Francesca Elizabeth Duncan

Research in the Duncan laboratory tests the overarching hypothesis that deterioration of gamete-intrinsic cellular pathways together with changes in the ovarian micoenvironment contribute to the reproductive age-associated decline in egg quantity and quality. Specifically her group uses mammalian model systems to investigate whether three mechanisms common to systemic aging underlie physiologic and iatrogenic reproductive aging: 1) genomic instability, 2) altered metabolism, and 3) fibrosis. These insights will help us design targeted interventions to ameliorate reproductive aging, laying the foundation to simultaneously improve women’s fertile-span and health-span across generations.