About the lab
Welcome to Dr. Mostafa Borahay's lab at the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at Johns Hopkins University.
Our lab is focused on discovering how gynecologic problems arise and developing novel safe treatment options for women.
Lab Updates!
May 2025.
Please join us in welcoming Jasmine Diallo, undergraduate student at the Johns Hopkins University and Leen Jawhar, undergraduate student at University of Maryland Baltimore County!
Congratulations to Dr. Borahay for presenting at the EFRE
(Egyptian Foundation of reproductive Medicine and Embryology)
in Cairo, Egypt.
Congratulation to Rachel and Greg on their new paper Simvastatin‑loaded liposomal nanoparticles as treatment for adenomyosis in a patient‑derived xenograft mouse model: a pilot study
R. Michel, K.L. Vincent, G.W. Kirschen, M. Motamedi, J. Saada, J. Yang, … M.A. Borahay. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 2025;45(1):2502083. doi:10.1080/01443615.2025.2502083
Mar. 2025
Please join us in welcoming Maria Szubert, MD, PhD,
visiting faculty at the School of Medicine!
Congratulations to Dr. Borahay and collaborators on their new publication:
Racial Disparities in Minimally Invasive Benign HysterectomyK. Hessami, M.C. Leaf, J. Liang, A. Katz, F. Chervenak, A. AlAshqar, … M.A. Borahay. JSLS: Journal of the Society of Laparoscopic & Robotic Surgeons. 2025;28(3):e2024.00018. doi: 10.4293/JSLS.2024.00018
Members of our lab were able to attend the 72nd Annual Scientific Meeting of the Society for Reproductive Investigation (SRI) in Charlotte, NC. It was great to see Borahay lab alum, Greg, and congratulations to Rachel for her poster.
Feb 2025.
Please join us in welcoming Mahita Saini, BS, graduate student at the Whiting School of Engineering and Alvina Pan, medical student at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine!
Jan 2025.
Please join us in welcoming Valentina Vanos, BA, graduate student at the Bloomberg School of Public Health!
Nov 2024.
Congratulations to our team on their new abstract publication:
Myomectomy Is Associated with Lower Incidence of Cardiometabolic Disease Compared to Hysterectomy and No Surgery in Treatment of Leiomyoma
S.L. Olson, R. Michel, L. Yanek, M.A. Borahay. Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology. 2024;31(11 Suppl):S148. doi: 10.1016/j.jmig.2024.09.956
Aug 2024.
Please join us in welcoming Abby Combs, MD, Reproductive Endocrinology fellow at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine!
July 2024.
Congratulations to Rachel and Dr. Borahay on their new commentary:
The fibroid crisis in Black women: more work to be done!R. Michel, W.K. Nicholson, M.A. Borahay. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology. 2024;231(3):287–288. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2024.07.001
April 2024.
Congratulations to Dr. Afrin and team on this paper:
Synergistic inhibition of progesterone receptor‑A/B signalling by simvastatin and mifepristone in human uterine leiomyomas
S. Afrin, G.W. Kirschen, M. Miyashita‑Ishiwata, M. El Sabeh, M.A. Borahay. Clinical and Translational Medicine. 2024;14(4):e1672. doi:10.1002/ctm2.1672
March 2024.
Congratulations to the lab on this new publication:
Simvastatin induces degradation of the extracellular matrix in human leiomyomata: novel in vitro, in vivo, and patient level evidence of matrix metalloproteinase involvement
J. Britten, J.A. Roura‑Monllor, M. Malik, S. Moran, A. DeAngelis, P. Driggers, … M.A. Borahay. F&S Science. 2024;5(1):80–91. doi:10.1016/j.xfss.2023.11.005
Jan 2024.
Congratulations on this review article:
Senescence‑associated secretory phenotype (SASP) and uterine fibroids: Association with PD‑L1 activation and collagen deposition
E.E. Saad, R. Michel, M.A. Borahay. Ageing Research Reviews. 2024;97:102314. doi:10.1016/j.arr.2024.102314
Nov 2023.
New comprehensive review published:
Cholesterol and Immune Microenvironment: Path Towards Tumorigenesis
E.E. Saad, R. Michel, M.A. Borahay. Current Nutrition Reports. 2024;13(3):557–565. doi:10.1007/s13668-024-00542-y
Oct 2023.
