the UW Department of Ob-Gyn attended the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Districts I, V, and VI Annual District Meeting in Boston September 27-29, 2024. Read on for just a few of their wonderful accomplishments at the meeting! Ob-Gyn resident Ben Pickus, MD, PGY-4, and Laura Hanks, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Academic Spec... more

Bozzuto’s breast cancer side effect research featured by UW Health

Laura Bozzuto, MD, MS, assistant professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Obstetrics and Gynecology, had her research featured in UW Health, which focuses on ways to improve breast cancer survivorship.In “Research examines treatment side effects in estrogen-positive breast cancer patients,” Bozzuto discusses research that compares the side effects of both ovary r... more

Faculty and fellows share research at ASRM 2024 Annual Scientific Congress

The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) hosted the 2024 Annual Scientific Congress October 19-23, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. Faculty and fellows in the UW Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology led courses and shared their research during the conference:Bala Bhagavath, MD, director of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, taught a half-day... more

Presentations abound at 2024 HAGO annual meeting

Congratulations to the UW Department of Ob-Gyn faculty, fellows, and residents who shared research at the 2024 Heartland Association of Gynecologic Oncology Annual Meeting! The meeting was held September 27-28, 2024 in Milwaukee. Several people shared their research during Paper Sessions throughout the event: Ob-Gyn Resident Rusha Bajpai, MD, PGY-3, presented “Gynecology O... more

Jacques and medical students publish in Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare

Laura Jacques, MD, associate professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Director of Medical Student Education in the UW Department of Ob-Gyn, co-authored a new article with UW School of Medicine and Public Health students published in Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare. Co-authors include Tessa Meurer and Elise S. Cowley.In “Medical st... more

Patel and Cox discuss study on UTI treatments with MedScape

Ushma Patel, MD, a fellow in the Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery Division in the UW Department of Ob-Gyn and Caroline Cox, MD, an assistant professor in the same division, joined Medscape for a recent a story about urinary tract infection (UTI) care.“Over-the-Counter UTI Products: What Primary Care Clinicians Need to Know” publicized a study done by Patel and... more

Beninati and Fetal Surgery Team on cover of Journal of Interventional Radiology

Michael Beninati, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, and the UW Health Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment Center team, including Eric J. Monroe, Teresa Chapman, and Inna Lobeck, published a new study in the Journal of Interventional Radiology, and are featured on the cover of the November 2024 issue!In “Percutaneous Puncture of a Fetoscopic Endolu... more

Sibbald publishes study in AJOG MFM

UW Department of Ob-Gyn resident Carrie Sibbald, MD, PGY-4, is the lead author of a new study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology Maternal-Fetal Medicine (AJOG MFM). Other co-authors include Amy Godecker, PhD, MS, Erin Bailey, MD, Janine Rhoades, MD, and Jacquelyn Adams, MD, MSCI.In “Association between interpreter use and small for gestational age... more

Abbott co-authors article highlighted by Journal of the Endocrine Society

David Abbott, PhD, professor in the Division of Reproductive Sciences, co-authored a new article published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society. The article was chosen as a Featured Article by the journal for the week of November 4, 2024! As the Featured Article, Abbott's study was prominently placed on the Journal of the Endocrine Society homepage. In “The Subcutaneous A... more

Beninati publishes study in Journal of Clinical Ultrasound

Michael Beninati, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, co-authored a new study in the Journal of Clinical Ultrasound. Co-authors include Michael A. Stellon, Devashish S. Joshi, Kathleen M. Antony, Justin Bohrer, J. Louis Hinshaw, Eric Monroe, Casey Winchester, and Inna Lobeck.In “Management of twin reversed arterial perfusion (TRAP) sequence wi... more

In the News: Hoppe’s Staying Healthy After Childbirth project becomes UW-Madison PRC Core Research Project

The UW-Madison Prevention Research Center has adopted Staying Healthy After Childbirth (STAC), the postpartum hypertension monitoring project developed by Kara Hoppe, DO, PhD, associate professor in the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, as its Core Research Project for the next five years of its grant. The UW-Madison PRC is a member of the Prevention Research Centers Prog... more

