About
Our interests include elucidating the pathophysiological mechanisms that lead to amenorrhea (loss of regular menstrual cycles) in women and improving the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) across the reproductive lifespan. PCOS is a condition of impaired fertility that is tightly linked to insulin resistance and excess male hormone production.
We use high-resolution serial ultrasonography to track changes in ovarian morphology and follicle development throughout the menstrual cycle and over the course of the reproductive lifespan. We simultaneously measure a host of clinical, biochemical and lifestyle factors to characterize their relationship with the ovary.
Our goal is to identify unique disruptions in folliculogenesis and ovarian morphology that can inform the diagnosis, evaluation and treatment of PCOS. We have an ongoing observational study in healthy teens to investigate the etiology of PCOS symptomatology in adolescence. Most recently, through a collaboration with investigators at Weill Cornell, we have leveraged our robust archive of ovarian ultrasound images to investigate the utility of artificial intelligence to improve the diagnosis of PCOS on ultrasound.
Projects + opportunities
- Artificial intelligence for the evaluation of pelvic ultrasonography
- “Effectiveness of a Hypocaloric Dietary Intervention on Body Composition Changes and Ovulatory Function in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome” (dissertation project, Avery Zhang)
- “Emergence of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Longitudinal Study of Ovarian Morphology, Androgen Production, and Lipid Metabolism in Early Adolescence” (dissertation project, Samiha Azgar)
- “Unbiased Approaches to Identify Ovarian Phenotypes in Women with and without Polycystic Ovary Syndrome” (dissertation project, Abbey Kalay)
- “Assessing Dietary, Metabolic, Genetic, and Reproductive Factors Affecting Ovulation and Identifying Novel Phenotypic Subtypes in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome” (dissertation project, Joy Kim)
- “The Impact of Hypocaloric Diet Intervention on the Quality of Life of Women with PCOS (Master’s thesis project, Yifan Jia)
Graduate studies
We have openings for graduate students. If you are interested, consult the graduate field of Nutritional Sciences (NS) and/or Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS) websites.
Postdoctoral studies
Are you highly motivated and interested in postdoctoral studies in the area of nutritional and metabolic regulation of reproductive function? If you have experience working in the area of Infertility, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, and/or Obesity and Insulin Resistance, email us your curriculum vitae and statement of research interest.
Team
Marla Lujan, Ph.D., principal investigator and associate professor of human nutrition
Rene Black-Hellwitz, RDMS, R.T. (R) (ARRT), clinical research project manager
Bailey Smith, M.S., research support specialist
Samiha Azgar, Ph.D. student, Human Nutrition
Examining the metabolic changes and variations in ovarian morphology that occur during the reproductive transitions of adolescents. Her approach combines longitudinal assessments of menstrual cyclicity, androgens, and ovarian features with exploratory lipidomics and metabolomics to identify novel biomarkers in lipid metabolism and steroidogenesis linked to early PCOS.
Abbey Kalay, Ph.D. student, Biomedical and Biological Sciences
Exploring ovarian morphology across the menstrual cycle and employing the ovary as a biomarker of reproductive and metabolic dysfunction. Her research utilizes unbiased clustering methods to identify ovarian phenotypes in women with and without PCOS. Her research will also inform up-to-date normative standards for a variety of ovarian ultrasonographic markers.
Joy Kim, Ph.D. student, Human Nutrition
Examining dietary, metabolic, reproductive and genetic factors that impact ovarian function. One of her objectives is to utilize unbiased clustering approaches to identify novel phenotypes in women with PCOS.
Yifan Jia, Master’s student, Human Nutrition
Evaluating the impact of hypo-caloric diet intervention on the quality of life (QoL) of women with PCOS while exploring underlying factors that influence QoL changes.
Eliana Warner '26: Global and Public Health Sciences; lab member since 2023; ultrasound image analysis (follicle tracking).
Shervonne Hinds '26: Biological Sciences; lab member since 2024; ultrasound image analysis.
Cameron Sims '26: Human Biology, Health and Society; lab member since 2024; ultrasound image partitioning.
Megan Chow '26: Food Science; lab member since 2024; artificial intelligence for the evaluation of pelvic ultrasonography.
Jabeen Sheikh '26: Human Biology, Health and Society; lab member since 2024; 2D vs. 3D ultrasound methods for the diagnosis of polycystic ovarian morphology.
