Aleksandar Rajkovic, PhD, MD

My research interests lie in the basic and translational medical sciences in the area of reproductive genetics and reproductive tract development. My laboratory discovered numerous oocyte specific transcriptional regulators such as Nobox and Lhx8 that are critical regulators of oocyte differentiation and female gonadal formation. We also discovered Sohlh1 and Sohlh2, two transcriptional regulators that are involved in both male and female gonadal development and germ cell differentiation, as well as major checkpoint regulator of male and female meiosis, Hormad1. In addition to animal models of gonadal development, we apply next generation sequencing technologies to identify genetic etiology of reproductive tract pathologies, including recent findings that DNA damage response genes such as MCM8 and MCM9 play important role in gonadal dysgenesis and male and female infertility. We recently utilized genomic approaches and mouse models to understand genetic mechanisms that underlie leiomyoma tumor formation. We are currently using mouse models of Med12 gene variants to understand their role in reproduction and tumorigenesis.