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Danny J Schust

Edwin Crowell Hamblen Distinguished Professor of Reproductive Biology and Family Planning
Obstetrics and Gynecology, Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Edwin Crowell Hamblen Distinguished Professor of Reproductive Biology and Family Planning · 2023 - Present Obstetrics and Gynecology, Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility, Obstetrics and Gynecology

In the News


Published May 4, 2023
Duke Awards 44 Distinguished Professorships

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Recent Publications


Variations in blood levels of the anti-fusogenic endogenous retroviral protein suppressyn are associated with fetal growth outcome in preeclampsia.

Journal Article Sci Rep · November 3, 2025 Suppressyn, a placenta-specific protein characterized by its inhibitory effect on trophoblast cell fusion, is considered to play a direct role in the formation and maintenance of placental villi in humans. Given the potential involvement of aberrant suppre ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Genetic Diversity in the Suppressyn Gene Sequence: From Polymorphisms to Loss-of-Function Mutations.

Journal Article Biomolecules · July 21, 2025 The suppressive regulator of cell fusion, suppressyn, is specifically expressed in the human placenta and is thought to play a crucial role in trophoblast fusion or syncytialization. Previous studies have suggested that alterations in its expression are as ... Full text Link to item Cite

In vivo gamete toxicology in the context of in vitro fertilization: a narrative review.

Journal Article F S Rev · June 2025 IVF as a clinical method to surmount infertility has existed since the 1970s, and yet fertilization, embryo development, pregnancy, and live birth rates remain unacceptably low. Although a multitude of factors may contribute to stagnated success despite su ... Full text Link to item Cite
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Recent Grants


Duke Women's Reproductive Health Research Scholars

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development · 2020 - 2030

PFAS exposure is detrimental to placental function and fetal development by disrupting mitochondrial function and metabolism

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2025 - 2029

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Education, Training & Certifications


University of Wisconsin, School of Medicine and Public Health · 1989 M.D.