SUMMARY
Megan N. Wasson, D.O., is a physician-scientist. Dr. Wasson studies the diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis and complex gynecologic conditions. Her research integrates surgical innovation, imaging, immunology and computational modeling to address limits in disease detection and therapeutic effectiveness. Dr. Wasson examines patients with chronic pelvic pain and endometriosis, focusing on mechanisms of disease progression, variability in lesion presentation and factors contributing to delayed diagnosis.
Dr. Wasson's scientific approach spans translational and system-level methods. Her work includes:
- The development of minimally invasive surgical techniques.
- Imaging biomarkers.
- Organoid-based disease models.
- Artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted intraoperative detection.
- Immune-targeted therapies, including vaccine-based strategies.
- Molecular targets for diagnostic and therapeutic innovation.
Through her research, Dr. Wasson redefines how endometriosis is identified and managed. She is moving beyond just managing symptoms toward earlier detection, precision treatment and potentially disease-modifying interventions.
Focus areas
- Endometriosis immunotherapy development. Dr. Wasson investigates endometriosis-associated antigens and immune pathways. She enables vaccine-based therapies, using transcriptomics, multi-omics and patient-derived organoid systems. This approach overcomes limitations of animal models and establishes antigen-specific, T-cell-mediated treatment strategies.
- Advanced diagnostic imaging strategies. Dr. Wasson develops molecularly targeted imaging approaches, including gadolinium-based tracers and nanobody platforms. This method improves noninvasive detection of endometriotic lesions and addresses diagnostic delays associated with reliance on surgical visualization.
- Minimally invasive surgical optimization. Dr. Wasson designs and evaluates surgical techniques, including nerve-sparing techniques and complexity scoring systems. Through her research, she improves outcomes in patients with advanced gynecologic disease and reduces variability in referral and treatment patterns.
- AI-assisted intraoperative detection. Dr. Wasson builds machine learning models that integrate surgical imaging and histopathology. Her approach enhances real-time identification of endometriosis during surgery and reduces missed disease due to visual variability.
- Targeted therapeutic delivery systems. Dr. Wasson engineers molecularly targeted drug delivery approaches. This includes liposomal carriers to treat endometriotic lesions and reduce dependence on invasive surgical management.
Significance to patient care
Endometriosis often causes years of pain, trouble getting pregnant and delays in diagnosis. The condition is hard to find and treat. Dr. Wasson's work aims to find and track the disease earlier by using better imaging and AI tools. Her research also seeks to improve surgery so that care teams can safely remove more of the disease.
Targeted therapies that help the immune system may also reduce the need for more than one surgery.
Together, these advances could lead to earlier diagnosis, more-effective treatments and a better quality of life for people living with chronic pelvic pain and endometriosis.
Professional highlights
- Deputy editor, Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology, 2026-present.
- Chair, Department of Medical and Surgical Gynecology, Mayo Clinic, 2020-present.
- Director, Division of Benign Surgery, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics, 2025-2027.
- Co-investigator, Define the Role of Humoral Immunity in the Pathophysiology of Endometriosis, funded by the Endometriosis Foundation of America, 2024-2026.
- Principal investigator, Engineering Targeted Strategies to Diagnose and Treat Endometriosis, funded by the Alliance for Health Care Collaborative Research Seed Grant Program, Arizona State University and Mayo Clinic, 2023-2024.