SSR 2024 Rising Stars #3

Speaker: Dr. Haiqi Chen, UT Southwestern Medical Center, USA

Title: Spatially resolved, functional dissection of the spermatogonial stem cell niche

Description: Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) in the testis support the lifelong production of sperm. SSCs reside within specialized microenvironments called ‘‘niches,’’ which are essential for SSC self-renewal and differentiation. In this talk, I will discuss our recent efforts to combine spatial transcriptomics, computational analyses, and functional assays to systematically dissect the molecular, cellular, and spatial composition of SSC niches.

Speaker: Dr. Fei Zhao, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA

Title: Cell fate decisions in sex duct development

Description: Alfred Jost’s work in the 1940s laid the foundation of the current paradigm of sexual differentiation of reproductive tracts. Using genetic animal models, ex vivo experiments, and single cell sequencing based technologies, we have gained significant insights into this process, challenging existing dogmas. The yielded knowledge will enable us to not only decipher the fundamental process of dimorphic establishment of reproductive tracts, but also provide insights into how defects and diseases originate from impaired fetal development.

Opportunities for Innovation in microTESE Negative Males With Non-Obstructive Azoospermia

This talk will discuss the opportunities for innovation in microTESE negative non-obstructive azoospermic males. We will discuss opportunities for applying image-based machine learning for sperm identification following microTESE. We will also discuss a personalized and precision medicine framework aiming to overcome cellular dysfunction and promote regeneration of spermatogenesis using single cell sequencing, development of novel culture methods, use of human induced pluripotent stem cells and 3D bioprinting.

Retinoic acid synchronization of spermatogenesis

This webinar will discuss synchronization of spermatogenesis by manipulating retinoic acid availability is an advantage for molecular studies of the cycle of the seminiferous epithelium and for isolation of germ and Sertoli cells at different stages of development.

Mechanisms regulating GnRH neurons

The brain, it makes hormones with zeal.
The control of our gonads is real.
The cells they call candy,
Are certainly dandy.
But what about non-neural glia?

Wtf Causes Infertility

Sarah is currently working to identify genes important for executing gametogenesis and to identify genes that mitigate the cost of meiotic drivers and has considerable expertise in both these areas.

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