2026 ASRM Research Institute Grant Awardees




2026 ASRM Discovery & Innovation Research Grant

Colm P. Kelleher PhD (Syracuse University)

Title: “Quantitative Links Between Cellular Energy Availability, Spindle Function, and Chromosome Segregation in Human Oocytes"

Dr. Colm P. Kelleher, PhD, is a biophysicist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics at Syracuse University, and is an affiliate of the BioInspired Institute. Dr. Kelleher's lab applies tools from physics and materials science to understand how cellular structures assemble and function. Working under Dr. Paul Chaikin, Kelleher earned his PhD in physics from New York University in 2017 and completed his postdoctoral training in the laboratory of Dr. Daniel Needleman at Harvard University before establishing his independent group in Syracuse. The Kelleher lab studies the meiotic spindle in mammalian oocytes—the structure that organizes and segregates chromosomes during egg maturation—and early embryos as they begin to form tissue. Chromosome segregation errors are a major cause of embryonic aneuploidy, miscarriage, and failed embryo development in IVF, and these errors rise sharply with maternal age. Yet clinicians still lack reliable, non-invasive, quantitative tools for assessing oocyte quality before fertilization. To address this, the Kelleher group develops quantitative, non-invasive imaging techniques to measure spindle organization and stability in living oocytes. Using human oocytes obtained through clinical collaborations with CNY Fertility and Boston IVF, his group is testing whether these measurements report on an oocyte's bioenergetic state and whether they predict the fidelity of chromosome segregation. In the longer term, Kelleher aims to understand how the physical organization of cells gives rise to robust function during early development, and to turn that understanding into practical, non-invasive tools for assessing egg and embryo quality in reproductive medicine.




2026 ASRM Pilot & Exploratory Research Grant

Nahid Punjani, MD, MPH (Mayo Clinic Arizona)

Title: “Sperm Epigenetics as a Molecular Biomarker for Fertility Recovery Following Chemotherapy: A Proof-of- Concept Longitudinal Study”

Nahid Punjani, MD, MPH, DrPH, is a Consultant and Associate Professor in the Department of Urology at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. His clinical practice focuses on male reproductive medicine and surgery, sexual dysfunction, and other men’s health conditions. Dr. Punjani earned his medical degree from the University of Ottawa in Canada and completed his urology residency at Western University in Canada. He then completed a two-year fellowship in male reproductive and sexual medicine and surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He also has advanced training in epidemiology and public health, with a Master of Public Health degree from Harvard University and a Doctor of Public Health degree from Columbia University. His academic and research interests focus on oncofertility and fertility preservation, the use of epidemiological data in men’s health and male infertility, the intersection of men’s health and systemic disease, and interventions that support holistic men’s health.


2026 ASRM Pilot & Exploratory Research Grant

Maria Viveiros, PhD  (University of Georgia)
Rabindranath De La Fuente, DVM, PhD (University of Georgia)

Title: "Development of a Deep Learning Computational Pipeline for the Non-Invasive Selection of
Live Oocytes with High Developmental Potential”

Dr. Viveiros is an associate professor and interim Chair of the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology at the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia. Following her PhD studies at the University of Guelph in Canada, she completed post-doctoral training on early embryo-maternal interactions and oocyte biology at Cornell University, and the Jackson Laboratory (Bar Harbor, Maine), respectively. Dr. Viveiros's research investigates the molecular and cellular mechanisms governing mammalian oocyte maturation and subsequent preimplantation embryo development. Studies in her laboratory are focused on the regulation of chromosome segregation and meiotic spindle assembly, identifying the specific pathways linked to maternal age-related aneuploidy and congenital anomalies. By utilizing advanced imaging and genetic mouse models, her work characterizes the critical transition from oocyte to embryo. Her work has been published in leading journals such as Science, Nature Genetics, Nature Communications, and Journal of Cell Science. 

Dr. De La Fuente is a Professor of Reproductive Biology/Epigenetics in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine and member of the graduate faculty at the University of Georgia. He holds a DVM degree with an emphasis in Reproductive Physiology from the National University of Mexico. He received a Ph.D. degree in Biomedical Sciences (Reproductive Genetics) from the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada for his work on X-chromosome inactivation and epigenetic regulation in the mammalian embryo. He leads an active research program that is focused on the molecular mechanisms that regulate chromatin structure and chromosome instability in mammalian oocytes and induced pluripotent stem cells. Previously, he conducted research on epigenetics at The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine funded by a Lalor Foundation Post-Doctoral Scholarship. His laboratory pioneered the analysis of the role of chromatin remodeling proteins during meiosis and the unique mechanisms regulating epigenetic reprogramming in the mammalian oocyte. 




2026 Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Association (RPLA) Research Award

Anne Steiner, MD, MPH (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill)

Title: “Thyroid dysfunction and autoimmunity as a cause of pregnancy loss”

Anne Z. Steiner, MD, MPH is the Charles H. Hendricks Distinguished Professor and Fellowship Director, Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility, in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UNC School of Medicine.

Dr. Steiner's research focuses on reproductive epidemiology, fertility, and miscarriage (link to publications). As a Women’s Reproductive Health Research (WRHR) Scholar she launched Time to Conceive (TTC), a time-to-pregnancy cohort study. Funded by the NICHD, TTC followed subjects from pre-pregnancy through pregnancy and delivery. The findings of TTC, ultimately published in JAMA, showed that biomarkers indicating diminished ovarian reserve were not associated with reduced fertility.  She served as the primary investigator for the UNC site of the NICHD Reproductive Medicine Network (RMN), which conducted clinical studies to investigate problems in reproductive medicine, including female and male infertility. She also served as the RMN primary investigator for the Males, Antioxidants, and Infertility (MOXI) Trial, a randomized controlled trial that showed that antioxidants do not improve male fertility.

Currently, she is the program PI for the NC Endometriosis Consortium, funded by the NC General Assembly, which aims to determine the burden of endometriosis on affected individuals and to clarify the extent to which patient phenotypes and endometriosis subtypes influence treatment response. In addition, with funding from the NICHD, she is launching TTC2, which will examine whether alterations in endometrial receptivity affect fertility and risk of miscarriage by quantifying and analyzing menstrual effluent.



2026 KY Cha Award in Reproductive Medicine

(Supported by an endowment from the KY Cha, MD, PhD, Science Endowment)

David Pépin, PhD (Massachusetts General Hospital)

Title: “Extrafollicular Ovarian Steroidogenesis: Stromal Hormone Production as a Therapeutic Target in Ovarian Aging”

Dr. Pépin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. He is the associate director of the Pediatric Surgical Research Laboratories and a founding member of MIT's Female Medicine through Machine Learning (FMML).  He completed his PhD at the University of Ottawa under the mentorship of Barbara Vanderhyden, and his postdoctoral training with Patricia Donahoe at the MGH in Boston. Dr. Pépin is a reproductive biologist with expertise in ovarian biology. His research interests include the role of AMH in female reproduction, particularly in the context of ovarian function and disease. His laboratory is actively engaged in the clinical development of therapeutics in contraception, infertility, and the treatment of female reproductive cancers. He is the recipient of the 2022 SSR Virendra B. Mahesh New Investigator Award, the 2023 ASRM Camran Nezhat, MD, Lectureship in Innovations in Medicine, and the 2025 SRF/SRB/SSR RV short medal, and the 2026 MGB Scholar Award. He has over 60 publications, 3 patent families, and has mentored over 55 trainees. 

2026 Collab Fertility Environmental Fellows Award

Jasmine Eliwa, MD (University of South Florida)

Title: “The identification and impact of microplastics in myometrial and fibroid tissue”

Jasmine Eliwa, MD is a reproductive endocrinology and infertility fellow with a research focus on environmental exposures in reproductive medicine and their implications for women's health. Her current research investigates the presence and biological effects of microplastics within human uterine tissue, integrating translational studies of patient-matched myometrial and fibroid tissue with mechanistic in vitro models. She graduated from medical school in Kuwait University, completed her obstetrics and gynecology residency at the University of Tennessee in Memphis, and is currently a fellow at the University of South Florida in Tampa.

2026 Collab Fertility Environmental Fellows Award

Melissa Mathes, MD (University of Iowa)

Title: “Endocrine disrupting chemical detox: a practical method to decrease environmental exposures and an evaluation of the impact of invitro fertilization treatment”

Melissa Mathes, MD, is a Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility fellow at the University of Iowa. She earned her medical degree and completed her residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. She has a particular interest in the impact of environmental exposures on fertility and reproductive health. Her research interests include understanding how environmental factors influence natural fertility, reproductive function, infertility treatment outcomes, as well as identifying contributors to infertility and pregnancy loss. Through her work, she aims to advance understanding of the relationship between environmental exposures and reproductive outcomes with the goal of improving patient care for individuals and couples pursuing family building.