Shanelle Eshun '26: Human Biology, Health and Society; lab member since 2024; artificial intelligence for the evaluation of pelvic ultrasonography
Robin Hall '26: Global and Public Health Sciences; lab member since 2024; systematic review on ovarian morphology in normoandrogenic women
Aditi Khandavilli '26: Human Biology, Health and Society; lab member since 2024; ultrasound image partitioning.
Meric Berrendaffan '26: College of Human Ecology; lab member since 2024; ultrasound image partitioning.
Maimuna Masud '26: Human Biology, Health and Society; lab member since 2023; systematic review on ovarian morphology in normoandrogenic women.
Mariana Savastano '26: Human Biology, Health and Society; lab member since 2024; systematic review on ovarian morphology in normoandrogenic women.
Samuel Notch '26: Global and Public Health Sciences; lab member since 2024; systematic review on ovarian morphology in normoandrogenic women.
Akansha Joshi '26: Biology and Society; lab member since 2025; ultrasound image analysis in PCOS.
Niharika Chawla '27: Human Biology, Health and Society; lab member since 2024; adolescent ultrasound image analysis.
Sumaswara Chinthalapati '27: Human Biology, Health and Society; lab member since 2024; adolescent ultrasound image analysis.
Emma Wagman '27: Human Biology, Health and Society; lab member since 2024; ultrasound image analysis (follicle tracking).
Amanda Kamenetsky '27: Global and Public Health Sciences; lab member since 2024; ultrasound image analysis (follicle tracking).
Ella Zilli '27: Global and Public Health Sciences; lab member since 2024; ultrasound image analysis.
Audrey Trivedi '27: Biology and Society; lab member since 2025; ultrasound image analysis.
Sarah Liu '27: Human Biology, Health and Society; lab member since 2024; ultrasound image analysis.
Erika Wu '27: Human Biology, Health and Society; lab member since 2024; ultrasound image analysis (follicle tracking).
Yuvna Musuku '27: Human Biology, Health and Society; lab member since 2024; artificial intelligence for the evaluation of pelvic ultrasonography.
Marianna Hodgins '28: Human Biology, Health and Society; lab member since 2025; artificial intelligence for the evaluation of pelvic ultrasonography.
Kathryn Ragland '28: Human Biology, Health and Society; lab member since 2025; ultrasound image analysis in PCOS.
Past postdoctoral researchers
Heidi Vanden Brink, postdoctoral associate; Ph.D. (Nutrition) Cornell University, MSc (Health Sciences, Reproductive Physiology & Endocrinology) University of Saskatchewan, BSc (Physiology) University of Saskatchewan; lab member since 2012.
Additional Credentials: registered diagnostic medical sonographer (specialization: obstetrical & gynecological ultrasound)
Current Position: assistant professor (tenure track; Department of Nutrition, Texas A&M University, August 2022)
Maryam Kazemi, RD, MSc, Ph.D,. CPT, postdoctoral associate, Nutrition, Metabolism, and Reproductive Physiology (Cornell University, 2022); PhD, Nutrition (University of Saskatchewan, Canada, 2018); MSc, Nutritional Sciences (Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Iran, 2012); BSc, Nutritional Sciences (Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Iran, 2007); active years 2018-2022.
Additional Credentials: registered dietitian and certified phlebotomist
Current Position: postdoctoral fellow (Genomics of Human Complex Metabolic and Reproductive Traits - specialty area of PCOS, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 2022)
Past graduate students
Avery Zhang, Ph.D., Human Nutrition (2025); Doctoral dissertation title: Effectiveness of hypocaloric dietary intervention on changes in body composition and reproductive function in women with polycystic ovary syndrome; active years 2021-2025.
Faith Carter, Ph.D., Human Nutrition (2024); Doctoral dissertation title: Longitudinal Assessments of Ovarian Morphology in Women with PCOS: Implications for Diagnosis and Hypocaloric Interventions; active years 2019-2024.
Hilary Zhang, M.S., Human Nutrition (2023); active years 2021-2023.
Jeff Pea, Ph.D., Biomedical and Biological Sciences (2022); Doctoral Dissertation Title: Ultrasonographic Features of Ovarian Morphology in the Diagnosis of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome; active years: 2019-2022.
