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Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Duncan Lab

Publications

Learn more about the work that we do in the Duncan Lab through our 50 most recent publications linked below or visit Dr. Duncan’s faculty profile.

  1. Stout MB, Duncan FE  Does the postmenopausal ovary still matter?  Science  2026 Oct;394(6819):44-45. doi:10.1126/science.aeh7496
  2. Hughes L, Zaniker-Gomez E, Devrukhkar PR, Biswas S, Trofimchuk A, Atazhanova T, Riley JK, Kleinhans A, Zhang M, Nielsen SH  et al.  Multimodal profiling establishes ovarian fibrosis as a measurable and targetable hallmark of human reproductive aging.  bioRxiv  2026 Sep 08;. pii:2026.09.04.749443
  3. Sunkara SK, Venetis C, D'Hooghe T, Duncan FE, Hunter T, Montenegro S, Broekmans F  Optimizing family building in women of advanced reproductive age: a Faster-Fewer-and-Finished approach.  Front Endocrinol (Lausanne)  2026;17:1845946. pii:1845946
  4. Biswas S, Nguyen HVM, Converse A, Matsuzaki S, Kinter MT, Humphries KM, Freeman WM, Ocañas SR, Richardson A, Duncan FE  et al.  Mitochondrial Haplotype Shapes the Trajectory of Ovarian Aging in Genetically Heterogeneous Rats.  Aging Cell  2026 Sep;25(9):e70710. pii:e70710
  5. Cavanaugh KE, Franco-Oñate MJ, Horsley N, Gokyer D, Atazhanova T, Laird DJ, Oakes PW, Riley JK, Duncan FE, Pavone M  et al.  Elevated contractility drives implantation failure in mouse embryos from aged females.  Nat Cell Biol  2026 Sep;28(9):1799-1813. doi:10.1038/s41556-026-02052-1
  6. Pea J, Addie S, Ambrosio F, Anderson RM, Bairey Merz CN, Barr E, Carrington-Lawrence S, de Cabo R, Desvigne-Nickens P, Dubal DB  et al.  A National Institute on Aging workshop on sex differences in health across the lifespan.  Nat Aging  2026 Sep;6(9):1759-1764. doi:10.1038/s43587-026-01194-z
  7. Ataman-Millhouse L, Lopes F, Vigone G, Chohan N, Willingham R, Monahan P, Simon LE, Kumar TR, Barratt CLR, Romar R  et al.  Mastering reproduction across the globe: the growing and sustained impact of master's degree programs in reproductive science and medicine.  Hum Reprod  2026 Aug 04;. pii:deag129
  8. Kratka CE, Huang R, Pea J, Skory RM, King CD, Zhang J, Pattarawat P, Milner CM, Day AJ, Plachta N  et al.  Proprotein convertase activity regulates cumulus-oocyte-complex matrix integrity and cumulus cell migration during ovulation via a GDF9-dependent mechanism.  bioRxiv  2026 Jul 23;. pii:2026.07.22.738304
  9. Amorim CA, Chuva de Sousa Lopes SM, Klutstein M, Brieño-Enriquez MA, Anderson RA, Duncan FE, De Vos M, Damdimopoulou P, Comizzoli P, Williams SA  et al.  Proceedings of the first European Ovary Workshop (EOW 2025), Lagos, Portugal, 17-20 February 2025.  Mol Hum Reprod  2026 Jul 07;32(3). pii:gaag039
  10. Dipali SS, Converse A, Gowett MQ, Zaniker-Gomez EJ, Perry MJ, Duncan FE  Probing the Ovarian Microenvironment: Methods for Isolation, 2D Culture, and Organoid Culture of Mouse Ovarian Somatic Cells.  J Vis Exp  2026 Jul 03;(233). doi:10.3791/71001
  11. Campo H, Tran U, Zhu Y, Lee HC, Duncan FE  Biocompatible designated Resin-3D-printed polymers exhibit reproductive toxicity prevented by Parylene-C.  bioRxiv  2026 Jun 10;. pii:2026.06.05.730268
