The Future Conceived

This season we’ve been exploring the concept of mechanism in reproductive biology. In a recent episode with Dr. Dan Nicholson we learned that scientists have historically framed problems in biology through metaphors that reflect everyday technologies. In fact, the word mechanism implies that biology has machine-like qualities. Today, as digital computers permeate nearly every part of our daily liv...

This season we’ve been exploring the concept of mechanism in reproductive biology. We’ve chatted with scientists from across disciplines who are working to better understand how sperm, eggs, and embryos work. Over the next three episodes, we’ll be exploring the idea of mechanism itself. We’ll learn how the historical practice of biology has shaped the way we think about mechanisms today, how compu...

What does it take to transition from a curious undergraduate to an award-winning Assistant Professor? In this episode, host Dr. Pam Monahan (Northwestern University) sits down with Dr. Camilla Hughes , Assistant Professor of Reproductive Biology at Penn State and the 2025 recipient of the Janice Bahr Junior Scientist Travel Award. Dr. Hughes dives into the "through-line" of her research:...

In today’s episode, we have the pleasure of chatting with Dr. Colm Kelleher, a physicist in the Bioinspired Institute at Syracuse University.  During cell division, the chromosomes that contain the genetic material must be copied and segregated. Failure to segregate correctly has dire consequences for cell viability and is a common problem during IVF and pre-implantation embryo culture.  The spind...

In this episode of the Future Conceived podcast, Dr. David Pepin, recipient of the Roger V. Short Medal, shares a candid and inspiring look at his non-linear path from a "failed" postdoc to a leader in reproductive biology. He details how a accidental discovery—finding that anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) could "pause" ovarian activity—transformed into a decade-long mission to rev...

In today’s episode, we have the pleasure of chatting with Dr. Kosta Simintiras, Assistant Professor of Reproductive and Developmental Biology at Lousiana State University. Dr. Simintiras studies mechanisms of communication between maternal and embryonic tissues that are essential for establishing early pregnancy in mammals. His lab uses a combination of model systems including cattle, transgenic r...

In this episode of The Future Conceived we explore more Alternative Careers in Reproductive Biology, through interviews with reproductive biologists who have jobs outside of academia. Dr. Victor Ruthig from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus interviews Dr. Jane Fenelon about Dr. Fenelon’s non-academic career as the Marsupial Assisted Reproduction Lead at Colossal Biosciences.

Today is the first episode in a three-part miniseries focused on mechanisms of embryonic development. Our host, Cam Schmidt, of East Carolina University has the pleasure of chatting with Dr. Ramiro Alberio, Professor of Developmental Biology at The University of Nottingham in the UK. Dr. Alberio is working to understand the control of cell fate decisions that guide mammalian embryonic development....

What happens when you look at a scientific failure from a different angle? In this episode, we celebrate the intersection of aesthetic beauty and rigorous research as we sit down with the inaugural winners of the SSR ReproBioArt Contest. Join us as Dr. Ingrid Carvacho (Universidad Católica del Maule, Chile) and Dr. Martin Estermann (NIH) reveal the stories behind their award-winning images. From a...

It's a mini lab reunion! Yu-Ying Chen and Shuo Xiao interview their former mentor, Dr. Teresa Woodruff, at the SSR Annual Meeting. Dr. Woodruff, the recipient of the 2025 Carl G. Hartman Award, looks back on her career, sharing the personal story behind her biggest scientific milestones and her fierce dedication to advocacy. Hear her advice on taking "high risk" projects, what she l...

In this episode of The Future Conceived, host Cam Schmidt sits down with Dr. Jim Ferrell, Professor of Chemical and Systems Biology at Stanford University. Known for his pioneering work in the logic of cell signaling, Dr. Ferrell discusses the "mechanism" of life through the lens of physics, chemistry, and mathematics. Dr. Ferrell shares his journey from a triple major at Williams Colleg...

In this episode of the Future Conceived podcast, we celebrate the remarkable achievement of Dr. Diana Monsivais, this year's recipient of the prestigious SSR Virendra B. Mahesh New Investigator Award. This award recognizes outstanding research completed and published within the twelve years (or within the years) after earning a doctoral degree, signifying scientific excellence and dedication...