Alexis Oldfield, Ph.D., Biomedical and Biological Sciences (2022); Doctoral Dissertation Title: Ultrasound Characterization of Antral Follicle Dynamics Across the Adiposity Spectrum; active years: 2018-2022.
Laura Galley, M.S., Human Nutrition (2021); active years: 2018-2021.
Heidi Vanden Brink, Ph.D., Human Nutrition (2019); Doctoral dissertation title: Ultrasonographic Imaging of Ovarian Morphology for the Diagnosis and Evaluation of Anovulatory Conditions Across the Adiposity Spectrum in Women and Adolescents; active years: 2014-2019.
Brittany Jarrett, Ph.D., Human Nutrition (2017); Doctoral dissertation title: Ultrasound Characterization of Antral Folliculogenesis in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome; active years: 2012-2017. *Also previous postdoctoral fellow (2018-2019) and honors undergraduate student (2009-2012).
Annie Lin, Ph.D., Human Nutrition (2017); Doctoral dissertation title: Dietary and Physical Activity Behaviors, Knowledge, and Beliefs Association with PCOS; active years: 2012-2017.
Past honors students
Melody Hong '25, B.S., Biological Sciences; Honors thesis title: A comparison of machine learning algorithms to classify polycystic ovarian morphology.
Ryan Levine '25, B.S., Biological Sciences (2025); Honors thesis title: impact of hypocaloric dietary intervention on metabolic and reproductive function in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
Noah Lee '23, B.S., Nutritional Sciences; honors thesis: The impact of weight loss on antral follicle development in anovulatory women with PCOS
Aprile Bertomo '22, B.S., Human Biology, Health, & Society; honors thesis: Adherence to a Mediterranean diet during the adolescent reproductive transition
Ashley Tam '19, B.A., Biological Sciences; honors thesis: A comparison of ovarian morphology and reproductive and metabolic features between South Asian and White women with PCOS
Lydia Anderson '18, B.S., Biological Sciences; honors thesis: Association between glucoregulatory measures and reproductive function in women with and without PCOS; active years: 2016-2018
Adrienne Pisch '18, B.S., Biological Sciences; honors thesis: Comparison and reliability of 2D and 3D ultrasound imaging methods to evaluate ovarian morphology; active years: 2016-2018
Hayden Chung '16, B.S., Nutritional Sciences; honors thesis: The Impact of a Weight Loss Intervention on Health-Related Quality of Life in Overweight Women with Irregular Menses; active years: 2014-2016
Reid Mergler '15, B.S., Human Biology Health and Society; honors thesis: Assessment of reproductive and metabolic correlates of cognitive differences in women with PCOS; active years: 2012-2015
Nikhita Chahal '14, B.S., Human Biology, Health and Society; honors thesis: Ovarian size and stromal characteristics across the phenotypic spectrum of PCOS: are they predictive and/or useful in the sonographic sssessment of PCOS?; active years: 2012-2014
Dana Larsen '16, B.S., Nutritional Sciences; honors thesis : Validation of the Modified Women's Health Initiative Physical Activity Questionnaire in Women of Reproductive Age; active years: 2014-2016
Nina Clark '13, B.S., Human Biology, Health and Society; honors thesis: Adiponectin, Leptin, Visfatin, and Retinol Binding Protein 4 Gene Expression Profiles in Women with PCOS; active years: 2010-2013
Amanda Pawlak '11, B.S., Biological Sciences; Honors thesis : Longitudinal characterization of follicle populations in women with PCOS: a pilot study; active years: 2009-2011
Past undergraduate researchers
Maggie Walsh ‘25, Chemistry; active years 2022-2025.
Hannah Lee ‘25, Global and Public Health Sciences; active years 2022-2025.
Eli Thoma ‘25, Global and Public Health Sciences; active years 2023-2025.
Virginia Burkhart ‘25, Human Biology, Health and Society; active years 2023-2025
Veronica Faustino ‘25, Human Biology, Health and Society; active years 2024-2025.
Catherine Cho '24, Human Biology, Health and Society; active years 2022-2024.
