Blogs

ASRM Research Institute Grant Partner Highlight: Legacy

By Tonya Carey posted 07-07-2023
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What is the mission and focus of Legacy? Legacy offers lab-grade, CLIA-certified, at-home sperm testing, freezing, and improvement. Our mission is to make male fertility care and sperm preservation convenient, accessible, and affordable. We work with individuals who are trying to conceive now, as well as those who want to protect their fertility for the future while they undergo medical treatment, gender-affirming care, or deployment. Simply put: we want to help people have the family they want when they’re ready, no matter their journey. A 2021 survey revealed that 73% of men who were planning or trying to start a family had no understanding of ...
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Researcher Spotlight: Jamie Lo, MD, MCR

By Tonya Carey posted 06-29-2023
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Grant Project Title : Identifying Epigenetic Changes in Spermatozoa of Sexually Mature Rhesus Macaques Following Chronic Marijuana Use Grant Amount : $49,376 Significance : Cannabis is the most commonly used psychoactive drug among reproductive age males in the United States and worldwide. This high prevalence continues to rise and is extremely concerning as safety data is substantially lacking. Cannabis users are often unaware of the potential adverse impacts on their fertility, in part because healthcare providers lack evidence-based knowledge regarding the effects of cannabis use and are unable to advise patients. To overcome the limitations of prior ...
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ASRM Research Institute Grant Partner Highlight: The Maya's Wings Foundation

By Tonya Carey posted 03-02-2023
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The Maya's Wings Foundation: Pioneering Research and Support for IVF Pregnancies The Maya’s Wings Foundation recognizes the unique challenges that individuals and families navigating infertility face, including the financial burden and emotional toll of IVF treatments. This non-profit organization is dedicated to improving the health outcomes of IVF-related pregnancies and eliminating preventable pregnancy loss for all. They focus on a multifactorial approach to optimizing IVF outcomes, which includes providing free up-to-date patient education materials, peer-led support resources for individuals and families navigating infertility and loss, and funding ...
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Researcher Spotlight: Reshef Tal, MD, PhD

By Tonya Carey posted 02-28-2023
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Grant Project Title : The Role of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Recurrent Implantation Failure Grant Amount : $50,000 Significance : Since the advent of IVF over four decades ago, stimulation protocols, embryo culture, transfer techniques, and embryo selection strategies have been optimized. However, our understanding of the implantation process has remained a “black box” as many patients continue to suffer the disappointment of recurrent implantation failure (RIF). In recent years it has become apparent that endometrial factors may be a main etiology underlying RIF but this remains poorly defined. Due to this critical gap in knowledge, the therapeutic approach ...
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Researcher Spotlight: Heidi Cook-Andersen, MD, PhD

By Tonya Carey posted 02-24-2023
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Grant Project Title : Defining the molecular basis of successful implantation and pregnancy of the human embryo to improve IVF success Grant Amount : $666,000 Significance : Failed implantation is a major factor limiting IVF success, even for euploid embryos. However, what is required at the molecular level for successful implantation of the human embryo remains largely unknown. In this proposal, we aim to identify lineage-specific factors and cell-cell interactions most closely associated with the earliest stages of implantation development in humans using single-cell RNAseq and bioinformatic approaches. In parallel, we are working develop a stem-cell ...
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2022 KY Cha Awardee - Rachel West, PhD

By Tonya Carey posted 12-05-2022
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Dr. Rachel West of Auburn University was presented the 2022 KY Cha Award in Stem Cell Technology at the ASRM Annual Meeting by Jean Kyung-Ah Lee, Executive Director of the Headquarters of CHA Reproductive Medicine Division and Professor of the Department of Biomedical Science, College of Life Sciences, CHA University, Korea. Grant Project Title: Using a 3D human trophoblast stem cell model to investigate the sexual dimorphism of the placental innate immune response Dr. West is an Assistant Professor in the Anatomy, Physiology, and Pharmacology Department at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama. She received her PhD in Biomedical Sciences from Colorado State ...
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Researcher Spotlight: Winifred Mak, MD, PhD

By Tonya Carey posted 11-30-2022
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Grant Project Title : Establishment and characterization of miscarriage-specific human trophoblast stem cells Grant Amount : $40,000 Significance : 750,000 to 1,000,000 miscarriages happen in the United States annually. For couples who experience pregnancy loss, the cause is usually cytogenetic in 60% of cases, such as trisomy and monosomy. However, the cause of the remaining euploid miscarriages is usually not found. Therefore, there is a significant need for more studies to investigate new causes of human pregnancy loss, especially recurrent miscarriages, where 50% of couples will not find a cause. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms of miscarriages in ...
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ASRM Research Institute Corporate Partner Highlight: EMD Serono

