Serdar Bulun, MD, serves as Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and John J. Sciarra Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He is also George H. Gardner Professor of Clinical Gynecology and Professor in Obstetrics and Gynecology with appointments in Reproductive Science in Medicine and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. Since 2012, he has led the department, following his role as chief of reproductive biology research. Bulun directs the Bulun Lab, which studies steroid hormone action and production in hormone-dependent human diseases such as endometriosis, uterine fibroids, and skeletal muscle atrophy. His research examines cellular and molecular mechanisms, including genome-wide epigenetic defects in endometriosis leading to estrogen-driven inflammation and progesterone resistance, as well as interactions between mutated genes and progesterone receptors in fibroid growth. He leads Northwestern’s Uterine Leiomyoma Research Center Program, the nation's only P01 grant dedicated to uterine fibroid research.

Bulun's pioneering work discovered the epigenetic basis of endometriosis and introduced aromatase inhibitors as a novel treatment, informing clinical use to decrease lesion growth, inflammation, and pain. He has linked excess estrogen via estrogen receptor-α to skeletal muscle atrophy and inguinal hernia, treatable with aromatase inhibitors, and identified novel mutations in familial excessive estrogen formation syndrome. With over 180 publications in top journals including the New England Journal of Medicine, Nature Medicine, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, his scholarship has exceeded 36,000 citations. Key works include "Endometriosis" (New England Journal of Medicine, 2009), "Aromatase expression in endometriosis" (Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 1996), and "Treatment of severe postmenopausal endometriosis with an aromatase inhibitor" (Fertility and Sterility, 1998). Honors include election to the National Academy of Medicine (2015), American Society for Clinical Investigation (2003), NIH MERIT award, American Society of Reproductive Medicine Distinguished Researcher Award, and presidency of the Society for Reproductive Investigation (2015). He serves as editor-in-chief of Seminars in Reproductive Medicine and contributes to the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Professional Email: s-bulun@northwestern.edu