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Reproductive Development

Reproductive Medicine

What happens during the first nine months? A lot more than you think.

Sometimes, DNA is naturally modified very early on, leading to disease decades in the future. We are accelerating discoveries in stem and germ cell biology to unlock the enormous medical potential of the very beginnings of life.

Spotlight On: The First Nine Months

Challenges

The expression of genes at the beginning of life plays a part in many common diseases.

Not only does the expression of genes at the beginning of life have major effects before birth, but also after birth, playing a part in diseases that range from obesity to psychiatric disorders.

  • Germ cell tumors account for 14% of all adolescent cancers.
  • Germ cells are the pathways that lead to human fertility.
  • Sometimes the DNA in genes is naturally modified early on and may lead to disease decades in the future.

What Magee-Womens Scientists are Doing

  • We are shaping the understanding of how a human being’s fate can be partially hardwired even before a fetus begins to grow.
  • We are unlocking the mysteries at the very beginnings of life — discoveries that can lead to breakthroughs in prevention and treatment of life-long afflictions.
  • We are using biomarkers to better detect a wide variety of conditions, from pre-eclampsia and beyond.
  • We are studying the molecular basis of disease to assist in the discovery of new treatments and cures.

Clinical Research & Trials

For over two decades, we have dedicated our clinical research studies and clinical trials to improving the health care of women, men, and infants everywhere. Our research would not be possible without the generous participation of many study volunteers.

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Our Scientists

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Photo of Miguel Brieño-Enríquez, MD, PhD
Miguel Brieño-Enríquez, MD, PhD View Bio
Photo of Mo Ebrahimkhani, MD
Mo Ebrahimkhani, MD View Bio
Photo of Arjumand Ghazi, PhD
Arjumand Ghazi, PhD View Bio
Photo of Mellissa RW Mann, PhD
Mellissa RW Mann, PhD View Bio
Photo of Kyle Orwig, PhD
Kyle Orwig, PhD View Bio
Photo of Gerald P. Schatten, PhD
Gerald P. Schatten, PhD View Bio
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Yi Sheng, MD, PhD View Bio
Photo of Calvin Simerly, PhD
Calvin Simerly, PhD View Bio
Photo of Judith Yanowitz, PhD
Judith Yanowitz, PhD View Bio
Photo of Svetlana Yatsenko, MD
Svetlana Yatsenko, MD View Bio

Research News

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