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PODCAST

The Future Conceived

The Future Conceived podcast is the official podcast for the Society for the Study of Reproduction. In this podcast, you"ll hear about emerging scientists, new techniques, investigators from around the world, untold stories about our annual conference, and so much more! For more information about the Society for the Study of Reproduction and all things reproductive biology related please visit: https://www.ssr.org. Enjoy!

science life sciences

All Episodes

52:07

EP 64: Avian Organoids, Egg Production, and Science...

The Future Conceived ·

2026/09/28

In this episode of The Future Conceived, host Dr. Jeremy Egbert sits down with Dr. Kahina Boukherroub to explore the unique world of avian reproductive biology. Dr. Boukherroub breaks down how 3D tissue organoids are transforming poultry research, offering key insights into antioxidant pathways to improve turkey fertility and exploring how the reproductive tract responds to pathogens like avian influenza. Beyond the bench, Dr. Boukherroub offers practical, encouraging advice for early-career...

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77:46

EP 63: Beyond Molecular Mechanisms with Dr. Rob Phillips

The Future Conceived ·

2026/08/14

This is the final episode of our 2025-26 series on ‘mechanisms in reproductive biology’. Over the course of twelve fascinating conversations, I’ve spoken with researchers fom various disciplines who study sperm, eggs, or embryos through the lenses of molecular biology, evolution, and physics. My goal was to learn from researchers who study the same systems, but approach the problem from completely different starting assumptions about how biology works in the first place. Additionally, I had a...

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25:14

EP 62: 2025 Repro BioArt Awards with Avery Hlavacek,...

The Future Conceived ·

2026/07/28

In this episode of The Future Conceived, hosts Pam Monahan and Ana Cheong sit down with the brilliant minds behind the stunning winning images of the 2025 SSR Repro BioArt Contest. This annual competition, organized by the Society for the Study of Reproduction's Public Affairs Committee, celebrates the extraordinary beauty, creativity, and discovery revealed under the microscope. Meet the Winners & Their Masterpieces Lyda Yuliana Parra Forero (People’s Choice Award Winner): A postdoctoral...

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82:26

EP 61: How (And Why) To Think About Computation in...

The Future Conceived ·

2026/06/28

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 lives, it seems worth examining whether computing metaphors are poised to reshape our understanding ...

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130:43

EP60: How To Think About Biology with Dr. Dan Nicholson

The Future Conceived ·

2026/05/28

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 computing metaphors might supercede the machine metaphors that dominate in molecular biology, and how ...

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24:55

E59: Janice Bahr Junior Scientist Travel Award with...

The Future Conceived ·

2026/05/15

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: the fascinating and often under-explored relationship between immune cells and the ovary. From the prenata...

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93:44

EP 58: Early Embryo Development: The Material Physics...

The Future Conceived ·

2026/04/28

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 spindle apparatus that segregates the chromosomes is comprised of ~1000 distinct types of pr...

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38:48

EP 57: Interview with RV Short Medal Recipient Dr....

The Future Conceived ·

2026/04/19

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 revolutionize contraception and oncofertility. To learn more about Dr. Pepin's lab site, visit https://www.pepinlab.com/...

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58:19

EP56: Embryo Development: Metabolism and the Uterine...

The Future Conceived ·

2026/03/28

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 rodents, and organoids grown from human cells, with the ultimate goal of understanding of how preg...

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24:08

E55: Alternative Careers in Reproductive Biology: Dr....

The Future Conceived ·

2026/03/15

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.

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81:57

EP54: Embryo Development: Genetic Programs with Dr....

The Future Conceived ·

2026/03/02

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. His approach integrates single cell transcriptomics and gene editing techniques in economically ...

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27:59

E53: 2024 Repro BioArt Awards with Ingrid Carvacho,...

The Future Conceived ·

2026/02/13

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 "rejected" chicken embryo that transformed into a vibrant butterfly to a two-cell embryo that l...

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33:14

E52: Carl G. Hartman Award with Dr. Teresa K. Woodruff

The Future Conceived ·

2026/01/28

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 learned from industry, why she loves teaching (from first grade to postdocs), and how a conversation by the beach...

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77:07

EP51: Egg Activation: Cell Regulatory Systems with...

The Future Conceived ·

2026/01/19

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 College to becoming a leading voice in Systems Biology. The conversation dives deep into: Biological Circuits: H...

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21:14

EP50: Virendra B. Mahesh New Investigator Award with...

The Future Conceived ·

2025/12/29

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 to advancing reproductive health. Dr. Monsivais is known for her innovative work that deepens o...

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70:56

EP49: Egg Activation: Calcium Dynamics with Dr. Karl...

The Future Conceived ·

2025/12/14

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 the entire process depends on a series of small, rapid bursts of calcium . These repeated calci...

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50:33

EP 48: The Calcium Code—SSR Research Award Interview...

The Future Conceived ·

2025/11/29

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 learn: Why the simple components of in vitro culture media, specifically calcium and magnesium ratios, d...

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69:14

EP47: Egg Activation: Molecular Mechanisms with Dr....

The Future Conceived ·

2025/11/20

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 mechanisms guiding sex determination and development, spanning from genetics and molecular biology to evol...

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18:23

E46: Fuller W. Bazer Award with Marcella Pecora...

The Future Conceived ·

2025/10/28

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.

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57:18

EP45: Sperm Capacitation: Intelligent Motion with Dr....

The Future Conceived ·

2025/10/14

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 viscosity rather than inertia. To maximize their chance of reaching the egg, sperm constantly adapt their swi...

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64 results

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