An Endocrine Society Thematic Issue: Women in Endocrinology 2019
March 2019
Gender inequality persists in all sectors of society, including science and medicine disciplines. While female clinicians and researchers are increasing in number,1 they remain underrepresented in scholarly publications and academic positions.2 Although nearly 50 percent of medical school graduates are women, they continue to hold fewer senior academic positions and tenured faculty posts than their male counterparts, and receive less federal grant money than men.3
Endocrinology combines fundamental scientific discovery and medical care that greatly influence human health. Publication of research is necessary to advance our understanding of endocrine science; however, women remain a minority as first and senior authors in endocrinology publications. This special thematic issue focuses on recent research performed and published by women in endocrinology and highlights the influence that their work has had on fellow scientists and clinicians today.
All papers were nominated by members of the scientific community and are from current, early-career or established, well-known or up-and-coming academics from the US or international research community. These studies were published by laboratory groups led by established female researchers or were projects spearheaded by women just starting out in their scientific careers. More than 30 articles were nominated, and the 12 most influential, high-impact research papers were selected to represent the spectrum of basic through clinical research, geographical diversity, and career stage.
Topics covered include ground-breaking studies of single-cell RNA sequencing in the pituitary gland, innovative technology used to record neuronal activity in free moving animals, the impact of gut microbes on PCOS, and much more. We hope you enjoy this collection of papers celebrating female researchers and their achievements in endocrinology.
Thank you to the Selection Panel for their time and for reviewing and selecting this inspiring collection of papers:
Zane Andrews, PhD, Monash University
Kristy A. Brown, PhD, Cornell University
Ghada El-Hajj Fuleihan, MD, MPH, American University of Beirut
Ana Claudia Latronico, MD, PhD, University of Sao Paulo
Daniel I. Spratt, MD, MaineHealth
Jenny Visser, PhD, Erasmus MC
Whitney Woodmansee, MD, University of Florida Health
Joy Wu, MD, PhD, Stanford University
See more Endocrine Society special issues.
Top 12 papers
Characterization of GnRH Pulse Generator Activity in Male Mice Using GCaMP Fiber Photometry
Su Young Han, Grace Kane, Isaiah Cheong, and Allan E. Herbison
Endocrinology, Vol. 160, Issue 3, March 2019, DOI 10.1210/en.2018-01047
From a colleague: “The first author of this paper, Su Han, has pioneered the use of fiber photometry to measure activity of kisspeptin neurons in vivo in conscious, freely behaving animals. This paper documents some of that work and is a really excellent example of how technical innovation is revolutionizing our ability to study classical neuroendocrine systems.”
About the Author
Su Young Han is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Centre for Neuroendocrinology at the University of Otago in New Zealand. After completing undergraduate degrees at Otago, Su joined the laboratory of Professor Colin Brown to undertake her PhD examining the role of vasopressin neurons in hypertension. Su completed her PhD in 2013 and joined Professor Allan Herbison’s laboratory as a postdoctoral fellow. Her current research focuses on understanding the role of arcuate nucleus kisspeptin neurons in generating pulsatile secretion of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone and luteinizing hormone, using a variety of optical tools including optogenetics and fibre photometry.
Effects of 28 Days of Oral Dimethandrolone Undecanoate in Healthy Men: A Prototype Male Pill
Arthi Thirumalai, Jonas Ceponis, John K. Amory, Ronald Swerdloff, Vijaya Surampudi, Peter Y. Liu, William J. Bremner, Eric Harvey, Diana L. Blithe, Min S. Lee, Laura Hull, Christina Wang, and Stephanie T. Page
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Vol. 104, Issue 2, February 2019, DOI 10.1210/jc.2018-01452
From a colleague: “Drs. Stephanie Page and Christina Wang are international leaders in the area of hormonal male contraception.... [This paper] reports on promising novel compounds as potential hormonal male contraceptive agents.”
About the Authors
Dr. Stephanie Page, professor of medicine (endocrinology) at the University of Washington School of Medicine, is head of the Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Nutrition. Dr. Page has a large clinical research program focused on male reproduction and the development of an effective and reversible male hormonal contraceptive. She has an overall interest in disease prevention, including strategies to minimize unplanned pregnancy and cardiovascular disease risk across the globe. Dr. Page earned her bachelor’s degree from Stanford University and her MD and PhD in immunology from the University of Washington. She continued her training at UW, including residency in internal medicine and fellowship in endocrinology. Dr. Page is a member of the Endocrine Society and was elected to the American Society of Clinical Investigation in 2010. She lives in Seattle with her husband and two children.