2026 SREI Fellow's Young Investigator Research Award

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

Allison Eubanks, MD, FACOG (Shady Grove Fertility)

Title: "Evaluating the Efficacy of ICSI Versus Conventional Insemination in Non-Male Factor Infertility Using Cryopreserved Sperm: A Randomized Sibling-Oocyte Trial”

Allison A. Eubanks, MD, is an active-duty U.S. Navy physician and a Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility fellow at the National Institutes of Health and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, and an Assistant Professor of Gynecologic Surgery and Obstetrics at the Uniformed Services University. She has held leadership roles at overseas medical commands and currently serves as the Chair of the Female Force Readiness Navy Medicine Operational Clinical Community, where she advances initiatives to improve women’s health and readiness across the force. She is also the inaugural Editorial Board Fellow for Fertility and Sterility. Dr. Eubanks’ research focuses on optimizing assisted reproductive technologies, including embryo selection, ovarian stimulation strategies, and cost-effective care models in IVF.

2026 SREI Fellow's Young Investigator Research Award

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

Elena HogenEsch, MD, MSCR (University of California San Francisco)

Title: "Fertility, Reproductive outcomes & Time to conception-Impact of longterm IUD exposure on reproductive outcomes"

Dr. HogenEsch is a second-year fellow in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the University of California San Francisco. Her research centers primarily on the intersection of endometrial pathology and reproductive outcomes. During medical school at Emory University, she received a TL1 training award to complete a Master of Science in Clinical Research (MSCR). She then completed a residency in Obsetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern University. During residency she conducted research on chronic endometritis, the uterine microbiome and associations between intrauterine device use and chronic endometritis, which sparked her current interest in the reproductive sequelae of long-term hormonal IUD use.

2026 ASRM Rescuing Research Award

Shruthi Mahalingaiah, MD, MS, FACOG (Harvard University)

Title: "Climate factors, racial/ethnic disparities and menstrual cycle health”

Shruthi Mahalingaiah, MD, MS, FACOG is a the Mark and Catherine Winkler associate professor of environmental, reproductive, and women’s health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She serves clinically as a physician at the Massachusetts General Hospital in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, where she specializes in ovulation disorders, reproductive endocrinology, and infertility. Her research seeks to understand the links between environmental and modifiable risk factors on human reproduction and gynecological diseases. Dr. Mahalingaiah is the creator of the Ovulation and Menstruation Health (OM) Study and one of the principal investigators of the Apple Women’s Health Study.

2026 ASRM Rescuing Research Award

Amander Clark, PhD  (UCLA)

Title: "Defining the Molecular Origins of Human Germ Cells to Improve In Vitro Gametogenesis”

Amander Clark PhD is Professor of Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology at UCLA and the Founding Director of the UCLA Center for Reproductive Science, Health and Education.  Professor Clark is an award-winning scientist and internationally recognized expert on topics in stem cell biology, developmental biology and reproductive science. Her current interests are in ovarian health, formation of the ovarian reserve, and the creation of next generation tools and technologies using stem cells aimed at improving health and health-span. Professor Clark has authored more than 100 scientific articles with over 20,000 citations of her published work. She is regularly invited to appear as a subject matter expert for the New York Times, the Economist, the New Yorker and Public Radio. From 2023-2024 Professor Clark served as President of the International Society for Stem Cell Research, a global non-profit that promotes excellence in stem cell science and applications to human health, and from 2023-2025 she served on the National Academy of Science Engineering and Medicine Health Science Policy Board.  She is currently serving on the executive committee for the Center for the Study of Women/Barbra Streisand Center at UCLA. Through her research, service and teaching, Professor Clark is committed to scientific practices that are informed by multidisciplinary research and engagement with the public.

2026 ASRM Rescuing Research Award

Christina Farr, PhD  (Case Western Reserve University)

Title: "Investigating the microbiome and inflammation in the vaginal microenvironment ”

Dr. Christina Farr is an Assistant Professor of Pathology and Member of the Center for Global Health and Diseases at Case Western Reserve University. She received her PhD from the University of British Columbia and completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Manitoba. Dr. Farr’s research is focused on host-microbe interactions that influence human urogenital health and disease, with a particular interest in cervicovaginal innate immunity and the microbiome.

