Up to 15% of women of reproductive age are infertile, with ovarian disorders as a leading cause. These disorders include primary ovarian insufficiency, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), anovulation, and aneuploidy.
The underlying mechanisms of ovarian dysfunctions remain largely unknown, but studies have shown links to exposure to environmental endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) including dioxins, phthalates, bisphenols, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Most prior research focuses on exposure to a single EDC, but in the real world people are exposed to complex EDC mixtures.
In this EDC Strategies Partnership/Young EDC Scientists Showcase (YESS) webinar, Dr. Shuo Xiao will introduce his lab research that focuses on integrating in vivo, in vitro, and in silico models to study the impacts of real-world EDC mixtures on female ovarian function, reproductive outcomes, and the molecular mechanisms involved.
Dr. Xiao is the 2025 winner of the Lou Guillette, Jr Outstanding Young Investigator Award from Healthy Environment and Endocrine Disruptor Strategies (HEEDS), a program of Environmental Health Sciences. This award is given yearly in honor of Dr. Lou Guillette Jr. (1954-2015) to a young investigator who embodies Lou’s love of science, communication and commitment to mentoring.
This webinar will be moderated by Sarah Howard, Program Manager at HEEDS.
Featured Speaker
Dr. Shuo Xiao is an Associate Professor from the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at Rutgers University School of Pharmacy and Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute (EOHSI). He earned his medical degree from Peking University, followed by PhD in Female Reproductive Biology and Toxicology under Dr. Xiaoqin Ye’s supervision from the University of Georgia, and postdoctoral training in Dr. Teresa Woodruff’s lab from Northwestern University. Dr. Xiao’s research focuses on women’s reproductive health, including (1) ovarian impacts of environmental contaminants and clinical drugs; (2) non-hormonal female contraception and ovarian protectant development, and (3) engineering female reproduction system-on-chip. These projects are funded by NIH, DOD, NSF, and Gates Foundation. Dr. Xiao has published 80 peer-reviewed papers, including Nature Communications, PNAS, Environmental Health Perspectives, Biology of Reproduction, and Toxicological Sciences. Dr. Xiao now serves as the President of Middle Atlantic Reproduction & Teratology Association (MARTA), Immediate Past President of American Association of Chinese in Toxicology (AACT), Associate Editor of Biology of Reproduction (BOR) and Toxicological Sciences, and Chair of Basic Science Committee of Oncofertility Consortium. Dr. Xiao has received several major awards to recognize his research in women’s reproductive health, such as the SSR New Investigator Award in 2024 and SOT Achievement Award in 2025.
This webinar is hosted by the EDC Strategies Partnership, which is co-chaired by Sharyle Patton (Commonweal Biomonitoring Resource Center), Jerry Heindel and Sarah Howard (Environmental Health Sciences' Healthy Environment and Endocrine Disruptor Strategies, HEEDS), Génon Jensen (Health and Environment Alliance, HEAL), and Rachel Massey (Collaborative for Health and Environment, CHE). To see a full list of past calls and webinars related to EDCs and listen to or view recordings, please visit our partnership page.
This webinar is also part of the Young EDC Scientists Showcase (YESS) webinar series, sponsored by the Healthy Environment and Endocrine Disruptor Strategies (HEEDS) Mentoring Working Group and coordinated by the Collaborative for Health and Environment (CHE). This series features speakers in the early stages of their careers, such as PhD students, post-docs, and other early-career researchers who study endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs).