Research Summary

Our work focuses on three interrelated questions: do all developing germ cells have equal potential to give rise to functional eggs or sperm; how do environmental inputs affect germ cells during development, and what is the role of germ cells in ovarian and systemic aging? Using mouse models, human cells, and naked mole rats, we explore these questions in the real-world contexts of germ cell tumors (teratomas), exposures to chemicals and psychosocial stress as well as genetic causes of infertility such as Fragile X Primary Ovarian Insufficiency. Our work spans the fields of epigenetics, developmental and stem cell biology, and cancer biology. We are also part of the P30 Center for Environmental Research and Translation for Health (EaRTH) at UCSF. As a federally-funded lab in a public university, our broad mission is to advance knowledge toward improving human health, provide research training for students and postdoctoral fellows, and promote public awareness of science.

Research Funding

  • January 1, 2019 - December 31, 2022 - Using the Ovary to Hack Aging , . Sponsor: W.M. Keck Foundation, Sponsor Award ID:
  • September 15, 2017 - August 31, 2022 - The intersection of stress and environmental chemicals in germ cell reprogramming , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R01ES028212
  • December 26, 2017 - November 30, 2021 - Fmr1 Function and Repeat Expansion in the Developing Germline , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R01GM122902
  • August 29, 2013 - July 31, 2017 - Assessing transgenerational effects of Phthalates on primordial germ cells , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R21ES023297
  • July 15, 2014 - June 30, 2015 - The 2014 Santa Cruz Developmental Biology Meeting , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R13HD081860
  • September 30, 2010 - June 30, 2015 - Cell competition in the developing mouse germline , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: DP2OD007420
  • May 4, 2025 - May 4, 2025 - The UCSF Environmental Research and Translation for Health (EaRTH) Center - Pilot Program , Deputy Director and Pilot Core Director . Sponsor: NIH/NIEHS, Sponsor Award ID: P30 ES030284

Education

Stanford University, Stanford, CA, Ph.D., 03/2003, Biological Sciences
Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY, Postdoc, 12/2007, Developmental Genetics

Honors & Awards

  • 1990
    Tektronix Scholarship for undergraduates Tektronix Corporation (Beaverton, Oregon)
  • 1997
    NSF Predoctoral Fellowship in Biology National Science Foundation
  • 2002
    Keystone Symposium Scholarship Keystone Foundation
  • 2004
    Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fellowship Jane Coffin Childs Foundation
  • 2008
    Junior Faculty Startup Award Sandler Foundation
  • 2010
    Early Career Award Hellman Foundation
  • 2010
    New Innovator Award (DP2) NIH
  • 2016
    Deleage Prize for Young Investigators Deleage Foundation, UCSF
  • 2019
    W.M. Keck Foundation Award for Medical Research