2026 ASRM Rescuing Research Award

Lisa Mehlmann, PhD  (UConn Health)

Title: "Reproductive consequences of puberty suppression and testosterone administration in female mice: Implications for the treatment of transgender men”

Lisa Mehlmann, PhD earned her BS and PhD degrees from Kent State University and has dedicated her career to advancing the understanding of female reproductive biology. Her research has focused on mammalian oocyte cell biology, with particular emphasis on the signaling mechanisms that regulate meiotic arrest and resumption, oocyte maturation, and fertilization. More recently, Dr. Mehlmann's laboratory has investigated the potential reproductive consequences of testosterone treatment in female mice, both with and without prior exposure to puberty blockers. This work has important implications for understanding fertility and reproductive health in transgender males—individuals assigned female at birth who use testosterone as part of their gender transition.

2026 ASRM Rescuing Research Award

Scott Michael Gordon, MD, PhD  (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia)

Title: "Roles for individual uterine natural killer cell types in shaping trophoblast fate and function”

Dr. Gordon is a neonatologist and reproductive immunologist at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania. The Gordon lab works to improve maternal-child health by understanding how inflammation directs outcomes of pregnancy.

2026 ASRM Rescuing Research Award

Daphna Stroumsa, MD, MPH, MSc  (University of Michigan)

Title: "Unraveling the Roles of Minority Stress and Testosterone Use in Preeclampsia Among Trans Individuals-A Multi-Site Study”

Daphna Stroumsa is an assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, in the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the University of Michigan. In their clinical work and research, Dr. Stroumsa's focus is on provision of gender affirming care, and on sexual and reproductive health services for gender and sexual minorities. Dr. Stroumsa is a health services researcher and a recipient of an NIH K23 Career Development award; their goal is to improve transgender and nonbinary people's access to and quality of care, through better understanding of the barriers to care that they face, and through the development and evaluation of evidence-based, community-engaged interventions. Dr. Stroumsa received their medical education at the Hebrew University / Hadassah Medical School in Jerusalem. They completed a Masters of Public Health in Health Management and Policy at the University of Michigan, and an Obstetrics and Gynecology residency at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, and are a proud graduate of the National Clinician Scholars Program at the University of Michigan.

2026 ASRM Rescuing Research Award

Md Saidur Rahman, DVM, PhD  (University of Missouri)

Title: "Targeting Dendritic Cells for Endometriosis-Associated Infertility”

Dr. Md Saidur Rahman, DVM, PhD, is an Assistant Research Professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health at the University of Missouri School of Medicine. He is a reproductive biologist with interdisciplinary training in veterinary medicine and translational reproductive science. Dr. Rahman earned his PhD from Chung-Ang University in South Korea and completed postdoctoral and faculty research training focused on reproductive physiology, environmental toxicology, and molecular mechanisms of fertility. Dr. Rahman’s research program focuses on immune–endocrine interactions in reproductive health and disease, with particular emphasis on endometriosis and infertility. His work integrates in vivo models, molecular approaches, and advanced imaging to define how immune dysregulation affects uterine function, implantation, and early pregnancy. He has also contributed to the development of nanotechnology-based therapeutic strategies, including redox-active nanoparticles, to target inflammation and improve reproductive outcomes. Dr. Rahman has authored over 90 peer-reviewed publications and has been recognized among highly cited researchers globally. His research spans both animal and human reproductive biology, bridging fundamental mechanisms with clinical relevance. His current work focuses on the role of dendritic cells in endometriosis-associated infertility and the development of immune-targeted therapeutic approaches. The long-term goal of Dr. Rahman’s research is to better define the immune basis of endometriosis and to support the development of mechanism-driven, non-hormonal therapies that improve fertility and patient outcomes.

2026 ASRM Rescuing Research Award

Elizabeth Rubin, MD, MCR (Oregon Health & Science University)

Title: "The impact of hyperandrogenemia on embryo development and arrest”

Dr. Liz Rubin is an Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Oregon Health & Science University. She received her medical degrees from Brown University, completed residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, and completed fellowship in REI at OHSU where she also earned her Master of Clinical Research. Dr. Rubin’s research focuses on the effects of hyperandrogenemia on the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, oocyte competency, embryonic aneuploidy, and blastocyst gene expression. Her current studies utilize non-human primate models to evaluate exogenous exposures on IVF outcomes.


