Division of Reproductive Sciences

We are often asked, “Why conduct and invest in basic research in a clinical department?” An investment in basic research at the cellular and molecular level provides us with the tools needed to understand diseases that do not yet have a clinical treatment. Where therapies are known and have complications, basic science research is essential to understanding their side effects and how to avoid them.

A significant focus of our basic research program is in seeking to understand the cellular and molecular interactions and functions that are needed to establish a healthy pregnancy to full gestation in both animal and human models. A healthy pregnancy has the greatest benefit to mother, child and society; however, understanding the causes of pregnancy complications such as pre-eclampsia and potential pre-term labor and delivery that result from this condition is essential to developing safe, effective treatments for mother and child.

Our Mission

As an academic institution, our mission is to educate future scientists and physicians in the new world of interdisciplinary and collaborative biomedical research. In particular, for NIH’s (National Institutes of Health) initiative to build interdisciplinary teams to be achieved we must have basic researchers working in clinical departments in order to understand what the clinical problem is at a mechanistic level. Likewise for doctors who are practicing clinical medicine to know what is possible they need to see and understand cutting edge research being done in their own department. We must not overlook the pre- and post-doctoral scholars within our department who are essential to advancing the research mission not only to support work conducted by the faculty Principal Investigator, but also to develop their own career paths through guided mentorship and training. For these reasons, conducting basic research in a clinical department is essential to a healthy and bright future for all women, infants and children.

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 th... more

Stanic, Cooney research groups publish in Reproduction

The Stanic-Cooney research teams recently published a new article in Reproduction, led by co-first authors Andrea Wegrzynowicz, PhD (postdoctoral fellow with Drs. Stanic & Cooney) and Christina Dudley, MD (UW Ob-Gyn resident, who recently matched for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (REI) fellowship at Cedar-Sinai p... more

Barroilhet, Patankar receive UW Carbone Cancer Center pilot grant

Congratulations to Lisa Barroilhet, MD, MS, director of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology and Manish Patankar, PhD, director of the Division of Reproductive Sciences! They recently received pilot funding from the UW Carbone Cancer Center to study new immunotherapeutic agent for ovarian cancer. The project "Investigating f... more

Vazquez, de Faria Oliveira awarded NIH Loan Repayment Program grants

Jessica Vazquez, PhD, scientist in the Division of Reproductive Sciences, and Gabriela de Faria Oliveira PhD, postdoctoral trainee in the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, successfully competed for NIH-funded loan repayment program (LRP) awards this summer. These awards put up to $50,000 annually toward qualified ed... more

Bird and co-authors publish study in Journal of Molecular Endocrinology

Ian Bird, PhD, professor in the Division of Reproductive Sciences, is senior author on a new paper published in the Journal of Molecular Endocrinology. Co-authors include: Rachel Dahn, PhD; Beth Lett, PhD; Luca Clemente, PhD; Jason Austin; Fuxian Yi; Derek Boeldt, PhD; Aleks Stanic-Kostic, MD, PhD; and Irene Ong, PhD. “Singl... more
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