Program:
Start Year:
2022
Why did you choose Duke for your residency training?
I chose Duke for multiple reasons: (1) The mission, vision, and core values stated by Duke's Ob/Gyn department leaders reflect my own: service, integrity, scholarship, and kindness. In particular, Duke has an emphasis on training “kind consultants” that was unique on the interview trail. (2) I was inspired by Duke’s self-stated mission to pursue equitable Ob/Gyn healthcare outcomes at an ambitious pace for the people of North Carolina. (3) The research support, and incorporation of clinician/surgeon-scientist perspectives in the Duke Ob/Gyn department was unparalleled. As a clinician-scientist myself, this was extremely important. (4) The camaraderie and community was palpable even over Zoom in Duke Ob/Gyn's residency program. This was confirmed 1000% upon meeting my remarkable and inspiring co-interns, and being warmly welcomed in July, by the same close knit resident friends who had interviewed me only several months beforehand.
What excites you about the residency program at Duke Ob/Gyn?
I am excited about all of Duke’s Ob/Gyn residency program. The upper levels are SO skilled and knowledgeable, while simultaneously being incredibly patient and enthusiastic teachers. Everyone is your teacher at Duke, the chair, the PGYs, the midwives, nurses, etc. I am excited to explore the sub-specialties, develop my independent resident research project, and grow my leadership skills at Duke. Most of all, I am super excited about the close friendships I will cultivate during my time in residency.
What are your career goals?
I foresee myself being actively involved in clinical service, mentoring, and creative, innovation-driven research. I do plan on pursuing fellowship training; however, I am still exploring multiple areas, especially reproductive endocrinology, and gynecologic oncology. I hope to lead an interdisciplinary career as a clinician, scientist, and mentor…so, likely academic medicine.
Describe your research interests/goals:
I am very interested in reproductive bioengineering and medical device innovation. Particularly in the space of assisted reproductive technologies (eg. embryo selection, prediction, and fetal support), as well advances in minimally invasive tools for diagnostic and operative management of female reproductive tract illnesses, disorders, and comorbidities (eg. hysteroscopes, data predictive algorithms).
What are your hobbies?
My largest hobbies are exercise (Olympic style weightlifting has been my primary sport the past several years), reading (ask me for book recommendations! I read lots of fantasy/sci-fi, magical realism, philosophical, and classic literature), meditation, and cooking/eating. I grew up roasting pigs annually with my father and I am looking forward to exploring barbecue and American southern cuisine!
Education & Training
Undergraduate school & graduation year:
University of Rhode Island, 2011
Medical school & graduation year:
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Medical Scientist Training Program, 2022
Awards & Honors
2021-Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Inductee
2021-Invited Keynote Lecture, Society for the Study of Reproduction
2020-Edward A Bouchet Graduate Honor Society
2020-Abstract Merit Finalist, American Society of Andrology
2019-Invited Keynote Lecture, American Society of Andrology
2019-Outstanding Poster Presentation, Illinois Symposium for Reproductive Sciences
2019-Outstanding Abstract Award, Oncofertility Consortium
2018-Best Oral Presentation, IL Symposium for Reproductive Sciences
2018-Outstanding Abstract Award, Endocrine Society
Publications
Peipert BJ, Mebane S, Edmonds ME, Watch L, Jain T, (2023), Economics of Fertility Care, Obstet Gynecol Clin N Am, 50:4, 721-734.
Edmonds, M.E., & Woodruff, T.K.. (2020, Jul). Testicular organoid formation is a property of immature somatic cells, which self-assemble and exhibit long-term hormone-responsive endocrine function. Biofabrication, 12(4), 045002. PMID: 32492667.
Edmonds, M.E., Forshee, M.D., & Woodruff, T.K.. (2020, Oct). ECM and ECM-free methods for generating murine testicular organoids. Journal of Visualized Experiments, (163), e61403. PMID: 33104061.
Gargus*, E.S., Rogers*, H.B., McKinnon* K.E., Edmonds*, M.E., & Woodruff, T.K.. (2020, Apr). Engineered Reproductive Tissues. Nature Biomedical Engineering, 4(4), 381-393. PMID: 32251392.
Lee,H.C., Edmonds, M.E., Duncan, F.E., O’Halloran, T.V., & Woodruff, T.K.. (2020, Apr). Zinc exocytosis is sensitive to myosin light chain kinase inhibition in mouse and human eggs. Molecular Human Reproduction, 26(4), 228-239. PMID: 32119740.
Rashedi, A.S., de Roo, S.F., Ataman, L.M., Edmonds, M.E., Silva, A.A., Scarella, A., Horbaczewska, A., Anazodo, A., Arvas, A.,Ramalho de Carvalho, B., Sartorio, C., Beerendonk, C.C.M., Diaz-Garcia, C., Suh, C.S., Melo, C.,… & Woodruff, T.K.. (2020, Mar).
A Survey of Fertility Preservation Options Available to Cancer Patients Around the Globe. JCO Global Oncology, 6( ),JGO.2016.008144. PMID: 32259160.
Rashedi, A.S., de Roo, S.F., Ataman, L.M., Edmonds, M.E., Silva, A.A., Scarella, A., Horbaczewska, A., Anazodo, A., Arvas, A., Ramalho de Carvalho, B., Sartorio, C., Beerendonk, C.C.M., Diaz-Garcia, C., Suh, C.S., Melo, C.,… & Woodruff, T.K.. (2020, Mar).
A survey of third party parenting options associated with fertility preservation available to cancer patients around the globe. JCO Global Oncology, 6( ), JGO.2017.009944. PMID: 32259159.