Christina Wang, MD, is a professor of medicine and assistant dean at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, as well as associate director for Clinical and Translational Science Institute and a faculty member of the Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute. Her current clinical research studies include androgen replacement therapy, hormonal male contraceptive development, late onset hypogonadism, accurate assessment of serum androgens, and diet and androgen metabolism. Her basic research studies focus on the regulation of spermatogenesis and mitochondrial derived peptides in spermatogenesis. Dr. Wang was the president of the American Society of Andrology (2006—2007) and president of the International Society of Andrology (2009—2013). She is a member of the Research Group on Methods for the Regulation of Male Fertility of the World Health Organization. She has mentored many physicians and scientists and is an advocate of young investigators.
Thu H. Truong, Amy R. Dwyer, Caroline H. Diep, Hsiangyu Hu, Kyla M. Hagen, and Carol A. Lange
Endocrinology, Vol. 160, Issue 2, February 2019, DOI 10.1210/en.2018-00990
About the Author
Carol Lange, PhD, is a professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Lange’s research is focused on the role of steroid hormone receptors (SRs) in breast cancer. These receptors, when abnormally activated, contribute to breast cancer risk and can dramatically influence responses to breast cancer therapies. She has more than 25 years’ experience in mechanisms of signal transduction related to cancer biology and altered cell fate, and the regulation of proteins by post-translational modifications. She has routinely developed new reagents (antibodies, stable cell lines, mouse models) and employed biochemistry and modern cell and molecular biology techniques as well as NextGen approaches to study the mechanisms of hormone action and gene regulation related to cancer biology and tumor progression. As an independent scientist focused on hormones and cancer, and in her leadership roles as director of the Cancer Biology Training (NIH T32) Program and co-director of the Cellular Mechanisms of Cancer Program within the Masonic Cancer Center, she has mentored more than 30 trainees and numerous junior faculty members.
Leonard Y. M. Cheung, Akima S. George, Stacey R. McGee, Alexandre Z. Daly, Michelle L. Brinkmeier, Buffy S. Ellsworth, and Sally A. Camper
Endocrinology, Vol. 159, Issue 12, December 2018, DOI 10.1210/en.2018-00750
From a colleague: “This is the first paper describing single cell RNA sequencing in the pituitary. It is groundbreaking work that will serve as the backbone for new cell type identification and should become a highly cited publication. I have looked at it weekly since it was published and get something new from it each time.”
About the Author
Sally A. Camper is the Margery W. Shaw Distinguished University Professor of Human Genetics. She is internationally recognized for research on the genetics of birth defects, especially neuroendocrine, hearing, and skeletal disorders. Dr. Camper was among the pioneers in the use of transgenic mice to study developmentally regulated gene expression. Her studies with human patients and genetically modified mice have revealed genetic causes of disease and pathophysiological mechanisms. Her most highly cited work addresses the roles of transcription factors and signaling pathways in pituitary development. Dr. Camper’s research has been recognized with awards from the Endocrine Society and the National Institutes of Health. She is devoted to the education of biomedical researchers and has received University and national mentoring awards. Dr. Camper joined the faculty in 1988, was founding director of the Transgenic Animal Model Core Facility for 20 years, and served as chair of the Department of Human Genetics from 2005 to 2015.
Long-Lasting Androgen-Induced Cardiometabolic Effects in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Edgar D. Torres Fernandez, Kristen V. Adams, Maryam Syed, Rodrigo O. Maranon, Damian G. Romero, and Licy L. Yanes Cardozo
Journal of the Endocrine Society, Vol. 2, Issue 8, August 2018, DOI 10.1210/js.2018-00131
From a colleague: “This manuscript strongly suggests that time is of the essence to normalize androgen levels in PCOS and other androgen excess pathological conditions because, once cardiometabolic dysregulations have been established, normalization of the androgenic profile may have little beneficial effect.”
