Population Council Research that makes a difference

Patricia L. Morris, Ph.D.

Senior Scientist & Director, Biomedical Research

Patricia L. Morris is director of biomedical research in the Reproductive Health program at the Population Council's Center for Biomedical Research. As a senior scientist, she heads the Laboratory for Reproductive Biomedicine and directs the Cell Biology and Flow Cytometry Core Facility (CellCore). She received her doctorate in pharmacology and physiology from the School of Graduate Medical Sciences at New York University and postdoctoral training as an Abby Mauzé Rockefeller fellow in medicine (endocrinology) at Cornell University College of Medicine.

Morris is the principal investigator of translational biomedical research projects funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health (NIH). These translational projects include studies to identify and characterize critical factors that affect male germ cell development, sperm production (spermatogenesis), and fertility (or infertility) in humans. Additionally, she is involved in state-of the-art molecular biology-based approaches that use human and experimental cell modeling to characterize the cellular signals and mechanisms that control genes in female and male reproductive tissues such as the breast, endometrium, testis and prostate. Her research and development efforts include designing new contraceptive strategies with additional health benefits for women and men.

Morris is currently a member of the Research Affairs Core Committee for The Endocrine Society and the Public Affairs Committee for the Society for the Study of Reproduction. She was recently elected to the Executive Council of the American Society of Andrology (ASA). She currently serves as both ASA secretary and the chair of its Diversity Committee. Morris is a past president of Women in Andrology; past council member, Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine and the ASA; past member of The Endocrine Society’s Endocrinology editorial board and its membership committee.

Based on her specific biomedical expertise in hormone and growth factor regulation of development, growth, and function of reproductive tissues—in health, disease, or cancer—Morris has been invited to present the work of her laboratory and its collaborators at national and international basic research and clinical meetings and serve on numerous scientific panels. She has completed four-year terms as a standing member of NIH’s Reproductive Biology study section and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) extramural centers program panel. She continues to serve as an ad hoc peer review member and a scientific consultant for specialized NIH and congressionally directed Department of Defense biomedical research initiatives.

Currently, Morris is an external steering committee member and scientific advisor for the NIDDK Urology Training Center at Baylor College of Medicine. She is an adjunct professor in the Department of Urology, Weill Cornell Medical College, and a member of the adjunct faculty at The Rockefeller University.

Morris is affiliated with the Population Council's Reproductive Health program.

Patricia L. Morris, Ph.D.

Senior Scientist & Director, Biomedical Research

Development and Physiology of Leydig Cells (more)
Testosterone production by Leydig cells in the testis is the critical factor ensuring adequate sperm production and male fertility. Council researchers are identifying components that affect testosterone secretion and may offer new avenues for contraception and male hormone therapy.
(1/1998 - ongoing)
Topics: New and improved reproductive technologies; Reproductive health biomedical research; Technologies for men
Countries: United States

Dual Health Benefits: Ulipristal (more)
Council scientists at the Center for Biomedical Research are developing safer and more effective long-acting contraceptives that have dual health benefits, using molecules with selective binding to hormone receptors, such as ulipristal, a novel progesterone receptor modulator.
(1/2010 - ongoing)
Topics: New and improved reproductive technologies; Reproductive health biomedical research; Technologies for women
Countries: United States

Female Hormone Therapy (more)
Research at the Center for Biomedical Research is part of the Council's ongoing efforts to evaluate the long-term safety of the progesterone receptor modulator CDB-2914 for hormone therapy.
(1/2001 - ongoing)
Topics: New and improved reproductive technologies; Technologies for women
Countries: United States

Germ Cell Dynamics (more)
Basic research at the Council's Center for Biomedical Research seeks to identify genetic mechanisms resulting in infertility in mice that might be used to develop new forms of male contraception.
(1/1998 - ongoing)
Topics: Reproductive health biomedical research
Countries: United States

Physiology of Sertoli Cells (more)
The goal of Council research on Sertoli cells is the development of safe, reversible male contraceptives.
(1/1995 - ongoing)
Topics: New and improved reproductive technologies; Reproductive health biomedical research; Technologies for men
Countries: United States

Sperm Maturation (more)
Council researchers are working to identify the switch that activates sperm so that it can be turned on in infertile men and turned off when contraception is desired.
(7/2002 - ongoing)
Topics: Reproductive health biomedical research
Countries: United States

Patricia L. Morris, Ph.D.