Congratulations on the cohort modeling study:
Dispensing patterns of antidepressant and antianxiety medications for psychiatric disorders after benign hysterectomy in reproductive-age women: Results from group-based trajectory modelingR. Ishiwata, A. AlAshqar, M. Miyashita‑Ishiwata, M.A. Borahay. Women’s Health. 2024;20. doi:10.1177/17455057241272218
May 2023.
New research feature published:
Hypoxia in Uterine Fibroids: Role in Pathobiology and Therapeutic Opportunities
S.L. Olson, R.J. Akbar, A. Gorniak, L.I. Fuhr, M.A. Borahay. Oxygen. 2024;4(2):236–252. doi:10.3390/oxygen4020013
Jan 2023.
Congratulations to Greg and lab colleagues on this publication:
Relationship Among Surgical Fibroid Removal, Blood Pressure, and Biomarkers of Renin‑Angiotensin‑Aldosterone System Activation
G.W. Kirschen, L. Yanek, M.A. Borahay. Reproductive Sciences. 2023;30(9):2736–2742. doi:10.1007/s43032-023-01215-x
June 2025.
Please join us in wishing a farewell to Rachel Michel, MSPH, as she starts her first year of medical school at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth! We wish you all the best.
Members of our lab met for a team Happy Hour at the Bun Shop!
Dec 2022. Thanks so much to the brilliant
Courtney Brendal @CourtneyBrend13 who
draw this illustration from one of my daVinci
Robotic-Assisted Surgeries to remove an
ovarian cyst in a complex endometriosis case.
Dec 2021. Congratulations to Mariko on her new paper: Differential response to hypoxia in leiomyoma and myometrial cells. Miyashita-Ishiwata M, El Sabeh M, Reschke LD, Afrin S, Borahay MA. Life Science 2022; doi:10.1016/j.lfs.2021.120238
Dec 2021. We recruited around 550 participants in our study to investigate the effect of COVID-19 vaccine on menstrual health. Consider signing up for our online study! Please check the study's website: www.covidmenses.org to enroll.
Nov 2021. We launched our study to investigate the effect of COVID-19 vaccine on menstrual health. Please check the study's website: www.covidmenses.org to enroll.
Oct 2021. Congratulations to Malak on her new paper: Simvastatin inhibits Wnt/β-catenin pathway in uterine leiomyoma.
El Sabeh M, Saha SK, Afrin S, and Borahay MA. Endocrinology 2021 Oct 6; doi: 10.1210/endocr/bqab211. Online ahead of print.
Sep 2021. You can read more about our NIH funded study on the effect of COVID-19 vaccine on menstruation here. We are launching the study in the next couple of days. Make sure to check the study's website: www.covidmenses.org.
Sep 2021. We have an Excellent Postdoctoral Research Fellow Opportunity in our lab.
Sep 2021. We received the NIH supplemental grant application to study the effect of COVID-19 vaccine on menstrual health. Our team is so excited to determine whether menstrual changes noted after the vaccination may be linked to the COVID-19 vaccine and how long the changes last. We aim to clarify the mechanisms underlying potential vaccine-related menstrual changes through cellular work. Our goal is to give people who menstruate more information about what to expect after vaccination. For more information about the study, please check www.covidmenses.org.
Sep 2021. Our book "Fibroids and Reproduction" has been translated to
Chinese, so it is available for Chinese-speaking Physicians.
Sep 2021. Congratulations to Sadia for her new paper:
Afrin S, El Sabeh M, Islam MS, Miyashita-Ishiwata M, Malik M, Catherino WH, Akimzhanov AM, Boehning D, Yang Q, Al-Hendy A, Segars JH, Borahay MA.
Pharmacol Res. 2021 Aug 27:105856. doi: 10.1016/j.phrs.2021.105856. Online ahead of print.PMID: 34461224
Aug 2021. Congratulations to Malak for her new paper:
Fast Forward: Fibroid Management in 2042.
El Sabeh M, Borahay M.
