Research

Virumbrales-Muñoz selected for BIRCWH program

Congratulations to María Virumbrales-Muñoz, PhD, MS, assistant professor in the Division of Reproductive Sciences, who is one of just three scholars selected for the 2025-27 cohort of the UW Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health (BIRCWH) program! Virumbrales-Muñoz began the two-year appointment on November 1, 2025. The BIRCWH award will support Virumb... more
Reproductive Sciences Research Virumbrales-Muñoz Research Team Maria Virumbrales-Munoz

Stanic-Kostic to become director of the Division of Reproductive Sciences and Vice Chair for Basic and Translational Research

Aleks Stanic-Kostic, MD, PhD, will become Director of the Division of Reproductive Sciences and Vice Chair of Basic and Translational Research, effective January 1, 2026. He will take on these roles when Manish Patankar, PhD, steps down from these two roles to become the Senior Director of SMPH Shared Resources. Dr. Patankar has served as Director of the Division of Reproduc... more
Reproductive Sciences Research Aleksandar Stanic-Kostic

Ong receives Meriter Foundation grant

Congratulations to Irene Ong, PhD, associate professor in the Division of Reproductive Sciences, who received a 2026 Research and Education grant from the UnityPoint Health Meriter Foundation! Ong received a one-year grant for $99,997 to support a project aimed at predicting high-risk term and postpartum preeclampsia using UW Health and UnityPoint Health-Meriter Hospital ele... more
Reproductive Sciences Maternal-Fetal Medicine Research Ong Research Team Irene Ong Kara Hoppe

Patankar receives grant from Meriter Foundation for endometriosis research

Congratulations to Manish Patankar, PhD, director of the Division of Reproductive Sciences, who received a 2026 Research and Education grant from the UnityPoint Health Meriter Foundation! The grant will fund the project “Targeting metabolic vulnerabilities: a non-hormonal approach for the treatment of the chronic reproductive disorder, endometriosis.” Patankar and the resear... more
Reproductive Sciences Research Patankar Research Team Virumbrales-Muñoz Research Team Manish Patankar

Department of Ob-Gyn brings research to 2025 Society of Family Planning annual meeting

The Society of Family Planning hosted their annual meeting in Pittsburgh October 25-27, 2025. Faculty and researchers in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology brought their research to the event. Just a few of their exciting accomplishments: PRESENTATIONS: Brakes and accelerators to abortion access post-Dobbs: Where can we best intervene? – Jenny Higgins, PhD, MPH, dir... more
Academic Specialists In Obstetrics and Gynecology Reproductive and Population Health Research Collaborative for Reproductive Equity Jenny Higgins Abigail Cutler

Trainees in the Stanic Lab present at Upper Midwest Summit for Reproductive Science

Trainees in the Stanic Lab brought their research to the Upper Midwest Summit for Reproductive Science last month! The summit was held at Prentice Women's Hospital in Chicago October 13-14, 2025. The summit brings together trainees, junior and senior faculty, and other research staff and scientists from institutions across the upper Midwest region to foster the exchange of k... more
Reproductive Sciences Research Stanic-Kostic Research Team

Kushner and Codispoti co-author a study featured on cover of International Journal of Gynecologic Pathology

David Kushner, MD, professor in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology, and Nicolette Codispoti, MD, MS, MPH, PGY-3 resident, recently co-authored a study featured on the cover of the International Journal of Gynecologic Pathology. Additional authors include Jin Xu, MD, MS; Lauren Montemorano, MD; Elizabeth Sadowski, MD; and Paul Weisman, MD. In “A Case of CDKN2C/CIC Null Epit... more
Gynecologic Oncology Education Publication Research Residency David Kushner