2026 ASRM RI Grant Recipients

Discovery & Innovation Grant Cycle

• Colm Kelleher, PhD (Syracuse University) 
  “Quantitative Links Between Cellular Energy Availability, Spindle Function, and Chromosome Segregation in Human Oocytes”

• Shruthi Mahalingahiah, MD, MS, FACOG (Harvard University) 
  “Climate factors, racial/ethnic disparities and menstrual cycle health”

• Amander Clark, PhD (UCLA) 
  “Defining the Molecular Origins of Human Germ Cells to Improve In Vitro Gametogenesis”

• Christina Farr, PhD (Case Western Reserve University) 
  “Investigating the microbiome and inflammation in the vaginal microenvironment”

• Elizabeth Rubin, MD, MCR (Oregon Health & Science University) 
  “The impact of hyperandrogenemia on embryo development and arrest”

• Md Saidur Rahman, DVM, PhD (University of Missouri) 
  “Targeting Dendritic Cells for Endometriosis-Associated Infertility”

• Scott Michael Gordon, MD, PhD (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia) 
  “Roles for individual uterine natural killer cell types in shaping trophoblast fate and function”

• Daphna Stroumsa MD, MPH, MSc (University of Michigan) 
  “Unraveling the Roles of Minority Stress and Testosterone Use in Preeclampsia Among Trans Individuals-A Multi-Site Study”

• Lisa Mehlmann, PhD (UConn Health) 
  “Reproductive consequences of puberty suppression and testosterone administration in female mice: Implications for the treatment of transgender men”

Pilot & Exploratory Grant Cycle

• Nahid Punjani, MD, MPH (Mayo Clinic Arizona) 
  “Sperm Epigenetics as a Molecular Biomarker for Fertility Recovery Following Chemotherapy: A Proof-of- Concept Longitudinal Study”

• Maria Viveiros, PhD; Rabindranath De La Fuente, DVM, PhD (University of Georgia) 
  “Development of a Deep Learning Computational Pipeline for the Non-Invasive Selection of Live Oocytes with High Developmental Potential”

• Danielle Jean, MD (University of Michigan)
  “The REI Night Clinic: A Model to Expand Equitable Access and Enhance OB/GYN Resident Education"
  (Supported by an Educational Grant provided by EMD Serono)

• Alexis Baranoff, MD (University of Texas at Austin)
  “A study to identify barriers to infertility care of Hispanic women"
  (Supported by an Educational Grant provided by EMD Serono)

• Zara Siddiqui, MD (Boston Medical Center)
  “A Mixed Methods Research Study of Patient Perceptions of an Infertility Patient Navigator Program at a Safety Net Hospital"
  (Supported by an Educational Grant provided by EMD Serono)

• Andrea Parra Jaimes, MD (UT Health Sciences at San Antonio)
  “Does Birth Control Affect My Fertility? Contraception, Future Fertility Knowledge, and Reproductive Autonomy Among Latina Patients in South Texas"
  (Supported by an Educational Grant provided by EMD Serono)

• Elena HogenEsch, MD, MSCR (University of California, San Francisco)
  “Fertility, Reproductive outcomes & Time to conception-Impact of longterm IUD exposure on reproductive outcomes"
  (Supported by an Educational Grant provided by Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Inc.)

• Allison Eubanks, MD, FACOG (Shady Grove Fertility)
  “Evaluating the Efficacy of ICSI Versus Conventional Insemination in Non-Male Factor Infertility Using Cryopreserved Sperm: A Randomized Sibling-Oocyte Trial"
  (Supported by an Educational Grant provided by Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Inc.)

• David Pepin, PhD (Massachusetts General Hospital)
   “Extrafollicular Ovarian Steroidogenesis: Stromal Hormone Production as a Therapeutic Target in Ovarian Aging"
  (Supported by an Educational Grant provided by the KY Cha, MD, PhD, Science Endowment)

• Jasmine Eliwa, MD (University of South Florida)
  “The identification and impact of microplastics in myometrial and fibroid tissue"
  (Supported by an Educational Grant provided by Collab Fertility)

• Melissa Mathes, MD (University of Iowa Healthcare)
  “Endocrine disrupting chemical detox: a practical method to decrease environmental exposures and an evaluation of the impact of invitro fertilization treatment"
  (Supported by an Educational Grant provided by Collab Fertility)

• Ariya Mobaraki, MD (Case Western Reserve University)
  “Chronic Endometritis-Associated Progesterone Resistance in Endometrial Organoids Derived from Women with Recurrent Pregnancy Loss"
  (Supported by an Educational Grant provided by EMD Serono)

• Brittany Woods PhD, RN, CNOR (University of Alabama)
  “Understanding Factors Influencing Nurse and Advanced Practice Provider Retention in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Clinics"
  (Supported by an Educational Grant provided by EMD Serono)

2025 ASRM RI Grant Recipients

Discovery & Innovation Grant Cycle

• Matteo Molè, PhD (Stanford University) 
  “In Vitro Modeling Human Embryo Implantation: Mapping the Early Embryo-Maternal Interactions.”

