2025 ASRM Research Institute Grant Awardees

2025 ASRM Discovery & Innovation Research Grant

Matteo A. Molé, PhD (Stanford University)

Title: “In Vitro Modeling Human Embryo Implantation: Mapping the Early Embryo-Maternal Interactions"

Dr. Matteo A. Molè, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Stanford University and a member of the Dunlevie Maternal-Fetal Medicine Center for Discovery, Innovation and Clinical Impact, as well as the Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine. He earned his PhD from University College London (UCL) and completed postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Cambridge and the Babraham Institute, where he obtained a license from the UK Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) to conduct research on human embryos donated by IVF patients. Dr. Molè’s lab focuses on investigating the complex mechanisms of human embryo implantation—a critical yet failure-prone step in establishing a healthy pregnancy. This clinically observed "implantation barrier" often necessitates multiple IVF cycles without guaranteed success. His research aims to unravel the “black box” of embryo-maternal crosstalk during implantation by visualizing the process in real time, identifying the timing of embryo loss, studying the molecular communication at the embryo-maternal interface, and pinpointing the genes essential for early placenta formation using advanced genetic technologies. The long-term vision of the Molè lab is to develop therapeutic interventions that improve IVF success rates and clinical outcomes by overcoming the implantation barrier and advancing reproductive medicine.

2025 ASRM Pilot & Exploratory Research Grant

Pasquale Patrizio, MD, MBE, HCLD, FACOG (University of Miami)

Title: ““Ex vivo” perfusion of whole human ovaries in a bioreactor: a novel method to study ovarian physiology folliculogenesis and oocytes maturity.”

Dr. Pasquale Patrizio, MD, MBE, HCLD, FACOG, a globally recognized leader in reproductive medicine, has joined the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine as professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences, and chief of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. Formerly at Yale University for 17 years, where he directed the fertility center and IVF program, Dr. Patrizio is renowned for groundbreaking contributions that have transformed reproductive medicine, including discoveries linking male infertility to cystic fibrosis and Y-chromosome deletions, co-pioneering the MESA technique, and advancing whole ovary cryopreservation and bio-banking of reproductive tissues. At Miami, he plans to establish a Center for Reproductive Health with services for transgender individuals and a fellowship program in partnership with Dr. Paidas.

A prolific scholar and editor, Dr. Patrizio has authored over 200 peer-reviewed papers and several books, served as president of the International Society for Fertility Preservation, and contributed to ASCO’s fertility preservation guidelines. His international accolades include induction into the 36-member International Academy of Human Reproduction. Trained in Italy and the U.S., with fellowships and residencies in andrology and reproductive endocrinology, Dr. Patrizio exemplifies collaborative care and innovation in both male and female infertility.

2025 Maya's Wings Foundation Research Award

Nickie Andescavage, MD (Children's Research Institute)

Title: “Advanced Imaging and Epigenetic Insights into Placental Development in Assisted Reproductive Technologies-Conceived Pregnancies”

Nickie Andescavage, MD, is the Associate Chief of Medical and Academic Affairs of the Developing Brain Institute (DBI) at Children’s National, and oversees DBI’s clinical and research programs, providing oversight of the medical and clinical care teams of DBI, supporting continuity of care across the prenatal-neonatal continuum, and overseeing the Maternal and Infant Clinical Trials Unit. She also serves as the clinical director, leads our community engagement efforts with obstetricians and maternal-fetal medicine specialists, and expanded our clinical research enterprise to a growing number of community NICUs. Dr. Andescavage also is an attending physician in Children’s Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine and a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology at the George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences.

Dr. Andescavage’s background in neonatology began with early academic interests in the mechanisms of acquired brain injury in premature infants. A subsequent fellowship in fetal medicine provided her additional expertise in fetal brain and placental development, including training in advanced imaging techniques. These sophisticated techniques allow for more rigorous study of the development and metabolism of the placenta and fetal brain and the more precise detection of injury, as well as the role of intrauterine exposures on offspring neurodevelopment.

2025 ASRM In-Training Surgical Research Award

Margaret A Rush, MD (University of Pennsylvania)

Title: “Hysteroscopy for diagnosis and treatment of pregnancy of unknown location”

Margaret A. Rush, MD is a current second year fellow in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the University of Pennsylvania. She completed medical school at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, and her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Pennsylvania. She is a current member of the SRS Surgical Scholars Track and has a special interest in reproductive surgery. 