  12. Brunette MA, Burns K, Hoefgen H, Xiao S, Duncan FE, Laronda MM, Shikanov A, Zelinski M, Gomez-Lobo V  Advancing human ovarian biology in tandem with clinical care: considerations for collecting ovarian tissue for research after oophorectomy for tissue cryopreservation.  Front Endocrinol (Lausanne)  2026;17:1866925. pii:1866925
  13. Pea J, Zhu Y, Lee HC, Haky LR, Proudfoot J, Nelson R, Duncan FE  A phenotypic in vitro assay of mouse oocyte maturation identifies reversible blockers of meiotic progression for non-hormonal contraceptive discovery.  Hum Reprod Open  2026;2026(3):hoag051. pii:hoag051
  14. Oliveira SP, Ferreira CS, Zaniker-Gomez EJ, Charles M, Freitas LA, Felix FB, Pereira LAAC, de Castro WV, Pinho V, Duncan FE  et al.  In vitro and in vivo treatment with propranolol influences the number of early preantral follicles in mice†.  Biol Reprod  2026 Apr 13;114(4):1429-1444. doi:10.1093/biolre/ioag024
  15. Converse A, Dipali SS, Schowe IP, Kelly EB, Jambunathan SS, Ocañas SR, Stout MB, Pritchard MT, Duncan FE  The post-reproductive ovary shifts from a reproductive to an immune-like organ.  Mol Hum Reprod  2026 Apr 11;32(2). pii:gaag038
  16. Galligos A, Varberg JM, Yueh WT, Converse A, Malloy S, Aljubran F, Duncan FE, Gerton JL  Multicellular origins of murine ovarian inflammaging.  Commun Biol  2026 Mar 13;9(1). pii:593
  17. Zhou LT, Gokyer D, Akinboro S, Duncan FE, Babayev E  Acute anomalous high-temperature exposure impacts on mouse ovaries.  J Assist Reprod Genet  2026 Mar;43(3):997-1005. doi:10.1007/s10815-026-03801-9
  18. Eubanks AA, Goldman KN, Babayev E, Duncan FE, Widra E  Influencing ovarian aging in reproductive medicine: promise, evidence, and unresolved questions.  Fertil Steril  2026 Mar;125(3):387-398. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2025.12.020
  19. Duncan FE, Babayev E  The ovarian stroma as a therapeutic target.  Science  2026 Feb 05;391(6785):552-553. doi:10.1126/science.aee7270
  20. Balough JL, O'Halloran TV, Duncan FE, Woodruff TK  Inorganic profiles of preimplantation embryos and the association of zinc with Nanog expression in the blastocyst.  Reproduction  2026 Jan 15;171(1). pii:xaaf014
  21. Duncan FE  The Legacy Series: shining light on our origins to inform the future of reproductive science and medicine.  Mol Hum Reprod  2026 Jan 07;32(1). pii:gaag011
  22. Monsivais D, Duncan FE, Boiani M,   Call for papers-shaping reproduction in 3D: organoids, assembloids, and emerging models.  Mol Hum Reprod  2026 Jan 07;32(1). pii:gaag012
  23. Dipali SS, Duncan FE  The ovarian stroma as a key regulator of follicular development and gamete quality across the reproductive lifespan.  Curr Top Dev Biol  2026;169:237-272. doi:10.1016/bs.ctdb.2026.04.005
  24. Dipali SS, Converse A, Gowett MQ, Kamat P, Zaniker EJ, Fennell A, Chou T, Pritchard MT, Zelinski M, Phillip JM  et al.  Self-Organizing Ovarian Somatic Organoids Preserve Cellular Heterogeneity and Reveal Cellular Contributions to Ovarian Aging.  Aging Cell  2026 Jan;25(1):e70333. pii:e70333
  25. Zaniker-Gomez EJ, Yan Z, Yang J, Russell DL, Zhang H, Sun SX, Duncan FE  Microscale pressure measurements and optical coherence tomography reveal time-dependent biomechanical stages of ovulation in mice.  iScience  2025 Dec 19;28(12):114086. pii:114086
