MSU’s new provost, Teresa Woodruff, has recently been named a recipient of one of the Endocrine Society’s 2021 Laureate Awards — top honors that recognize the highest achievements in the endocrinology field.
Endocrinologists specialize in hormone-related diseases and dedicate their research and clinical care to people with conditions like diabetes, thyroid disorders, obesity, hormone-related cancers, growth problems, osteoporosis and infertility.
Earning the Gerald D. Aurbach Award for Outstanding Translational Research, which highlights exceptional research that accelerates the transition of scientific discoveries into clinical applications, Woodruff has been credited as one of the 15 leading endocrinologists by the society.
Woodruff, a former editor-in-chief of the journal “Endocrinology” and a past president of the Endocrine Society, is a powerhouse in ovarian biology and reproductive science and has committed her research to improve female fertility. What’s more, she is MSU’s chief academic officer and an MSU Foundation Professor of obstetrics gynecology, reproductive biology and biomedical engineering.
Coining the term oncofertility — the blend of oncology and fertility — in 2006, Woodruff created a now widely-recognized medical field that strives to explore and expand the reproductive options of cancer patients and cancer survivors.
She is also the founder and director of the Oncofertility Consortium, a national initiative that explores the reproductive future of cancer survivors. With the help of a team of oncologists, fertility specialists, social scientists, educators and policymakers, Woodruff works to translate her research to the clinical care of women who will lose their fertility due to cancer treatment.
The society will present the awards to the winners at its annual meeting, Endo 2021. To view all of the winners, visit The Endocrine Society’s website.