Kiran Ganga '24, Human Biology, Health and Society; active years 2020-2024
Keziah Wilson '24, Human Biology, Health and Society; active years 2022-2024
Ariana Ishkanian '24, Biological Sciences; active years 2022-2024
Grace Sappington '24, Biological Sciences; active years 2022-2024
Effat Rahman '23, Human Biology Health and Society; active years 2021-2023
Colleen Bradley '23, Biological Sciences; active years 2022-2023
Jessica Ma '23, College of Arts and Sciences; active years 2021-2023
Nabiha Zaman '23, Nutritional Sciences; active years 2019-2023
Alexandra Reich '23, Human Biology, Health, and Society; active years 2020-2023
Rachel Reeves '23, Human Biology; active years 2020-2023
Cynthia Wan '23, Human Biology Health and Society; active years 2020-2023
Julia Michalak '23, Biological Sciences; active years 2020-2023
Isabella Xavier '23, Biological Sciences; active years 2020-2023
Jean Lee '25, College of Arts and Sciences; active years 2021-2022
Maggie Shideler '25, College of Arts and Sciences; active years 2021-2022.
Elizabeth Viebranz '24, College of Arts and Sciences; active years 2021-2022
Armita Jamshidi '24, Biology and Society; active years 2022-2022
Viveka Jain '24, Biology and Society; active years 2022-2022
Stephanie Wright '23, College of Arts and Sciences; active years 2021-2022
Julia Xiong '23, Human Biology Health and Society;active years 2020-2022
Jahnay Bryan '23, Chemistry; active years 2020-2022
Hannah Son '22, Human Biology, Health, and Society; active years 2021-2022
Anushka Malik '22, Biological Sciences; active years 2020-2022
Gabriella Spinola '22, General Biology; active years 2019-2022
Brooke Kelly '22, Nutritional Sciences; active years 2020-2022
Publications, media and research studies
View the complete list of published works in my bibliography.
- Carter FE, Jarrett BY, Oldfield AL, Vanden Brink H, Kim JY, Lujan ME. Impact of Hypocaloric Dietary Intervention on Phenotypic Presentations of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). Nutrients. 2025; 17(13):2223. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17132223
- Vanden Brink H, Burgert TS, Barral R, Malik A, Gadiraju M, Lujan ME. Ovarian Morphology in Girls Longitudinal Cohort Study: Pilot Evaluation of Ovarian Morphology as a Biomarker of Reproductive and Metabolic Features during the First Gynecological Year. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol. 2024 Jun;37(3):315-322. doi: 10.1016/j.jpag.2024.02.004. Epub 2024 Feb 21. PMID: 38395192; PMCID: PMC11195913.
- Oldfield AL, Carter FE, Reeves RE, Jarrett BY, Vanden Brink H, Lujan ME. Impact of a hypocaloric dietary intervention on antral follicle dynamics in eumenorrheic women with obesity. Hum Reprod. 2024 Apr 3;39(4):801-811. doi: 10.1093/humrep/deae017. PMID: 38335228; PMCID: PMC10988108.
- Maitin-Shepard M, Werner EF, Feig LA, Chavarro JE, Mumford SL, Wylie B, Rando OJ, Gaskins AJ, Sakkas D, Arora M, Kudesia R, Lujan ME, Braun J, Mozaffarian D. Food, nutrition, and fertility: from soil to fork. Am J Clin Nutr. 2024 Feb;119(2):578-589. doi: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.12.005. Epub 2023 Dec 13. PMID: 38101699.
- Teede HJ, Tay CT, Laven JJE, et al. Recommendations From the 2023 International Evidence-based Guideline for the Assessment and Management of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2023;108(10):2447-2469. doi:10.1210/clinem/dgad463
- Pea J, Bryan J, Wan C, Oldfield AL, Ganga K, Carter FE, Johnson LM, Lujan ME. Ultrasonographic criteria in the diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and diagnostic meta-analysis. Hum Reprod Update. 2023 Oct 6:dmad027. doi: 10.1093/humupd/dmad027. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37804097.
- Vanden Brink H, Jarrett BY, Pereira N, Spandorfer SD, Hoeger KM, Lujan ME. Diagnostic Performance of Ovarian Morphology on Ultrasonography across Anovulatory Conditions—Impact of Body Mass Index. Diagnostics. 2023;13(3):374. doi:10.3390/diagnostics13030374
- Evans AT, Vanden Brink H, Lim JS, Jarrett BY, Lin AW, Lujan ME, Hoeger K. Overnight Melatonin Concentration and Sleep Quality Are Associated with the Clinical Features of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Biomedicines. 2023 Oct 12;11(10):2763. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines11102763. PMID: 37893137; PMCID: PMC10604825.