Ong receives two Wisconsin Partnership Program grants

Irene Ong, PhD, associate professor in the Division of Reproductive Sciences, is a co-investigator on two new grants from the Wisconsin Partnership Program! Proteomic Exploration of Lung Matrisome in Pulmonary Fibrosis: Role of MRC2 is a three-year Collaborative Health Science Program grant, which will be led by Department of Medicine Chair Lynn Schnapp, MD. Ong will also b... more

Domeyer-Klenske is senior author on study in American Journal of Perinatology

Amy Domeyer-Klenske, MD, associate professor and director of the Division of Academic Specialists in Obstetrics and Gynecology, co-authored a new article published in the American Journal of Perinatology. Co-authors include Laura Grogan, Erika Peterson, and Megan Flatley.In “Impact of patient safety bundle and team-based training on obstetric hypertensive emergencies,” Domey... more

Cox published in International Urogynecology Journal

Caroline K. Cox, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery, recently co-authored a new study published in the International Urogynecology Journal. In “Validation of Lower Urinary Tract Symptom Questionnaire in the Transmasculine Population,” Cox and co-authors addressed the fact that many times lower urinary tract symptoms (LU... more

Wagar is lead author on new article in Gynecologic Oncology

Matthew Wagar, MD, Gynecologic Oncology Fellow, is the lead author for a new article published in Gynecologic Oncology. Co-authors include Aaditi Naik, MD; Ran Catherine Zhang, MD, MPH; Amy Godecker, PhD, MS; Ellen M. Hartenbach, MD; Janelle N. Sobecki, MD; and Sumer K. Wallace, MD.In “Incidence of postoperative venous thromboembolism in patients with vulvar carcinoma underg... more

Sobecki appointed inaugural Ginny Wolfe Faculty Fellow of Ovarian Cancer Research

Janelle Sobecki, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology, is the first-ever Department of Ob-Gyn Ginny Wolfe Faculty Fellow of Ovarian Cancer Research! Sobecki’s faculty fellowship began on July 1, 2024.This new faculty fellowship is intended to advance ovarian cancer research at the University of Wisconsin. Since joining the Department of Ob-Gyn facu... more

Barroilhet and Patankar receive Wisconsin Partnership Program grant for ovarian cancer research

Congratulations to Lisa Barroilhet, MD, MS, director of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology, who is co-investigator on a Collaborative Health Sciences Program grant from the Wisconsin Partnership Program for a study to investigate ways to use immunotherapy for ovarian cancer treatment. Jenny Gumperz, PhD, professor in the UW School of Medicine and Public Health Department o... more

Patankar earns OVCR Research Cores Revitalization grant

Manish Patankar, PhD, director of the Division of Reproductive Sciences, received a grant from the UW–Madison Office of the Vice Chancellor of Research to make important upgrades to research equipment. The Research Cores Revitalization Grant will help purchase and operationalize a new cell sorter. Grant co-investigator Dagna Sheerar, Flow Cytometry Director in the UW Carbon... more

Patel earns 2024 Urogynecology Top Cited Article Award

Congratulations to Ushma Patel, MD, Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery fellow! Patel was the lead author on the study "Updated Prevalence of Urinary Incontinence in Women: 2015–2018 National Population-Based Survey Data", published in Urogynecology in 2022. The study received the 2024 Urogynecology Top Cited Article Award!In the study, Patel and co-authors (incl... more

Students in Abbott Lab present research at summer events

Congratulations to students in the lab of David Abbott, PhD, professor in the Division of Reproductive Sciences! Jacob Blanchar participated in the McNair Scholars program, which included two presentations. Blanchar presented “Defining Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in Female Rhesus Monkeys” in July at the UCLA McNair Conference in California. He also presented at the McNair Summ... more

Grand Rounds: 2024 Shapiro Summer Research students present projects

Every summer, Shapiro Summer Research students collaborate with UW Department of Ob-Gyn faculty on research projects. On August 1, the 2024 Shapiro Summer Research students presented their projects during Ob-Gyn Grand Rounds. Presenters, mentors, and projects were: Michelle Lin, mentored by Kara Hoppe, DO, MS: The Effects of the Dobbs Decision on Sterilization Rates Based on... more