Lab Members

Dr. Francesca E. Duncan earned her doctorate in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Pennsylvania and completed post-doctoral fellowships in reproductive science and medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and at Northwestern University. She is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University where she holds the Thomas J. Watkins Memorial Professorship in Reproductive Science. She co-directs the Center for Reproductive Science and is the faculty director for the Master of Science in Reproductive Science and Medicine program at Northwestern. She is also an Associate Professor in Residence at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in the Center for Reproductive Longevity and Equality. Dr. Duncan leads a research program focused on understanding the cellular mechanisms of how aging – both physiologic and iatrogenic - impacts reproductive potential at the levels of the gamete and ovary. Dr. Duncan has also expanded her research to encompass modulating reproductive capacity as the Principal Investigator of the Ovarian Contraceptive Discovery Initiative whose goal is identification of novel ovarian targets for non-hormonal contraception using innovative models such as in vitro follicle growth and ovulation. In her 24+ year history in the field, she has co-authored >110 manuscripts in the area of reproductive biology through collaboration with nearly 700 co-authors from 196 institutions. Her work has been cited over 14,500 times (Scopus), with 34 documents in the top 1-10% of citation impacts in their fields. Her findings have been highlighted on BBC radio, in Discover Magazine, Marie Claire Magazine, CNN Health, the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg News, and National Geographic. Dr. Duncan is committed to academic publishing and is an ad hoc reviewer for >30 journals, has served on numerous editorial boards, and is the current Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Molecular Human Reproduction. She is an active leader in professional societies, serving on the Board of Directors for the Society for the Study of Reproduction and on the Council for the Histochemical Society. Dr. Duncan is passionate about educating the next generation of leaders in the reproductive sciences, and she has served as a faculty member in prestigious programs such as Frontiers in Reproduction and Biology of Aging held at the Marine Biological Laboratories. Dr. Duncan is the recipient of several prestigious honors including a 2017 United States Fulbright Award, the 2019 Virendra B. Mahesh New Investigator Award from the Society for the Study of Reproduction, and the 2024 Rolly Simpson Frontiers in Reproduction Distinguished Alumni Award.

Dr. Converse earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from The University of Texas at Austin and her PhD in Marine Science from the University of Texas Marine Science Institute. Her PhD work utilized fish models to examine the role of the dual membrane androgen receptor and zinc transporter ZIP9 in the ovary, specifically in granulosa cell apoptosis and egg zinc dynamics. Dr. Converse joined the Duncan Lab in 2021 as a postdoctoral fellow. While in the Duncan Lab, she will investigate how age-associated changes in hormone and intracellular signals modulate ovarian aging. In October of 2022, Dr. Converse was promoted to Research Assistant Professor in the Division of Reproductive Science in Medicine in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Dr. Hoi Chang Lee earned his PhD from University of Massachusetts at Amherst in Animal Biotechnology & Biomedical Sciences. During his thesis study, his research focused on understanding the mechanisms of calcium signaling and channel pathway during fertilization. He completed post-doctoral fellowship in the laboratory of Dr. Teresa K. Woodruff in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern University where he has broadened his research interests and expertise to include mammalian ovarian follicle biology, zinc biochemistry, and Oncofertility. In 2020, he was promoted to Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern University. He joined the laboratory of Dr. Francesca E. Duncan in 2020 and his current projects focus on reproductive aging and discovering novel targets for contraceptive development using the oocyte.

Dr. Jeff Pea earned his PhD in Biomedical & Biological Sciences from Cornell University. His doctoral work focused on ovarian morphology features in ultrasonography in the detection and evaluation of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) under the supervision of Dr. Marla Lujan. Before his thesis research, Jeff worked with Dr. Paula Cohen to investigate the role of meiotic repair proteins in spermatogenesis. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of British Columbia, where his undergraduate work with Dr. Geoffrey Hammond focused on genetic and hormonal regulation of steroid hormone-binding proteins. Jeff joined the Duncan lab in 2023 as the Scientific Lead for the Ovarian Contraceptive Discovery Initiative (OCDI).

Lydia Hughes earned her B.S. in Biology from Emory University before pursuing her M.D. at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). While at UAB, she received grant funding to investigate the effects of maternal smoking on acquired CFTR dysfunction in neonatal rats, working under the mentorship of Dr. Steven Rowe at the Gregory Fleming James Cystic Fibrosis Research Center. Following medical school, she completed her residency in Obstetrics & Gynecology at Northwestern, where she developed a passion for reproductive health. She is currently in her fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility and has joined the Duncan Lab to complete her research thesis given her interest in ovarian biology and aging. She has received funding from Friends of Prentice for a translational project on human ovarian stiffness as a novel non-invasive marker of female reproductive longevity and systemic health.

Dr. Campo graduated as a bioengineer from the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium, earning a bachelor of Bioscience Engineering and a master in Biomolecular Engineering. He received his PhD at the Universitat de València where he used tissue-engineering techniques to create natural biomaterials from whole uteri and endometrial tissue to improve standard culture methods used in reproductive science. His research interest focuses on using bioengineering and microfluidics to create physiological relevant in vitro models of the female reproductive tract. He joined to Duncan lab to elucidate the broad effects of non-hormonal anti-conceptive compounds on an in-house developed female-reproductive-tract-on-a-chip.

