Profile
Dr. Lei’s research focuses on mammalian ovarian reserve formation, maintenance, and its associated female reproductive health issues. The Lei lab is particularly interested in understanding 1) how the intercellular transport of organelles and cytoplasm during ovarian reserve formation in fetal ovaries influences ovarian function and female fertility in adulthood; 2) the roles of organelle organization and RNA storage in ovarian reserve maintenance and activation in adult females; and 3) cellular origins of ovarian cancer. Dr. Lei’s research has been reported in Science, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA (PNAS), Development and Biology Open, etc. Dr. Lei has been peer-reviewing research articles for Science, PNAS, Nature Medicine, etc. and research grants for the National Institutes of Health.
Academic Information
Research Interests
- Oogenesis
- Ovarian reserve formation and maintenance
- Developmental origins of ovarian dysfunction
- Female fertility preservation
- Cellular origins of ovarian cancer
Areas of Expertise
- Ovarian biology
- Cell and developmental biology
- Stem cell and regenerative biology
- Ovarian cancer
Education & Training
Degrees
2015 Postdoctoral Associate Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institution for Science
2009 Postdoctoral Fellow Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Awards & Honors
- 2014 Endocrine Society Travel Award to Gordon Research Conference
- 2015 IDEA Stem Cell Award, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan
- 2016 Young Investigators Achievement Award, Jones Foundation for Reproductive Medicine
- 2017 Beattie Awards in Stem Cell Biology, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan
- 2018-present Review Editor, Frontiers in Endocrinology
- 2018-present Reviewing Editor, Biology of Reproduction
- 2019-2024 National Institute of General Medical Sciences R01 Award