About the Author
Licy L. Yanes Cardozo, MD, is an assistant professor in the departments of Cell and Molecular Biology and Medicine/Endocrinology at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. She received her medical degree at the National University of Asuncion (Paraguay) and residency in internal medicine. She performed postdoctoral studies of the mechanisms by which androgens regulate blood pressure under the mentorship of Dr. Jane Reckelhoff. After she rose to the academic rank of assistant professor in physiology, she joined the Department of Medicine, where she completed residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in endocrinology. Currently she is a physician-scientist engaged in basic/translational research and patient care. Her research focuses on the elucidation of the role and mechanisms by which androgen excess mediate cardiovascular and metabolic diseases in women. She is currently funded by the National Institutes of Health and has previously been funded by the American Heart Association and the Endocrine Fellows Foundation. She is an Endocrine Society FLARE fellow and remains highly active in the program.
Elucidating the Role of the Maternal Embryonic Leucine Zipper Kinase in Adrenocortical Carcinoma
Katja Kiseljak-Vassiliades, Yu Zhang, Adwitiya Kar, Raud Razzaghi, Mei Xu, Katherine Gowan, Christopher D. Raeburn, Maria Albuja-Cruz, Kenneth L. Jones, Hilary Somerset, Lauren Fishbein, Stephen Leong, and Margaret E. Wierman
Endocrinology, Vol. 159, Issue 7, July 2018, DOI 10.1210/en.2018-00310
About the Authors
Dr. Katja Kiseljak-Vassiliades is an assistant professor in the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes at University of Colorado School of Medicine. Dr. Kiseljak-Vassiliades completed residency at John Hopkins University/Sinai Hospital Internal Medicine Program where she also served as a chief resident. During her early training, Dr. Kiseljak-Vassiliades pursued translational research in thyroid cancer with Professor Mingzhao Xing, MD, PhD, and completed her endocrine fellowship at University of Colorado. Dr. Kiseljak-Vassiliades’ research interests are in endocrine neoplasia. Recently, Dr. Kiseljak-Vassiliades research interest has been in adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC), where she is spearheading efforts to create new human ACC cell and animal research models as well as using cutting edge bioinformatic approaches to identify new therapeutic targets for this devastating disease. Dr. Kiseljak-Vassiliades’ contribution to the field of ACC includes establishing several new pre-clinical human models in adrenocortical carcinoma, as well as the development of humanized mouse models to investigate the mechanisms of immunotherapy in ACC.
Margaret Wierman, MD, is a professor of medicine and integrative physiology and chief of endocrinology at the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center. Dr. Wierman is a translational physician scientist whose research interest has been in GnRH neuron biology, sex hormone action, and more recently in the molecular mechanisms of pituitary tumors and adrenal cancer. Her group has the largest tumor bank of >600 pituitary tumors and 150 normal pituitaries and 150 adrenal tumors and cancers with which to use molecular approaches to understanding endocrine tumorigenesis. Dr. Wierman has a long track record in mentoring and pipeline development of academic researchers. She developed and directs the K to R grant review and mock study section program at Colorado to aid junior investigators in obtaining their first R type award. She received the 2015 Women in Endocrinology Mentor Award and the Endocrine Society Laureate Mentor Award in 2017 from the Endocrine Society. She recently is directing the Program to Advance Gender Equity in the Department of Medicine.
Marjoleine F. Broekema, Danielle A. A. Hollman, Arjen Koppen, Henk-Jan van den Ham, Diana Melchers, Dirk Pijnenburg, Rob Ruijtenbeek, Saskia W. C. van Mil, René Houtman, and Eric Kalkhoven
Endocrinology, Vol. 159, Issue 6, June 2018, DOI 10.1210/en.2018-00149
About the Author
Marjoleine Broekema obtained her bachelor’s degree in biomedical sciences (2009) and master’s degree in medicine at Utrecht University (2013) in the Netherlands. In September 2013, she started her PhD research, which she will complete this year, in the laboratory of Dr. E. Kalkhoven in the Department of Molecular Cancer Research at University Medical Center Utrecht. Her projects focus on the identification and functional characterization of genes implicated in the development of lipodystrophies to improve the understanding of adipose tissue development and function. She is keen to combine her passion for fundamental scientific research with patient care. Since October 2018, she is working as a resident in the Department of Clinical Genetics in Amsterdam UMC, the Netherlands.