Selected Publications

  1. Doherty CA, Tijjani A, Munger SC, Laird DJ. Mammalian oocytes receive maternal-effect RNAs from granulosa cells. bioRxiv. 2025 Feb 11.  View on PubMed
  2. Wamaitha SE, Rojas EJ, Monticolo F, Hsu FM, Sosa E, Mackie AM, Oyama K, Custer M, Murphy M, Laird DJ, Shu J, Hennebold JD, Clark AT. Defining the cell and molecular origins of the primate ovarian reserve. bioRxiv. 2025 Jan 21.  View on PubMed
  3. Sokolowski DJ, Miclaus M, Nater A, Faykoo-Martinez M, Hoekzema K, Zuzarte P, Monis S, Alvi SA, Erdmann J, Erdmann AL, Kumaragurubaran R, Bayerl J, Yoo D, Karimpour N, Ungerleider K, Hou H, Fergal M, Hourlier T, Clarke ZA, Lischer HE, Leordean DV, Jiang Y, Pugh TJ, Smith ESJ, Haggerty L, Laird DJ, Lilue J, Holmes MM, Eichler EE, Bruggmann R, Simpson JT, Balmus G, Wilson MD. An updated reference genome sequence and annotation reveals gene losses and gains underlying naked mole-rat biology. bioRxiv. 2024 Nov 28.  View on PubMed
  4. Jaszczak RG, Zussman JW, Wagner DE, Laird DJ. Comprehensive profiling of migratory primordial germ cells reveals niche-specific differences in non-canonical Wnt and Nodal-Lefty signaling in anterior vs posterior migrants. bioRxiv. 2024 Aug 30.  View on PubMed
  5. Soygur B, Gaylord EA, Foecke MH, Cincotta SA, Horan TS, Wood A, Cohen PE, Laird DJ. Sustained fertility from first-wave follicle oocytes that pause their growth. bioRxiv. 2024 Aug 28.  View on PubMed
  6. Borges B, Varthaliti A, Schwab M, Clarke MT, Pivetti C, Gupta N, Cadwell CR, Guibinga G, Phillips S, Del Rio T, Ozsolak F, Imai-Leonard D, Kong L, Laird DJ, Herzeg A, Sumner CJ, MacKenzie TC. Prenatal AAV9-GFP administration in fetal lambs results in transduction of female germ cells and maternal exposure to virus. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev. 2024 Jun 13; 32(2):101263.  View on PubMed
  7. Prasasya RD, Caldwell BA, Liu Z, Wu S, Leu NA, Fowler JM, Cincotta SA, Laird DJ, Kohli RM, Bartolomei MS. Iterative oxidation by TET1 is required for reprogramming of imprinting control regions and patterning of mouse sperm hypomethylated regions. Dev Cell. 2024 Apr 22; 59(8):1010-1027.e8.  View on PubMed
  8. Cincotta SA, Richardson N, Foecke MH, Laird DJ. Differential susceptibility of male and female germ cells to glucocorticoid-mediated signaling. Elife. 2024 Jan 16; 12.  View on PubMed
  9. Steven A Cincotta, Nainoa Richardson, Mariko H Foecke, Diana J Laird. Differential susceptibility of male and female germ cells to glucocorticoid-mediated signaling. eLife. 2024 Jan 16; 12.  View on PubMed
  10. Cincotta SA, Richardson N, Foecke MH, Laird DJ. Differential susceptibility of male and female germ cells to glucocorticoid-mediated signaling. bioRxiv. 2023 Oct 11.  View on PubMed
  11. Gökbuget D, Lenshoek K, Boileau RM, Bayerl J, Huang H, Wiita AP, Laird DJ, Blelloch R. Transcriptional repression upon S phase entry protects genome integrity in pluripotent cells. Nat Struct Mol Biol. 2023 10; 30(10):1561-1570.  View on PubMed
  12. Samuel RM, Navickas A, Maynard A, Gaylord EA, Garcia K, Bhat S, Majd H, Richter MN, Elder N, Le D, Nguyen P, Shibata B, Llabata ML, Selleri L, Laird DJ, Darmanis S, Goodarzi H, Fattahi F. Generation of Schwann cell derived melanocytes from hPSCs identifies pro-metastatic factors in melanoma. bioRxiv. 2023 Mar 07.  View on PubMed
  13. Bayerl J, Laird DJ. Eggs made from male mouse stem cells using error-prone culture. Nature. 2023 03; 615(7954):805-807.  View on PubMed
  14. Brieño-Enríquez MA, Faykoo-Martinez M, Goben M, Grenier JK, McGrath A, Prado AM, Sinopoli J, Wagner K, Walsh PT, Lopa SH, Laird DJ, Cohen PE, Wilson MD, Holmes MM, Place NJ. Postnatal oogenesis leads to an exceptionally large ovarian reserve in naked mole-rats. Nat Commun. 2023 02 21; 14(1):670.  View on PubMed
  15. Prasasya RD, Caldwell BA, Liu Z, Wu S, Leu NA, Fowler JM, Cincotta SA, Laird DJ, Kohli RM, Bartolomei MS. TET1 Catalytic Activity is Required for Reprogramming of Imprinting Control Regions and Patterning of Sperm-Specific Hypomethylated Regions. bioRxiv. 2023 Feb 21.  View on PubMed
  16. Soygur B, Foecke MH, Gaylord EA, Fries A, Li J, Arora R, Laird DJ. A Roadmap for Three-Dimensional Analysis of the Intact Mouse Ovary. Methods Mol Biol. 2023; 2677:203-219.  View on PubMed
  17. Soygur B, Laird DJ. Ovary Development: Insights From a Three-Dimensional Imaging Revolution. Front Cell Dev Biol. 2021; 9:698315.  View on PubMed
  18. Nguyen DH, Laird DJ. Natural selection at the cellular level: insights from male germ cell differentiation. Cell Death Differ. 2021 07; 28(7):2296-2299.  View on PubMed
  19. Soygur B, Jaszczak RG, Fries A, Nguyen DH, Malki S, Hu G, Demir N, Arora R, Laird DJ. Intercellular bridges coordinate the transition from pluripotency to meiosis in mouse fetal oocytes. Sci Adv. 2021 04; 7(15).  View on PubMed
  20. Nguyen DH, Soygur B, Peng SP, Malki S, Hu G, Laird DJ. Apoptosis in the fetal testis eliminates developmentally defective germ cell clones. Nat Cell Biol. 2020 12; 22(12):1423-1435.  View on PubMed

Go to UCSF Profiles, powered by CTSI