  26. Watson MA, Devrukhkar PR, Murad NF, Wu F, Kim MJ, Anvari H, Tran U, Martin N, Tran T, Zaza G  et al.  Senescence-Linked Fibrosis in the Aging Human Ovary Revealed by p16-Based Histological Profiling and Spatial Transcriptomics.  bioRxiv  2025 Dec 08;. pii:2025.12.03.692228
  27. Zhou LT, Gokyer D, Madkins K, Beestrum M, Horton DE, Duncan FE, Babayev E  The effects of heat stress on the ovary, follicles, and oocytes: a systematic review†.  Biol Reprod  2025 Nov 14;113(5):1013-1028. doi:10.1093/biolre/ioaf150
  28. Campo H, Hashim PH, Zaniker-Gomez EJ, Gauthier S, Yan Z, Zhang HF, Ankrum JA, Duncan FE  Production and Use of Customizable Agarose Molds for Scaffold-Free Mouse Ovarian Follicle Culture.  J Vis Exp  2025 Oct 24;(224). doi:10.3791/68871
  29. Gokyer D, Salpeter N, Hughes L, Lee HC, Lohman MJ, Atazhanova T, Kleinhans A, Riley JK, Pavone M, Duncan FE  et al.  Collection of Human Follicular Fluid, Follicle Somatic Cells, and Immature Oocytes from Individuals Undergoing In Vitro Fertilization.  J Vis Exp  2025 Oct 24;(224). doi:10.3791/69122
  30. Hughes L, Duncan FE, Babayev E  Ovarian aging: a missing diagnosis in reproductive medicine.  Nat Med  2025 Aug;31(8):2485-2487. doi:10.1038/s41591-025-03733-4
  31. Devrukhkar PR, Watson MA, Soygur B, Wu F, Bons J, Anvari H, Atazhanova T, Martin N, Tran T, Schneider K  et al.  A Comprehensive Multiomics Signature of Doxorubicin-Induced Cellular Senescence in the Postmenopausal Human Ovary.  Aging Cell  2025 Aug;24(8):e70111. pii:e70111
  32. Boiani M, Duncan FE  'Small but mighty': the Concise Communication comes to MHR.  Mol Hum Reprod  2025 Jul 03;31(3). pii:gaaf049
  33. VanBenschoten H, Nugmanova Z, Olmsted A, Annepureddy LD, Gingerich I, Kratka C, Huang R, Duncan FE, Kholod O, Goods BA  A pre-menopausal single-cell atlas for ovarian drug discovery.  bioRxiv  2025 Jun 27;. pii:2025.06.20.660779
  34. Huang R, Kratka CE, Pea J, McCann C, Nelson J, Bryan JP, Zhou LT, Russo DD, Zaniker-Gomez EJ, Gandhi AH  et al.  Single-cell and spatiotemporal profile of ovulation in the mouse ovary.  PLoS Biol  2025 Jun;23(6):e3003193. pii:e3003193
  35. Converse A, Perry MJ, Dipali SS, Isola JVV, Kelly EB, Varberg JM, Zelinski MB, Stout MB, Pritchard MT, Duncan FE  Multinucleated giant cells are hallmarks of ovarian aging with unique immune and degradation-associated molecular signatures.  PLoS Biol  2025 Jun;23(6):e3003204. pii:e3003204
  36. Amargant F, Magalhaes C, Pritchard MT, Duncan FE  Systemic low-dose anti-fibrotic treatment attenuates ovarian aging in the mouse.  Geroscience  2025 Jun;47(3):3475-3495. doi:10.1007/s11357-024-01322-w
  37. Gargus ES, Sharma R, Gu R, Mulcahy C, Johnson BW, Song J, Lee J, Zelinski M, Duncan FE  Short-term moderate caloric restriction in the rhesus macaque attenuates markers of ovarian aging in select populations.  Aging (Albany NY)  2025 May 20;17(5):1164-1189. doi:10.18632/aging.206253
  38. Balough JL, O'Halloran TV, Duncan FE, Woodruff TK  Inorganic profiles of preimplantation embryos reveal a role for zinc in blastocyst development.  bioRxiv  2025 May 18;. pii:2025.05.14.654061
  39. Hashim PH, Perry MJ, Pritchard MT, Gerton JL, Duncan FE  Autonomous follicle quality control mechanisms: innate immune signaling capabilities of granulosa cells.  Reproduction  2025 May 01;169(5). pii:e250042