F&S Sci. 2021 May;2(2):114-115. doi: 10.1016/j.xfss.2021.02.002. Epub 2021 Feb 17. PMID: 34355207
June 2021. Congratulations to Sadia for her new paper:
Diet and Nutrition in Gynecological Disorders: A Focus on Clinical Studies.
Afrin S, AlAshqar A, El Sabeh M, Miyashita-Ishiwata M, Reschke L, Brennan JT, Fader A, Borahay MA.
Nutrients. 2021 May 21;13(6):1747. doi: 10.3390/nu13061747.PMID: 34063835
May 2021. Please, join us in welcoming Natasha Charewycz, undergraduate student at Johns Hopkins University.
May 2021. Congratulations to Greg for his new paper:
Vascular Biology of Uterine Fibroids: Connecting Fibroids and Vascular Disorders.
Kirschen GW, AlAshqar A, Miyashita-Ishiwata M, Reschke L, El Sabeh M, Borahay MA.
Reproduction. 2021 May 1:REP-21-0087.R2. doi: 10.1530/REP-21-0087. Online ahead of print.PMID: 34034234
May 2021. Congratulations to Malak for her new paper:
The Future of Uterine Fibroid Management: a More Preventive and Personalized Paradigm.
El Sabeh M, Borahay MA.
Reprod Sci. 2021 May 18. doi: 10.1007/s43032-021-00618-y. Online ahead of print.PMID: 34008153
May 2021. Congratulations to Malak for her new paper:
El Sabeh M, Saha SK, Afrin S, Islam MS, Borahay MA.
Mol Cell Biochem. 2021 May 17. doi: 10.1007/s11010-021-04174-6. Online ahead of print.PMID: 33999334
May 2021. Congratulations to Sadia Afrin who won the President’s Best Abstract Award, Society for Reproductive Investigation 68th Annual Scientific Meeting at Boston, MA July 6-9, 2021 for her research on Estrogen Receptor Trafficking and Degradation in Fibroids. Congratulations, Sadia!
Mar 2021. Congratulations to Abdelrahman for his new paper:
Role of Inflammation in Benign Gynecologic Disorders: From Pathogenesis to Novel Therapies.
AlAshqar A, Reschke L, Kirschen GW, Borahay MA.
Biol Reprod. 2021 Mar 19:ioab054. doi: 10.1093/biolre/ioab054. Online ahead of print.PMID: 33739368
Mar 2021. Congratulations to our team member Lauren Reschke who passed her oral board exam and is now Board Certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Congratulations, Lauren!
Mar 2021. Congratulations to our team member Abdelrahman AlAshqar who matched in the Ob/Gyn Residency Program at Yale University. Congratulations Abdelrahman and way to go!
Feb 2021. Congratualtion to our team member Lauren Reschke who received the Wallach Research Award for her research work investigating the biological impact of obesity on fibroids. Congratulation Lauren!
Feb 2021. Our new book Clinical Diagnosis and Management of Gynecologic Emergencies
is available at the Publisher, Amazon, and other booksellers.
Feb 2021. Watch a video highlighting our research and clinical work at Johns Hopkins Medicine Clinical Connections
Jan 2021. Congratualtion to our team member Gregory Kirschen, MD, PhD. His research application received the 2021 Kelly grant award. Congratulation Greg!
Dec 2020. Congratulations to Manasi Nawathe, our undergraduate student at Johns Hopkins Schoolf of Engineering who recently received the PURA award for her work on fibroid stiffness with us and Dr. Vicky Nguyen.
Nov 2020. Please, join us in welcoming Gregory Kirschen, MD, PhD, our Gyn/Ob resident at Johns Hopkins University to our lab. Welcome Greg!
Nov 2020. Congratulations to our fellow Sadia Afrin. She just delivered a wonderful
son, Sarraan Ahrar and both are in excellent condition!
Nov 2020. Our new book Fibroids and Reproduction is available at
the Publisher, Amazon, and other booksellers.
Nov 2020. Congratulations to Malak for her new paper:
El Sabeh M, Afrin S, Singh B, Miyashita-Ishiwata M, Borahay M.
Stem Cell Rev Rep. 2020 Nov 5. doi: 10.1007/s12015-020-10075-w. Online ahead of print. PMID: 33155150
Nov 2020. Please, join us in welcoming our new biostatistician volunteer team member Ryota Ishiwata. Welcome Ryota!