Li, Y., Edmonds, M.E., Woodruff, T.K., & Kim, S.Y.. (2019, Feb). Inhibitors of apoptosis protect the ovarian reserve from cyclophosphamide. Journal of Endocrinology, 240(2), 243-256. PMID: 30530902.
Anand, A., Luthra, A., Edmond, M.E., Ledoyt, M., Caimano, M.J., & Radolf, J.D.. (2014, Sep). The major outer sheath protein (Msp) of Treponema denticola has a bipartite domain architecture and exists as periplasmic and outer membrane-spanning conformers. Journal of Bacteriology, 196(18), 3361. PMID: 23457251.
González-Sarrías, A., Ma, H., Edmonds, M.E., & Seeram, N,P.. (2013, Jan). Maple polyphenols, ginnalins A-C, induce S- and G2/M-cell cycle arrest in colon and breast cancer cells mediated by decreasing cyclins A and D1 levels. Food Chemistry, 136(2), 636-642. PMID: 23122108.
Ma, H., Yuan, T., González-Sarrías, A., Li, L., Edmonds, M.E., & Seeram, N.P.. (2012, Jan). New galloyl derivative from winged sumac (Rhus copallinum) fruit. Natural Products Communications, 7(1), 45-46. PMID: 22428241.
Duncan, F.E., Feinberg, E., Brannigan, R.E., Edmonds, M.E., Ataman, A., & Woodruff, T.K.. (2019). Fertility Preservation. In J.Strauss., R. Barbieri. (Ed.), Yen & Jaffe’s Reproductive Endocrinology (pp. 857-886.e6). Philadelphia: Elsevier.
Edmonds, M.E., Orwig, K.E., & Brannigan, R.E.. (2019). Fertility Preservation and Restoration in Pediatric Males. In T. K. Woodruff., D. K. Shah., & W. S. Vitek (Ed.), Textbook of Oncofertility Research and Practice: A Multidisciplinary Approach (pp. 385-394). Cham: Springer.
Presentations
Edmonds, M.E.. (2021, August 04). Engineering the testis: current state and future perspectives. Society for the Study of Reproduction/Chicago, IL, USA.
Edmonds, M.E., & Woodruff, T.K.. (2020, May 15). Testicular organoids recapitulate the testis microenvironment. American Society of Andrology/Chicago, IL, USA.
Edmonds, M.E., Pulaski, H., Orwig, K.E., & Woodruff, T.K.. (2019, July 20). Development of an in vitro testicular organoid model. Society for the Study of Reproduction/San Jose, CA, USA.
Edmonds, M.E.. (2019, April 07). Clinical considerations: oncofertility, fertility preservation, and restoration. American Society of Andrology/Chicago, IL, USA.
Edmonds, M.E., & Woodruff, T.K.. (2018, June 08). Investigatory methods in testis in vitro modeling. Frontiers in Reproduction Symposium/Woods Hole, MA, USA.
Edmonds, M.E., Rashedi, A.S., Forshee, M.D., Collins, K., Pulaski, H., Orwig, K.E., & Woodruff, T.K.. (2018, October 08). Investigatory methods in testis in vitro modeling. Illinois Symposium for Reproductive Science/Carbondale, IL, USA.
Edmonds, M.E., Will, C.M., Brannigan, R.E., & Woodruff, T.K.. (2016, November 01). In vitro spermatogenesis: a quest for form and function. Oncofertility Consortium/Chicago, IL, USA.
Edmonds, M.E., & Woodruff, T.K.. (2015, November 03). Bioengineering the testis. Oncofertility Consortium/Chicago, IL, USA.
Edmonds, M.E., Pulaski, H., Orwig, K.E., & Woodruff, T.K.. (2019, April 06). Experimental in vitro models of testicular tissue maintenance and morphogenesis. American Society of Andrology/Chicago, IL, USA.
Edmonds, M.E., Pulaski, H., Orwig, K.E., & Woodruff, T.K.. (2019, March 24). Microfluidic and static culture of human testicular tissue. Endocrine Society/New Orleans, LA, USA.
Edmonds, M.E., Pulaski, H., Orwig, K.E., & Woodruff, T.K.. (2019, November 11). Development of an in vitro testicular organoid model. Oncofertility Consortium/Chicago, IL, USA.
Edmonds, M.E., Pulaski, H., Orwig, K.E., & Woodruff, T.K.. (2019, November 13). Development of an in vitro testicular organoid model. Illinois Symposium for Reproductive Science/Chicago,
Edmonds, M.E., Pulaski, H., Orwig, K.E., & Woodruff, T.K.. (2018, November 14). Investigatory methods to model the male gonad in vitro. Oncofertility Consortium/Chicago, IL, USA.
Edmonds, M.E., Rashedi, A.S., Forshee, M.D., Tam, S., Pulaski, H., Orwig, K.E., & Woodruff, T.K.. (2018, March 18). Investigatory methods to model the male gonad in vitro. Endocrine Society/Chicago, IL, USA.
Edmonds, M.E., Rashedi, A.S., Will, C.M., & Woodruff, T.K.. (2017, June 12). DudeKube: in vitro modeling of the male gonad. Center for Reproductive Science Summit/Chicago, IL, USA.
Edmonds, M.E., Rashedi, A.S., Will, C.M., Woodruff, T.K.. (2017, November 15). Engineering the testis. Oncofertility Consortium/Chicago, IL, USA.
Edmonds, M.E., Anand, A., Luthra, A., Ledoyt, M., Caimano, M.J., & Radolf, J.D.. (2012, November 09). Msp, an outer membrane protein of the oral spirochete, treponema denticola, has a bipartite domain structure consisting of an N-terminal and pore-forming C-terminal domain. Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students/San Jose, CA, USA.