r e s e a r c h.. p r o g r a m . o v e r v i e w

The pool of primordial follicles present at birth represents the total population of germ cells available to a female during her entire reproductive life.  Establishment of this source of oocytes is absolutely essential for fertility.  Shortly after forming, female germ cells undergo a series of incomplete cell divisions resulting in clusters called cysts.  Just after birth, mouse germ cell cysts break down into individual oocytes (cyst breakdown) that are surrounded by pre-granulosa cells to form primordial follicles.  During cyst breakdown, a subset of oocytes in each cyst dies by programmed cell death with only a third of the initial number of oocytes surviving.  The long-term goal of our research is to understand the mechanisms that regulate cyst breakdown and programmed cell death to establish the primordial follicle pool in the mouse ovary.

For more details about my research and related publications,
please select from the following:

• Hormone signaling in regulation of oocyte
  development

• Programmed cell death regulators in
  oocyte differentiation

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