The Kraus Years (2010–Present)
W. Lee Kraus, Ph.D., Professor and Cecil H. and Ida Green Distinguished Chair in Reproductive Biology Sciences at UT Southwestern Medical Center was appointed Director of the Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences in 2010. He moved the Center back to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology from the Department of Pharmacology.
Transition to Independence
In 2019, Dr. Kraus transitioned the Green Center from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology to an independent, department-level center. The Green Center maintains close ties with Obstetrics and Gynecology through shared lab space, seminar series, and training of clinical fellows.
Research during the Kraus Years
Situated primarily in the Harry S. Moss Clinical Science Building (J) on the South Campus, the Green Center is a state-of-the-art research facility housing University research labs as well as molecular biology and computational genomic cores for use by members of the Green Center.
The research faculty members of the Green Center are addressing fundamental and applied questions related to reproductive biology in a broad sense, as well as related areas relevant to reproductive biology, including oocyte maturation, spermatogenesis, fertilization, development, and pregnancy.
The focus of the research in the Green Center is on nuclear regulation, but includes other aspects of cellular regulation as well. Key research areas include chromatin structure and gene regulation, epigenetics, genome organization, and RNA biology.
Education during the Kraus Years
The Green Center offers many training options for postdoctoral scientists, graduate students, and clinician scientists. The opportunities include training in gene regulation, genomics, computational biology, and reproductive biology.
The Center provides training and access to state-of-the-art instrumentation in individual labs and through experts in the Core facilities. Center faculty are committed to all aspects of mentoring, from science training to providing teaching and outreach activities to career development. Former trainees have successfully moved on to a wide variety of positions. Collectively, since 2010 the Green Center labs have trained over 20 graduate students, over 50 postdoctoral fellows, and over 25 clinical fellows.
“I think Dr. MacDonald would be pleased about what the Center has become. Initially, Ida Green wanted to support research in women’s reproductive health. Fifty years later, we have come full circle but with different tools and a modern approach.”