- Professor of Obstetrics, Gynaecology, and Reproductive Biology at Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
- Adjunct Professor of Epidemiology at Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Scientific Director, Boston Center for Endometriosis, USA
Stacey Missmer received her Bachelors degree in Biology from Lehigh University and her Master and Doctor of Science (ScD) degrees in Epidemiology from Harvard School of Public Health.
She joined the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) Research Group at Harvard University in 1998 initially as a member of Dr Susan Hankinson’s hormonal markers of breast cancer discovery team and subsequently as the senior endometriosis investigator. In 2007, Dr Missmer joined the International EndoGene Consortium as the US Principal Investigator – combining resources for GWAS discovery of endometriosis with Australia PI, Dr Grant Montgomery and UK PI, Dr Krina Zondervan.
In 2012, Dr Missmer co-founded the Boston Center for Endometriosis with Dr Marc Laufer, and serves as the Scientific Director where she designed and leads the Women’s Health Study: from Adolescence to Adulthood (A2A) – a multi-hospital and population-based cohort with longitudinal data and biologic sample collection. In 2014, as a member of the World Endometriosis Research Foundation (WERF) Board of Directors, she conceived of and became Co-Principal Investigator with Dr Zondervan of the Endometriosis Phenome and Biobanking Harmonization Project (WERF EPHect).
In 2016, Dr Missmer was the first faculty member to be endowed through Michigan State University’s Global Impact Initiative and is currently Professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology in the College of Human Medicine.
She is currently Chair of the Endometriosis Special Interest Group and also Past Chair of the Nutrition Special Interest Group for the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). Formerly an Associate Editor, she is a member of the Statistical Advisory Board for Human Reproduction and currently serves on the Data Safety and Monitoring Board of the NIH Reproductive Medicine Network (RMN).
Much of Dr Missmer’s research has focused on identifying factors that affect the risk of endometriosis – particularly among young women and girls. Her research team has confirmed or identified variation in the population-based incidence of endometriosis associated with in uteroexposures and early life body size, exercise, and dietary intake. In addition, her research suggests that girls and women with endometriosis may be a “high risk” group for autoimmune disease, cardiovascular disease, and specific cancer types – reinforcing the importance of longitudinal discovery. Critical to this discovery is defining and validating endometriosis heterogeneity by applying exposome and precision medicine methods that have successfully revolutionised our understanding of risk, treatment, and prognosis among cancer subtypes.
Professor Missmer was appointed to the WERF Board of Trustees in October 2011 and serves as the Secretary for WERF America. She was appointed treasurer to the WES board of directors in May 2017.