ReproSTEM Program
Equipping CPS Teachers with Knowledge and Experience in Reproductive Tissue Engineering
At the Laronda Lab, our scientific mission is to translate basic reproductive biology discoveries into innovative fertility preservation and hormone restoration technologies for pediatric cancer patients.
Our 4 areas of research include:
Testis organoids
42-66% of male
childhood cancer
survivors are affected
by male factor
infertility in
adulthood- spurring
research into tools like
testicular organoids to
restore their fertility.
Engineering an ovary
Ovarian structure is
functional - with the
extracellular matrix
providing key
biomechanical cues
that affect follicle
development and
maintenance. We
quantify architecture
of the primary
extracellular matrix
protein, collagen I,
through second
harmonic generation
microscopy
Defining the ovarian microenvironment
The pubertal
transition is a key
period of dramatic
change both inside
and out of the ovary.
Histologic and gross
anatomic features
characterize ovarian
structure
Patient derived stem-cells
Stem cells, i.e.,a
cellular population
characterized by the
ability to become any
other cell in the body,
can provide the
foundation for a cellbased hormone
replacement therapy
with the potential to
provide important
reproductive
hormones, such as
estrogen
ReproSTEM Sponsors
HuBMAP
Suzanne and Michael Burns