Ov D. Slayden, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Division of Developmental and Reproductive Sciences at the Oregon National Primate Research Center and has a joint appointment in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, OHSU. Dr. Slayden received his B.A. and M.A. degrees in Biology from Sonoma State University and earned a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Animal Science at Oregon State University. Dr. Slayden moved to the Primate Center in 1991 after receiving a Reproductive Biology Training Fellowship through the Department of Physiology at OHSU.

Dr. Slayden conducts research on contraception and reproductive tract disorders, including irregular menstrual bleeding, endometriosis, and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). His laboratory is 100% invested in studies on nonhuman primates (NHPs), including macaques and baboons. Their broad premise is that a better understanding of disorders that underlie NHP reproductive tract physiology can be leveraged to improve overall reproductive health for women. Their studies bridge the gap between bench research and clinical trials in women and are supported by a combination of NIH, foundation, and pharmaceutical grants. These grants involve identifying and developing novel hormonal and non-hormonal contraception, assessing and treating heavy menstrual bleeding, and novel therapies to image and ablate endometriotic lesions. Techniques employed by the laboratory include: in vivo experiments in NHPs, NHP cell culture, histology, immunohistochemistry, laser capture microdissection, and quantitative real-time PCR.   They also perform non-invasive imaging, including contrast-enhanced ultrasound, PET imaging, and dynamic contrast MRI on NHPs.