Associate Professor Karla Hutt is an ARC Future Fellow, Deputy Head (Reseach) of the Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology and co-Head of the Development and Stem Cells Discovery Program at Monash University. She obtained her PhD from the Australian National University in 2006, where her studies focussed on understanding ovarian development. She then undertook her postdoctoral studies at the University of Kansas Medical Center (USA), investigating the impact of environmental toxicants on oocyte and embryo quality. In 2008 she returned to Australia to join Prince Henry’s Institute. She subsequently joined the Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology at Monash University in 2015, where she now leads the Ovarian Biology Laboratory. Her lab investigates the biological, cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the loss of oocyte number and quality associated with reproductive aging, contaminated environments, cancer treatment and infection. Her goal is to use these insights to develop innovative strategies to protect the ovary from damage and preserve optimal fertility. Her research is supported by grants and fellowships from the ARC, NHMRC and NBCF.