Ob-Gyn Department News

After receiving ACGME approval to increase the Maternal-Fetal Medicine fellowship complement to two fellows per year, the MFM fellowship will welcome two new fellows next summer! Jeannette Larson, MD, and Emily O’Brien, MD, will join the MFM fellowship in July 2026. Larson earned her medical degree from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and is ... more

For the next few months, the Women’s Healthcast will dive into all aspects of aging and women’s health, through conversations with experts in the UW Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and beyond.A lot about our lives can change as we get older, and that includes our sex lives. Two guest experts joined this episode of the Women’s Healthcast to talk about some of the phys... more

The Division of Gynecologic Oncology is pleased to share that Taylor Paige Stewart, MD, will join the gynecologic oncology fellowship program as a fellow in August 2026. Stewart completed medical school at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, followed by obstetrics and gynecology residency at the Mass General Brigham Combined OB/GYN Residency, wh... more

In late July 2025, the SGO/GOG-F BRIDGES 2.0 Research Initiative convened at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., for a milestone gathering that brought early-career scholars face-to-face with leading experts in gynecologic oncology clinical trials. Lisa Barroilhet, MD, MS, associate professor and director of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology, served as a Translat... more

On Saturday, September 20, the Madison Public Library collaborated with Public Health Madison & Dane County to host a Period Party. This year’s Period Party consisted of a series of three informational sessions followed by the Saturday celebration, aiming to provide information and understanding surrounding puberty and menstruation. India Anderson-Carter, MD, assistant profe... more

Congratulations to UW Department of OB-GYN residents Taylor Badger, MD, PGY-2, and Hannah Ahrendt, MD, PGY-1, who were elected into American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) District VI junior fellow leadership roles for the 2025-26 year! Badger was selected to serve as the ACOG District VI Junior Fellow Vice Chair. Ahrendt will serve as the District VI Juni... more

Amy Domeyer-Klenske, MD, director of the Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn, and Laura Hanks, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn, attended the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) State Legislative Roundtable conference in Phoenix September 4-6, 2025. Domeyer-Klenske attended in her capacity as the ACOG Wis... more

Many of us have questions about topics like bladder leakage and pelvic organ prolapse, but we may not know how to bring them up. These conditions are common, especially in perimenopause and beyond, but they are not inevitable. Join us for an evening of conversation with experts from UW Health Integrated Specialty Care for Women. You'll have the opportunity to meet with phys... more

Megan Knutson Sinaise, MS, research program coordinator, and Kara Hoppe, DO, PhD, brought a poster to the American Heart Association’s Annual Hypertension Meeting in Baltimore in early September. They presented the poster “STAC-MyHEARTp: A randomized controlled trial of health coaching and self-measured blood pressure to increase healthcare engagement and blood pressure con... more

Amy Domeyer-Klenske, MD, director of the Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn, presented on a panel at the 2025 Society for Academic Specialists in General Obstetrics and Gynecology (SASGOG) annual meeting! SASGOG hosted the annual conference in Denver September 11-12, 2025. Domeyer-Klenske joined the presentation “Working the Workforce”, where she spoke alongside Jack... more

Earlier this year, the UW Department of Ob-Gyn Wellness Committee brought faculty, advanced practice providers, midwives, and staff together for a volunteer wellness activity to assemble clean birth kits. In collaboration with Awa Sanneh, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn, the birth kits are on their way to Edward Francis Small Teachin... more

Srishti Gupta, medical student in the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and former Shapiro Summer Research student, received the Best Poster and Presentation award amongst medical student and resident presenters at the American College of Physicians Wisconsin conference in early September! Gupta presented the work she completed with Kara Hoppe, DO,... more

Early pregnancy loss is very common; about one in four pregnancies will end in loss. While medical care for early pregnancy loss is well-established, there has historically been less of a focus on the mental and emotional aspects of pregnancy loss. The UW Health Hope After Loss Clinic offers a warm and supportive atmosphere for those who have experienced pregnancy loss at an... more

The Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine is excited to announce that the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) approved a permanent complement increase for the Department of Ob-Gyn Maternal-Fetal Medicine fellowship. Beginning this fall, the MFM fellowship can now match two fellows per class, eventually bringing the total complement of MFM fellows up t... more