  40. Yano Maher JC, Zelinski MB, Oktay KH, Duncan FE, Segars JH, Lujan ME, Lou H, Yun BH, Hanfling SN, Schwartz LE  et al.  Classification system of human ovarian follicle morphology: recommendations of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development - sponsored ovarian nomenclature workshop.  Fertil Steril  2025 May;123(5):761-778. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2024.11.016
  41. Rogina B, Anderson R, LeBrasseur NK, Curran SP, Yousefzadeh MJ, Ghosh B, Duque G, Howlett S, Austad S, Demuth I  et al.  Symposia Report of The Annual Biological Sciences Section Meeting of the Gerontological Society of America 2023, Tampa, Florida.  J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci  2025 Apr 07;80(5). pii:glaf026
  42. Ericsson V, Elam M, Sapao P, Nguyen LMT, Gill ME, Chodavarapu S, Córdova-Fletes C, Lafrenaye A, Hassan S, Mahendroo M  et al.  Regulation of Female Reproductive Aging by the Spag17 Gene.  bioRxiv  2025 Mar 03;. pii:2025.03.01.640648
  43. Zhou LT, Gokyer D, Madkins K, Beestrum M, Horton DE, Duncan FE, Babayev E  The Effects of Heat Stress on the Ovary, Follicles and Oocytes: A Systematic Review.  bioRxiv  2024 Dec 05;. pii:2024.12.04.626831
  44. Converse A, Perry MJ, Dipali SS, Isola JVV, Kelly EB, Varberg JM, Zelinski MB, Gerton JL, Stout MB, Pritchard MT  et al.  Multinucleated giant cells are hallmarks of ovarian aging with unique immune and degradation-associated molecular signatures.  bioRxiv  2024 Dec 05;. pii:2024.12.03.626649
  45. Balough JL, Dipali SS, Velez K, Kumar TR, Duncan FE  Hallmarks of female reproductive aging in physiologic aging mice.  Nat Aging  2024 Dec;4(12):1711-1730. doi:10.1038/s43587-024-00769-y
  46. Suryadevara V, Hudgins AD, Rajesh A, Pappalardo A, Karpova A, Dey AK, Hertzel A, Agudelo A, Rocha A, Soygur B  et al.  SenNet recommendations for detecting senescent cells in different tissues.  Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol  2024 Dec;25(12):1001-1023. doi:10.1038/s41580-024-00738-8
  47. Bomba-Warczak EK, Velez KM, Zhou LT, Guillermier C, Edassery S, Steinhauser ML, Savas JN, Duncan FE  Exceptional longevity of mammalian ovarian and oocyte macromolecules throughout the reproductive lifespan.  Elife  2024 Oct 31;13. pii:RP93172
  48. Zaniker EJ, Zhang J, Russo D, Huang R, Suritis K, Drake RS, Barlow-Smith E, Shalek AK, Woodruff TK, Xiao S  et al.  Follicle-intrinsic and spatially distinct molecular programs drive follicle rupture and luteinization during ex vivo mammalian ovulation.  Commun Biol  2024 Oct 23;7(1):1374. pii:1374
  49. Dipali SS, Gowett MQ, Kamat P, Converse A, Zaniker EJ, Fennell A, Chou T, Pritchard MT, Zelinski M, Phillip JM  et al.  Self-organizing ovarian somatic organoids preserve cellular heterogeneity and reveal cellular contributions to ovarian aging.  bioRxiv  2024 Aug 10;. pii:2024.08.10.607456
  50. Gokyer D, Akinboro S, Zhou LT, Kleinhans A, Laronda MM, Duncan FE, Riley JK, Goldman KN, Babayev E  The oocyte microenvironment is altered in adolescents compared to oocyte donors.  Hum Reprod Open  2024;2024(3):hoae047. pii:hoae047

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