2025 KY Cha Awardee

(Supported by an endowment from the Asia-Pacific Biomedical Research Foundation)

Katie Ayers (Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Australia)

Title: “Developing a scalable stem cell model to analyze genes and regulatory regions involved in fetal gonadal development and difference of sex development.”

Associate Professor Katie Ayers is a group leader at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) and Associate Professor in Paediatrics at the University of Melbourne. Her research explores the genetic and molecular mechanisms of human reproductive development and Differences of Sex Development (DSD). She is an editorial board member for several journals including Biology of Reproduction and Sexual Development. Katie’s research has spanned multiple animal models, human genetics and stem cell techniques and has been published in leading journals including Genome Biology, Nature Communications, and Developmental Cell. Notably, she received the 2014 Alan Wilton Award from the Genetics Society of Australasia for characterizing the chicken W sex chromosome and in 2016 co-authored a study in Genome Biology where creation of a novel gene panel improved diagnosis rates from 13% to 40% for individuals with DSD. Recently, she has been developing stem cell models of human gonadal development for functional genomics, work aimed at improving genetic diagnostics and patient care. 

2025 RPLA Research Awardee

(Supported by the Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Association)

Monica Mainigi, MD (University of Pennsylvania)

Title: "The Role of Uterine Macrophages in Early Placentation and Recurrent Pregnancy Loss”

Dr. Mainigi is an Associate Professor in the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the University of Pennsylvania. Her laboratory focuses on examining the interactions between per-implantation exposures and early placentation utilizing animal models, in vitro culture systems, and human tissues. Specifically, using Assisted Reproductive Technologies as a model, she has examined how specific interventions utilized during ART can lead to changes in placentation and adverse outcomes. Studying early implantation in humans is challenging. Therefore, to address these challenges, her laboratory has partnered with bioengineers in the laboratory of Dr. Dan Huh to utilize their organ-on-a-chip technology to model early placentation. Using this 'implantation-on-a-chip' device and primary human cells, they have found that uterine immune cells play a critical role in regulating early trophoblast invasion and spiral artery remodeling and that patients at risk for abnormal placentation may have changes in these immune cell populations.  They are currently developing new protocols to use this device to examine how maternal cells may influence trophoblast differentiation using iPS derived trophoblasts. These studies will aid us understanding how the preexisting maternal environment, and in particular uterine macrophages, can affect early implantation and play a role in recurrent pregnancy loss.  

2025 ASRM Menopausal Research Award

(Supported by an educational grant provided by Progyny)

Catherine Baril, MD (University of Vermont)

Title: "Integrating Wearable Technology and Virtual Shared Medical Appointments to Enhance Menopausal Care: A
Pilot Study”

Catherine is currently an OBGYN resident at the University of Vermont Medical Center. She grew up in Canada, Belgium, and Upstate New York where she attended nursing school at The College at Brockport. She worked as an RN in addiction medicine before attending medical school at the SUNY Upstate Medical University. Her longstanding passion for OBGYN care started in nursing school and continued throughout her education leading her to UVM Medical Center. She was drawn to UVM for their wholistic patient first approach to clinical care. Once at UVM her passion for OBGYN care that spans her lifetime, specifically regarding menopause, was ignited. She is looking forward to using her training to further menopause care access and research while serving patients throughout their lives. 

2025 ASRM Menopausal Research Award

(Supported by an educational grant provided by Progyny)

Lindsey Pileika, MD (University of Vermont)

Title: "Integrating Wearable Technology and Virtual Shared Medical Appointments to Enhance Menopausal Care: A Pilot Study”

Lindsey Pileika is a PGY-3 OB/GYN resident at the University of Vermont Medical Center. Originally from West Hartford, Connecticut, she has since lived in various settings, including Chiapas, Mexico, where she worked with Partners In Health and was first introduced to the concept of shared medical appointments—an experience that inspired this research project. She earned her medical degree from Brown University, where she also completed a Master’s in Population Medicine. Lindsey is passionate about delivering holistic, compassionate care to individuals and communities across the reproductive lifespan, including through the menopause transition. She is excited to collaborate with colleagues, mentors, and community members on this work, and remains deeply committed to centering those historically marginalized in reproductive care as a vital step toward advancing health equity.