Gut Microbial Diversity in Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Correlates With Hyperandrogenism
Pedro J. Torres, Martyna Siakowska, Beata Banaszewska, Leszek Pawelczyk, Antoni J. Duleba, Scott T. Kelley, and Varykina G. Thackray
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Vol. 103, Issue 4, April 2018, DOI 10.1210/jc.2017-02153
From a colleague: “This paper showed that women who have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a common hormone condition that contributes to infertility and metabolic problems, have less diverse gut bacteria than women who do not have the condition and that this trend is linked with elevated testosterone levels. This study is impactful because it suggests that testosterone may alter the gut microbiome in women with PCOS, and these changes may influence the development of PCOS and the impact it has on a women’s health and quality of life. This study highlights the intriguing possibility that gut microbes may be involved in the pathophysiology of PCOS and that modulation of the gut microbiome may offer a potential pathway to develop novel treatments for PCOS.”
About the Author
Dr. Varykina Thackray is an associate professor of reproductive medicine at the University of California, San Diego, and a member of the Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine and the Center for Microbiome Innovation. She received her PhD at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and completed postdoctoral studies in reproductive endocrinology at UC San Diego. Dr. Thackray’s interest in cross-talk between metabolism and reproduction was spurred by studies investigating regulation of gonadotropin hormone production by insulin-regulated transcription factors and was furthered with collaborative efforts to develop a letrozole-induced mouse model that recapitulates both reproductive and metabolic phenotypes of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
Listen to an Endocrine News Podcast interview with Dr. Thackray about her research.
Cetewayo S. Rashid, Yu-Chin Lien, Amita Bansal, Lane J. Jaeckle-Santos, Changhong Li, Kyoung-Jae Won, and Rebecca A. Simmons
Endocrinology, Vol. 159, Issue 2, February 2018, DOI 10.1210/en.2017-00888
From a colleague: “This is a very nice approach to develop hypotheses regarding the developmental origins of adult metabolic disease, as confirmed in islets from human patients with type 2 diabetes.”
About the Author
Dr. Rebecca Simmons completed her MD at the University of Arizona in Tucson and residency in pediatrics at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, followed by a Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellowship at the Cardiovascular Research Institute in San Francisco. Dr. Simmons is now the Hallam Hurt Endowed Chair and Professor of Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine and an attending physician at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Her research focuses on the causal mechanistic links between the intrauterine milieu and type II diabetes and obesity in the adult with a focus on epigenetics and mitochondria function. The Simmons laboratory has been continuously funded for the past 25 years by the NIH and has also received funding from the American Diabetes Association and the March of Dimes. Over the course of her research career, Dr. Simmons has mentored more than 50 postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, medical students, and undergraduate students.
Listen to an Endocrine News Podcast interview with Dr. Simmons about her research.
Tamara J. Vokes, Michael Mannstadt, Michael A. Levine, Bart L. Clarke, Peter Lakatos, Kristina Chen, Rebecca Piccolo, Alan Krasner, Dolores M. Shoback, and John P. Bilezikian
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Vol. 103, Issue 2, February 2018, DOI 10.1210/jc.2017-01471
From a colleague: “I believe this is very important work on a rare endocrine disease and for patients who often suffer from poor quality of life. Clinicians, including myself, struggle with who are the best candidates for rhPTH. This paper lends very important insights that are likely much more important to patients than simple biochemical variables.”
About the Author
Dr. Tamara Vokes received her MD from University of Belgrade, Yugoslavia, followed by a residency in internal medicine at Ravenswood Hospital in Chicago and a fellowship in endocrinology at UCLA and University of Chicago, which she completed in 1985. She is a professor of medicine in the Section of Endocrinology at the University of Chicago. Dr. Vokes maintains clinical practice in the field of osteoporosis and metabolic bone disease at the University of Chicago. She also has an active research program in osteoporosis and treatment of hypoparathyroidism. She is a principal investigator on several clinical trials, including both multicenter and investigator-initiated studies.
Stina Rikke Jensen, Sarah E. Wheeler, Henning Hvid, Jonas Ahnfelt-Rønne, Bo Falck Hansen, Erica Nishimura, Grith Skytte Olsen, and Patricia L. Brubaker
Endocrinology, Vol. 158, Issue 8, August 2017, DOI 10.1210/en.2017-00195
From a colleague: “[This paper] showed for the first time that the villin-cre construct used to generate the mouse line demonstrated a phenotype that was independent of the knockout — others have since gone on to show this, but in the meantime, many labs continue to exclude the villin-cre mice alone as controls, which is wrong!”