More than 70 professionals from reproductive endocrinology and infertility organizations around the country visited Madison for the 26th Annual Clinical Embryologists Summit (CES) Conference from September 12-13, 2025.The CES Conference is an annual event designed to give participants an informal setting to share ideas and to interact with invited speakers and other clinical... more

Aleksander Stanic, MD, PhD, associate professor in the Divisions of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and Reproductive Sciences, recently co-authored a publication published in Frontiers in Immunology. Soma Banerjee, PhD, currently a postdoctoral scholar in the iPEND program, was first author on the publication. Co-authors include Fernanda Leyva Jaimes; Mona Mohamed... more

Lisa Barroilhet, MD, MS, associate professor and director of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology, and Katherine Sampene, MD, clinical professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn, recently co-authored a publication published in the Wisconsin Medical Journal. Matthew Wagar, MD, a recent graduate of the UW Department of Ob-Gyn Gynecologic Oncology fellowship, i... more

For the next few months, the Women’s Healthcast will dive into all aspects of aging and women’s health, through conversations with experts in the UW Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and beyond. Since September is Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month, Catherine Zhang, MD, MPH, assistant professor in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology, joined the Women’s Healthcast to h... more

On August 28, 2025, Micaela Berry-Smith, BA, Senior Program Manager for Community & Maternal and Child Health Initiatives for the Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness (FFBWW), presented the Grand Rounds lecture “Circle of Care: Doulas as Catalysts for Community Wellness and System Transformation”. Berry-Smith is also the associate director of community engagement at the UW-... more

Caroline Cox, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery, recently joined Scalpel Sessions, the official podcast of the Society of Gynecologic Surgeons (SGS), for an episode on the SGS Pelvic Anatomy Group’s (PAG) digital library. Cox was selected to lead the SGS Pelvic Anatomy Group Digital Library in 2024.In “Inside the PAG ... more

Informed and Empowered is a free, community-centered webinar series offering practical, trusted information about common pregnancy conditions such as perinatal mood disorders, substance use, gestational diabetes, hypertension, and more. We’ll also explore how lifestyle factors and social factors – like stress, racism, and access to care – impact health. The webinar series wi... more

Laura Hanks, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn, joined WMTV15 News for a recent story on exercise recommendations for pregnant individuals.In “Madison OB-GYN encourages CrossFit for expecting mothers”, Hanks stated that it is safe to hit the gym during pregnancy, but with some slight variations. “‘You might see us doing some burpees to... more

UW Department of Ob-Gyn resident Matida Bojang, MD, PGY-1, recently spoke with Spectrum1 News about her path to becoming a doctor and her motivations for pursuing obstetrics and gynecology.In “Everyday Hero: Delivering babies is a ‘full-circle moment’ for this Madison doctor”, Bojang shared how friends' and family's experiences in the Gambia during her childhood motivated he... more

On August 21, 2025, medical students participating in the Shapiro Summer Research Program presented a multi-part Grand Rounds lecture sharing their research projects. Six students presented their projects: Anna Heintz – “Rethinking the 2500: Optimizing ꞵ-hCG Cutoffs for Early Pregnancy Viability” – starts at 2:31Morgan Homme – “Incidence of New Eating Disorders in Young Pati... more

Ian Bird, PhD, professor in the Division of Reproductive Sciences, is senior author author of a new publication in Pediatric Research. This was a direct collaboration with first author Julie Kessel, MD, associate professor in the UW School of Medicine Department Pediatrics; additional co-authors include Patrice Held, PhD; Eric Bialk; and Ryan McAdams, MD.In “Elevation of cor... more

For the next few months, the Women’s Healthcast will dive into all aspects of aging and women’s health, through conversations with experts in the UW Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and beyond. And what better topic to kick off this series than perimenopause? Laura Bozzuto, MD, MS, assistant professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn, joined this epi... more

On August 26, 2025, Abigail Cutler, MD, MPH, assistant professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn, and Amy Williamson, MPP, associate director of the Collaborative for Reproductive Equity (CORE), joined a panel discussion hosted by the advocacy organization Free & Just and UW Medical Students for Choice on the impact of threats to reproductive healthcare and... more

