Gil G Mor MD, PhD, MSc
Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences; Division Director, Reporductive Sciences; Director Reproductive Immunology Unit and Discovery to Cure Program; Editor in Chief, AJRI

Departments & Organizations
Developmental TherapeuticsObstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences: Cancer Biology Group | Reproductive Immunology Unit | Women's Reproductive Health Research Career Development Center
Developmental Therapeutics
Biography
Gil Mor, M.D., Ph.D. is Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Science at Yale University School of Medicine. Dr. Mor has focused his studies on the interaction between reproductive organs and the innate immune system. In his research he examines topics related to the immunology of implantation, the role of apoptosis in tissue remodeling and cancer, as well as the role of inflammation in cancer formation and progression. Dr. Mor earned his Ph.D. in Immunoendocrinology from the Weizmann Institute of Science and his M.S. and M.D. from Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
He completed postgraduate training at the National Institutes of Health where he worked in the Laboratory of Immunology as a Postdoctoral Fellow. At Yale University, he serves as Director of the Reproductive Immunology Unit and the Translational Research Program, “Discovery To Cure” (DTC). The Reproductive Immunology Unit has made important contributions in our understanding of the immunology of the female reproductive tract in normal and abnormal conditions. His studies on apoptosis and cancer, primarily the role of the Fas/FasL system in tissue renewal and the regulation of apoptosis in cancer cells and immune cells, have been published in prestigious journals and are highly cited.
Further, Dr. Mor’s studies on the regulatory pathways controlling cell survival and apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells led to the characterization of a new compound, phenoxodiol, which was used as a chemosensitizer based on its capacity to reactivate the apoptotic cascade. In 2005, Dr. Mor’s laboratory developed and characterized a new test for the early detection of ovarian cancer. The test evaluated likelihood of developing ovarian cancer among high risk populations. This test has been licensed to several companies in the USA, China, Europe and Israel.
More recently, Dr. Mor’s laboratory identified a unique population of ovarian cancer cells with characteristics of stem cells. These findings have opened a new area of research which may help to understand the source of recurrence and chemoresistance. Dr. Mor has more than 170 publications and is the editor of two books on “Immunology of pregnancy” and “Apoptosis and Cancer”.Dr. Mor is recipient of several national and international prizes, including the J. Christian Herr Award-from the Society for Reproductive Immunology.
He is member of the American Association for Cancer Research and the Society for Gynecologic Investigation and the formerTreasurer of the American Society of Reproductive Immunology. He is also honorary member of several scientific societies in South America. Dr. Mor was elected as the Editor in Chief of the Journal of the American Society for Reproductive Immunology and is the member of the Editorial Board of numerous journals. Dr. Mor has five patents licensed to pharmaceutical companies. Dr. Mor is also founder and organizer of the DTC High School internship program; an educational program to promote science in high school students, undergraduate students, and science educators. The program is an internationally recognized educational activity, enrolling 30 students out of more than 200 applications per year. The program is supported by NIH/NCI and private foundations.
Education
- M.D., Hebrew University , 1987
- M.Sc., Hebrew University of Jerusalem , 1988
- Ph.D., Weizmann Institute of Science , 1993
Selected Publication
- Steffensen KD, Alvero AB, Yang Y, Waldstrom M, Hui P, Holmberg JC, Silasi DA, Jakobsen A, Rutherford T, Mor G (2011) Prevalence of epithelial ovarian cancer stem cells correlates with recurrence in early-stage ovarian cancer. J Oncol. 2011:620523
Latest Honor and Recognition
- J. Christian Herr Award, Society for Reproductive Immunology
Articles

July/August 2011
A crash course in real-world research
John Solder, a 17-year-old who will be a senior at Staples High School, in Westport, Conn., this fall, has a summer...

March/April 2011
In 11 steps, chemists make a giant leap
In the latest chapter of a 15-year scientific story spanning the globe from the South Pacific to New Haven, a team of...

Nov/Dec 2007
Connecticut high schoolers get a taste of real-world research
They could have spent their summer lounging around at the beach, earning some extra spending money or traveling. But a...
Aug/Sept 2005
Ovarian cancer test exposes quiet killer
For women and their doctors, ovarian cancer is “the disease that whispers,” says Yale’s Gil Mor, M.D., Ph.D., associate...

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