Research

Hoppe co-authors new study in AJOG Global Reports

Kara Hoppe, DO, PhD, professor in the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Vice Chair for Clinical Research, recently co-authored a new study published in AJOG Global Reports. Co-authors include Srishti Gupta, BS; Megan Knutson Sinaise, MS; and Jennifer Zaborek, MS.In “A comparative analysis of blood pressure categorization using 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitori... more
Maternal-Fetal Medicine Publication Research Kara Hoppe

Study by Division of Gynecologic Oncology members selected for ACOG Roy M. Pitkin Award

A study authored by Matt Wagar, MD, former Gynecologic Oncology fellow, and Rachel Mojdehbakhsh, MD, current Gynecologic Oncology fellow, have recently been selected for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Roy M. Pitkin Award! Division of Gynecologic Oncology Director Lisa Barroilhet, MD, MS, and UW Department of Ob-Gyn Data Management and Statisti... more
Gynecologic Oncology Publication Research Education Fellowship Rachel Mojdehbakhsh Lisa Barroilhet Amy Godecker

Luellwitz co-authors publication in Biological Research for Nursing

Ryan Luellwitz, DO, clinical associate professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn, recently co-authored a publication in Biological Research for Nursing. Co-authors include Katelyn Desorcy-Sherer, PhD, RN; Kerry McNamara, BSN; Eliot Stanton, PhD; and Ibrahim Zuniga-Chaves, PhD. In “Early Insights Into Maternal Antidepressant Use and the Human Infant Gut Micr... more
Academic Specialists In Obstetrics and Gynecology Publication Research Ryan Luellwitz

Barroilhet presents at 2026 SGO Winter Meeting

Lisa Barroilhet, MD, MS, director of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology, presented at the 2026 Society of Gynecologic Oncology Winter Meeting, held in Olympic Valley, CA January 29-31, 2026.Barroilhet presented “Homologous Recombinant Proficient Ovarian Cancer” at the event, which celebrated 30 years of sharing innovation and discovery in gynecologic oncology this year. Cu... more
Gynecologic Oncology Research Fellowship Lisa Barroilhet

Berube in Barroilhet, Virumbrales-Muñoz Labs receives SMPH Collaborate Travel Award

Michael Berube, DVM, PhD, postdoctoral research associate in the Barroilhet and Virumbrales-Muñoz Labs, received a travel award at the 2026 SMPH Collaborate poster session! The February 6, 2026 SMPH Collaborate event was focused on postdoctoral research and accomplishments. This is the second year in a row that a postdoctoral researcher from the Department of Ob-Gyn received... more
Gynecologic Oncology Research Virumbrales-Muñoz Research Team Lisa Barroilhet Maria Virumbrales-Munoz

Grand Rounds: Research Team presents “From Concept to Completion: Navigating a Research Project in Ob-Gyn”

On February 5, 2026, the Department of Ob-Gyn Research Team presented the Grand Rounds lecture “From Concept to Completion: Navigating a Research Project in Ob-Gyn”. The Research Team includes Kara Hoppe, DO, PhD; Jaison Hampson, MD, MBBBS, MPH; Todd Forsythe, BS; Paul Hoppe, MS; Lydia Rosennabum, DrHSc; Elizabeth Albert, MA; Grace Jensen, MA; and Amy Godecker, PhD, MS.In th... more
Research

Spencer co-authors article about residency program trends in Green Journal

Ryan Spencer, MD, MS, professor in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology, recently co-authored an article published in Obstetrics & Gynecology. Co-authors include Anchal Dhawan, BS; Natalia Gontarczyk Uczkowski, MPH; Amy Godecker, PhD, MS; and Emily Morris Hawes, PharmD.In “Trends in Comparative Growth in Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Programs Over the Past 20 Years (20... more
Gynecologic Oncology Education Publication Research Ryan Spencer

Department of Ob-Gyn brings presentations, leadership to 2026 CREOG/APGO Annual Meeting

Members of the UW Department of Ob-Gyn presented at the Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology (CREOG) & Association of Professors of Gynecology & Obstetrics (APGO) Annual Meeting, hosted from February 18-21, 2026, in Seattle, WA. The theme for this year’s meeting was ‘Igniting Ob-Gyn Education with Intention, Imagination, and Integrity’. Our department’s... more
Academic Specialists In Obstetrics and Gynecology Gynecologic Oncology Education Research Residency Laura Jacques Ellen Hartenbach Bridget Kelly Abigail Cutler Sumer Wallace Katherine Sampene Ryan Spencer Caroline Cox

Green and REAL researchers co-author article in Social Science and Medicine

Tiffany Green, PhD, associate professor in the Departments of Population Health Sciences and Ob-Gyn, recently co-authored an article published in Social Science and Medicine with fellow researchers in the Reproductive Equity Action Lab (REAL). Co-authors include Lindsay Cannon; Meaghan Bethea; and Laura Swan, PhD, LCSW. In “‘It should have been my decision’: A mixed methods ... more
Reproductive and Population Health Research Publication Tiffany Green