Pilot & Exploratory Grant Cycle

• Patrizio Pasquale, MD, MBE (University of Miami) 
  “Ex vivo perfusion of whole human ovaries in a bioreactor: a novel method to study ovarian physiology, folliculogenesis and oocytes maturity”

• Monica Mainigi, MD (University of Pennsylvania)
   “The role of uterine macrophages in early placentation and recurrent pregnancy loss"
  (Supported by an Educational Grant provided by the Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Association)

• Margaret Rush, MD (University of Pennsylvania)
   “Hysteroscopy for diagnosis and treatment of pregnancy of unknown location"
  

• Katie Ayers (Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Australia)
   “Developing a scalable stem cell model to analyze genes and regulatory regions involved in fetal gonadal development and difference of sex development"
  (Supported by an Educational Grant provided by the KY Cha, MD, PhD, Science Endowment)

• Nickie Andescavage, MD (Children's Research Institute, DC)
   “Advanced Imaging and Epigenetic Insights into Placental Development in Assisted Reproductive Technologies-Conceived Pregnancies"
  (Supported by an Educational Grant provided by Maya's Wings)

• Ecem Esencan, MD (Northwestern University)
  “CHECK2 mediated molecular pathways as targets to improve folliculogenesis"
  (Supported by an Educational Grant provided by Ferring Pharmaceuticals)

• Isabelle Mason, MD (Case Western Reserve University)
  “Impact of trophectoderm biopsy location on embryonic gene expression in a mouse model."
  (Supported by an Educational Grant provided by Ferring Pharmaceuticals)

• Shruti Agarwal, DO (UCF HCA Consortium of Greater Orlando)
   “Investigating the Role of Follicular Fluid microRNAs in Ovarian Aging and Assisted Reproductive Success"
  (Supported by an Educational Grant provided by EMD Serono)

• Karen Grace, PhD, MSN (George Mason University)
   “Understanding and measuring intimate partner violence and reproductive coercion among people experiencing infertility"
  (Supported by an Educational Grant provided by EMD Serono)

• Mary Beth Murray, Med, RN, BSN (Villanova University)
   “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"
  (Supported by an Educational Grant provided by EMD Serono)

• Lindsey Pileika, MD; Catherine Baril, MD; Kathleen Waeldner, BA (University of Vermont)
   “Integrating Wearable Technology and Virtual Shared Medical Appointments to Enhance Menopausal Care: A
  Pilot Study"
  (Supported by an Educational Grant provided by Progyny)

2024 ASRM RI Grant Recipients

Discovery & Innovation Grant Cycle

• Lubna Pal, MBBS, MRCOG (Yale School of Medicine)
  “Examining mechanisms for the differential risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in spontaneous versus ART pregnancies”
  

• Chao Zhou, PhD (Washington University - St Louis)
  “Facilitating in vitro fertilization using label-free, time-lapse 3D optical coherence microscopy”
  

Pilot & Exploratory Grant Cycle

• Berna Sozen, PhD (Yale School of Medicine)
  “A 3D cell-based platform to study implantation errors as a result of endometriosis”
  

• Heidi Cook-Andersen, MD, PhD (University of California San Diego)
  “Non-destructive assessment of human embryo implantation potential using Raman spectroscopy"

• Rossella Cannarella, MD, PhD (Cleveland Clinic Foundation)
  “Role of Low Sperm IGF2 Expression Levels in Male Infertility: A New Cause of Poor Early Embryo Development"

• Jaroslav Slamecka, PhD (University of California San Diego)
   “Dissecting the distinct contributions of transcription and RNA turnover to conversion of primed to naïve human pluripotent stem cells and their differentiation into trophectoderm"
  (Supported by an endowment from the Asia-Pacific Biomedical Research Foundation)

• Abey Eapen, MBBS, PhD (University of Iowa)
   “A Pilot Study to identify the Autoimmune, Inflammatory and Epigenetic Disruptors - Critical Mechanisms leading to Unexplained Recurrent Miscarriage - The PLATINUM study"
  (Supported by an Educational Grant provided by Progyny)