- Mousa A, Tay CT, Teede H. Technical Report for the 2023 International Evidence-Based Guideline for the Assessment and Management of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Monash University; 2023. doi:10.26180/23625288.v1
- Vanden Brink H & Lujan ME. Ovarian Ultrasonography in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. In: G. Kovacs, B. Fauser & R. Legros (Eds), Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (pp. 29-44). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Doi: 10.1017/9781108989831.004
- O'Neill KE, Maher JY, Laronda MM, Duncan FE, Leduc RD, Lujan ME, Oktay KH, Pouch AM, Segars JH, Tsui EL, Zelinski MB, Halvorson LM, Gomez-Lobo V. Anatomic Nomenclature and 3D Regional Model of the Human Ovary: Call for a New Paradigm. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2022 Sep 30:S0002-9378(22)00795-5. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2022.09.040.
- Kazemi M, Kim JY, Wan C, Xiong JD, Michalak J, Xavier IB, Ganga K, Tay CT, Grieger JA, Parry SA, Moran LJ, Lujan ME. Comparison of dietary and physical activity behaviors in women with and without polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 39 471 women. Hum Reprod Update. 2022 Nov 2;28(6):910-955. doi: 10.1093/humupd/dmac023.
- Joham AE, Piltonen T, Lujan ME, Kiconco S, Tay CT. Challenges in diagnosis and understanding of natural history of polycystic ovary syndrome. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2022 Aug;97(2):165-173. doi: 10.1111/cen.14757. Epub 2022 May 30. PMID: 35593530; PMCID: PMC9541175.
- Vanden Brink H, Nosrati A, Ortiz-Flores AE, Tam A, Jarrett BY, Johnson L, Peppin AK, Lujan ME. Reliability and Agreement of Ultrasonographic Measures of the Ovarian Stroma: Impact of Methodology. J Ultrasou Med. 2021 Dec 16. doi: 10.1002/jum.15917
- Kazemi M, Kim JY, Wan C, Xiong JD, Parry SA, Azziz R, Lujan ME. Comprehensive evaluation of disparities in cardiometabolic and reproductive risk between Hispanic and White women with polycystic ovary syndrome in the United States: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2022 Feb;226(2):187-204.e15. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2021.07.032.
- Oldfield AL, Kazemi M, Lujan ME. Impact of Obesity on Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) Levels in Women of Reproductive Age. J Clin Med. 2021 Jul 20;10(14):3192. doi: 10.3390/jcm10143192.
- Vanden Brink H, Pisch AJ, Lujan ME. A Comparison of 2D and 3D Ultrasonographic Methods for the Evaluation of Ovarian Follicle Counts and Classification of Polycystic Ovarian Morphology. Fertil Steril. 2021 Mar;115(3):761-770. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2020.09.006.
- Lin AW, Siscovick D, Sternfeld B, Schreiner P, Lewis CE, Wang ET, Merkin SS, Wellons M, Steffen L, Calderon-Margalit R, Cassano PA, Lujan ME. Associations of diet, physical activity and polycystic ovary syndrome in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Women's Study. BMC Public Health. 2021 Jan 6;21(1):35.
- Ding A, Guerin A, Lujan ME, Velez MP. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Incidental Diagnosis of Mosaic Turner Syndrome. J Obstet Gynaecol Can. 2021 Jun;43(6):756-759. doi: 10.1016/j.jogc.2020.08.020.
- Kazemi M, Thalacker-Mercer AE, Lujan ME. Response to Letter to the Editor from Smith et al: "Osteosarcopenia in Reproductive-Aged Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Multicenter Case-Control Study". J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2021 Mar 8;106(3):e1500-e1501. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgaa670.
- Kazemi M, Hadi A, Pierson RA, Lujan ME, Zello GA, Chilibeck PD. Effects of dietary glycemic index and glycemic load on cardio-metabolic and reproductive profiles in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Advances in Nutrition. 2021 Jan; 12 (1): 161-178.
We are not recruiting participants for studies at this time. We will update this page when future studies are initiated.
Learn more about other DNS research studies that are actively recruiting participants.
Contact us
Marla Lujan, associate professor and PI
216 Savage Hall
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853
607-255-3153
marla.lujan [at] cornell.edu