Department of Ob-Gyn brings research to SMFM 2026 Pregnancy Meeting

The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine hosted the 2026 Pregnancy Meeting in Las Vegas February 8-13. Faculty, trainees, and staff in the department brought an impressive slate of research to the event. Learn more about their posters: The relationship between agentry during antepartum hospitalization and postpartum depression or anxiety symptoms – John Soehl, MD Adopting Tec... more
Academic Specialists In Obstetrics and Gynecology Maternal-Fetal Medicine Research Jacqueline Powell Erin Bailey Jacquelyn Askins Kara Hoppe Janine Rhoades

Virumbrales-Muñoz receives Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research Fall Research Competition award

Congratulations to María Virumbrales-Muñoz, PhD, assistant professor in the Division of Reproductive Sciences! Virumbrales-Muñoz received a Fall Research Competition award from the UW–Madison Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research! The $66,000 award will support the project Immune-endothelial interactions in preeclampsia-associated vascular dysfunction. The award period ... more
Reproductive Sciences Research Maria Virumbrales-Munoz

ASOG Family Planning, CORE faculty publish article in SSM-Health Systems

Researchers from the UW Department of Ob-Gyn Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn and the UW Collaborative for Reproductive Equity (CORE) recently published an article in SSM – Health Systems. Authors include Laura Jacques, MD; Jenny Higgins, PhD, MPH; Corinne Hale; Eliza Bennett, MD; and Abigail Cutler, MD, MPH.In “How U.S. healthcare institutions’ actions, or inactio... more
Academic Specialists In Obstetrics and Gynecology Reproductive and Population Health Publication Research Collaborative for Reproductive Equity Laura Jacques Eliza Bennett Jenny Higgins Abigail Cutler

Higgins co-authors article in Contraception

Jenny Higgins, PhD, MPH, professor and director of the Division of Reproductive and Population Health and the Collaborative for Reproductive Equity, recently co-authored an article published in Contraception. Additional authors include Laura Swan, PhD, LCSW; Jane Seymour, PhD, MPH; Allison Hung, MPH; and Megan Kavanaugh. In “Reasons for contraceptive and LARC non-use: How pr... more
Reproductive and Population Health Publication Research Collaborative for Reproductive Equity Jenny Higgins

Cooney receives ICTR Translational Basic and Clinical Research Pilot Award

Laura Cooney, MD, associate professor in the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, was recently awarded the ICTR Translational Basic and Clinical Research Pilot Award. The project Functional and Structural Impacts of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) on Brain Health, which is in collaboration with Co-PI Bill Schrage, PhD, of the UW-Madison Department of Kine... more
Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Research Laura Cooney

Green to collaborate with Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness on WPP grant

Tiffany Green, PhD, associate professor in the Division of Reproductive and Population Health and the Department of Population Health Sciences, will collaborate with the Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness on a Community Impact Grant from the Wisconsin Partnership Program!The project, Accelerating Birth Equity in Wisconsin Through a Community-based Doula Workforce, seeks t... more
Reproductive and Population Health Research Tiffany Green

Barroilhet to collaborate on WPP new investigator grant

Lisa Barroilhet, MD, MS, associate professor and director of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology, will be collaborating on a New Investigator Grant from the Wisconsin Partnership Program! Barroilhet will work with principal investigator Daniel Matson, MD, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and fellow collaborator Pam Kreeger, Ph... more
Gynecologic Oncology Research Lisa Barroilhet

Neal receives WPP Postdoctoral Grant Award

The Wisconsin Partnership Program recently announced 17 recipients of Postdoctoral Grant Program Awards. Two researchers in the UW Department of Ob-Gyn received awards, which provide career development grants to enhance and expand postdoctoral research, education and professional development at SMPH. Grants are up to $20,000 each over one year.Melissa Neal, PhD, MPH, is a po... more
Maternal-Fetal Medicine Research

Kim receives WPP Postdoctoral Grant Award

The Wisconsin Partnership Program recently announced 17 recipients of Postdoctoral Grant Program Awards. Two researchers in the UW Department of Ob-Gyn received awards, which provide career development grants to enhance and expand postdoctoral research, education and professional development at SMPH. Grants are up to $20,000 each over one year.Taehyun Kim, PhD, postdoctoral ... more
Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Research Collaborative for Reproductive Equity

Hoppe receives grant to connect Meriter and UW SMPH maternal-child health data

Kara Hoppe, DO, PhD, professor in the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Vice Chair for Clinical Research, received a grant from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health Office of Social Health Sciences and Programs to support the project Data Link for Healthy Families! Hoppe will be the principal investigator for the project, working in collabor... more
Maternal-Fetal Medicine Research Kara Hoppe

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