Vice Chancellor for Research, University of Missouri
Curators’ Distinguished Professor, Department of Animal Sciences, College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
Curators’ Distinguished Professor, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health, School of Medicine
NextGen Focus Area: Reproductive Health
Spencer’s laboratory seeks to define critical physiological and genetic pathways that regulate uterine development, function, and regeneration to improve reproduction and health of women and animals. His earlier work established that the glands of the uterus are essential for embryo survival and growth using the ovine uterine gland knockout model. Subsequent research revealed fundamental aspects of postnatal uterine development and uterine receptivity as well as illuminated the evolutionary biology and functional role of endogenous retroviruses in placental development. Current research foci in his lab include: cellular and molecular mechanisms governing development of the uterus; maternal and paternal regulation of pregnancy establishment in cattle; placental development in domestic animals; development of animal models to study uterine function; and biological roles of uterine glands and their products in uterine receptivity, stromal cell decidualization, and placental development.
Precision Health Impact:
- Elucidating mechanisms underlying unexplained infertility and endometrium-based disease
- Improving diagnosis and treatment of infertility
- Improving women’s reproductive health
Publications:
- Fitzgerald HC, Kelleher AM, Ranjit C, Schust DJ, Spencer TE. Basolateral secretions of human endometrial epithelial organoids impact stromal cell decidualization. Mol Hum Reprod. 2023 Apr 3;29(4):gaad007.
- Kelleher AM, Allen CC, Davis DJ, Spencer TE. Prss29 Cre recombinase mice are useful to study adult uterine gland function. Genesis. 2022 Dec;60(10–12):e23493.
- Dhakal P, Kelleher AM, Behura SK, Spencer TE. Sexually dimorphic effects of forkhead box a2 (FOXA2) and uterine glands on decidualization and fetoplacental development. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020 Sep 22;117(38):23952–9.
- Davenport KM, Ortega MS, Liu H, O’Neil EV, Kelleher AM, Warren WC, et al. Single-nuclei RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) uncovers trophoblast cell types and lineages in the mature bovine placenta. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2023 Mar 21;120(12):e2221526120.
- Dhakal P, Fitzgerald HC, Kelleher AM, Liu H, Spencer TE. Uterine glands impact embryo survival and stromal cell decidualization in mice. FASEB J. 2021 Oct;35(10):e21938.
Google Scholar
PubMed
Email: spencerte@missouri.edu
Department website: https://cafnr.missouri.edu/person/tom-spencer/