Senior Scientist & Director, Biomedical Research

Mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate increases spermatocyte mitochondrial peroxiredoxin 3 and cyclooxygenase 2  (abstract) 
Onorato,Thomas M.; Brown,Petrice W.; Morris,Patricia L.
Journal of Andrology 29(3): 293-303
Publication date: 2008

Small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO)-1, SUMO-2/3 and SUMOylation are involved with centromeric heterochromatin of chromosomes 9 and 1 and proteins of the synaptonemal complex during meiosis in men  (abstract) (PDF) 
Brown,Petrice W.; Hwang,KeumSil; Schlegel,Peter N.; Morris,Patricia L.
Human Reproduction 23(12): 2850-2857
Publication date: 2008

A multistep kinase-based Sertoli cell autocrine-amplifying loop regulates prostaglandins, their receptors, and cytokines  (abstract) 
Ishikawa,Tomomoto; Morris,Patricia L.
Endocrinology 147(4): 1706-1716
Publication date: 2006

A novel class of small RNAs bind to MILI protein in mouse testes  (abstract) 
Aravin,Alexei; Gaidatzis,Dimos; Pfeffer,Sebastien; Lagos-Quintana,Mariana; Landgraf,Pablo; Iovino,Nicola; Morris,Patricia L.; Brownstein,Michael J.; Kuramochi-Miyagawa,Satomi; Nakano,Toru; Chien,Minchen; Russo,James J.; Ju,Jingyue; Sheridan,Robert; Sander,Chris; Zavolan,Mihaela; Tuschl,Thomas
Nature 442(7099): 203-207
Publication date: 2006

Interleukin-1β signals through a c-Jun N-terminal kinase-dependent inducible nitric oxide synthase and nitric oxide production pathway in Sertoli epithelial cells  (abstract) 
Ishikawa,Tomomoto; Morris,Patricia L.
Endocrinology 147(11): 5424-5430
Publication date: 2006

SUMO-1, human male germ cell development and the androgen receptor in the testis of men with normal and abnormal spermatogenesis  (abstract) 
Vigodner,Margarita; Ishikawa,Tomomoto; Schlegel,Peter N.; Morris,Patricia L.
American Journal of Physiology: Endocrinology and Metabolism (Translational Series) 290(5): E1022-E1033
Publication date: 2006

Maintenance of spermatogenesis requires TAF4b, a gonad-specific subunit of TFIID  (abstract) 
Falender,Allison E.; Freiman,Richard N.; Geles,Kenneth G.; Lo,Kirk C.; Hwang,KeumSil; Lamb,Dolores J.; Morris,Patricia L.; Tijan,Robert; Richards,JoAnne S.
Genes and Development 19(7): 794-803
Publication date: 2005

Sertoli cell expression of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein-related lipid transfer 1 and 5 domain-containing proteins and sterol regulatory element binding protein-1 are interleukin-1beta regulated by activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase and cyclooxygenase-2 and cytokine induction  (abstract) 
Ishikawa,Tomomoto; Hwang,KeumSil; Lazzarino,Deborah; Morris,Patricia L.
Endocrinology 146(12): 5100-5111
Publication date: 2005

Testicular expression of small ubiquitin-related modifier- 1 (SUMO-1) supports multiple roles in spermatogenesis: Silencing of sex chromosomes in spermatocytes, spermatid microtubule nucleation, and nuclear reshaping  (abstract) 
Vigodner,Margarita; Morris,Patricia L.
Developmental Biology 282(2): 480-492
Publication date: 2005

Prostaglandin (PG) FP and EP1 receptors mediate PDF2α and PGE2 regulation of interleukin-1β expression in Leydig cell progenitors  (abstract) (HTML) 
Walch,Laurence; Clavarino,Emanuela; Morris,Patricia L.
Endocrinology 144(4): 1284-1291
Publication date: 2003

Cyclooxygenase 2 pathway mediates IL-1β regulation of IL-1α, -1β, and IL-6 mRNA levels in Leydig cell progenitors  (abstract) 
Walch,Laurence; Morris,Patricia L.
Endocrinology 143(9): 3276-3283
Publication date: 2002