2025 ASRM Menopausal Research Award

(Supported by an educational grant provided by Progyny)

Kathleen Waeldner, BA (University of Vermont)

Title: "Integrating Wearable Technology and Virtual Shared Medical Appointments to Enhance Menopausal Care: A
Pilot Study”

Katie is a fourth-year medical student at the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont. Katie grew up in Maine and attended Duke University where she studied cultural anthropology and chemistry. She then worked at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, assisting with Phase I and Phase II clinical trials investigating CAR T-cell therapy. In medical school, her research has focused on trauma-informed care, sexual side effects of cancer treatment, and healthcare access in Vermont. She is looking forward to applying into OB/GYN this residency application cycle, and she is particularly interested in using her platform as a future OB/GYN to advocate for health equity, especially as it relates to menopause.

2025 ASRM Diversity Fellowship Research Grant Awardee

(Supported by an educational grant provided by EMD Serono)

Shruti Agarwal, DO (University of Central Florida)

Title: "Investigating the Role of Follicular Fluid microRNAs in Ovarian Aging and Assisted Reproductive Success”

Dr. Shruti Agarwal, D.O. is an obstetrician and gynecologist with a strong interest in reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI) and minimally invasive surgery. She earned her medical degree from William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and completed her OB/GYN residency at the UCF-HCA Healthcare Consortium of Greater Orlando.

She pursued advanced surgical training through a two-year fellowship in Minimally Invasive Reproductive Surgery with the Society of Reproductive Surgeons, under the mentorship of Dr. Camran Nezhat at Stanford California. In July 2024, Dr. Agarwal matched into the REI fellowship at UCF-HCA Greater Orlando, training with Dr. Laurel Stadtmauer and Dr. Mark Trolice. Dr. Agarwal is committed to integrating surgical excellence with compassionate, evidence-based fertility care. Her interests outside of medicine include CrossFit, reading, travel, and dance.

2025 ASRM Nursing/Physician Assistant Professionals Research Award

(Supported by an educational grant provided by EMD Serono)

Karen Grace, PhD, MSN (George Mason University)

Title: "Understanding and measuring intimate partner violence and reproductive coercion among people experiencing infertility”

Dr. Karen Trister Grace is an Assistant Professor at George Mason University in the School of Nursing, and a Certified Nurse Midwife at Mary’s Center in Silver Spring, MD. Dr. Grace completed her PhD at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing and a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.  She has been a practicing midwife since 2000 and has taught in nursing and midwifery education since 2007. Her research focuses on IPV and reproductive coercion, pregnancy intention, and health equity. She is lead editor of the 3rd edition of the “Prenatal & Postnatal Care: A Person-Centered Approach” textbook, and serves on the Maryland Maternal Mortality Review Team. 

2025 ASRM Nursing/Physician Assistant Professionals Research Award

(Supported by an educational grant provided by EMD Serono)

Mary Beth Murray, Med, BSN, RN (Villanova University)

Title: "The Effect of a Four-Week Hatha Yoga Intervention to Improve Quality of Life, Anxiety, and Depressive Symptoms in Individuals Undergoing Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Treatment: A Randomized Control Trial”

SREI Fellow's Young Investigator Research Award

(Supported by an educational grant provided by Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Inc.)

Ecem Esencan, MD (Northwestern University)

Title: "CHECK2 mediated molecular pathways as targets to improve folliculogenesis”

Ecem Esencan, MD is a reproductive endocrinology and infertility fellow at Northwestern University with a research focus on reproductive aging and ovarian biology. She completed her residency in Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at Yale New Haven Hospital and earned her medical degree from Koç University School of Medicine in Istanbul, Turkey. Dr. Esencan’s work investigates the role of CHEK2 mutations and their downstream molecular pathways in modulating folliculogenesis and preserving ovarian reserve. Her translational research leverages transcriptomic and proteomic methods to better understand expanding fertility potential and reproductive longevity. She has published extensively on mitochondrial dynamics, oocyte quality, and fertility preservation, and was recently recognized with the 2025 SREI Fellow Young Investigator Award for her project, "CHEK2-mediated molecular pathways as targets to improve folliculogenesis."

SREI Fellow's Young Investigator Research Award

(Supported by an educational grant provided by Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Inc.)

Isabelle Mason, MD (Case Western Reserve University)

Title: "Impact of trophectoderm biopsy location on embryonic gene expression in a mouse model"

Isabelle Mason is originally from San Francisco, CA. She attended The University of Southern California for her undergraduate education where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience. She went on to attend medical school at The University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine where she was part of the Alpha Omega Alpha honors society. She attended residency at The Ohio State University and is currently a fellow at Case Western Reserve/University Hospitals in Cleveland, OH.