Rising Stars in Reproductive Biology 3 | 04.08.26
An Integrative Approach to Investigating the Avian Female Reproductive Tract in Health and Disease
Kahina Boukherroub, PhD, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Assistant Professor
In the talk, I will explore how leveraging diverse tools and approaches can advance our understanding of the avian female reproductive tract. By examining how the tract responds to disease, we can simultaneously uncover the basic biological functions that have gone awry and use those insights to develop targeted solutions.
Beyond Standard Semen Analysis: Sperm Protein Aggregates and Their Influence on Preimplantation Embryo Development
Sofia Ortega, PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Assistant Professor
Standard semen analysis often fails to identify males whose sperm produce poor embryo outcomes. This talk presents evidence that protein aggregate content in the sperm head impairs preimplantation embryo development, and explores the underlying mechanisms linking sperm proteostasis to early embryonic arrest