About

Professor Gary Wessel leads the Wessel Lab at Brown University, which is part of the Providence Institute of Molecular Oogenesis. The lab focuses on understanding the fundamental process of reproduction, which is considered one of the most important goals of an organism. Their research employs a variety of organisms and experimental approaches to study how reproduction works. Despite the many reproductive strategies tested through evolution, the lab acknowledges that our understanding of these processes remains rudimentary. Recent technological advances have enabled new methods to study reproduction, and the lab embraces a convergence of disciplines to uncover these fundamental mechanisms. The Wessel Lab emphasizes the importance of examining diverse organisms and leveraging their differences to highlight underlying principles of reproduction.

Research topics

• Biology
• Genetics
• Cell biology
• Paleontology
• Mathematics
• Evolutionary biology
• Engineering
• Chemistry
• Computational biology
• Geometry

Selected publications

• Making Male Gametes

  2026-02-11

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Sperm–Egg Interactions

  2026-02-11

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• What a (re)productive year it has been!

  Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics · 2026-03-17

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Supporting Cells

  2026-02-11

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Concepts in Reproduction

  2026-02-11

  book1st authorCorresponding

  Concepts in Reproduction integrates the principal mechanisms of reproduction among eukaryotes, with a focus on animals and plants. The text emphasizes processes and approaches that evolved to address specific problems inherent in reproduction using examples from morphology, functional studies, and genetic studies. The many high-quality figures complement the text and provide visual storyboards. Footnotes and boxes are used throughout to provide depth and to enrich understanding.  Information is compartmentalized to guide new readers through complex material while offering in-depth coverage of significant and impactful topics for experts. Key Features ●        Accessibility for a broad audience, using figures that complement the text to explain key concepts and mechanisms    ●        Integrative presentation that emphasizes the science behind the story ●        Breadth of coverage to promote comparative thought ●        Rich multiple choice questions that span the content Concepts in Reproduction is recommended for advanced undergraduate students, new graduate students, and investigators or clinicians seeking breadth in their knowledge in the field. The book provides foundational knowledge of fertilization, gametogenesis, primordial germ cell formation, and ontogeny of reproductive organs. Key principles of developmental biology, genetics, endocrinology, protein biochemistry, and molecular and cellular biology are included to tell holistic stories of reproduction among eukaryotes. Later chapters tackle how the field applies these findings to address societal issues.

  PublisherDOI

• Reproductive Structures and Their Functions

  2026-02-11

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Reproduction in a Changing World

  2026-02-11

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Primordial Germ Cells Migrate to the Gonad

  2026-02-11

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Technologies to Constrain Reproduction

  2026-02-11

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Hermaphroditism and Sex Transitioning

  2026-02-11

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant K02HD001170

  NIH · $365k · 2002

• Mechanisms of specification, quiescence, and regeneration of primordial germ cells

  NIH · $3.2M · 2021–2026

• NIH Grant S10RR027634

  NIH · $500k · 2011

• NIH Grant R29HD028152

  NIH · $533k · 1997

• EDGE CT: Tools to advance functional genomic studies in sea urchins

  NSF · $1.3M · 2019–2024

Frequent coauthors

• Nathalie Oulhen

  Providence College

  172 shared

• Julian L. Wong

  John Jay College of Criminal Justice

  119 shared

• Jia L. Song

  Foshan University

  89 shared

• Celina E. Juliano

  University of California, Davis

  89 shared

• Mamiko Yajima

  John Brown University

  82 shared

• Ekaterina Voronina

  University of Montana

  81 shared

• William F. Marzluff

  University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

  62 shared

• David R. McClay

  Duke University

  57 shared

Education

• B.A., Biology and Environmental Sciences

  University of Virginia

  1978

• Ph.D., Developmental Biology

  Duke University

  1986

• Other, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

  University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

  1989