Michigan State University’s Teresa Woodruff Honored by Society for Women’s Health Research

Teresa Woodruff, an MSU Foundation Professor in the department of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology and the department of biomedical engineering at Michigan State University, has received the Women’s Health Visionary Award from the Society for Women’s Health Research.

Dr. Woodruff was honored for her outstanding contributions to women’s health through her research on endocrinology, ovarian biology, and reproductive science, as well as her leadership in advocating for women’s inclusion in medical research. In 2006, she coined the term “oncofertility” to describe the intersection of oncology and fertility, sparking research into the reproductive options of cancer patients and cancer survivors. For her commitment to academia, Barak Obama presented her with the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring in 2011.

A member of the Michigan State faculty for the past five years, Dr. Woodruff served as the university’s provost for two years and as interim president from November 2022 to February 2024. Earlier in her career, she was dean and associate provost for graduate education at Northwestern University.

Dr. Woodruff is a graduate of Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Illinois, where she double majored in zoology and chemistry. She earned her Ph.D. in biochemistry, molecular biology, and cell biology from Northwestern University.