EDCs & Reproductive Health: Effects of chemical mixtures on ovarian function

By Collaborative for Health & Environment
Up to 15% of women of reproductive age are infertile, with ovarian disorders as the leading cause. These disorders include primary ovarian insufficiency, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), anovulation, and aneuploidy.

Thus far, the underlying mechanisms of ovarian dysfunctions remain largely unknown but have been related to exposure to environmental endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), including dioxins, phthalates, bisphenols, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Most prior research focuses only on a single EDC, but humans in the real world are exposed to complex EDC mixtures.

In this EDC Strategies Partnership/Young EDC Scientists Showcase (YESS) webinar, Dr. Shuo Xiao will introduce his lab research that focuses on integrating in vivo, in vitro, and in silico models to study the impacts of real-world EDC mixtures on female ovarian function, reproductive outcomes, and the molecular mechanisms involved.

Dr. Xiao is the 2025 winner of the Lou Guillette, Jr Outstanding Young Investigator Award from Healthy Environment and Endocrine Disruptor Strategies (HEEDS), a program of Environmental Health Sciences. This award is given yearly in honor of Dr. Lou Guillette Jr. (1954-2015) to a young investigator who embodies Lou’s love of science, communication and commitment to mentoring.

This webinar will be moderated by Sarah Howard, Program Manager at HEEDS.

Featured Speaker:

• Dr. Shuo Xiao is an Associate Professor from the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at Rutgers University School of Pharmacy and Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute (EOHSI). He earned his medical degree from Peking University, followed by PhD in Female Reproductive Biology and Toxicology under Dr. Xiaoqin Ye’s supervision from the University of Georgia, and postdoctoral training in Dr. Teresa Woodruff’s lab from Northwestern University. Dr. Xiao’s research focuses on women’s reproductive health, including (1) ovarian impacts of environmental contaminants and clinical drugs; (2) non-hormonal female contraception and ovarian protectant development, and (3) engineering female reproduction system-on-chip. These projects are funded by NIH, DOD, NSF, and Gates Foundation. Dr. Xiao has published 80 peer-reviewed papers, including Nature Communications, PNAS, Environmental Health Perspectives, Biology of Reproduction, and Toxicological Sciences. Dr. Xiao now serves as the President of Middle Atlantic Reproduction & Teratology Association (MARTA), Immediate Past President of American Association of Chinese in Toxicology (AACT), Associate Editor of Biology of Reproduction (BOR) and Toxicological Sciences, and Chair of Basic Science Committee of Oncofertility Consortium. Dr. Xiao has received several major awards to recognize his research in women’s reproductive health, such as the SSR New Investigator Award in 2024 and SOT Achievement Award in 2025.