We are a small team of talented researchers with a passion for science and all things ovary!
Stephanie A. Pangas, PhD
Dr. Pangas, received her PhD with Dr. Teresa Woodruff at Northwestern University, prior to her postdoctoral studies with Dr. Martin Matzuk at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. She established her laboratory at Baylor College of Medicine in 2007 and currently holds the Roger Rosen Endowed Professorship in Reproductive Pathology as a tenured Professor. She is an internationally recognized reproductive biologist specializing in women’s health. She has received numerous awards, including a Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Award in the Biomedical Sciences, the Society for the Study of Reproduction New Investigator Award, and grants from the National Cancer Institute and Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. She is currently the Director of the NIH T32 training grant, Comprehensive Mechanisms in Reproductive Sciences and co-Director of the Cancer and Cellular Biology Graduate Program in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. In her spare time, she enjoys riding horses and tries to keep track of her growing number of animal rescues and chickens.
Jaspreet Rishi, PhD
Jaspreet is currently a 2nd year Postdoctoral Associate. She received her BS in Biochemistry at the University of Northern Iowa and then her PhD with Dr. Aileen Keating at Iowa State University in Reproductive Toxicology focusing on DNA damage repair in oocytes. Her current interests are oocyte development, particularly the role of SUMOylation in meiosis, and improving methods for in vitro fertilization. In her free time, she enjoys exploring national parks and playing soccer, and was a member of the Indian’s Women’s Football (Soccer) team that particpated in the Asian Football Confederation qualifying rounds in Malasia and Vietnam.
Tessa Steenwinkel, MS
Tessa is a 2nd-year PhD student in the Development, Disease Models and Therapeutics Graduate Program (DDMT) at BCM. She previously attended Michigan Technological University where she earned an B.S. in Biochemistry and M.S. in Biological Sciences. Her current interest lies in the spatial organization of the oocyte and the origin of polycystic ovary disease. She is also the recipient of an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (GFRP). When she is not in lab, she loves to run, cook, and explore Houston.
Bruno Moscoso Rodriguez, BA
Bruno joined the laboratory in May 2023 as a Research Technician II. He graduated from Rice University with a BS in Kinesiology. In the lab, Bruno enjoys studying developmental biology and doing detailed anatomic analysis and dissections. His future plans include applying to medical school, with the goal of working in emergency medicine.
Tegan Tien
Tegan is a Senior at Rice University working towards a B.S. in Biosciences with a concentration in Cell Biology and Genetics. She is also pursuing a minor in the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality, focusing on women’s health and reproduction. After her undergrad, she plans to attend Baylor College of Medicine through the Rice/Baylor Medical Scholars Program and eventually become a reproductive endocrinologist. For fun, Tegan likes to bake, cycle, and explore Houston with her friends.
Pangas Laboratory 