• Aileen Portugal, MD (Washington University St Louis)
   “Language Matters: Exploring the Impact of Language Concordance on Fertility Treatment Progression"
  (Supported by an Educational Grant provided by EMD Serono)

• Austin Johnson, MD (University of Washington)
   “Decisional regret regarding pre-operative fertility preservation choices following gender-affirming surgery among transgender men/gender non-binary persons"
  (Supported by an Educational Grant provided by EMD Serono)

• Christine Metz, PhD (The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research)
   “Menstrual effluent as a non-invasive tool to define and detect chronic endometritis in patients with unexplained infertility"
  

• Staci Marbin, MD (University of Miami)
   “Breaking Barriers to Fertility Preservation: A Comprehensive Study of Diverse Cancer Patients at an NCI-Designated Center”
  (Supported by an Educational Grant provided by Progyny)
  

• Alyssa Kosturakis, MD, MS (Cedars-Sinai Medical Center)
   “Health Disparities in Hispanic Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome”
  (Supported by an Educational Grant provided by Progyny)
  

• Michelle Volovsky, MD (Yale School of Medicine)
   “The impact of environmental toxins on the ovarian follicular microenvironment and reproductive outcomes”
  (Supported by an Educational Grant provided by Ferring Pharmaceuticals)
  

• Salomeh Salari, MD, MS (University of Iowa)
  “Effects of an oxygen content gradient on preimplantation human embryo development, physiology, and aneuploidy"
  (Supported by an Educational Grant provided by Ferring Pharmaceuticals)
  

• Emily Smith, MSN, CRNP (Penn Medicine)
  “An APP’s Effect on Hormone Replacement Therapy for Radiation-Induced Primary Ovarian Insufficiency After Cervix Cancer Treatment"
  (Supported by an Educational Grant provided by EMD Serono)

2023 ASRM RI Grant Recipients

Discovery & Innovation Grant Cycle

• Marina Peluffo, PhD (Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas)
   “Chemokine signaling within the human cumulus oocyte complex: a critical mediator of fertility”  

Pilot & Exploratory Grant Cycle

• Bluma Lesch, MD, PhD (Yale School of Medicine)
  “Natural variation in epigenetic poising in sperm of men undergoing assisted reproduction"
  
  
• Alisha Tolani, MD (University of California, San Francisco)
  “The PIoUS Study: Sperm Preparation prior to IntraUterine insemination”
  (Supported by an Educational Grant provided by EMD Serono)
  
  
• Patricia Hershberger, PhD, MSN, RN, FNP-BC, FAAN (University of Michigan)
   “A Developmental Study to Extend the Donor Conception Tool to Empower ParentaL TeLling (TELL) and Talking for Use During Pregnancy”
  (Supported by an Educational Grant provided by EMD Serono)
   
• Audrey J. Gaskins, ScD (Emory University Rollins School of Public Health)
   “Microplastics and Male Fertility”
  (Supported by Legacy, Inc)
  
  
• Lisa Vrooman, PhD (Oregon Health & Science University – Oregon National Primate Research Center)
   “Placental PREP Function in Spontaneous and Assisted Reproductive Technology Pregnancies"
  (Supported by The Maya's Wings Foundation)
  
  
• Winifred Mak MD, PhD (UT Health Sciences at San Antonio)
   “A study to elucidate the role of abnormal sperm DNA fragmentation in human recurrent pregnancy loss"
  (Supported by the Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Association)
  
  
• Courtney Marsh MD, MPH (University of Kansas School of Medicine)
   “Attitudes Towards Sperm Donation in Black Cisgender Men"
  (ASRM Access to Care Grant)
  
  
• Xavier Santamaria, MD, PhD (The Carlos Simon Foundation)
  “Effect of CD133 Bone Marrow Derived Stem Cells on the maternal-fetal interface in patients with Asherman Syndrome"
  (Supported by an endowment from the Asia-Pacific Biomedical Research Foundation)

2022 ASRM RI Grant Recipients

Discovery & Innovation Grant Cycle

• Jun Wu, PhD (University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center)
  “Studying molecular mechanisms underlying human implantation and implantation failure using a pluripotent stem cell blastocyst model”  

Pilot & Exploratory Grant Cycle

• Karen Schindler, PhD (Rutgers University)
  “Determining Sirtuin 7 mechanisms that protect age-related genome stability in oocytes”
  
  
• Jamie Lo, MD, MCR (Oregon Health and Science University)
  “Identifying Epigenetic Changes in Spermatozoa of Sexually Mature Rhesus Macaques Following Chronic Marijuana Use”   
  
