In Training Membership

Past Chair
Jessica Garcia de Paredes
Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

Dr. Jessica Garcia De Paredes is an obstetrician-gynecologist with an interest in Reproductive Surgery and ways to innovate in the field (3D printing), lean PCOS, oncofertility, menopause, perimenopause, and underserved populations in REI. Dr. Garcia De Paredes attended medical school at Universidad Latina de Panamá and completed her residency at Corewell Health/Michigan State University. Currently, Dr. Garcia De Paredes is an REI Fellow at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.

Co Chair
Virginia Chu Cheung, PhD
University of California, San Diego

I am currently a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Pathology at the University of California, San Diego. I received my PhD from Northwestern University with Dr. John A. Kessler as my thesis advisor. For my thesis, I used pluripotent stem cells and 3-dimensional organoid models to student stromal-epithelial signaling in the human endometrium. Currently, I am working with Dr. Mana M. Parast to understand the role of decidual natural killer (dNK) cells in pregnancy complications such as preterm birth using induced pluripotent stem cells. As an in-training member, I really value the opportunities for basic and clinical science to interface and career development provided by SRI so I am delighted to be able to support these programs as a part of the SRI In-Training Committee.

Xixi Plummer, MD, PhD
Stanford University

I am currently a Maternal-Fetal Medicine fellow in the Department of OB/GYN at Stanford University. I received my MD/PhD from the University of Michigan in 2019, where my doctoral research focused on embryonic and adult neurogenesis. I then completed my OB/GYN residency at Case Western Reserve University/MetroHealth Medical Center in 2023. My current research, under the mentorship of Drs. Virginia Winn and Matteo Molè, uses induced pluripotent stem cells to investigate the pathophysiology of preeclampsia. As a member of the SRI In-Training Committee, I am excited to foster mentorship, promote collaboration, and build the bridge between basic science and clinical medicine in reproductive health.

Andreas Lackner, MD, PhD
Stanford University

I am a physician-scientist with training in medicine and immunology, currently working as a postdoctoral scholar in pathology at Stanford University. I earned my MD and PhD from the Medical University of Vienna, where my research focused on immunology and the molecular mechanisms underlying placental biology.  My work centers on understanding how gene regulation and cellular signaling shape trophoblast differentiation and the maternal–fetal interface. Through interdisciplinary approaches that combine molecular biology, genomics, and computational analysis, I aim to uncover mechanisms that influence human development and disease

Jaime Roura, MD, MS
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Dr. Roura completed his medical school at the University of Puerto Rico, his residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Puerto Rico and has been practicing as an obstetrician and gynecologist since 2020.  He worked for two years at the Dominion Fertility clinic and conducted research at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Dr. Roura has contributed to multiple publications, including research on simvastatin and curcumin on uterine fibroids and studies on sexual violence among Hispanic women and HPV knowledge in Puerto Rico.

Mary Graham
Wake Forest University School of Medicine

I am currently a fourth-year medical student at Wake Forest University School of Medicine pursuing residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology, with a strong interest in maternal-fetal medicine and reproductive science. Under the mentorship of Dr. Sarah Cilvik, my current research focuses on how maternal age and metabolic health impact developmental programming of cardiovascular disease using a nonhuman primate model. As a member of the SRI In-Training Committee, I am excited to help foster connections across disciplines and support trainee engagement at the intersection of reproductive science and clinical care.

Germán Alberto Arenas Menéndez
Universidad de O'Higgins, Chile

Germán earned his bachelor's degree in Biology from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, and then continued his PhD in Biological Sciences, with a focus on Physiology. His interests are concentrated in cardiovascular physiology, specifically mechanical interaction blood-artery flow.

Germán was also a recipient of the 2023-2024 SRI International Training Grant, which led him to the University of Colorado to train in Dr. Ramón A. Lorca's lab. Here, Germán was trained in electrophysiology techniques, recorded potassium currents in vascular smooth muscle cells from human and mouse blood vessels, and helped build an electrophysiology rig.

Anna Paredes Barreda
University of Newcastle

I am a researcher in reproductive biology with a focus on the molecular and hormonal mechanisms that regulate human pregnancy and labor. I am currently affiliated with the University of Newcastle, where I contribute to research exploring uterine physiology and the pathways involved in parturition. 

My work has examined how progesterone signaling is regulated in the human myometrium, including studies on enzymes such as 20α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and their role in labor onset.  Through experimental and translational approaches, I aim to better understand the biological processes underlying term and preterm birth