About the Author
Stina Rikke Jensen: mom, wife, and passionate scientist. She graduated with a Master in Engineering from the Technical University of Denmark in 2009 and received her PhD in 2013. She is extremely passionate about the biology of the gastrointestinal tract and the relationship between the host and gut microbiota in disease and health. As a scientist at Novo Nordisk, she explored the biology of insulin in the gastrointestinal tract. She then worked as a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Patricia Brubaker’s lab at the University of Toronto and published two papers addressing the role of insulin in the gastrointestinal tract. Currently, Dr. Jensen is studying gut biology in animals and works as a scientist in a large research team at Novozymes, where they are investigating natural and sustainable alternatives, such as probiotics and enzymes, for antibiotics in production animals. Overall, she is excited about studying the biology of the gastrointestinal tract in an applied setting to improve health and alleviate disease states. She is a mom to a one-year old boy and married to a similarly passionate scientist.
Nayara S. S. Aquino, Roberta Araujo-Lopes, Patricia C. Henriques, Felipe E. F. Lopes, Daniela O. Gusmao, Candido C. Coimbra, Celso R. Franci, Adelina M. Reis, and Raphael E. Szawka
Endocrinology, Vol. 158, Issue 6, June 2017, DOI 10.1210/en.2016-1855
From a colleague: “The first author in this paper, Nayara Aquino, was a PhD student at the time of writing it.... This work characterizes a little-known additional function of kisspeptin, contributing to the control of prolactin secretion. It highlights that this population of neurons has a wider range of functions than is currently appreciated.”
About the Author
Nayara S. S. Aquino holds a master and a PhD in physiology science from Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Brazil, working with Professor Raphael E. Szawka. As part of her PhD, Nayara moved to New Zealand, where she worked with Professor David R. Grattan at the University of Otago, studying kisspeptin neurons and the receptors involved in their control of dopamine and prolactin secretion. After completing her PhD, Nayara obtained a position as substitute professor at UFMG, where she studies neuroendocrine control of the female reproductive system. Her group demonstrated that kisspeptin inhibits dopaminergic neurons to increase prolactin secretion, which requires the action of estradiol through the estrogen receptor α (Erα) and is potentiated by progesterone. Moreover, her group demonstrated that the blockade of the kisspeptin receptor (Kiss1r) impairs the prolactin surge induced by estradiol, revealing a stimulatory role for kisspeptin in the estradiol-induced prolactin surge.
All nominated papers
Jerilynn C. Prior
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Vol. 104, Issue 4, April 2019, DOI 10.1210/jc.2018-01777
Mechanisms of Osteoblastic Bone Metastasis in Prostate Cancer: Role of Prostatic Acid Phosphatase
Mariana Quiroz-Munoz, Sudeh Izadmehr, Dushyanthy Arumugam, Beatrice Wong, Alexander Kirschenbaum, and Alice C. Levine
Journal of the Endocrine Society, Vol. 3, Issue 3, March 2019, DOI 10.1210/js.2018-00425
Active Cushing’s Disease Is Characterized by Increased Adipose Tissue Macrophage Presence
Irene T. Lee, Alexandria Atuahene, Hale Ergin Egritag, Ling Wang, Michael Donovan, Christoph Buettner, Eliza B. Geer
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, First published online Feb. 4, 2019, DOI 10.1210/jc.2018-02552
Aya T. Nanba, Taweesak Wannachalee, James J. Shields, James B. Byrd, William E. Rainey, Richard J. Auchus, and Adina F. Turcu
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Vol. 104, Issue 2, February 2019, DOI 10.1210/jc.2018-01299
Healthy Post-Menarchal Adolescent Girls Demonstrate Multi-Level Reproductive Axis Immaturity
Bob Z. Sun, Tairmae Kangarloo, Judith M. Adams, Patrick M. Sluss, Corrine K. Welt, Donald W. Chandler, David T. Zava, John A. McGrath, David M. Umbach, Janet E. Hall, and Natalie D. Shaw
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Vol. 104, Issue 2, February 2019, DOI 10.1210/jc.2018-01299
From a colleague: “This was a remarkable paper that is slated to be a landmark study of adolescent anovulation for many reasons. 1) This paper convincingly teaches us that many menstrual cycles that would have been labeled anovulatory by previous studies are actually ovulatory cycles with a short luteal phase.... 2) The methodology was exemplary and meticulous: ovulatory cycles were defined by rigorous, exemplary experimentally determined criteria involving LH, E2, and ultrasound, and the day of ovulation was defined by rigorous criteria.... 3) They report, for the first time, two cases of unruptured corpus lutea among the anovulatory adolescents, which places this abnormality at the extreme end of the luteal insufficiency spectrum. 4) Salivary progesterone was found to be an unreliable method for classifying cycles as ovulatory when compared to sensitive serum progesterone assay results.”
