Fertility Research

Our Fertility Research Leads to the Most Up-To-Date Infertility Treatments for Patients

Conducting clinical research while treating patients is the ultimate combination to ensure the most up-to-date care for infertility patients. The fellows and physicians at Women & Infants Fertility Center share their findings and perspectives with each other so each patient ultimately receives input from a team of learned providers.

The REI Fellowship Program is a member of the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) and complies with and follows the NRMP guidelines. Applicants should be registered with the NRMP, have a state medical license, and meet ABOG eligibility requirements.

Women & Infants Fertility Center is part of Women & Infants Hospital, one of the country’s most prestigious research hospitals for obstetrics, gynecology, and newborn pediatrics. All of our providers are also on staff at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.

In addition to seeing patients, our physicians prioritize their research work. Not only are they the authors of numerous studies related to fertility, they have also played historic roles in the development of reproductive medicine, such as delivering the first baby conceived through donor embryo transplant. Many of our physicians also work across disciplines to develop useful tools based on their research, such as apps and medical devices.

Our Research Philosophy

Intelligent questions lead
to better answers.

We know that there can be a big difference in the perceptions of outcomes, even successful ones, and the truth. Only by critically evaluating interventions and treatments can we truly know what really happens. We use research to examine if interventions can benefit patients and, importantly, to make sure that they are not detrimental. By taking a closer look at the way we approach treatment, we can improve our own processes and the processes within our field.

The future of treatment
starts with an idea.

Reproductive endocrinology and infertility is a relatively new field. Rapid advancements in technology and science continually change the way we practice, but our research keeps us at the forefront. Because of research, we can also be a part of developing the next cutting-edge interventions.

Research informs better
patient care. 

We see a close link between the work we perform in the lab and the work we perform in the clinic. There is nothing more gratifying than helping a person or couple build their family, and we believe our research allows us to get closer to making sure that every one of our patients has the opportunity to have a baby.

Our work extends beyond
the here and now.

Our discoveries in the field of education research allow us to prepare the next generation of physicians. By working with students at the Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University, we have the opportunity to give back and prepare them for their future careers.

Current Fertility Research Roundup

Investigating immune regulatory T-cells in the endometrium

Dr. May-Tal Sauerbrun-Cutler was a fellow at our clinic before becoming our newest reproductive endocrinologist on staff. As an academic fellow, she split her time between treating fertility patients and researching how immune cells affect infertility.

Some of Dr. Sauerbrun-Cutler’s research focused on a type of immune cell called a regulatory T-cell that lives in the innermost lining of the uterus, known as the endometrium. “Immune cells contain factors that could help determine which women will conceive and which won’t,” she says. One of her studies revealed that a woman’s pregnancy rate could decrease if there are too few regulatory T-cells in the endometrium prior to embryo transfer.

While her findings are preliminary, Dr. Sauerbrun-Cutler says her research provides perspective that reproductive immunology could play a role in some fertility disorders. “That’s important,” she says. “I can share this perspective with my patients, especially those who have recurring implantation failures and haven’t found a source for these failures.”

Insights into ICSI, egg donation & IVF success rates
Improving care and fertility treatment for the next generation

Why is clinical fertility research important for infertility treatment?

Seeking care at a world-class academic center like Women & Infants Hospital means you’ll receive the latest treatments available. One main reason is that research studies and the collection of comprehensive clinical data from multiple doctors are integral parts of the operating missions of both the hospital and our Fertility Center.

When it comes to infertility treatments, it behooves patients to consider a fertility center at which research is a core value. Reputable providers follow evidence-based medicine and guidelines to ensure patients receive the highest quality care.

At our clinic, academic fellows and physicians practice medicine while continually conducting studies and reviewing literature. Their fertility treatment recommendations are based on properly performed trials with data to support the intended outcomes.

“Patients should want the best treatment based on trials,” says Dr. May-Tal Sauerbrun-Cutler, who is board certified in reproductive endocrinology & infertility (REI) at Women & Infants Fertility Center. “There’s so much misinformation out there about fertility treatments, a lot of it about new interventions. But those may not be helpful and possibly could be harmful.” 

