Veronica Gomez-Lobo, M.D.

Director of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology
10 Central Dr. Rm 8N248
Bethesda, MD 20892
Email: veronica.gomez-lobo@nih.gov
Phone: (301) 435-6926

Dr. Gomez-Lobo is an obstetrician gynecologist who specializes in pediatric and adolescent gynecology. After receiving her Doctor of Medicine Degree from Georgetown University, she completed her internship at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and residency at Tufts University. She started the fourth pediatric and adolescent gynecology fellowship in North America and served as President of the North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology in 2016-2017. She has published and lectured extensively regarding the issues in the field of pediatric gynecology, including fertility preservation and variations in sex characteristics. She currently serves as Senior Clinician and Director of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology (PAG) Program within NICHD and leads the NICHD-PAG Lab which conducts ovarian tissue research.

Raghuveer Kavarthapu, Ph.D.

Staff Scientist
Bldg. 10, CRC, Rm. 1E-3334 (Office)
Bethesda, MD 20892
Email: raghu.kavarthapu@nih.gov
Phone: (301) 496-5254

Dr. Kavarthapu has more than 15 years of experience in molecular endocrinology and reproductive biology. He obtained his master's degree and Ph.D. in animal biotechnology from the University of Hyderabad, India. After obtaining his doctoral degree, he joined NICHD as a visiting fellow for his postdoctoral training. His research focused on hormonal regulation of breast cancer and multifunctional role of RNA helicase (DDX25) in germ cell development and male fertility. When Dr. Kavarthapu later became a staff scientist, he continued his research to understand the molecular mechanisms of male germ cell development/differentiation utilizing cutting-edge molecular genomic tools such as single-cell RNA-seq and miRNA-seq. His current research interests include female fertility preservation and single cell/spatial transcriptomic analysis of human ovarian tissue from healthy adolescents, classic galactosemia and patients with premature ovarian insufficiency. He is also interested in understanding molecular mechanisms behind the follicular loss in patients receiving gonadotoxic treatment. He is involved in a collaborative project with a group at the National Cancer Institute to understand the effects of CAR-T cell therapy on ovarian function using AML and ALL mice models.

Christophe Vanpouille, Ph.D.

Staff Scientist
Building 10, CRC, Rm. 1E-5216
Bethesda, MD 20892
Email: vanpouic@mail.nih.gov
Phone: (301) 594-0826

Dr. Vanpouille is a staff scientist currently working in the laboratory of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). He obtained his PhD in 2003 from the University of Lille (France) where he characterized interactions between heparan sulfate proteoglycans and inflammatory proteins. In 2003, he joined the section of Intercellular Interactions under the supervision of Dr. Margolis where he specialized in the culture of human tissue ex vivo, in particular human tonsils and cervico-vaginal tissues to study HIV pathogenesis. He also focused his attention on investigating the differences in the expression of soluble markers in different compartments (blood, semen, CVL, CSF) of people with HIV (in acute or chronic phase) under suppressive therapy or not using bead-based multiplex assays. Dr. Vanpouille was also actively involved in the development of an ex vivo model of lung tissue cultures to study SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis using BSL-3 facility.

Dr. Vanpouille joined the laboratory of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology under the direction of Dr. Gomez-Lobo at NICHD in September 2024 where he will investigate the lack of primordial follicle activation in an ex vivo system of culture of human ovary in patients with galactosemia. He will also investigate the role of pro-inflammatory markers in the ovary of patients with underlying conditions, such as primary ovarian insufficiency, Turner syndrome, and patients with galactosemia.

Mary Fairbanks, M.D., Ph.D.

Staff Clinician
Building 10, Rm. 5-5570
Bethesda, MD 20892
Email: mary.fairbanks@nih.gov
Phone: (301) 496-0877

Dr. Fairbanks is an obstetrician gynecologist with the focus on women’s health and gynecological wellness. She earned her bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry from the University of Virginia, her Ph.D. in biochemistry from Emory University, and her medical degree at the VCU Medical College of Virginia. She then completed residency training in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Rochester, where she also served as administrative chief resident. Prior to joining the NIH, Dr. Fairbanks served as an obstetrician and gynecologist at Unity Hospital in Rochester NY and at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, in Washington DC. 

Laboratory Personnel

(From left to right: Harveen Kaur, Maria De La Luz Sierra (Lucy), Sofia Getachew, Dr. Hong Lou, Dr. Veronica Gomez-Lobo, Dr. Jacqueline Maher, Taylor Badger (MRSP 2022-2023), Dr. Raghu Kavarthapu)