Asgi Fazleabas, PhD

Dr. Asgi Fazleabas is considered a pioneer in the area of uterine biology, and the clinical translation of this research to human implantation failure and endometriosis. Dr. Fazleabas has been funded continuously by the National Institutes of Health in the USA since 1986 for his research in reproductive and developmental biology. The work in his laboratory has significant translational relevance related to improved pregnancy outcomes in infertile women as well as understanding the etiology and the pathophysiology associated with the development of endometriosis, a disease that affects over 200 million women worldwide. A significant area of his research emphasis has been to study the early events associated with maternal-fetal interactions during the establishment of pregnancy and the mechanisms by which these interactions are affected in women and non-human primates with endometriosis. Using the baboon as a model for reproductive biology research his laboratory has made the following salient contributions that have direct translational relevance to women’s health. The development of the non-human primate model that recapitulates these diseases was a scientific tipping point to advancing knowledge in this area. He has over 240 peer reviewed publications and has authored multiple book chapters and reviews. His accomplishments and significance of the work in moving the field forward has been recognized at several levels.  He has received many awards, including the National Institutes of Health Beacon Award (2005), Distinguished Research Award from the Society for the Study of Reproduction (2010), election as a Fellow of the American Society for the Advancement of Science (2011), World Class University Professor (2013) from Seoul National University, Korea, the Distinguished Service Award (2016) and the Carl G. Hartman Award (2021) from Society for the Study of Reproduction. In 2017 and 2018 he recognized as a University Distinguished Professor and MSU Foundation Professor respectively at Michigan State University. In addition, his alma mater – The University of Illinois, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences recognized him with a Career Achievement Award in 2020.