After more than three decades of groundbreaking research, mentorship, and leadership at UW–Madison and the WNPRC, David Abbott, PhD has retired leaving behind a legacy in reproductive science. This interview reflects on Abbott’s contributions to Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovary Syndrome (PMOS, formerly known as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome or PCOS), his students and trainees, and a career dedicated to advancing women’s health. See additional comments from colleagues below.

Comments from his Colleagues

Dave Abbott is a remarkable scientist with outstanding research credentials, extensive experience and exemplary teaching skills. More than this, however, he is an empathic, generous mentor who freely offers his time, knowledge, and energy to help others navigate both personal and professional challenges. Over the past thirty-five years, I have often witnessed Dave’s calm demeanor transform difficulties into opportunities with dignity. I have had the wonderful opportunity to work with Dave for most of my professional career, being “comrades in arms”, yet only one of many who have benefited from knowing him. I hold Dave in the highest esteem as a scientist, colleague and close friend. Congratulations, Dave, and Slàinte mhath!
— Dan Dumesic M.D., physician and professor, Ob-Gyn, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA

Dave provided me with an example of what a true leader looks like; a leader who is passionate about his craft, who holds his students to high standards of work and research, and, most importantly, a leader who cares for his team. Dave’s love of research and his curious, scholarly mind pushed many students to be constantly learning and thinking outside the box when discussing lab-related topics in weekly meetings. He encouraged students to answer questions through reason and critical thinking rather than memorization, a skill I am thankful to have practiced early on in my education. Furthermore, Dave taught students the importance of holding themselves accountable to research practices and habits that are dependable. He has an ability to place the right amount of agency on individual students, teaching us how to manage time, projects, and each other to create results. Dave is a phenomenal researcher who taught countless students to follow in his footsteps through curiosity, accountability, and confidence. Most meaningful to me is Dave’s deep care and commitment to the wellbeing of his team. Over years of weekly meetings, I realized that the wellness of his people took precedence over research. Always available through one-on-one meetings or emails, Dave listened to student problems and concerns and workshopped solutions. These things hold a mirror to the doctor, mentor and human Dr. Abbott is. Surely I stand alongside other students in saying that I am indebted to him for it all: the challenges, the grace, the experience, and the confidence he gave me.
— Anna Just, B.S., biology 2025, UW–Madison, Hilldale Undergraduate Research awardee in the Abbott lab 2024, medical assistant, Access Community Health Centers, Madison, WI

If you’ve lived your life without meeting someone of Dr. Abbott’s exceptional character, you have truly missed out. Dr. David Abbott has been a constant source of positivity throughout my academic journey. I have never experienced support through all of life’s challenges — including my health battles — in the way that Dr. Abbott has provided. I attribute my ability to teach scientific subjects in a relatable way to his mentorship as an educator. As I move forward with my doctoral degree, I can see his influence in how I analyze and scrutinize data, how I approach questions, and how I navigate these spaces with discernment and wisdom. The impact of his training will remain with me throughout the rest of my career. Beyond his scientific contributions, as a longtime student I have had the privilege of seeing him as both a husband and a father. I have been equally influenced and impressed by how he has centered his family, supported his sons, and cared for his wife. Many people in academia are brilliant but not always kind. Dr. Abbott exemplifies both. His global influence in science is profound, yet he has managed to achieve that while remaining deeply committed to his family. It has been one of the great honors of my life to be trained by one of the best scientists in the world. My wish for Dr. Abbott and his family is that they enjoy this season of life together, wherever it takes them.
— Beverly Hutcherson, M.S., Endocrinology and Reproductive Physiology, UW–Madison, ICTR ADEPT scholar pursuing a Ph.D. in clinical investigation

