University of Missouri OB/GYN residency program provides comprehensive support for resident research and scholarly activities. Opportunities abound for participation in clinical, surgical, bench, and educational research. We utilize the CREST-structured research curriculum which is initiated during the intern year and our residents often publish peer-reviewed journal articles and present their work. The curriculum includes assigned readings, monthly meetings, and assistance from our Research Success Core, which includes assistance from research assistants and access to study resources.

Our research faculty are world-renowned and have active grants from multiple agencies, most notably many from the National Institute of Health. In 2023, our Department’s researchers have many millions of dollars in research funding through close to a dozen NIH grants.

  • Breton F. Barrier, MD: pelvic floor muscle dysfunction, medical device invention
  • Lisa M. Brennaman, MD: female pelvic floor health
  • Rene G. Cortese, PhD:  epigenomics studies on phenotype modulation in children’s and women’s health
  • Denicia S. Dwarica, MD:  pelvic floor dysfunction, urinary microbiome, healthcare disparities, medical education
  • Raymond T. Foster, MD: urinary incontinence surgery, pelvic floor dysfunction, long-term outcomes of surgical and nonsurgical management for pelvic organ prolapse
  • Jean R. Goodman, MD:  perinatal infectious disease, diabetes in pregnancy, impact of environmental exposures in pregnancy
  • Mark I. Hunter, MD: nutrition and surgery in reproductive tract cancers
  • Jae-Wook Jeong, PhD: uterine biology, infertility, endometriosis, endometrial cancer, steroid hormone regulation
  • Shiying Jin, PhD: normal and cancer stem cells in uterine physiology, aging and cancer, nutrition and stem cell therapies to uterine aging and cancer
  • Tae Hoon Kim, PhD: uterine biology, infertility, endometriosis, endometrial cancer, in vivo imaging
  • Lei Lei, PhD:  premature ovarian insufficiency, female infertility, female fertility preservation, polycystic ovary syndrome, ovarian cancer
  • Rong Li, PhD:  uterine biology, infertility, steroid hormone regulation, endometrial cell differentiation, transcriptional regulation
  • Amanda L. Patterson, PhD:  uterine repair, uterine fibroids, ovarian cancer, stem cell biology
  • Laura C. Schulz, PhD: understanding mechanisms by which maternal physiology influences development of the placenta
  • Jonathan L. Thomas, MD: minimally invasive robotic surgery
  • Wipawee “Joy” Winuthayanon, PhD: estrogen and progesterone actions in the fallopian tube, fertilization and early embryo development, non-hormonal contraceptive development