Sex Differences in Inflammatory Responses to Adipose Tissue Lipolysis in Diet-Induced Obesity
Mita Varghese, Cameron Griffin, Kaitlin McKernan, Leila Eter, Nicholas Lanzetta, Devyani Agarwal, Simin Abrishami, and Kanakadurga Singer
Endocrinology, Vol. 160, Issue 2, February 2019, DOI 10.1210/en.2018-00797
Fat-1 Transgene Is Associated With Improved Reproductive Outcomes
Natalie M. Hohos, Kirstin J. Cho, Delaney C. Swindle, Amanda A. Allshouse, Michael C. Rudolph, and Malgorzata E. Skaznik-Wikiel
Endocrinology, Vol. 159, Issue 12, December 2018, DOI 10.1210/en.2018-00723
Modulation of Feeding and Associated Behaviors by Lateral Hypothalamic Circuits
Emily Qualls-Creekmore and Heike Münzberg
Endocrinology, Vol. 159, Issue 11, November 2018, DOI 10.1210/en.2018-00449
Synaptic Innervation of the GnRH Neuron Distal Dendron in Female Mice
Aleisha M. Moore, Mel Prescott, Katja Czieselsky, Elodie Desroziers, Siew Hoong Yip, Rebecca E. Campbell, and Allan E Herbison
Endocrinology, Vol. 159, Issue 9, September 2018, DOI 10.1210/en.2018-00505
From a colleague: “The first author in this paper, Aleisha Moore, was a PhD student working with Rebecca Campbell at the University of Otago. This paper provided the anatomical proof that GnRH neurons can be regulated by synaptic inputs very near the nerve terminal (as opposed to inputs onto classical dendrites or cell bodies), changing the way that we think about the anatomy of these unusual neurosecretory neurons. Rebecca Campbell, the co-senior author, is an emerging leader in the PCOS field.”
Yuhan Bi, Mengxi Jiang, Weiwei Guo, Xiudong Guan, Meishu Xu, Songrong Ren, Da Yang, Nilesh W. Gaikwad, Kyle W. Selcer, and Wen Xie
Endocrinology, Vol. 159, Issue 9, September 2018, DOI 10.1210/en.2018-00531
Impact of Pregnancy and Lactation on the Long-Term Regulation of Energy Balance in Female Mice
Sharon Rachel Ladyman, Zin Khant Aung, and David Ross Grattan
Endocrinology, Vol. 159, Issue 6, June 2018, DOI 10.1210/en.2018-00057
From a colleague: “Most work in this field focuses on the impact of maternal metabolism on the fetus, but Sharon is one of a few whose focus is on the impact of reproduction on metabolic health in the mother. This paper shows that the experience of pregnancy and lactation exerts long term effects on body-weight homeostasis and physical activity in a female. This provides a biological basis to help explain why many mothers report that they gain weight after the birth of their children, and struggle to return to pre-pregnancy body weight.”
Noelle E. Gillis, Thomas H. Taber, Eric L. Bolf, Caitlin M. Beaudet, Jennifer A. Tomczak, Jeffrey H. White, Janet L. Stein, Gary S. Stein, Jane B. Lian, Seth Frietze, and Frances E. Carr
Endocrinology, Vol. 159, Issue 6, June 2018, DOI 10.1210/en.2018-00128
GLP-1 Receptor Expression Within the Human Heart
Laurie L. Baggio, Bernardo Yusta, Erin E. Mulvihill, Xiemin Cao, Catherine J. Streutker, Jagdish Butany, Thomas P. Cappola, Kenneth B. Margulies, and Daniel J. Drucker
Endocrinology, Vol. 159, Issue 4, April 2018, DOI 10.1210/en.2018-00004
From a colleague: “This paper represents the first comprehensive and complete analysis of GLP-1 receptor expression in the human heart, of great clinical interest given findings that GLP-1 receptor agonists are cardioprotective!”
