PRIMED Scholars in Practice

ASRM CPL’s Preparing Experts in Reproductive Medicine to Engage Decision-makers (PRIMED) Scholars Program is a first-of-its-kind fellowship cultivating the next generation of leaders in reproductive health advocacy. Through immersive, skills-based training, PRIMED Scholars build the policy fluency, strategic communication expertise, and institutional insight needed to transform clinical experience into meaningful policy impact.

While the core scholarship curriculum occurs during the fellowship year, the PRIMED network continues well beyond the conclusion of the program. Alumni remain deeply engaged as mentors, advocates, and collaborators, sustaining a dynamic network that strengthens ASRM CPL’s role in shaping reproductive health policy.

Across research institutions, academic and journalistic outlets, and governmental settings, PRIMED alumni are advancing discourse on access, equity, and innovation in reproductive medicine. Their accomplishments demonstrate the program’s enduring legacy and the critical importance of evidence-based advocacy in shaping the future of reproductive health.

Explore below to see our PRIMED Scholars in Practice who continue to expand the reach and impact of the CPL's policy and advocacy leadership.

  

    

2026 PRIMED Scholar Featured on WAMU NPR Radio Show

2026 PRIMED Scholar Alease Barnes joined ASRM Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer Sean Tipton and Dr. Lucky Sekhon on 1A Live WAMU NPR to discuss the landscape of fertility care access in 2026. Listen to the full Infertility radio segment here.

    

2025 PRIMED Scholar Selected as Ecological Society of America Excellence in Ecology Scholar

2025 PRIMED Scholar Lis Regula, PhD, was selected to be a part of the 2026 cohort of the Ecological Society of America (ESA) Excellence in Ecology (EEE) Scholars. This prestigious scholarship program celebrates and supports outstanding early- to mid-career PhD ecologists. Read the January 2026 announcement from ESA here.

   

2024 PRIMED Scholar Publishes in BioNews

2024 PRIMED Nicole Ulrich, MD, published an article in BioNews discussing the Trump Administration's executive actions on IVF and the impact on patient access. Read the January 2026 article live in BioNews here.

    

2025 PRIMED Scholar Publishes in JAMA

2025 PRIMED Scholar Caiyun Liao, MD, MPH, published an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association examining the growing efforts to shape health policy by promoting "Restorative Reproductive Medicine (RRM)" as a replacement for IVF, despite limited evidence of effectiveness. Read the December 2025 article live in JAMA now. Read ASRM's press release here.

2025 PRIMED Scholars Launch F&S Podcast Series

PRIMED Scholars Emily Barnard, DO, and Benjamin Peipert, MD, have launched a podcast series in collaboration with ASRM, Fertility and Sterility: Roundtable. Listen to their October 2025 episode on Elective Surrogacy now.

  

  

2025 PRIMED Scholars Publish F&S Editorial

PRIMED Scholars Jamie Kuhlman, PHD and Benjamin Peipert, MD, published an editorial in Fertility & Sterility in August, 2025. The article examines the ways in which "Restorative Reproductive Medicine" (RRM) violates reproductive autonomy and informed consent. Read their piece in F&S now.

     

2024 PRIMED Scholars Launch Repro Files Podcast

PRIMED Scholars AnnMarie Luft, RN, and Elizabeth Lee, RN, host the Repro Files Podcast delving into the realities of reproductive healthcare by blending clinical expertise and policy advocacy. Listen to new episodes every week.