Assistant Professor
400 Monroe Nw Ste 3000
Grand Rapids MI 49503 US
Email: burnsgr2@msu.edu
BIOGRAPHY
Gregory Burns, Ph.D., earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Texas A&M University and his Ph.D. in Animal Sciences and reproductive physiology from the University of Missouri with Thomas Spencer, Ph.D. He completed postdoctoral training in reproductive biology with Asgerally Fazleabas, Ph.D., where he focused on epithelial-immune interactions and the cellular mechanisms that drive endometriosis.
Dr. Burns is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology at Michigan State University. His research centers on the molecular mechanisms of endometriosis, a chronic inflammatory disease affecting at least 1 in 10 reproductive-aged individuals with a uterus and associated with debilitating pelvic pain. Current therapies depend on suppressing ovarian steroid hormones—an approach incompatible with fertility—highlighting the need for new, non-hormonal treatment strategies.
RESEARCH
Dr. Burns’ work focuses on epithelium–macrophage crosstalk within endometriotic lesions and how these interactions contribute to lesion establishment and persistence. His postdoctoral research using spatial transcriptomics and ligand–receptor modeling identified an epithelial-initiated inflammatory signaling axis that shapes macrophage phenotypes within lesions, and suggested that inflammatory and senescent signatures observed in bulk tissue may originate in the surrounding fibrotic microenvironment.
He maintains active collaborations with leaders in reproductive sciences, including Stacey Missmer, Sc.D., Nataki Douglas, M.D., Ph.D., and Erin Greaves, Ph.D., enabling multidisciplinary approaches that integrate reproductive physiology, computational biology, and translational research informed by population science.
Dr. Burns’ ongoing work aims to define mechanisms of lesion development, identify non-hormonal therapeutic targets, and investigate how extracellular vesicle–mediated signaling in the peritoneal cavity influences immune cell states. By combining advanced transcriptomics with innovative experimental models, his research seeks to advance early detection and develop new treatment avenues for endometriosis.
MSU Today: “MSU researchers make progress toward non-hormonal treatment for endometriosis”