Laura L. Burger, Charlotte Vanacker, Chayarndorn Phumsatitpong, Elizabeth R. Wagenmaker, Luhong Wang, David P. Olson, and Suzanne M. Moenter
Endocrinology, Vol. 159, Issue 4, April 2018, DOI 10.1210/en.2018-00001
From a colleague: “This paper is the first to look at the complement of mRNAs that are translated in GnRH neurons and the response to gonad removal. In addition to finding differences in the way GnRH neurons use fuel with and without gonadal hormones. The data set generated is also a valuable resource for the research community.”
Body Composition and Ectopic Lipid Changes With Biochemical Control of Acromegaly
Miriam A. Bredella, Melanie Schorr, Laura E. Dichtel, Anu V. Gerweck, Brian J. Young, Whitney W. Woodmansee, Brooke Swearingen, and Karen K. Miller
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Vol. 102, Issue 11, November 2017, DOI 10.1210/jc.2017-01210
Acute Psychosocial Stress Inhibits LH Pulsatility and Kiss1 Neuronal Activation in Female Mice
Jennifer A. Yang, Christopher I. Song, Jessica K. Hughes, Michael J. Kreisman, Ruby A. Parra, Daniel J. Haisenleder, Alexander S. Kauffman, and Kellie M. Breen
Endocrinology, Vol. 158, Issue 11, November 2017, DOI 10.1210/en.2017-00301
From a colleague: “Dr. Kellie Breen’s research group is making significant advances to our understanding of how stress disrupts reproductive function and fertility.... They are the first to demonstrate that acute physiologic challenges, such as stress, can rapidly change luteinizing hormone secretion in the mouse. [This paper] showed that psychosocial stress rapidly inhibits pulsatile LH secretion in female mice and that this suppression is associated with a diminishment in KNDy neural activity and function. These data provide the foundation for examining the anatomical and functional circuits activated by stress as understanding will influence the management of treatments for compromised fertility associated with stress.”
Charlotte Vanacker, Manuel Ricu Moya, R. Anthony DeFazio, Michael L. Johnson, and Suzanne M. Moenter
Endocrinology, Vol. 158, Issue 10, October 2017, DOI 10.1210/en.2017-00382
Calcium and Bone Turnover Markers in Acromegaly: A Prospective, Controlled Study
Tina Constantin, Vin Tangpricha, Reshma Shah, Nelson M. Oyesiku, Octavian C. Ioachimescu, James Ritchie, and Adriana G. Ioachimescu
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Vol. 102, Issue 7, July 2017, DOI 10.1210/jc.2016-3693
The Inhibitory G Protein α-Subunit, Gαz, Promotes Type 1 Diabetes-Like Pathophysiology in NOD Mice
Rachel J. Fenske, Mark T. Cadena, Quincy E. Harenda, Haley N. Wienkes, Kathryn Carbajal, Michael D. Schaid, Erin Laundre, Allison L. Brill, Nathan A. Truchan, Harpreet Brar, Jaclyn Wisinski, Jinjin Cai, Timothy E. Graham, Feyza Engin, and Michelle E. Kimple
Endocrinology, Vol. 158, Issue 6, June 2017, DOI 10.1210/en.2016-1700
From a colleague: “Rachel’s comprehensive work, which serves as the basis for her PhD thesis project, has great translational potential and impact to the field of β-cell adjuvant therapies for T1D, as it suggests targeting the Gαz signaling pathway might improve T1D outcomes regardless of auto-immune infiltration.... Rachel blogs for the diabetes advocacy groups YOUglycemia and BeyondType1.org. YOUglycemia is an organization of professionals in diabetes education, dietetics, exercise physiology, and immunology who are passionate about providing evidence-based recommendations regarding exercise and nutritional strategies for managing the disease.”
All papers are listed in chronological order.
1 https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/101/1/16/2806435
2 https://www.sciencemag.org/careers/2017/03/more-female-researchers-globally-challenges-remain
3 https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/05/science/women-scientists-grants.html