By Tonya Carey posted 11-29-2022
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EMD Serono has joined forces with the ASRM Research Institute to provide two outstanding grant opportunities to professionals in reproductive medicine – the Diversity Fellowship Research Award and the Nursing Professionals Research Award . Both grants are currently open, with a proposal submission deadline of January 16th, 2023 . Read further to find out more about EMD Serono and their partnership with the ASRM Research Institute. Who is EMD Serono? EMD Serono - the healthcare business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany in the U.S. and Canada -aspires to create, improve and prolong life for people living with difficult-to-treat conditions like infertility, ...
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Researcher Spotlight: Gary Smith, PhD, HCLD

By Tonya Carey posted 11-28-2022
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Grant Project Title : Human Embryo Mosaicism: Towards Understanding Longitudinal and Developmental Genetic Concordance Between Embryonic Trophectoderm, Inner Cell Mass, and Stem Cells Grant Amount : $666,000 Significance : Our hypothesis is that blastocyst regional cell genetic concordance is low, embryonic mitotic segregation errors are frequent, and that collectively, these biological factors contribute to embryonic mosaicism and limitations in predicting offspring genetic normalcy. This hypothesis is being addressed with two specific aims: 1) to elucidate regional genetic concordance/discordance within human preimplantation blastocysts trophectoderm, inner ...
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Welcome to our newest ASRM Research Institute Advisory Committee member - Dr. Sarah England

By Tonya Carey posted 11-21-2022
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Please join us in welcoming our newest ASRM Research Institute Advisory Committee member, Dr. Sarah England! Dr. England is the Alan A. and Edith L. Wolff Professor of Medicine and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Washington University. Dr. England’s laboratory has three main lines of investigation: One focus is to determine how ion channels in the myometrium modulate uterine excitability and contractility during pregnancy. Second, her lab is investigating the role and regulation of the oxytocin receptor in controlling uterine excitability. Lastly, they are studying how disruptions in endogenous circadian rhythms affect pregnancy outcomes. Her laboratory ...
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ASRM Research Institute Grant Partner Highlight: The Jones Foundation

By Tonya Carey posted 09-15-2022
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A note from the Howard and Georgeanna Jones Foundation: The Howard and Georgeanna Jones Foundation for Reproductive Medicine is a not-for-profit organization that solicits funds from the general public to support scientific and medical research in the field of reproductive medicine. In addition to providing research grants to deserving scientific investigators, the Foundation Board of Directors is prepared to serve in an advisory capacity to the agencies it supports. We may also sponsor seminars which would be designed to evaluate public policy issues related to reproductive medicine and are proud to be the nation’s preeminent medical research foundation focused ...
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Save the Date for Giving Day 2022 Benefiting the ASRM Research Institute!

By Tonya Carey posted 09-13-2022
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ASRM is excited to announce Giving Day 2022 will be on October 25th ! It’s time for us to come together as a community, celebrate our accomplishments, spread the word of our good work, and make a difference in the reproductive health and medicine community. Please SAVE THE DATE and join ASRM for Giving Day 2022 as we unite to help eliminate disparities in access to reproductive care for all. You can help by making a donation on Giving Day—October 25th! Every tax-deductible donation, no matter the amount, makes a difference and supports this year’s mission to improve access to care through research, specifically funding research to better understand disparities ...
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ASRM Research Institute Discovery & Innovation Grants Letter of Intent Opens August 22nd, 2022

By Tonya Carey posted 08-22-2022
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The ASRM Research Institute (RI) Discovery & Innovation Grants letter of intent opens August 22nd, 2022 . This year Investigators can submit a letter of intent for either the ASRM Discovery & Innovation Grant or the ASRM/Howard and Georgeanna Jones Foundation Investigative Scientist Award . Investigators who meet eligibility, with expertise in reproductive health and science, are encouraged to submit a letter of intent for consideration. To be considered, the letter of intent, with all required information in PDF format, must be submitted to the ASRM Research Institute ( research@asrm.org ) no later than 4:00 PM CST Friday, October 7th, 2022 ...
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Researcher Spotlight: Werner Neuhausser, MD, PhD