Dr. Alisha Ramos earned her PhD in Molecular Biology from the National University of Singapore, where she conducted pioneering research on the transcriptional regulation of the oncogene WBP2 in breast cancer. Her work provided vital insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying breast cancer development. Dr. Ramos combines her expertise in molecular biology with a passion for scientific communication, striving to effectively disseminate complex scientific knowledge to a broad audience. She is currently a member of the Ovarian Contraceptive Discovery Initiative (OCDI) at the Duncan Lab, focusing on the development of non-hormonal contraceptives.

Prianka graduated from Muhlenberg College with a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and a Bachelor of Arts in Gender and Sexuality Studies. During her undergraduate career she worked in the laboratory of Dr. Jeremy Teissere studying the modulating effects of herbal anxiolytics on the GABAA Receptor. She also worked with Dr. Kate Richmond looking at the ethics of transnational surrogacy arrangements. She is currently a PhD/MPH student in the Driskill Graduate Program and is investigating the role of the cGAS-STING pathway in ovarian inflammaging.

Lauren earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology with a minor in Art History from Willamette University. She then pursued a Master of Biological Sciences degree at the Dominican University of California, where she conducted her thesis research at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging. Her thesis, completed under the guidance of Dr. Eric Verdin and in collaboration with Dr. Francesca E. Duncan, explored the role of NADase CD38 in regulating murine ovarian function and fecundity through NAD+ metabolism. Currently, Lauren is a graduate student in the Duncan lab within the Driskill Graduate Program in Life Sciences.

Anna graduated from the University of Connecticut with a BS and MS in Physiology and neurobiology. During this time she completed thesis research in the lab of Dr. Akiko Nishiyama on the effect of pilocarpine induced seizure activity on NG2+ cells in the mouse hilum. She then went on to work as a Research assistant in the laboratory of Dr. Tony De Falco in the Division of Reproductive Sciences at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, where she studied testicular development and function. She is currently a PhD student in the Driskill Graduate Program and is investigating cumulus cells across the reproductive lifespan with a focus on the pubertal transition and reproductive aging.

Caroline graduated from Rutgers University-New Brunswick with a BA in Genetics. As an undergraduate, she worked under the direction of Dr. Karen Schindler investigating the efficacy of an activator binding site inhibitor in disrupting Aurora kinase function at the chromosomal passenger complex in mouse oocytes. She is currently part of the Medical Scientist Training Program at Northwestern University and pursuing her PhD in the Duncan lab. Caroline is working within the Ovarian Contraceptive Discovery Initiative and explores the utility of oocyte-specific maturation pathways as potential non-hormonal contraceptive targets.

Emily graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Northwestern University, where she double-majored in Biology and Science in Human Culture. During her undergraduate training, she worked in the laboratory of Dr. Teresa Woodruff where she worked on investigating the ovotoxicity of 3D-printed dental resins and developed an adipocyte organoid model. She is currently a MD/PhD student in the Medical Scientist Training Program and is investigating the spatial distribution of ovulatory pathways as part of the Ovarian Contraceptive Discovery Initiative.

Dr. Atazhanova has earned her Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences and minor in Communication from Nazarbayev University, Kazakhstan in 2016. She then obtained her Doctor of Medicine degree from Nazarbayev University School of Medicine which is partnering with the University of Pittsburgh SOM. Dr. Atazhanova graduated from the University of Oxford with MSc in Clinical Embryology in 2021. During her thesis work she investigated how IVF practices were associated with recurrent pregnancy loss. Tomiris has strong interest in human reproductive health, infertility, translational and clinical research. She has been awarded with funding for the research internships in Australia and USA. In the Duncan lab, Tomiris is a Clinical Research Associate and is involved in several projects including Reproductive Tissue Library studies, SenNet project and GCRLE.

Pooja received her MBBS degree from Government Medical College, Akola, in India and has worked as a Medical Officer, mainly in the areas of Emergency Medicine and Maternal and Child health. She graduated from the Master of Science in Reproductive Science and Medicine (MS-RSM) program at Northwestern University in June 2023 for which she worked on investigating and mapping the markers of cellular senescence in the human ovary under the SenNet consortium in the Duncan Lab. She has now joined the lab as Research Technologist III and will be leading daily laboratory operations as well as SenNet project management.

Uyen Phuong Tran obtained her Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology, specializing in Cell and Tissue Engineering. During her undergraduate studies, Uyen conducted research in Dr. Abhinav Bhushan's lab, focusing on fabricating a microfluidic device to detect periodontitis. She is now applying her expertise as a team member in Dr. Duncan’s lab, contributing to the U54/UH3 project. Uyen is passionate about advancing biomedical research and improving healthcare outcomes.

Victoria graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physiology. Upon graduation, she worked as a clinical researcher to conduct experiments for preimplantation genetic testing for monogenetic disorders (PGT-M). Victoria then earned her Master of Science degree in Reproductive Science and Medicine from Northwestern University before joining the Duncan Lab. During her time in the graduate program, Victoria completed her non-thesis research with Dr. Hoi Chang Lee on elucidating the changes in zinc dynamics in post-ovulatory aged oocytes.