Welcome from the Director

Welcome to the C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, an internationally known research center established to promote research training relating to women’s and children’s health with focus on reproductive biology, immunology, oncology, toxicology and prenatal medicine. Our scientists are shaping the understanding of how human being’s health is molded even before the fetus begins to grow. We integrate basic, translational and clinical research with the purpose of improving women’s health. We have the infrastructure in place to actively contribute to the community as the leading translational center for women’s health.

The Mott Center has championed a life-span perspective to reproductive health and an ecological approach to growth, development and well-being. We recognize our responsibility to engage our unique urban environment as we approach reproductive life sciences from bench to bedside and into the community. We are about breaking down barriers and unifying the necessary technologies with expert physician-scientists and the patients we serve.

Profile picture of Gil Mor

John M. Malone Jr. MD, Endowed Chair and Scientific Director of The C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Vice Chair for Research-Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Interim Chair, Department of Physiology

Introductory video

THEN AND NOW

Wayne State’s history began in 1868, when five physicians who witnessed the crude medical treatment on Civil War battlefields committed themselves to advancing health education and care in Detroit. They founded the Detroit Medical College, which has since transformed into our School of Medicine. Today, our main, 200-acre campus in Midtown Detroit is home to nearly 25,000 undergraduate and graduate students from across the United States and 70 countries.

The C. S. Mott Center, which opened in 1973, is an internationally known research center established to promote research training relating to women’s and children’s health, with a focus on reproductive biology, immunology, oncology, toxicology and prenatal medicine. Its scientists integrate basic, translational and clinical research with the purpose of improving women’s health.

History

Located at 275 E. Hancock in Detroit, the center has championed a lifespan perspective to reproductive health and an ecological approach to growth, development and well-being. Its faculty engage in a personalized approach to medical treatment and care. The primary mission of the Mott Center is to foster basic and clinical biomedical research on reproduction and development. It offers an integrated doctoral degree program incorporating the teaching, research and physical resources of the Department of Physiology and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The program offers interdisciplinary doctoral training in the reproductive sciences.

Image of the Wayne State Campus building for the C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth & Development

The center was renovated during a five-phase reconstruction from 2001 to 2008. In addition to individual Obstetrics and Gynecology researchers’ laboratories and offices, the center houses the research laboratories of the Perinatology Research Branch of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the Implantation Laboratory of the Reproductive Biology and Medicine Branch, NICHD Intramural Research Division, the Wayne State University Genomics Facility, a Bioinformatics Center and a Systems Biology section. It also contains one of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Department’s clinical research areas.

The center, in collaboration with the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, also has established the Ovarian Cancer Research Interest Group. The group seeks to bring together scientists and physicians working in the field to merge each investigator’s individual expertise to rapidly find solutions to confront the disease.

The New Detroit

For more than 150 years, Detroit has been part of the fabric of Wayne State University. We are located in Midtown, the city center and one of the country’s fastest-growing neighborhoods, which welcomes more than 2.5 million visitors annually.

Here, you’ll find 200 acres of green space, walking paths and state-of-the-art facilities surrounded by renowned cultural institutions and industry-leading employers. There’s no place on earth like Detroit — and there’s not a campus in the world like Wayne State.

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Immerse yourself in the city

Wayne State offers a unique vantage point for students, staff and faculty members who want to venture beyond campus and discover the soul of the city. Detroit is truly a one-of-a-kind destination, with an inspired mix of neighborhoods that contribute to its character. There is no shortage of things to do here, and you’re already in a prime position to visit Belle Isle, explore Detroit’s dining scene, support local vendors at Eastern Market, see a show and experience so much more.

Numerous cultural and entertainment destinations await for you to enjoy the true Detroit experience, just minutes from campus.

Cultural attractions

Professional sports teams

Extending our reach

With a main campus in Midtown, it’s no wonder that our Detroit headquarters is a true destination — and our four satellite campuses make a Wayne State education accessible to Warriors across Southeast Michigan.

Students at the Guardian Building looking up at the tall ceiling admiring the detail