By Tonya Carey posted 07-21-2022
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Grant Project Title: Identification of transcriptomic and epigenetic coordinates for post-implantation human embryonic development Grant Amount: $666,000 Significance: Post-implantation human embryonic development beyond the blastocyst stage is pertinent to a variety of disorders in human reproduction such as implantation failure, fetal defects, placental insufficiencies and early pregnancy loss. However, our knowledge of cell-lineage decisions in the post-implantation human embryo remains severely limited and there is a critical need to explore the molecular control underlying the formation of trophoblast, epiblast and hypoblast lineages and the events ...
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Meet the ASRM Research Institute Advisory Committee

By Tonya Carey posted 06-10-2022
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As the ASRM Research Institute moves into its next phase, we are proud to announce the formation of the Research Institute Advisory Committee. This advisory committee, established in December 2021, comes on the heels of the incredible work that the ASRM Research Task Force and the Strategic Research Steering Committee started back in 2017 and completed in 2019, with the development of the Research Blueprint and formation of the ASRM Research Institute. The new Research Institute Advisory Committee will work with ASRM leadership and staff to guide the robust research agenda that was outlined in the Research Blueprint. “At the Institute’s core, we are committed ...
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ASRM Research Institute Corporate Partner Highlight: Ferring Pharmaceuticals

By Tonya Carey posted 06-10-2022
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Ferring Pharmaceuticals values innovation; they know that with the right resources and partnerships we can advance the field of reproductive medicine and fuel additional research. Ferring Pharmaceuticals has supported and continues to support philanthropic investments in the ASRM Research Institute. In 2020, Ferring Pharmaceuticals partnered with the Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (SREI) and the ASRM Research Institute to establish the REI Fellow’s Young Investigator Research Award. The purpose of this grant award is to support REI fellow-specific research in reproductive medicine. Who is Ferring: Ferring Pharmaceuticals is a ...
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ASRM Research Institute Grant Partner Highlight: Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Association (RPLA)

By Tonya Carey posted 06-10-2022
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The Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Association (RPLA) was founded in 2019 by Megan Hanson and Ben Burnham in the wake of their sixth miscarriage; hoping to transform their frustration and pain into something positive and help prevent other couples from enduring the heartache they experienced. In 2020, RPLA approached ASRM to establish and help fund a research grant focused specifically on recurrent pregnancy loss. The first grant funded was recently awarded to Tsegaselassie Workalemahu PhD, MSc (University of Utah). Dr. Workalemahu’s research program is titled " Inherited Genetic Variants and Unexplained Recurrent Pregnancy Loss ”. A little more about RPLA: ...
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Researcher Spotlight: Eve Feinberg, MD

By Julie Beckham, M.B.A posted 06-10-2022
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Grant Project Title: Characterizing Fertility Concerns among Women in Academic Medicine and Evaluating the Economic Impact of Fertility Preservation for Deferred Reproduction Grant Amount: $50,000 Significance: Although women are more likely than men to pursue a career in academic medicine, they also tend to leave academic medicine, reduce their work hours, or reroute their careers during their childbearing years. In addition, many female physicians delay childbearing, and studies have documented higher rates of infertility, obstetric complications, and childlessness in female physicians relative to the general population. Female physicians report ...
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What is Non-Obstructive Azoospermia (NOA)

By Thomas Masterson, M.D posted 12-16-2021
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What is Azoospermia? Azoospermia is the condition where there is no sperm in the ejaculate and affects around 1% of the population and 10% of infertile men[1]. This is not to be confused with aspermia, where there is no ejaculate. Men with azoospermia usually have normal ejaculate volume, so microscopic analysis of the fluid is required to make the diagnosis. Azoospermia is divided into two categories: obstructive azoospermia (OA), where sperm is blocked from reaching the ejaculate, and the more severe form, non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) where there is an issue with sperm production. Azoospermia is diagnosed after microscopic analysis of two properly collected ...
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Ideas When Speaking with Clinics about ASRM Guidelines

By Christina Miller, J.D posted 07-25-2019
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Question : A Reproductive Endocrinologist (clinic) that refers me business does not follow ASRM recommendations for psychological evaluations in all third-party cases. As a mental health professional providing services to this physician’s patients, what should I do? Answer : It’s tough to bite the hand that feeds you, but sometimes it is necessary in order to meet professional responsibilities and deliver the best possible standard of care for patients. As professionals, we know our professional ethical standards require us to put our obligations to our client above our own financial gain. But, the ASRM guidelines do not rise to the same level of ...
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