Dr. Celia Santi, MD, PhD, an internationally renowned and respected leader in the field of Reproductive Biology, has been named the James P. Crane Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
“We are exceedingly fortunate to count Dr. Santi among our esteemed faculty. Her exceptional contributions to groundbreaking research, her adept mentorship skills that benefit students, post-docs, and fellow faculty members, as well as her enduring influence on the fields of reproductive biology and contraception, render her unequivocally deserving of this prestigious title,” said Dineo Khabele, MD, Chair of the Department of OB/GYN.
Prior to being recruited to the Department of OBGYN in 2016, Dr. Santi earned a medical degree from Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay. She completed her PhD in biomedical sciences at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico. She then completed postdoctoral studies in laboratory of Dr. Terry Snutch at The University of British Columbia and the laboratory of Dr. Larry Salkoff at Washington University School of Medicine (WUSM) and stayed on the Faculty in the Department of Neuroscience.
Dr. Santi is one of the leaders in the field of male reproductive biology and sperm ion channels; most notably the Slo3 potassium channels in sperm cells. Dr. Santi was the first to demonstrate that this ion channel is indispensable for male fertility and is sperm specific – exclusively expressed in the sperm cells. She has identified human genetic variants that alter Slo3 function and explain specifics of its regulatory modalities. The results of a comprehensive drug screening to identify selective inhibitors of Slo3 have opened a new chapter in the development of non-hormonal female and male contraceptives (Lyon et al., PNAS 2023). Furthermore, Dr. Santi’s laboratory is deeply engaged in pioneering novel methods for diagnosing and guiding the treatment of male idiopathic infertility, a critical area in reproductive medicine.
In the area of female reproduction, Dr. Santi has made discoveries in the function of potassium channels, such as Slo2.1 in myometrial excitability and has a fruitful collaboration with Dr. Sarah England in the Department of OBGYN.
“I am truly honored and humbled to hold the title of the James P. Crane Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Crane’s visionary leadership paved the way for Missouri’s inaugural prenatal diagnosis program and was instrumental in establishing the state’s first IVF program, which resulted in the birth of Missouri’s first IVF baby in 1985. It is thanks to his pioneering efforts that my lab is able to conduct research on male fertility today.”
Celia Santi, MD, PhD
Dr. Santi has successfully competed for extramural funding that includes two R01s and the R61/R33 mechanism for developing a novel male contraceptive and has recently obtained funding from the Gates Foundation to test these lead contraceptive compounds in vivo.
Additionally, she was the Chair of the 2023 Gordon Research Conference on “Fertilization and Activation of Development”, is a permanent member of the NIH: “Cellular, Molecular and Integrative Reproduction” (CMIR) Study section, has been an active reviewer for multiple journals and serves on national society committees. Dr. Santi has been a dedicated to mentor at WUSM, nationally, and internationally. She has graduated two PhD students in 2022-2023, and has mentored numerous trainees including undergraduate, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and clinical fellows in her laboratory. She has a far-reaching and diverse network of collaborators and hosts many visiting scientists from other countries, all of whom seek her out for her mentoring style.
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Santi on her prestigious appointment.