Notable publications and presentations by our doctors

Jennifer L. Eaton, MD, MSCI
  • Gender and functional outcome after coronary artery bypass. Surgery 1999; 126:184-90. PMID: 104558822.
  •  Assessment of day-3 morphology and euploidy for individual chromosomes in embryos that develop to the blastocyst stage. Fertil Steril 2009; 91(6):2432-6. PMID: 18440522.
  • Influence of patient age on the relationship between euploidy and day-3 embryo morphology. Fertil Steril 2010; 94(1):365-7. PMID: 20004892.
  • Influence of embryo sex on development to the blastocyst stage and euploidy. Fertil Steril 2011; 95(3):936-9. PMID: 20688326.
  • Amniocytes can serve a dual function as a source of IPS cells and feeder layers. Hum Mol Genet 2011; 20(5):962-74. PMID: 21156717.
  • A large network of interconnected signaling pathways in human ovarian follicles is supported by the gene expression activity of the granulosa cells. Reprod Sci 2011; 18(5):476-84. PMID: 21558463.
  • Embryo culture media and neonatal birthweight following IVF. Hum Reprod 2012; 27(2):375-9. PMID: 22128298.
  • Increased AKT or MEK1/2 activity influences progesterone receptor levels and localization in endometriosis. JCEM 2013; 98(12):E1871-9. PMID: 24064688.
  • Embryo transfer by reproductive endocrinology fellows versus attending physicians: are live birth rates comparable? AJOG 2014; 211:494.e1-5. PMID: 24881830.
  • Pregnancy outcomes after myomectomy with polytetrafluoroethylene placement. JSLS 2014; 18(3): e2014.00013. PMID: 25392651.
  • Pax6- and Six3-mediated induction of lens cell fate in mouse and human ES cells. PLoS One 2014; 9(12):e115106. PMID: 25517354.
  • Ectopic pregnancy rate increases with the number of retrieved oocytes in autologous IVF with non-tubal infertility but not donor/recipient cycles: an analysis of 109,140 clinical pregnancies from the SART registry. Fertil Steril 2015; 104(4):873-8. PMID: 26171996.
  • Pregnancy outcomes decline with increasing body mass index: analysis of 239,127 fresh autologous in vitro fertilization cycles from the 2008-2010 Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology registry. Fertil Steril 2016; 105(3): 663-9. PMID: 26627120.
  • Pregnancy outcomes decline with increasing recipient body mass index: an analysis of 22,317 fresh donor/recipient cycles from the 2008-2010 Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology Clinic Outcome Reporting System registry. Fertil Steril 2016; 105(2): 364-8. PMID: 26523329.
  • First-trimester bleeding and twin pregnancy outcomes after in vitro fertilization. Fertil Steril 2016; 106(1):140-3. PMID: 27060729.
  • State insurance mandates and multiple birth rates after in vitro fertilization. Obstet Gynecol 2016; 128(6): 1205-14. PMID: 27824752.
  • Supplemental project to assess the transparency of reporting for trials evaluating treatment for infertility. AHRQ Methods for Effective Healthcare 2017; Report No. 17-EHC022-EF. https://doi.org/10.23970/AHRQEPCMETH4.
  • An embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cell model for ovarian granulosa cell development and steroidogenesis. Reprod Sci 2018; 25(5):712-26. PMID: 28854867.
  • Preterm delivery and low birth weight among infants conceived with intracytoplasmic sperm injection versus conventional in vitro fertilization. Obstet Gynecol 2018; 131(2):262-8. PMID: 29324596.
  • Does information from ClinicalTrials.gov increase transparency and reduce bias? Results from a five-report case series. Syst Rev 2018; 7(1):59. PMID: 29661214.
  • Management of Infertility. AHRQ 2019; Comparative Effectiveness Review No. 217, Publication No. 19-EHC014-EF. https://doi.org/10.23970/AHRQEPCCER217.
  • Prevalence of a good perinatal outcome with cryopreserved versus fresh donor oocytes. Obstet Gynecol 2020; 135(3):709-16. PMID: 32028490.
  • Serum peak estradiol and neonatal birth weight following in vitro fertilization. In press, J Reprod Med.
  • Decision on mandating coverage for ART must begin with accurate data. Virtual Mentor 2014; 16(4): 304-7. PMID: 24735582.
  • Fertility and infertility in rheumatoid arthritis. Curr Opin Rheumatol 2014; 26(3):308-14. PMID: 24663108.
  • Luteinizing hormone deficiency. Medscape, updated November 4, 2016.
  • Toward a standard definition of polycystic ovarian morphology. Fertil Steril 2019; 112(5): 823-4. PMID: 31594632.
  • Does low dose aspirin use influence the menstrual cycle? A hypothetical risk gets debunked. In press, Fertil Steril.
  • Overweight and obesity among women undergoing intrauterine insemination: does body mass index (BMI) matter? In press, Fertil Steril.
  • Polycystic ovary syndrome: reproductive and psychological implications. In E Stevenson (Ed), Fertility and Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART): Theory, Research, Policy, and Practice for Health Care Practitioners. New York: Springer International Publishing 2016.
  • An 8 cm subserosal fibroid in a 37-year-old patient with unexplained infertility. In N Moawad (Ed), Uterine Fibroids: A Clinical Casebook. New York: Springer International Publishing 2017.
  • Thyroid disease and reproduction: a clinical guide to diagnosis and management. Eaton JL (Ed). New York: Springer International Publishing 2018.
  • Thyroid autoimmunity and Miscarriage. In JL Eaton (Ed), Thyroid disease and reproduction: a clinical guide to diagnosis and management. New York: Springer International Publishing 2018.
  • Postpartum thyroiditis. In JL Eaton (Ed), Thyroid disease and reproduction: a clinical guide to diagnosis and management. New York: Springer International Publishing 2018.
Gary Frishman, MD
Richard Hackett, MS
Warren J. Huber III, MD, PhD
Virginia Mensah, MD
May-Tal Sauerbrun-Cutler, MD
Victoria Snegovskikh, MD
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