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 Keith Latham, PhD
 Professor of Animal Science and Adjunct Professor of Obstetrics

The recent decades have ushered in landmark discoveries in the reproductive and developmental sciences which are highly relevant to human health and animal agriculture, including advancements in assisted reproductive technologies, derivation of human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells, the transition of regenerative medicine from the realm of theory to application, and a rapidly expanding appreciation for how environmental factors impact development and adult health and disease. Michigan State University has a long history of excellence in the reproductive and developmental sciences, with faculty pursuing cutting-edge research across a wide range of animal models, clinical entities and in population-based human reproductive outcomes. The Reproductive and Developmental Sciences Program (RDSP) is composed of a strong and interactive group of faculty from the College of Human Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, College of Natural Sciences, College of Engineering, and the College of Education. The faculty have diverse expertise and research interests and are engaged in fundamental and translational research.

Vision: To be the leading Center of Excellence in the Reproductive and Developmental Sciences and to enhance research partnerships with other research universities and international entities and uphold the traditions of an exceptional land grant institution.

Mission: Reproduction and developmental processes have a profound impact on many high-priority areas of interest for our society, including agriculture, human health, health disparities, environmental impacts, and even climate change. The overall goal of the Reproductive and Developmental Sciences Program is to promote innovative collaborations between faculty working in animal science, human medicine, veterinary medicine, genetics, epidemiology, and environmental science to accelerate scientific discovery and the quality of graduate and postdoctoral training. The NIH T32 training program includes a comprehensive portfolio of training activities, that are made available to all RDSP trainees.

News

MSU scientist Rita Strakovsky leads the I-MOMS project, which evaluates mothers four to seven years after giving birth

Take a look at most food or personal care product labels, and there’s likely a statement or two touting the product’s safety. Discerning customers attempt to choose the best and safest items for their needs, but it’s no easy task to avoid unwanted contact with potentially harmful chemicals. And what about exposure from sources you may not be aware of?

For pregnant women, the concerns can be doubly stressful. Choosing healthy foods and using the safest products are important for their own health, but these decisions can also have lifelong implications for their developing children.

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For the first time in history, researchers have grown mice embryos with no sperm, no egg and no uterus. A huge step forward, researchers hope the technology used to create the fully synthetic mice embryos will shed new insights into early cell development.

Here & Now's Scott Tong talks with Megan Molteni, a reporter with our partners at STAT, the health and medicine publicat

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Researchers have created synthetic human embryos using stem cells, according to media reports. Remarkably, these embryos have reportedly been created from embryonic stem cells, meaning they do not require sperm and ova.

This development, widely described as a breakthrough that could help scientists learn more about human development and genetic disorders, was revealed this week in Boston at the annual meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research.

The research, announced by Professor Magdalena Żernicka-Goetz of the University of Cambridge and the California Institute of Technology, has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal. But Żernicka-Goetz told the meeting these human-like embryos had been made by reprogramming human embryonic stem cells.

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