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NU Duncan Lab @nuduncanlab.bsky.social · 15d

Organoid models are the way of the future! Check out the Duncan Lab's ovarian somatic organoid model that was highlighted in this exciting News Feature in Nature on the power of reproductive organoids!

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

The mini placentas and ovaries revealing the basics of women’s health

Lab-made organoids that mimic reproductive tissues could point to treatments for common conditions such as pre-eclampsia and endometriosis.

www.nature.com

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NU Duncan Lab @nuduncanlab.bsky.social · 21d

Dr. Duncan was thrilled to be in Suzhou, China attending the Cold Spring Harbor Asia meeting on Stem Cells, Rejuvenation, and Aging. She shared brand new data on how we can harness new mechanisms of ovarian aging for therapeutic potential!

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NU Duncan Lab @nuduncanlab.bsky.social · 26d

Members of the Duncan Lab participated in the 19th Annual Lewis Landsberg Research Day held at NU. Dylan Hakken was shortlisted as a finalist for the Best Poster award in the Basic Science Research category.

Read more about the presentations: labs.feinberg.northwestern.edu/duncan/news/...

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NU Duncan Lab @nuduncanlab.bsky.social · Sep 3

Congratulations to Dr. Francesca Duncan and Dr. Hannes Campo on receiving an R03 award for their project "Improving egg quality through an engineered biomimetic follicular microenvironment."

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NU Duncan Lab @nuduncanlab.bsky.social · Sep 2

Congratulations to Prianka Hashim on receiving an F31 award for her project "Active surveillance of oocyte quality is moderated by the cGAS-STING pathway."

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NU Duncan Lab @nuduncanlab.bsky.social · Aug 29

Dr. Duncan recently participated in a webinar on "Women’s health: insights in research and inclusion," presented by Chemistry World.

If you missed the live event, check out the recording: www.chemistryworld.com/webinars/wom...

Women’s health: insights in research and inclusion

Learn about the history and importance of the gender gap currently impacting women's health sciences

www.chemistryworld.com

NU Duncan Lab @nuduncanlab.bsky.social · Aug 26

Congratulations to Anna Heinrich on receiving a Cornerstone Grant from @histochemicalsoc.bsky.social! This award will support Anna's project “Functional and histological analysis of ovarian tissue from the South African Cheetah."

www.histochemicalsociety.org/2025-corners...

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Reposted by NU Duncan Lab

Northwestern Center for Reproductive Science @nu-crs.bsky.social · Aug 22

Dr. Francesca Duncan will speak on this virtual webinar on "Women’s health: insights in research and inclusion"

Learn more and register for the event on August 28!
www.chemistryworld.com/webinars/wom...

Women’s health: insights in research and inclusion

Learn about the history and importance of the gender gap currently impacting women's health sciences - Join us on 28 August

www.chemistryworld.com

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Reposted by NU Duncan Lab

Lurie Cancer Center @luriecancer.bsky.social · Jul 21

Investigators led by Francesca Duncan, PhD, @nuduncanlab.bsky.social, have discovered new molecular mechanisms that lead specialized immune cells to cause ovarian aging and functional decline, per a recent study in @plosbiology.org. news.feinberg.northwestern.edu/2025/07/21/n... #healthspan

New Molecular Mechanisms of Ovarian Aging Discovered - News Center

Investigators led by Francesca Elizabeth Duncan, PhD, have discovered new molecular mechanisms that enable specialized immune cells to cause ovarian aging and functional decline, according to a recent...

news.feinberg.northwestern.edu

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NU Duncan Lab @nuduncanlab.bsky.social · Jul 11

New Publication!

Congratulations to Caroline Kratka and her collaborators on their manuscript which interrogates ovulation in the mouse at high spatiotemporal resolution!

journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...

Single-cell and spatiotemporal profile of ovulation in the mouse ovary

Ovulation is a complex process that is tightly controlled in a spatiotemporal manner, but the precise mechanisms remain unclear. This study reports single-cell and spatial transcriptomics in mouse ova...

journals.plos.org

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NU Duncan Lab @nuduncanlab.bsky.social · Jul 10

New Publication!

Congrats to Dr. Aubrey Converse on her manuscript which uses innovative approaches to define the transcriptomic signature of ovarian multinucleated giant cells and provide novel insight into the role of this cell population in ovarian aging!

journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...

Multinucleated giant cells are hallmarks of ovarian aging with unique immune and degradation-associated molecular signatures

Ovarian multinucleated giant cells are a unique macrophage population that arise within the aging mammalian ovary. This study characterizes their transcriptome in mice, uncovering a potential role in ...

journals.plos.org

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NU Duncan Lab @nuduncanlab.bsky.social · Jul 8

Congratulations to Caroline Kratka on her manuscript which interrogates ovulation in the mouse at high spatiotemporal resolution! This work features single cell and spatial datasets which will be a tremendous resource to the field!

Learn more: engineering.dartmouth.edu/news/dartmou...