On July 31, 2025, Ryan Luellwitz, DO, clinical associate professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn, presented the Grand Rounds lecture “Shock Management for the OB/GYN”. In the lecture, Luellwitz discussed the different types and causes of shock as well as how to manage the initial resuscitation for various shock states. Watch the whole lecture here.**by Ob... more

Kara Hoppe, DO, PhD, professor in the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, recently co-authored a secondary analysis of the Chronic Hypertension and Pregnancy (CHAP) trial in Obstetrics & Gynecology. In “Relationship Between Third-Trimester Low Maternal Blood Pressure and Small-for-Pressure and Small-for-Gestational-Age Birth weight in Pregnant Individuals With Mild Chronic ... more

On August 7, 2025, Rebecca Hamm, MD, MSCE, assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Co-Director of the Achieving Maternal Equity and Transforming Health through Implementation Training (AMETHIST@Penn), presented the Grand Rounds lecture “Towards Evidence-Based Induction: Personalized Ris... more

Congratulations to Tiffany Green, PhD, associate professor in the Division of Reproductive and Population Health, and India Anderson-Carter, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn! Green and Anderson-Carter received a grant from the Wisconsin Partnership Program’s Collaborative Health Sciences Program for the project “Examining inequities i... more

Abigail Cutler, MD, MPH, assistant professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn, shared her expertise with Wisconsin attorneys at the State Bar of Wisconsin Annual Meeting and Conference. The event was held at Monona Terrace in Madison June 18-20, 2025. Cutler joined the panel “Reproductive Rights Update: In Wisconsin and Nationwide” to talk about the evolving... more

Congratulations to Iris Xu, undergraduate student working with Irene Ong, PhD, associate professor in the Division of Reproductive Sciences, who received the 2025-2026 Sophomore Research fellowship funded by the Brittingham Wisconsin Trust, the Kemper K. Knapp Bequest and the Provost's Office! The research fellowship will support Xu’s work on the project "Leveraging Pre-trai... more

Tiffany Green, PhD, associate professor in the Division of Reproductive and Population Health, co-authored an opinion article published in Ms. Magazine in response to violence against Minnesota legislators in June 2025. In “The Minnesota Shooting Wasn’t Random—It Was a Predictable Resurgence of Violence”, Green and co-author Jamie Morgan draw connections between the shooting... more

Congratulations to Ellen Hartenbach, MD, chair of the Department of Ob-Gyn and professor in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology! Hartenbach was appointed by UW School of Medicine and Public Health Dean Nita Ahuja, MD, MBA to be the senior representative from the SMPH on the American Association of Medical Colleges Council on Faculty and Academic Societies (AAMC-CFAS). The a... more

Congratulations to Bridget Kelly, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn! Kelly was accepted into the Association of Professors in Gynecology and Obstetrics (APGO) Academic Scholars and Leaders (ASL) Program 2026-27 cohort. The ASL is a 15-month program that provides faculty with the opportunity to grow and acquire the skills critical to ad... more

Please join us again this year at the Madison Promise Walk for Preeclampsia. Our Walk raises funds to support the mission of the Preeclampsia Foundation. This day is full of family-friendly activities, music, speakers, information booths, food and refreshments, great prizes for our fundraising raffle, and celebrations of our survivors of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. ... more

The third Friday in August is National Graduate Medical Education (GME) Professionals Day, an opportunity to recognize the work of professionals at all levels of graduate medical education. Please join us in thanking our incredible Department of Ob-Gyn education team! Providing high-quality, comprehensive education to medical students, graduate students, residents, and fello... more

Congratulations to Janelle Sobecki, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology! Sobecki received a two-year grant from the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center Palliative and Supportive Care DOT pilot program. The grant will support Sobecki’s ongoing research into bone loss and gynecologic cancer treatment. She will collaborate with Neil Binkley... more