Oct 2020. Socially distant baby shower for Sadia.
We wish her a safe delivery, healthy baby, quick recovery
and happy family!
Oct 2020. Check our new paper:
Lee TG, Unlu BS, Petruzzi VA, Borahay MA, Dursun F, Saad AF, Kilic GS.
J Obstet Gynaecol. 2020 Oct 16:1-4. doi: 10.1080/01443615.2020.1803239. Online ahead of print.PMID: 33063572
Oct 2020. Congratulations to our team member, Abdelrahman AlAshqar, for his new publication:
Predictors of the Cost of Hysterectomy for Benign Indications.
AlAshqar A, Goktepe ME, Kilic GS, Borahay MA.
J Gynecol Obstet Hum Reprod. 2020 Oct 8:101936. doi: 10.1016/j.jogoh.2020.101936. PMID: 33039600
Oct 2020. Please, join us in welcoming our new Postdoc Malak El Sabeh. Welcome Malak!
Sep 2020. Our new book Clinical Diagnosis and Management of Gynecologic Emergencies is available for pre-order.
Sep 2020. Best wish to our Postdoc Subbroto Saha who moved to the University of California Davis.
Aug 2020. Our new book Fibroids and Reproduction is available for pre-order.
Aug 2020. Check our new paper:
Association of preoperative sleep pattern with post-hysterectomy pain: a pilot study.
Nowakowski S, Levy-Meeks ME, Dawson DB, Meers JM, Stout-Aguilar JS, Kilic GS, Borahay MA.
J Clin Sleep Med. 2020 Aug 10. doi: 10.5664/jcsm.8730. Online ahead of print.PMID: 32776870
Aug 2020. Congratulations to our lab Alumnus Malak El Sabeh for the wedding.
Our best wishes for happy life.
Aug 2020. Thank you to our Research Nurse Holly Sims for her work.
Holly will join the Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD) at
Johns Hopkins University. All our best wishes and we look forward to
working with Dr. Sims.
Aug 2020. Please, join us in welcoming our new Clinical Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility REI Clinical Fellow Lauren Reschke.
Aug 2020. Please, join us in welcoming our new Postdoc Mariko Ishiwata who came for the University of Tokyo.
July 2020. Check our new paper:
Borahay MA, Vincent KL, Motamedi M, Tekedereli I, Salama SA, Ozpolat B, Kilic GS.
Reprod Sci. 2020 Jul 6. doi: 10.1007/s43032-020-00248-w. Online ahead of print. PMID: 32632769
June 2020. Check our new paper:
Borahay MA, Wethington SL, Wang KC, Christianson MS, Martin S, Lawson SM, Esguerra C, Lippitt MH, Wu H, Handa VL, Satin AJ, Fader AN.
J Minim Invasive Gynecol. 2020 Jun 3;S1553-4650(20)30259-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jmig.2020.05.026. PMID: 32504823
May 2020. Check our new paper:
Simvastatin ameliorates altered mechanotransduction in uterine leiomyoma cells.
Afrin S, Islam MS, Patzkowsky K, Malik M, Catherino WH, Segars JH, Borahay MA.
Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2020 May 14:S0002-9378(20)30537-8. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2020.05.012. PMID: 32417359
Apr 2020. Check our new paper:
Kilic GS, Demirdag E, Findik MF, Lutfi Tapisiz O, Sak ME, Altinboga O, Sak S, Unlu BS, Evsen MS, Zeybek B, Borahay M, Kuo YF.
J Obstet Gynaecol. 2020 Apr 21:1-5. PMID: 32312139
Apr 2020. Check our new paper:
Smith AJB, AlAshqar A, Chaves KF, Borahay MA.
Int J Med Robot 2020 Apr 10:e2107. PMID: 32276286
Nov 2019. Check our new paper:
Cardiometabolic Risk Factors and Benign Gynecologic Disorder
AlAshqar A, Patzkowsky K, Afrin S, Wild r, Taylor HS Borahay MA.
Obstet Gynecol Surv 2019 Nov. 74 (11), 661-673. PMID 31755543