Dartmouth-Led Study Advances Understanding of Ovulation for…

A new study has for the first time revealed the details of ovulation at the single-cell level which can pave the way not only for the discovery of novel…

engineering.dartmouth.edu

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Reposted by NU Duncan Lab

Northwestern Center for Reproductive Science @nu-crs.bsky.social · Jun 30

Dr. Francesca Duncan and Dr. Kara Goldman were featured in this USA Today on ovarian aging and reproductive longevity!

www.usatoday.com/story/graphi...

Beyond fertility and menopause: See why the ovary is central to women’s health and longevity

See why the ovary − often reduced to its reproductive role − menopause, age and estrogen affect a woman’s health throughout her body and lifetime.

www.usatoday.com

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NU Duncan Lab @nuduncanlab.bsky.social · Jun 30

Dr. Duncan was featured in this USA Today article about ovarian aging! Check it out!

www.usatoday.com/story/graphi...

Beyond fertility and menopause: See why the ovary is central to women’s health and longevity

See why the ovary − often reduced to its reproductive role − menopause, age and estrogen affect a woman’s health throughout her body and lifetime.

www.usatoday.com

NU Duncan Lab @nuduncanlab.bsky.social · Jun 24

Tomorrow‼️‼️

Register today for the first SPARK panel, "Human Biospecimen Repositories Fueling Translational Reproductive Science and Medicine Research"

Learn about panelist Dr. Toni Frolova's research: bit.ly/4l5JmfJ

Register: www.upsquad.com/event/regist...

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NU Duncan Lab @nuduncanlab.bsky.social · Jun 23

@asrmorg.bsky.social

NU Duncan Lab @nuduncanlab.bsky.social · Jun 23

Congratulations to Lauren Haky for passing her qualifying exam and being an official PhD candidate in the Duncan Lab!

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NU Duncan Lab @nuduncanlab.bsky.social · Jun 20

We are very proud of Dylan for receiving the Marcia L. Storch Scholarship for Undergraduate Students!

Dylan is working on a project developing a vascularized microfluidic model of ovarian aging to evaluate non-hormonal contraceptives.

Northwestern Center for Reproductive Science @nu-crs.bsky.social · Jun 20

Congratulations to Dylan Hakken on receiving the Marcia L. Storch Scholarship!

Dylan is conducting research in the @nuduncanlab.bsky.social under the mentorship of Dr. Hannes Campo!

NU Duncan Lab @nuduncanlab.bsky.social · Jun 18

Congratulations to Maddie Perry on graduating from the MS-RSM program! Maddie's primary thesis mentor was Dr. Aubrey Converse. We are so proud of Maddie and all she has accomplished during her time in the Duncan Lab! 🎓🎉

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NU Duncan Lab @nuduncanlab.bsky.social · Jun 17

Many congratulations to Dr. Emily Zaniker-Gomez, PhD, on receiving her degree from the Driskill Graduate Program in Life Sciences!

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NU Duncan Lab @nuduncanlab.bsky.social · Jun 17

New Duncan Lab publication!

Congratulations to Pooja Devrukhkar along with her co-first authors (Mark Watson and Bikem Soygur) on their manuscript defining and mapping an induced cellular senescence signature in the post-menopausal human ovary!

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

A Comprehensive Multiomics Signature of Doxorubicin‐Induced Cellular Senescence in the Postmenopausal Human Ovary

Explants of human postmenopausal ovarian cortex and medulla were treated with doxorubicin for 24 h followed by culture for up to 10 days in doxorubicin-free medium. Single nuclei sequencing and prote...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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NU Duncan Lab @nuduncanlab.bsky.social · Jun 16

New Duncan Lab publication!
Congratulations to Emma Gargus and Rhea Sharma and their co-authors on elucidating how caloric restriction impacts markers of ovarian function and aging in the rhesus macaque!

www.aging-us.com/article/2062...

Short-term moderate caloric restriction in the rhesus macaque attenuates markers of ovarian aging in select populations | Aging

Aging | doi:10.18632/aging.206253. Emma S. Gargus, Rhea Sharma, Rebecca Gu, Camille Mulcahy, Brian W. Johnson, Jing Song, Jungwha Lee, Mary Zelinski, Francesca E. Duncan

www.aging-us.com

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Reposted by NU Duncan Lab

Northwestern Center for Reproductive Science @nu-crs.bsky.social · Jun 16

Join SPARK's first panel, Human Biospecimen Repositories Fueling Translational Reproductive Science and Medicine Research.

CRS faculty participants include panelist Dr. Mary Ellen Pavone and moderator Dr. Francesca Duncan

www.upsquad.com/event/regist...

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NU Duncan Lab @nuduncanlab.bsky.social · May 21

Emily Zaniker-Gomez will present her public thesis defense, "Molecular and Biomechanical Mechanisms Underlying Ovulation" this Friday! We're excited to celebrate all her accomplishments!

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NU Duncan Lab @nuduncanlab.bsky.social · May 15

The Duncan Lab and the Center for Reproductive Science were well represented at the 2025 Reproductive Aging Conference!

Read more: labs.feinberg.northwestern.edu/duncan/news/...

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