  
• Joshua Halpern, MD, MS (Northwestern University)
  “A Pilot, Randomized Clinical Trial of Universal Home Semen Analysis Screening for the Evaluation of Male Infertility”
  
  
• Tsegaselassie Workalemahu PhD, MSc (University of Utah)
  “Inherited Genetic Variants and Unexplained Recurrent Pregnancy Loss”
  (Supported by the Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Association)  
  
  
• Rachel West, PhD (Auburn University)
  “Using a 3D human trophoblast stem cell model to investigate the sexual dimorphism of the placental innate immune response”
  (Supported by an endowment from the Asia-Pacific Biomedical Research Foundation)  
  
  
• Brent Monseur, MD, ScM (Stanford University)
   “Drivers of assisted reproductive technology use and associated reproductive and mental health outcomes in women by sexual orientation - results from national longitudinal cohorts”
  (Supported by an Educational Grant provided by EMD Serono)  
  
  
• Zachary Walker, MD (Brigham and Women’s Hospital)
  “Evaluation of sperm centriole distribution and composition on fertility outcomes in men with and without male factor infertility – a prospective study”
  (Supported by an Educational Grant provided by EMD Serono)
  
  
• Kathryn Coyne, MD (University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center/Case Western Reserve University)
  “Altered endometrial cell progesterone responsiveness in the etiology of endometriosis and infertility”   
  (Supported by an Educational Grant provided by Ferring)
  
  
• Riwa Sabbagh, MD (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Boston IVF)
  “Concurrent in situ characterization of chromosome and gene expression to create a three-dimensional map of discarded human blastocysts” 
  (Supported by an Educational Grant provided by Ferring)

2020 ASRM RI Grant Recipients

Small Grant Cycle

• Ahmed Balboula, PhD (University of Missouri)
  “Determining if Reduced Autophagic Activity is Responsible for DNA Damage-induced Aneuploidy in Aged Oocytes”   
  
  
• Karen Berkowitz, MD (University of Iowa)
  “CHTF18 Regulates Meiotic Cohesion and DNA Crossover formation to Safeguard the Quality of the Ovarian Reserve”   
  
  
• Tracy Harrison, MD (University of California San Diego)
  “Effects of Androgen on the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal Axis in Transgender Men”   
  
  
• Winifred Mak, MD, PhD (University of Texas Austin)
  “Establishment and Characterization of Miscarriage-specific Human Trophoblast Stem Cells”   
  
  
• Rachel Mejia, DO (University of Iowa)
  “Randomized Controlled Trial of Combined Letrozole and Clomiphene (CLC II) Versus Letrozole Alone for Women with Anovulation”   
  
  
• Reshef Tal, MD, PhD (Yale University School of Medicine)
  “The Role of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Recurrent Implantation Failure”

2019 ASRM RI Grant Recipients

Large Grant Cycle

• Heidi Cook-Andersen, MD, PhD/Louise Laurent, MD, PhD (co-PI’s) (University of California, San Diego)
  "Defining the molecular basis of successful implantation and pregnancy of the human embryo to improve IVF success"
   
• Werner Neuhausser, MD, PhD (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center)
  "Identification of transcriptomic and epigenetic coordinates for post-implantation human embryonic development"
   
• Gary D. Smith, PhD, HCLD (University of Michigan)
  "Human Embryo Mosaicism: Towards Understanding Longitudinal and Developmental Genetic Concordance Between Embryonic Trophectoderm, Inner Cell Mass, and Stem Cells"

Small Grant Cycle

• Rachel Weinerman, MD (Case Western Reserve University)
  “Impact of repeated blastocyst vitrification and trophectoderm biopsy on embryonic gene expression and embryonic development in a mouse model”
   
• Eve Feinberg, MD (Northwestern University)
  “Characterizing Fertility Concerns among Women in Academic Medicine and Evaluating the Economic Impact of Fertility Preservation for Deferred Reproduction”
   
• Lynae M. Brayboy, MD (Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University)
  “Dysfunctional MDR-1 disrupts mitochondrial homeostasis in the oocyte and ovary”
   
• Joseph Letourneau, MD (University of Utah) 
  "Effect of Alkylating Agent Chemotherapy on the Uterus of Young Adult Cancer Survivors: Exploring the Uterus as a New Frontier for Fertility Preservation"
   
• Amanda Kallen, MD (Yale University School of Medicine)
  “Noncoding-RNA-Mediated Mechanisms for Regulation of Follicular Quantity and Quality”