I have often teased my good friend and colleague, David Abbott, by referring to him as a “gentleman and a scholar”. He has, in fact, been both of these things in myriad ways since we first started our long-standing scientific collaboration and personal friendship more than 25 years ago. His positive impact on the fields of reproductive medicine and primatology, colleagues in these fields of study, colleagues at the WNPRC and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and many, many trainees has been immeasurable. David was among the first to propose the theory that the fetal environment can program the development of pathological disorders in postnatal life. His particular genius was to recognize that this principle holds for the relationship between prenatal testosterone excess in the female fetus and subsequent development of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), now polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), a reproductive and metabolic disorder affecting approximately 15% of women of reproductive age. His choice of the rhesus macaque as an experimental model to demonstrate the validity of this theory was no accident – David’s rigorous and insightful work centered on this animal for reasons firmly rooted in its direct relevance to the human condition. His demonstration that PMOS is an evolutionarily conserved condition in primates has greatly reinforced relevancy of all findings in monkeys to the etiology and potential therapeutic approaches to the disease. Over his career, David has integrated his personal style of collaborative science with his approach to relationships with colleagues, and to the greatest extent with his many undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral trainees. He is a remarkably dedicated, encouraging, and enthusiastic mentor who also holds everyone to the highest standards of scientific pursuit. He has had a marvelous career and I am forever grateful to have been a part of it.
—Jon E. Levine, Ph.D. Professor, Department of Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin-Madison;, Director, Wisconsin National Primate Research Center 2010-2025.

Dave Abbott is a brilliant researcher and an incredible teacher, and I couldn’t have imagined a better mentor to have for 3 years of my undergraduate career. Dave always prioritized curiosity and understanding of the topics we discussed, creating an environment where learning and passion for studying PCOS (now PMOS) were the root of his lab’s undergraduate research. Dave entered every single weekly meeting with positive energy, making his excitement about his field of study so obvious and contagious. In addition, he consistently emphasized themes of social justice in his research on women’s health, making our research more than simply finding a cure for a physiological process.
Dave expected high-level work, and entrusted students to perform precise studies and be exceptional leaders. Through journal clubs, he also encouraged us to question what made an experiment reliable or unreliable, discussions that undoubtedly allowed us students to understand the importance of producing exceptional and reliable research.
Dave is one of the most respectable people I’ve ever met while also being incredibly easy to get along with. I am so fortunate to have had the opportunity to be his student and his guidance has, and will continue to have, an immeasurable impact on my career as a scientist. I congratulate him on his retirement.
— Phoebe Hayes, B.S., neuroscience 2026 UW–Madison, full scholarship to the University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark for an MSc in neuroscience starting Fall 2026.

In September of 2014, as a freshman at UW-Madison, I heard Dr. David Abbott present in my biology seminar on glucoregulation and the endocrine system. I was moved by his passion for his research and his welcoming approach to complex science topics. As a nervous undergraduate student, I sent him an email to discuss his research. I had no idea how that email would change my life. Dr. Abbott has a special ability to balance guidance and independence when mentoring. He empowers you to succeed because he believes in you and he cares deeply about your success. Even with his demanding responsibilities as a scientist and professor, he never hesitates to find time to connect with undergraduate and graduate students in the lab. In these interactions, Dr. Abbott brings the joy to science. His present, patient, and genuine mentorship style is infused with his funny quips and “bloody brilliant!” remarks. Dr. Abbott’s impact on the field of Reproductive Endocrinology is monumental. His dedicated insight and novel ideas continue to redefine our understanding of Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (previously, PCOS). For the past twelve years, it has been an incredible and joyous experience learning from Dave. I am excited to toast Dave’s tremendous career as a scientist, academic, and teacher – congratulations!
— Molly Willging, Ph.D., postdoctoral research fellow, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Dave Abbott always enthusiastically explained his research to me so that I could enjoy writing UW-Madison news releases and other stories about his team’s discoveries for nearly 30 years. He and his lab members were passionate about their work and contributed such positive energy to our center’s outreach efforts!
— Jordana Lenon, B.S., UW-Madison academic staff emerita, communications and outreach, Wisconsin National Primate Research Center and Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine Center