Meet Sue Hammoud, Ph.D
Written by Karen Schindler as part of the Women's History Month Highlights
Sue Hammoud, Ph.D is an Assistant Professor of Human Genetics, Obstetrics & Gynecology, and Urology at the University of Michigan, where she conducts research to gain a greater understanding of the cycle of life. Sue was the 2020 recipient of the SSR Virendra B. Mahesh New Investigator Award.
Sperm are highly specialized cells produced by the male reproductive system and carry genetic information from father to offspring, continuously linking a species’ past, present and future. Although essential for fertility, we do not clearly understand how billions of sperm are produced throughout life (spermatogenesis) or what epigenetic information from sperm is inherited and/or shapes embryonic development.
Decades of research have uncovered pieces of the puzzle, yet with many pieces still missing, the full picture remains hidden. To address these challenges, the Hammoud Lab at the University of Michigan is adopting state-of-the-art technologies to define the process of spermatogenesis in vivo and developing tools to understand the impact of sperm chromatin on development.