Mohamad was born in a small farming community in Lebanon. He first decided to pursue a career in science when a person came to his village to look at the plants, taking samples away with him for further study. When he asked who the man was, his grandfather said he was an agriculture scientist. 
He was awarded a full scholarship from the Hariri Foundation to attend the American University of Beirut. Though he began a traditional agriculture program, the department opened a new graduate discipline in advanced technology, concentrating on in vitro culture and he knew it would be a great area of research.
His first position was as an in vitro fertilization technician which eventually led to a training opportunity in the United States. After a year his employer offered him a permanent position as an embryologist which he accepted.
In the ensuing eight years he has completed a MS degree in clinical embryology from Eastern Virginia School of Medicine and earned his certification as an embryology laboratory director from the American Board of Bioanalysis.
“I was excited to learn about the PhD program at Wayne State that tailors training & education towards the reproductive sciences & clinical embryology. I’m looking forward to developing my research potential so I can be a leader in this field.”
  

Dhiman is  from India. He received his BS from the Presidency College in Calcutta and an MS in biochemistry from Calcutta University. During his masters program he had the opportunity to work with a couple of distinguished professors which provided him with not only experience with laboratory techniques but also a desire to pursue research as a career.
Dhiman’s inquiry into our new reproductive sciences concentration put him in touch with Dr. Abu Soud who is currently studying the control of the enzymatic NO generation system as well as its role in human reproduction. Dhiman says this initial communication turned his curiosity about pursuing a PhD into goal for his future. He started our program in fall 2007 with a Reproductive Sciences Fellowship and began working with Dr. Abu Soud a full month before his program officially began.
“The predictability and precision of life processes and the uniqueness with which every organism is created always intrigued me. As I learned about the mechanisms of various vital life processes, I gathered that they are almost similar for all organisms, cutting across evolutionary strata.”
 

Jill has two undergraduate degrees: a BS in environmental engineering from the University of Michigan; and a BA in computer science from Wayne State University. She has been a computer consultant, high school teacher, and most recently a lecturer in mammalian physiology at the University of Michigan-Flint. She’s a PhD candidate with and IBS fellowship and joined Dr. Rappolee’s lab to do her research.
Jill is married with 3 children. Some of her favorite things are: long walks in the outdoors, reading, football, backrubs, cookies, movies and plays, laughing out loud, deepening friendships.
 

Simona is originally from Romania, where she got her MD degree. She speaks 3 languages. She worked in the Emergency room for a few years before deciding to continue her medical education. She came to WSU to start her PhD in biochemistry, but recently transferred to the Reproductive Science Program. Her mentor is Dr. Rappolee and she works on embryonic cells communication. Her husband, Georghe, is an MD/PhD and just recently accepted a teaching position in upstate New York after completing his post-doc with Dr. Rappolee. They have a 2-yr-old daughter, Krista.
 

“The foundation that my parents laid for me as a child growing up in Detroit is one that I abide by today. The formation of this foundation was solidified with the special ingredients of faith, family, and the acquisition of knowledge. Instilled in me at a very early age was the attitude that I could achieve anything I desired through hard work, discipline, dedication, and determination.
“I was blessed with the opportunity to be involved with two research projects at Karmanos; the first as an intern for Dr. Brenda Foster during my junior year of high school; the second as a research assisitant for Dr. David Evans during my sophomore year at Xavier University in New Orleans.” Jennell says each experience was quite rewarding.
She returned to Detroit, entered the BMS program which she completed in Dec 2005. After careful consideration, Jennell decided to apply to Graduate School instead of Medical School.
Jennell has chosen the Reproductive Sciences concentration and is currently working with Dr. Saed in Ob/Gyn.
 

Steven is from Huanggang, Hubei, China, completed his bachelor’s degree in pharmacology from China Pharmaceutical University (in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China). His master’s degree is also in pharmacology, received from the Zhejiang Academy of Medical Sciences (Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China).
Steven is interested in reproductive physiology and after rotating, he’s chosen Dr. Rappolee for an advisor.