In this episode of The Future Conceived, we delve into the extraordinary moment life begins: egg activation, the precise signal that jolts the egg out of its arrested state and launches embryonic development. We are joined by Professor Karl Swann (Cardiff University), a world-leading expert who has spent four decades decoding the chemical interactions between sperm and egg. Dr. Swann explains why...

In this highly insightful episode of The Future Conceived , host Cam Schmidt talks with Dr. Carmen Williams , Senior Investigator at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the 2025 winner of the SSR Research Award . Dr. Williams, whose lab investigates the critical events of fertilization, shares groundbreaking findings on calcium signaling during egg activation. You will lear...

Join host Cameron A. Schmidt, PhD, as he kicks off a new series celebrating the vital role of the egg in sexual reproduction. This episode features a conversation with pioneering developmental biologist Dr. Mariana Wolfner of Cornell University. Dr. Wolfner has spent nearly fifty years utilizing the powerful genetics of the vinegar fly, Drosophila melanogaster, to dissect the fundamental mechanism...

In this episode of The Future Conceived, Dr. Fei Zhao, University of Wisconsin-Madison, sits down with Dr. Marcella Pecora Milazzotto, Federal University of ABC. Dr. Pecora Milazzotto is the 2025 Fuller W. Bazer SSR International Scientist Award. Listen in as Dr. Pecora Milazzotto discusses her relationship with SSR, her research and career development stories, and her advice to trainees.

This episode, the conclusion of our mini-series on sperm capacitation, features physicist Dr. Meisam Zaferani discussing sperm motility through the lens of search theory and active matter physics . Dr. Zaferani explains how the sperm, which he calls an "autonomous natural robot," overcomes the massive challenges of movement at the microscopic scale, where movement is dominated by fluid v...

In this episode of The Future Conceived we begin a new series, Alternative Careers in Reproductive Biology, which explores jobs for reproductive biologist outside of academia. Dr. Victor Ruthig from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus interviews Dr. Eglė Ortega about Dr. Ortega’s non-academic career as a reproductive biologist. Dr. Ortega is a Senior Embryologist on the In Vitro Fer...

In this episode of The Future Conceived , host Cam Schmidt talks with Dr. Melanie Balbach, an assistant professor at Michigan State University, about the fascinating world of sperm metabolism. Dr. Balbach, an expert in biochemistry and molecular biology, sheds light on the process of sperm capacitation , the essential maturation step that gives sperm the power to fertilize an egg. From the moment...

Welcome to Future Conceived, the official podcast of the Society for the Study of Reproduction.  In this episode, host Cam Schmidt chats with Dr. Pablo Visconti, Professor of Animal and Veterinary Science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Sperm maturation doesn't end with ejaculation, but instead continues in the female reproductive tract through a series of complex biochemical chan...

Welcome to The Future Conceived, the official podcast of the Society for the Study of Reproduction! In this episode, host Cam Schmidt has a fascinating conversation with Dr. Marisa Bartolomei, Perlman Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of Pennsylvania and the esteemed winner of SSR's 2025 Training Mentoring Award. Dr. Bartolomei shares insights into her unique journ...

In this episode of The Future Conceived, the official podcast of the Society for the Study of Reproduction (SSR), host Dr. Pam Monahan welcomes the editorial team from Biology of Reproduction (BOR), the flagship journal of SSR. Listen in as BOR's Editor-in-Chief Dr. Romana Nowak, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Mary Zelinski, and Publications Manager Ms. Jenny Kimball discuss exciting new features and up...

In this episode of The Future Conceived, Dr. Pam Monahan, Northwestern University, sits down with Francesca Duncan, Northwestern University. Dr. Duncan is the 2024 recipient of The Roger V Short Medal and Lecture award. Listen in as Dr. Duncan discusses her team's aim to understand the mechanisms that drive ovarian aging, her advice to young reproductive scientists, and being the 2024 Roger V...

In this episode of The Future Conceived, Dr. Yu-Ying Chen, postdoctoral fellow at NIEHS and member of the SSR Virtual Education Committee, sits down with Dr. Francesco DeMayo, the 2024 recipient of SSR’s highest honor, The Carl G. Hartman award.  Dr. DeMayo is the the Chief and Senior Investigator in the Reproductive and Developmental Biology Laboratory at the National Institute for Environmental...