Cell- and stage-specific high-level expression of TBP-related factor 2 (TRF2) during mouse spermatogenesis  (abstract) 
Zhang,Di; Penttila,Tarja-Leena; Morris,Patricia L.; Roeder,Robert G.
Mechanisms of Development 106(1-2): 203-205
Publication date: 2001

Follicle-stimulating hormone and leukemia inhibitory factor regulate Sertoli cell retinol metabolism  (abstract) 
Guo,Xiajia; Morris,Patricia L.; Gudas,Lorraine J..
Endocrinology 142(3): 1024-1032
Publication date: 2001

Irradiation selectively inhibits expression from the androgen-dependent Pem homeobox gene promoter in Sertoli cells  (abstract) 
Maiti,Sourindra; Meistrich,Marvin L.; Wilson,Gene; Shetty,Gunapala; Marcelli,Marco; McPhaul,Michael J.; Morris,Patricia L.; Wilkinson,Miles F.
Endocrinology 142(4): 1567-1577
Publication date: 2001

Spermiogenesis deficiency in mice lacking the Trf2 gene  (abstract) 
Zhang,Di; Penttila,Tarja-Leena; Morris,Patricia L.; Teichmann,Martin; Roeder,Robert G.
Science 292(5519): 1153-1155
Publication date: 2001

Dihydrotestosterone as a selective cellular/nuclear localization vector for anti-gene peptide nucleic acid in prostatic carcinoma cells  (abstract) 
Boffa,Lidia C.; Scarfi,Sonia; Mariani,Maria Rita; Damonte,Gianluca; Allfrey,Vincent G.; Benatti,Umberto; Morris,Patricia L.
Cancer Research 60(8): 2258-2262
Publication date: 2000

Interleukin-6 regulation of kappa opioid receptor gene expression in primary Sertoli cells  (abstract) 
Jenab,Shirzad; Morris,Patricia L.
Endocrine 13(1): 11-15
Publication date: 2000

Function of stem cell factor (SCF) as a survival factor of spermatogonia and localization of messenger ribonucleic acid in the rat seminiferous epithelium  (abstract) 
Hakovirta,Harri; Yan,Wei; Kaleva,Marko; Zhang,Fuping; Vantinnen,Kateriina; Morris,Patricia L.; Soder,Molle; Parvinen,Martti; Toppari,Jorma
Endocrinology 140(3): 1492-1498
Publication date: 1999

Growth hormone regulates steroidogenic acute regulatory protein expression and steroidogenesis in Leydig cell progenitors  (abstract) 
Kanzaki,Masanori; Morris,Patricia L.
Endocrinology 140(4): 1681-1686
Publication date: 1999

Functional role of the c-Abl tyrosine kinase in meiosis I  (abstract) 
Kharbanda,Surender; Pandey,Pramrod; Morris,Patricia L.; Whang,Y.; Zhu,Li-Ji; Kumar,Narender; Yuan,Zhi-Min; Weichselbaum,Ralph; Sawyers,Charles L.; Pandita,T.; Kufe,Donald
Oncogene 16(14): 1773-1778
Publication date: 1998

Identification and regulation of testicular interferon gamma (IFN-g) receptor subunits: IFN-g enhances interferon regulatory factor-1 (IRF-1) and interleukin-1b-converting enzyme (ICE) expression and susceptibility to genistein-induced apoptosis  (abstract) 
Kanzaki,Masanori; Morris,Patricia L.
Endocrinology 139(5): 2636-2644
Publication date: 1998

KzF-1, a novel rat KRAB zinc finger encoding gene, is expressed during rat spermatogenesis  (abstract) 
Bellefroid,E.J.; Sahin,M.; Poncelet,D.A.; Riviere,M.; Martial,J.A.; Morris,Patricia L.; Pieler,T.; Szpirer,C.; Ward,D.C.
Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 1398(3): 321-329
Publication date: 1998

Lactogenic hormone-inducible phosphorylation and gamma-activated binding site binding activities of STAT5b in primary rat Leydig cells and MA-10 mouse Leydig tumor cells  (abstract) 
Kanzaki,Masanori; Morris,Patricia L.
Endocrinology 139(4): 1872-1882
Publication date: 1998