2026 Resident Research Award

(Sponsored by EMD Serono)

Zara Siddiqui, DO, MPH, MS (Boston Medical Center)

Title: "A Mixed Methods Research Study of Patient Perceptions of an Infertility Patient Navigator Program at a Safety Net Hospital”

Zara Siddiqui (she/her) grew up in Richmond, Virginia, and attended the University of Virginia where she received a BA in Psychology with a minor in Studio Art. She then received her MS in Pharmacology and Toxicology through the Virginia Commonwealth University. She went on to pursue an MPH through Samford University alongside her DO from the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine. During medical school, Zara founded and directed EASE into Motherhood, a student-led program to provide new skills, education, and resources to new and soon-to-be mothers in rural Alabama. Zara also worked at a shelter for survivors of sex trafficking through Safe Harbor, an organization that provides safe housing and reintegration services to survivors of human trafficking. She gained a passion for helping victim-survivors and served as student president of AMWA’s Physicians Against the Trafficking of Humans (PATH); she continues to advocate for improvement of medical knowledge in recognition and methods of intervention to help trafficked victims. Her interests in the field of OBGYN include high-risk obstetrics, family planning, and improvement of racial disparities in health outcomes. In her free time, Zara loves to cook and try new restaurants, hike, paint, and spend time with her husband and their tabby cat, Pumpkin.


2026 Resident Research Award

(Sponsored by EMD Serono)

Andrea Parra Jaimes, MD (UT Health Sciences at San Antonio)

Title: "Does Birth Control Affect My Fertility? Contraception, Future Fertility Knowledge, and Reproductive Autonomy Among Latina Patients in South Texas”

Andrea Parra Jaimes, MD is a PGY-2 Obstetrics and Gynecology resident at UT Health San Antonio. She completed her undergraduate studies at Florida Atlantic University and earned her medical degree from San Juan Bautista School of Medicine. Dr. Parra was born in Venezuela and raised in Spain, experiences that have shaped her perspective on patient care and communication. She has a strong interest in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and is particularly focused on improving access to fertility education and reproductive healthcare for underserved populations.


2026 Resident Research Award

(Sponsored by EMD Serono)

Danielle Jean, MD (University of Michigan)

Title: "The REI Night Clinic: A Model to Expand Equitable Access and Enhance OB/GYN Resident Education”

Danielle Jean, MD is a third-year resident in OB/GYN at the University of Michigan, where she also completed medical school. Originally from an immigrant community in New York City, she has long been interested in improving healthcare access for underserved communities. Clinically, she is drawn to reproductive surgery and fibroid management, and her research focuses on expanding access to fertility-related care. She plans to pursue fellowship training in REI, with the goal of improving outcomes for underserved patients.


2026 Resident Research Award

(Sponsored by EMD Serono)

Alexis Baranoff, MD (University of Texas at Austin

Title: "A study to identify barriers to infertility care of Hispanic women”

Dr. Alexis Baranoff is a PGY-2 OBGYN resident at Dell Medical School, UT Austin. She holds a B.S. in Behavioral Neuroscience from UCLA, an M.Ed. from Southern Methodist University, and an M.D. from the University of Washington School of Medicine. Her research focuses on reproductive health equity, and under the mentorship of Dr. Winifred Mak, she is conducting a mixed-methods study at CommUnityCare East Austin examining disparities in time to initial infertility evaluation among Hispanic women in safety-net settings. She has co-authored publications on maternal SARS-CoV-2 antibody transfer in pregnancy, and aims to pursue fellowship training in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility focused on equitable, community-engaged care.


2026 REI Fellow Health Equity Research Award

(Sponsored by EMD Serono)

Ariya Mobaraki, MD (Case Western Reserve University)

Title: "Chronic Endometritis-Associated Progesterone Resistance in Endometrial Organoids Derived from Women with Recurrent Pregnancy Loss”

Ariya Mobaraki MD is a fellow in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at University Hospitals/Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.  His clinical and research interests surround conditions that may cause uterine inflammation and alter the reproductive hormonal milieu. He plans to pursue an academic career with a surgical focus, with hopes to serve his patients and his community.


2026 ASRM Nursing/Physician Assistant Professionals Research Award

(Sponsored by EMD Serono)

Brittany Woods, PhD, RN, CNOR (University of Alabama)

Title: "Understanding Factors Influencing Nurse and Advanced Practice Provider Retention in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Clinics”

Dr. Brittany Woods is an Assistant Professor at the University of Alabama’s Capstone College of Nursing. She earned her BSN from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and spent ten years as a certified perioperative nurse specializing in abdominal transplantation. She completed her PhD in Nursing at UAB in 2023, followed by a reproductive health postdoctoral fellowship with ORISE at the CDC’s Division of Reproductive Health. Her research centers on the mental health implications of infertility and reproductive health across adult populations. Dr. Woods serves as Vice-Chair of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s Nurses’ Professional Group, Vice President of Sigma’s Epsilon Omega Chapter, and is an active member of the Southern Nursing Research Society.