Welcome 환영합니다 歡迎 Ласкаво просимо
いらっしゃいませ 欢迎 Bienvenido/Bienvenida ברוכים הבאים Bienvenue/Bienvenu Herzlich willkommen مرحبا
خوش آمدید
Thank you for visiting our laboratory, a place for junior scientists who have passion for science. This is their laboratory for learning scientific skills, experimenting new ideas, growing to excellency and developing new knowledge for all. These goals are achieved by working on a few projects. One of the main themes of the laboratory is to elucidate the mechanism governing the breakdown and rupture of the follicle during the ovulatory process. This process is activated by a surge of luteinizing hormone (LH), a pituitary gonadotropin, which triggers dramatic changes in the ovary at molecular, biochemical, and physical levels, eventually leading to the rupture of a mature follicle, releasing an egg. However, many of the key factors involved in and the mechanism governing the process of LH release and follicle rupture are yet to be unveiled. Our research team aims to reveal the LH-induced intraovarian molecular events and the roles that ovarian steroid hormones play in this process, ultimately to help women who suffer from infertility caused by ovulatory defects. Other exciting projects include reproductive toxicology, novel roles that sex steroids play in reproductive/non-reproductive tissues and generation of novel transgenic animals and databases for shared uses. Please take a moment to explore our projects, meet our people and see some funny or serious photos taken by our team members. Please contact any of our team members if you are interested in our projects or want to collaborate with us. You can find their email contacts and projects in the ‘People’ section.
News From the Lab:
ENDO 2026 Meeting
Mary’s abstract, “Selective ablation of ESR1 expression in ESR2-lineage cells disrupts neuroendocrine control of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis,” was selected for Oral Presentation and received the Outstanding Abstract Award for ENDO 2026 meeting.
JiEun received the Endocrinology Early Career Forum Travel Award.
University of Illinois Undergraduate Research Symposium 2026
Lea was selected for an Oral Presentation at the University of Illinois Undergraduate Research Symposium on 4/30/2026.
Ashley was selected for a Poster Presentation.
Travel Awards 2026
Mary received the Comparative Biosciences Research Trainee Group Travel Award.
Mary also received the Comparative Biosciences Travel Award, (and in 2024, too!)
JiEun also received the Comparative Biosciences Travel Awards, in 2026, 2025, and 2024. (Three years in a row!)
Department of Comparative Biosciences Annual Retreat (10/28/2025)
JiEun won the Lightning Talks Oral Presentation Award.
Mary won a Poster Competition Award.
Congratulation!
https://vetmed.illinois.edu/about-the-college/comparative-biosciences/
Scholarships, Fellowships, and Travel Awards 2025
Mary was selected as a Toxicology Scholar for the NIH Interdisciplinary Environmental Toxicology Training Grant Program.
JiEun and Mary both received Society for the Study of Reproduction Trainee Travel Award.
JiEun and Mary both received Dr. Janice M. Bahr Travel Awards for the SSR meeting.
JiEun received The Society for the Study of Reproduction Extra Trainee Travel Award.
Mary […]
Ji-Eun Oh: Janice M Bahr Award at UIUC 2023
Ji-Eun received the Janice M Bahr Award to attend the Society for the Study of Reproduction 2023 annual meeting (July 11th-July 14th). She presented poster about her project entitled ‘In the developing ovary, TGFβ1 converts ESR1-expressing lineage cells to ESR2-expressing granulosa cells’.