Nicole Fletcher

"I am among those who think that science has great beauty. A scientist in his laboratory is not only a technician: he is also a child placed before natural phenomena which impress him like a fairy tale." Marie Curie.
Nicole received her BS in biology from Wayne State University in spring 2006, but when Nicole started her undergraduate program, she was still unsure of where her love for biology would lead her.  After various courses in the field of biology, she discovered her love for the laboratory, and chose to focus on research. 
After graduating, she accepted a Research Assistant position with Dr. Ghassan Saed (WSU-OB/Gyn) and discovered her 'niche' was to be reproductive physiology or, more specifically, infertility and in vitro fertilization.  So with the full support of Dr. Saed, Nicole applied to our PhD program for fall 2008. She was accepted and awarded an IBS Fellowship. 

Tiffiny Gibson

Tiffini received a BS in Animal Science from Texas A&M University and an MS in Endocrinology & Reproductive Physiology form the University of Wisconsin (Thesis: Physiological Mechanisms of Endogenous & Exogenous Estrogen on Uterine Blood Flow in Sheep). Tiffini worked as an embryologist for Women and Infants Hospital, in Providence, Rhode Island before deciding to pursue a Ph.D. And like Catherine, Tiffini transferred to Wayne State when Dr. Carol Brenner left the University of New Orleans. Her current research interests are in reproductive and molecular biology in non-human primates.

Mohamad El Shmoury

Mohamad was born in a small farming community in Lebanon. He first decided to pursue a career in science when a person came to his village to look at the plants, taking samples away with him for further study. When he asked who the man was, his grandfather said he was an agriculture scientist. 
He was awarded a full scholarship from the Hariri Foundation to attend the American University of Beirut. Though he began a traditional agriculture program, the department opened a new graduate discipline in advanced technology, concentrating on in vitro culture and he knew it would be a great area of research.
His first position was as an in vitro fertilization technician which eventually led to a training opportunity in the United States. After a year his employer offered him a permanent position as an embryologist which he accepted.
In the ensuing eight years he has completed a MS degree in clinical embryology from Eastern Virginia School of Medicine and earned his certification as an embryology laboratory director from the American Board of Bioanalysis. "I was excited to learn about the PhD program at Wayne State that tailors training & education towards the reproductive sciences & clinical embryology. I?m looking forward to developing my research potential so I can be a leader in this field."

Dhiman Maitra

Dhiman is  from India. He received his BS from the Presidency College in Calcutta and an MS in biochemistry from Calcutta University. During his masters program he had the opportunity to work with a couple of distinguished professors which provided him with not only experience with laboratory techniques but also a desire to pursue research as a career.
Dhiman?s inquiry into our new reproductive sciences concentration put him in touch with Dr. Abu Soud who is currently studying the control of the enzymatic NO generation system as well as its role in human reproduction. Dhiman says this initial communication turned his curiosity about pursuing a PhD into goal for his future. He started our program in fall 2007 with a Reproductive Sciences Fellowship and began working with Dr. Abu Soud a full month before his program officially began.
"The predictability and precision of life processes and the uniqueness with which every organism is created always intrigued me. As I learned about the mechanisms of various vital life processes, I gathered that they are almost similar for all organisms, cutting across evolutionary strata."

Jennell White

"The foundation that my parents laid for me as a child growing up in Detroit is one that I abide by today. The formation of this foundation was solidified with the special ingredients of faith, family, and the acquisition of knowledge. Instilled in me at a very early age was the attitude that I could achieve anything I desired through hard work, discipline, dedication, and determination.
"I was blessed with the opportunity to be involved with two research projects at Karmanos; the first as an intern for Dr. Brenda Foster during my junior year of high school; the second as a research assisitant for Dr. David Evans during my sophomore year at Xavier University in New Orleans." Jennell says each experience was quite rewarding.
She returned to Detroit, entered the BMS program which she completed in Dec 2005. After careful consideration, Jennell decided to apply to Graduate School instead of Medical School.
Jennell has chosen the Reproductive Sciences concentration and is currently working with Dr. Saed in Ob/Gyn.

Steven Zhou

Steven is from Huanggang, Hubei, China, completed his bachelor?s degree in pharmacology from China Pharmaceutical University (in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China). His master's degree is also in pharmacology, received from the Zhejiang Academy of Medical Sciences (Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China).
Steven is interested in reproductive physiology and after rotating, he's chosen Dr. Rappolee for an advisor.