Chromosome Biology and the Science of Reproduction
Patricia Hunt receives a "SciAm 50" award from Scientific American. Click here, see item #12.
Research into the molecular basis of reproduction seeks to prevent and eliminate suffering from reproductive problems and disabling diseases such as birth defects, cancer, mental illness, and diabetes. WSU has a strategic niche in research related to mammalian reproduction in molecular signaling and chromosome biology. From understanding the impact of toxins over generations to advancing early diagnostics of genetic defects, these researchers are breaking new ground in understanding what impacts and threatens the health of this and future generations. Results of their work influence health care and environmental practices and policies worldwide.
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One day in the future, the current increased
likelihood that older pregnant women will produce
chromosomally abnormal children may be greatly
diminished. That’s the ultimate goal of
internationally renowned geneticist
Patricia Hunt and her research
colleagues, who are examining the role age plays in
altering chromosomes in human eggs. Dr. Hunt’s research focuses on germ cell development to understand the genetic control of sex determination and the meiotic process (cell division that halves the number of chromosomes in reproductive cells) in mammals. Although researchers have determined that the maternal age effect is the result of errors in the cell division process that typically occurs during the completion of the first meiotic division, the exact role of age in the process remains unknown. A member of the Washington State University faculty since January 2005, Dr. Hunt receives her primary research funding from the National Institutes of Health. She is a former faculty member at Case Western Reserve University and Emory University. Dr. Hunt earned a bachelor’s degree at Michigan State University and a master’s degree and doctorate in anatomy and reproductive biology from the University of Hawaii. |
Areas of research preeminence:
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