Leigh Senderowicz, ScD, MPH, assistant professor in the Division of Reproductive and Population Health and UW-Madison Department of Gender & Women’s Studies, recently spoke with the Christian Science Monitor for a recent story about the birth rate in the United States and the potential impacts of trying to increase it. In “Trump sees budget bill promoting a baby boom. Others... more

On July 24, 2025, Maura Shirey, RN, NBC-HWC, CPFE, retired nurse and founder of Bodies for Birth, presented the Grand Rounds lecture “From Walking to Walking Handstands: Navigating the Conversation Around Exercise In Pregnancy with Confidence”. In the lecture, Shirey spoke about current practices and knowledge surrounding exercise in pregnancy; current guidelines for prenata... more

Congratulations to Laura Huffman, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology! On July 1, 2025, she became the new associate director of the UW Department of Ob-Gyn Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship, joining fellowship director Ryan Spencer, MD, MS, in leading the program.Huffman joined the UW Department Ob-Gyn for gynecologic oncology fellowship in 2014 an... more

Congratulations to UW Department of Ob-Gyn resident Naomi Roselaar, MD, who matched into Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery fellowship at Case Western Reserve University/University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center!Roselaar will join the fellowship program in the summer of 2026 following graduation from ob-gyn residency.Incredible work, Dr. Roselaar!

On Friday, August 8, the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (REI) hosted 328 patients, children and families at the UW Health Fertility Care Generations of Joy event to celebrate 15 years of exceptional fertility care. UW Health Fertility Care physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, and clinic staff reconnected with families who received services... more

On July 17, 2025, Katie Sampene, MD, clinical professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn and Director of Obstetric Quality & Safety, and Sumer Wallace, MD, associate professor in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology and Director of Gynecology Quality & Safety, presented the Grand Rounds lecture “Quality Improvement Update”.In the lecture, Sampene and Wallace... more

David Abbott, PhD, professor in the Division of Reproductive Sciences, co-authored a new publication published in Reproduction. Co-authors include Jon Levine, PhD; Phillip Dumesic, MD, PhD; Vasantha Padmanabhan, MS, PhD; and Daniel Dumesic, MD.In “Origins and Implications: Gestational anti-Müllerian hormone and testosterone excess combined with maternal adiposity program for... more

Reproductive autonomy is defined as an individual’s ability to make decisions about their reproductive health and access reproductive health services without interference or coercion. In 2025, there are a lot of social and policy factors at play that impact people’s reproductive autonomy both in the U.S. and worldwide. On this episode of the Women’s Healthcast, Leigh Sender... more

On June 26, 2025, Adi Hirshberg, MD, director of Obstetrical Services at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, presented the Grand Rounds lecture “Approach to Diagnosis and Management of Postpartum Hypertension”.In the lecture, Hirshberg outlined the evaluation and diagnosis of postpartum hypertension; discussed treatment of varying severity of postpartum hypertens... more

The Division of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery celebrates a successful match season with the news that Saule Tamkus, MD, has matched to the URPS fellowship! Tamkus will join the fellowship program in August 2026. Tamkus earned her medical degree from Rush Medical College, followed by ob-gyn residency at the University of Wisconsin. She graduated from residen... more

Katie O’Brien, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn, spoke to state media outlets about her work with adolescents. O’Brien, who is one of two specialty-trained pediatric adolescent gynecologists in Wisconsin, uses social media as a way to connect with patients:"We know that they're getting their medical information mostly from interaction... more

Congratulations to María Virumbrales-Muñoz, PhD, assistant professor in the Division of Reproductive Sciences! Virumbrales-Muñoz received a R21 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research for the project “Microphysiological systems to recapitulate and interrogate Sjögren’s disease salivary gland pathogenesis” (1R2... more

Logan Keding, MS, PhD candidate in the Endocrinology and Reproductive Physiology Program mentored by Aleks Stanic, MD, PhD, co-authored a new publication published in Placenta. Co-authors include Jessica Vazquez, PhD, Ruo-Yu Liu, Emily Bove, Jessica Dorobek, Heather Simmons, DVM, DACVP, Kathleen Antony, MD, Jenna Racine, MD, Dinesh Shah, MD, Oliver Wieben, PhD, Thaddeus Golo... more