Wegrzynowicz receives oral presentation award at Madison Scholars Symposium

Congratulations to Andrea Wegrzynowicz, PhD, postdoctoral trainee in the Stanic Lab in the Division of Reproductive Sciences, who received the oral presentation award at the Madison Scholars Symposium in early May 2025! The Madison Scholars Symposium was hosted by the T32 Biology of Aging and Age-Related Diseases Training Grant in the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics.

Wegrzynowicz received the award for the presentation Unique Immune Dysregulation in the Polycystic Ovary, mentored by Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility faculty Aleksandar Stanic-Kostic, MD, PhD, and Laura Cooney, MD.

Wegrzynowicz shared a description of her research:

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder among reproductive-age females and a leading cause of infertility. While PCOS is known to impact ovarian function, it remains unclear how inflammation in the PCOS ovary differs from chronic systemic inflammation. Dr. Wegrzynowicz hypothesizes that the PCOS ovary is uniquely dysregulated—distinct from both systemic circulation and non-PCOS ovaries—and that hyperandrogenism and obesity drive this dysregulation. Using single-cell RNA sequencing with surface proteome analysis (CITE-Seq), she compared immune cells in peripheral blood and follicular fluid from PCOS and control patients undergoing IVF. Her findings reveal that the ovulating ovary is naturally inflammatory and that this inflammation is uniquely dysregulated in PCOS, suggesting a tissue-specific immune environment that may impair ovulation beyond hormonal changes.

Incredible work, Dr. Wegrzynowicz!