Ramya Sethuram, M.D., a Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility fellow in the Wayne State University School of Medicine’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, was recognized for her outstanding research abstract by the American Society of Reproductive Medicine. 

Dr. Sethuram was one of only 15 recipients to receive the 2021 Corporate Member Council In-Training Award from several thousand entries, she said. Selection was based on the scientific merit of her abstract and credentials.

“This is first time I have won this award and I am absolutely thrilled. This is acknowledgment for a year’s worth of hard work in the lab and I couldn’t be happier,” Dr. Sethuram said. “I am grateful for great support and mentorship that I got from Associate Professor Jennifer Condon, Ph.D., at the C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development. I couldn’t have done it without her.”

The award is open to undergraduates, medical students, residents, doctoral students, M.D. fellows and postdoctoral fellows. She won for “The Role of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Response in the Regulation of Endometrial Interferon Beta Production in Decidualized Versus Non-Decidualized Endometrial Cells,” which she will present at the ASRM’s Scientific Congress and Expo, set for Oct. 17-20 in Baltimore.

Her research looks at endometrial cells, the cells that comprise the inner lining of the uterus that shed during the menstrual cycle.

“The ‘talk’ between the endometrium and the embryo is critical to establishment of a successful pregnancy. I am looking at the response of endometrial cells to stress – pregnancy is a stressor. I have looked into the endometrial stress response in decidualized – endometrium ready for pregnancy – versus non decidualized – not ready for pregnancy,” she said. “We found that there was a significant difference in response between the two types of endometrial cells. This expands our understanding of the process of implantation of the embryo and hence could open a window into the role of the endometrium in the establishment of a successful pregnancy.”

Dr. Sethuram will complete the project in December, and her fellowship in June 2022. After finishing her residency at Drexel University Hospital, she chose Wayne State for her fellowship “because of the fantastic research opportunities and the great mentorship available for fellows at the Mott Center,” she said.