Welcome to the Reproductive and Developmental Sciences Program at Michigan State University

At Michigan State University, researchers are unlocking the power of genuine collaboration to drive discovery and create healthier tomorrows for all.

Spartan engineers are partnering with biological and health scientists to develop innovative solutions to fight diseases and improve treatments.

“Engineers and biological scientists look at problems differently,” says Christina Chan, University Distinguished Professor, George W. Bissell Professor and interim chairperson of the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science. “The advantage of having different perspectives is that then people come with different backgrounds, and that tends to engender a more creative approach to solving some of these research problems and questions that are raised.”

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For a human life to form, a sperm must fertilize an egg. Michigan State University’s Yuan Wang is working to understand how the precursors of eggs and sperm are developed in embryos and what interferes with this process to cause infertility in adults.

"In multicell organisms like humans, one fertilized egg can develop into all cell types with diverse biological functions that make up the body,” says Wang, an assistant professor in the Department of Animal Science within the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. “Some of these cells become eggs (in female) and sperm (in male). This fascinating process forms a cycle of life and inspires me to understand how this happens."

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One in ten babies is born prematurely in the United States, but a blood test during a routine prenatal visit could reveal if a woman is at risk of a preterm delivery, according to a Michigan State University researcher.

“Preterm births are common,” said Hanne Hoffmann, an assistant professor in the Department of Animal Science in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. “If we know the mother is at risk for a preterm birth, her doctor can monitor her more closely.”

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Researchers led by a Michigan State University professor will conduct two studies of whether infection with the COVID-19 virus or vaccination to prevent COVID-19 is affecting the menstrual cycles of women and girls. The studies, funded by the National Institutes of Health, follow anecdotal reports by some women that they had heavier or irregular menstrual cycles after they were infected with the virus or inoculated against it.

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The Outstanding Doctoral Student Mentor Award goes to Jennifer Watts in the Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology.  Ms. Watts’ nomination was supported by faculty, fellow graduate students, and incoming graduate students. She is a valuable colleague and leader to students, peers, faculty and others, and her contributions are wide and deep:  her many contributions to her various communities demonstrate her stated commitment to being the kind of mentor that she wishes she had encountered earlier in her career. As an African American woman in STEM, Jenn has a stated goal of creating a sense of belonging and support and being a leader in this work.  To that end, she has served as a leader and mentor to other students she meets in the AGEP community, to the students she serves in the classroom as a TA, to the students and peers she works alongside in the lab. Her impact is local and international, ranging from MSU’s Undergraduate Mentoring Committee and Girls Math and Science Day to scholarly and research contributions in high-impact journals. With these examples, Jenn demonstrates how to model STEM success in scholarship, teaching, service and mentorship. We are honored to celebrate this impact.