Dr. Varykina Thackray, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences
Associate Director, UCSD Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology Research Innovation
Associate Director, UCSD IRACDA Post-Doctoral Training Program
Department Mentor Co-Director,
UCSD Health Sciences Faculty Mentor Training Program
About the Lab
One objective of our research is to understand the etiology and pathophysiology of PCOS using relevant animal models. We are currently studying interactions among the gut microbiome, metabolism and the reproductive axis in PCOS. Another objective is to understand the role of steroid hormones in regulating sex differences in the gut microbiome which impact many physiological processes and are implicated in diseases with sex bias including reproductive, metabolic, autoimmune, and neurological disorders.
Spotlights & News
Spotlights
6/15/24 Congratulations to Ivy Tam and Sophia Wang for successfully defending their MS theses and graduating with a BS/MS in Biology!
4/24/24 Congratulations to graduating PhD student, Laura Sisk-Hackworth for great coverage of her research on sex differences in the gut microbiome in the Thackray (UCSD) and Kelley (SDSU) labs.
4/22/24 Congratulations to Shreya Dhanala for receiving a Dr. Doris A. Howell Undergraduate Research Scholarship to do research in the lab this summer.
2/20/24 Congratulations to Ivy Tam and Anya Mall for receiving scholarships from the UC San Diego Biology Undergraduate and Master's Mentorship Program (BUMMP) Research Apprenticeship Program for research during winter and spring quarter!
2/14/24 Congratulations to Laura Sisk-Hackworth who successfully defended her PhD thesis focused on the role of the reproductive axis in sex differences in the gut microbiome.
10/28/23 Congratulations to Laura Sisk-Hackworth on winning a Student Achievement Award from the Southern California Branch of the American Society for Microbiology (SCASM) for her research on sex differences in the gut microbiome.
7/23/23 Congratulations to Laura Sisk-Hackworth for receiving a well-deserved ARCS Foundation scholarship from the SDSU Chapter ($10,000) for the 3rd year in a row.
2/01/23 Congratulations to Kina Thackray for receiving the 2022 President's Award from the Association for Women in Science San Diego Chapter for "continued service, enthusiasm and immeasurable contributions to the chapter."
News
6/13/24
New data unraveling role of the gut microbiome in PCOS
4/24/24
Graduating doctoral student seeks to improve treatment for microbial-linked diseases
5/16/19
Women's Gut Microbiomes Have Greater Diversity Than Men's, & Here's Why That's Good News For Your Health
3/25/19
Altering gut microbiome may be potential treatment option for PCOS
Location
Office: Leichtag Biomedical Research Building, 3A17
Lab: Leichtag Biomedical Research Building, 332 Bays EE, FF & GG