These webinars, sponsored by the Society for the Study of Reproduction (SSR), Frontiers in Reproduction (FIR), and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will focus on emerging technologies and approaches to male and female contraception.
Speakers:
Dr. Jianjun Sun, Associate Professor, Department of Physiology & Neurobiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs
Read more about Dr. Sun’s Presentation
Title: Screening female contraceptive compounds using Drosophila ovulation model
Description: In my presentation, I will introduce the ovulation mechanism in Drosophila and describe the platform utilizing Drosophila ovulation to screen contraceptive compounds that can effectively inhibit follicle rupture.
Dr. Phil Santangelo, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Tech University & Emory University
Read more about Dr. Santangelo’s Presentation
Title: Intravaginal delivery of mRNA encoded contraceptive antibodies
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.
In females, the mid-cycle surge in gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion triggers ovulation. This neuroendocrine process is mediated by a population of neurons in the preoptic area that produce the neuropeptide kisspeptin and drive the activity of GnRH neurons for the surge. In female rodents, and possibly in other species, the preovulatory surge is timed to precede the onset of activity to ensure that ovulation coincides with sexual behavior. In this presentation, I will focus on the regulation of preoptic area kisspeptin neuron activity by the central circadian clock.
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?
This is the second episode in our series on Breakthroughs in Reproductive Technologies. Here Dr Jane Fenelon and Dr Rachel West talk to Dr Rebecca Krisher about the impact that Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) have had on human reproduction. Join us as we learn more about the common procedures that are available to us today and their efficacy and about some of the controversies surrounding ‘add-ons’ on offer in the IVF clinic We also try and answer some of the big questions like when should women start thinking about their fertility? And what does the future hold? As well as a fascinating insight into Rebecca’s career journey so far and tips for trainees.
Dr. Shuo Xiao, assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at Rutgers University and a principal investigator in the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute (EOHSI) at Rutgers, will discuss his lab’s utilization of a unique 3D in-vitro ovarian follicle culture system that phenotypically and mechanistically recapitulates in-vivo ovarian functions. This exciting model serves as a powerful new tool to study ovarian biology, reproductive toxicology, and fertility preservation.
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.
Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), or the early cessation of ovarian function, can be caused by a disease or by the iatrogenic effects of a chemotherapy or radiation treatment. Restoration of ovarian function through a tissue engineered transplant intends to restore fertility and ovarian hormones and alleviate co-morbidities of POI, such as those that affect the cardiovascular, brain and bone health. We will describe or ongoing research to decipher the ovarian microenvironment across developmental, spatial, and temporal axes. We aim to understand the role of biochemical and physical cues on folliculogenesis to better inform the ideal microenvironment and future regenerative therapies.
