Aleksandar Rajkovic, M.D., Ph.D.

The mechanisms of the genetics of ovarian development and failure are of great interest to the readers of Seminars in Reproductive Medicine. In this issue, Dr. Aleksandar Rajkovic has agreed to serve as Guest Editor of an entire issue on this important subject.

Dr. Aleksandar Rajkovic finished medical school at Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, OH), where he also obtained a doctorate degree in the area of molecular biology. He finished residency in obstetrics and gynecology at The Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital and The Cleveland Clinic Foundation. During his residency, Dr. Rajkovic initiated studies on risk factors in preeclampsia, which led to new insights regarding the folate pathway, preeclampsia, and abnormalities in homocysteine metabolism. At Baylor College of Medicine (Waco, TX), Dr. Rajkovic completed a fellowship in Human Genetics with emphasis on reproductive genetics. After completing a fellowship, he joined the faculty and is currently an Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology and human genetics.

Dr. Rajkovic has successfully received competitive research grants. He has published several impressive manuscripts and is often invited to speak at international and national meetings. During his fellowship, Dr. Rajkovic initiated studies on the expression of genes preferentially expressed in primordial oocytes. During the course of his studies, he discovered several novel genes critical for oogenesis. He also discovered several previously unknown transcription factors that are critical for oogenesis, including Nobox, Sohlh1, and Lhx8. He also showed that Sohlh1 is essential for differentiation of spermatogonia. These transcription factors represent master genes necessary for the formation of functional primordial follicles, and future studies will yield more insight into molecular mechanisms and cascades that form and activate primordial oocytes. He continues to study the role of these genes in human ovarian failure, as well as the potential for these genes to help derive germ cells from stem cells.

Dr. Rajkovic has recruited several outstanding national and international investigators who have put together an exciting issue. I am sure that this issue on the genetics of ovarian failure and development will serve as a current update and a classic compilation on this topic.