Department of OBGYN & Reproductive Health, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School;
So-Youn Kim, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark, New Jersey. She earned her Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry from Yonsei University in Korea before relocating to the United States. Dr. Kim trained as a reproductive endocrinologist during her postdoctoral fellowship at Northwestern University under the guidance of Dr. J. Larry Jameson and Dr. Teresa K. Woodruff. Following her fellowship, she served as an assistant and then associate professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. This year, she joined Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. Dr. Kim has received numerous awards, including the Constance Campbell Memorial Award, the Young Investigator Award from Women in Endocrinology, the New Investigator Award and Distinguished Scientist Award at UNMC, and she was selected for the Rising Stars Session by the Society for the Study of Reproduction (SSR). Her research program in oncofertility has been continuously funded by the NICHD from 2019 to 2031. She investigates the signaling pathways associated with p63, which plays a crucial role in determining oocyte fate within the ovarian reserve. The objective of her study is to protect oocytes from the adverse effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, aiming to preserve endocrine functions and fertility in young cancer patients. Additionally, Dr. Kim has served on various committees, including the Laureate Award Committee and the TCDCC Committee for the ENDO Society. She currently serves as a member of the Membership Committee for the Society for the Study of Reproduction (SSR).

Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis;
Dr. Ma is an associate professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Dermatology at Washington University in St. Louis. He received his B.A. degree in biochemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, and his Ph.D. degree in biochemistry and molecular biology from the University of Southern California. He received his postdoctoral training in developmental genetics at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Dr. Ma’s first academic position was in the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology at Tulane University. In 2004, he was recruited to Washington University Division of Dermatology, where he was promoted to associate professor with tenure in 2011. Dr. Ma uses transgenic and knockout mouse models to elucidate genetic pathways controlling organogenesis and determine how exogenous factors alter key developmental processes. He has published more than 70 papers and is widely recognized for his contributions to reproductive and developmental biology. He has served on numerous study sections, reviewing and advisory panels of NIH, NSF and other governmental and private foundations. He had also served on the Editorial Boards of several journals, including Biology of Reproduction. Dr. Ma's research has continuously been funded by NIH and NSF.