Testicular leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and LIF receptor (LIFR) mediate phosphorylation of STAT-3 and STAT-1 proteins and induce c-fos transcription and AP-1 activation in rat Sertoli but not germ cells  (abstract) 
Jenab,Shirzad; Morris,Patricia L.
Endocrinology 139(4): 1883-1890
Publication date: 1998

Transcriptional regulation of Sertoli cell immediate early genes by interleukin-6 and interferon-y is mediated through phosphorylation of STAT-3 and STAT-1 proteins  (abstract) 
Jenab,Shirzad; Morris,Patricia L.
Endocrinology 138(7): 2740-2746
Publication date: 1997

Differential activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)-3 and STAT-1 transcription factors and c-fos messenger ribonucleic acid by interleukin-6 and interferon-gamma in Sertoli cells  (abstract) 
Jenab,Shirzad; Morris,Patricia L.
Endocrinology 137(11): 4738-4743
Publication date: 1996

Patricia L. Morris, Ph.D.

Senior Scientist & Director, Biomedical Research

Knights of the Round Table: Protecting the male germ line  
Presentation at the Interdisciplinary Toxicology Series, University of Illinois, 20 November
Morris,Patricia L.
Publication date: 2009

Male maturation arrest in meiosis in human zygotene-pachytene spermatocytes associated with synaptic disruptions and dysregulation of SUMOylation and ubiquitination  
Presentation at The Endocrine Society Annual Meeting, Washington DC, 12 June
Morris,Patricia L.; Brown,Petrice W.; Hwang,KeumSil; Schlegel,Peter N.
Publication date: 2009

Meiotic maturation arrest is associated with synaptic disruptions in human zygotene-pachytene spermatocytes  
Presentation at The American Society for Cell Biology 49th Annual Meeting, San Diego, 6 December
Morris,Patricia L.
Publication date: 2009

Synaptic disruptions, aberrant SUMO-1 association, and ubiquitination of zygotene-pachytene spermatocytes in a man with meiotic maturation arrest  
Presentation at the American Society of Andrology 34th Annual Meeting--Bench to Bedside: Advances in Andrology,


Philadelphia, 5 April
Morris,Patricia L.; Brown,Petrice W.; Schlegel,Peter N.
Publication date: 2009

Tales of male fertility: Man, mouse and fly  
Presentation at the Clinical Andrology Conference, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, 15 December
Morris,Patricia L.
Publication date: 2009

Novel patterns identified for SUMO-1 in human pachytene spermatocytes: Involvement in the synaptonemal complex and centromeric heterochromatin  
Presentation at the American Society of Andrology 33rd Annual Conference, Albuquerque, 13 April
Morris,Patricia L.; Brown,Petrice W.; Hwang,KeumSil; Schlegel,Peter N.
Publication date: 2008

Of mice and men: SUMO wrestling and male fertility  
Presentation at the Center for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Development, Atlanta, 25 April
Morris,Patricia L.
Publication date: 2008

Safety and molecular mechanisms of CDB-2914, a new progesterone receptor modulator, on human breast and endometrium  
Presentation at Contraceptive Development Research Centers Program (U54) Meeting, University of Washington, Seattle, 29 September
Morris,Patricia L.; Hwang,KeumSil; Mitchell,Lyann; Rapelje,Catherine; Sitruk-Ware,Regine
Publication date: 2007

SUMOs and SUMOylation as promising targets for male contraceptive development in humans  
Presentation at The Future of Male Contraception, Seattle, 27-28 September
Brown,Petrice W.; Hwang,KeumSil; Mitchell,Lyann; Rapelje,Catherine; Goldstein,Marc; Schlegel,Peter N.; Morris,Patricia L.
Publication date: 2007

Multiple signaling pathways differentially regulate epithelial Sertoli cell genes encoding steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR)-related lipid transfer proteins  
Presentation at 46th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology, San Diego, 12 December
Morris,Patricia L.
Publication date: 2006

Controversy about hormone therapy: Implications for Population Council research  
Presentation at 115th Meeting of the Board of Trustees, Population Council, New York, 14 January
Sitruk-Ware,Regine; Morris,Patricia L.
Publication date: 2003