Fertility Research at Women & Infants’ Fertility Center

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.

About Our Physicians | Research at Women & Infants Hospital

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.

Notable publications

Ruben Alvero, MD

1. Preconceptional antithyroid peroxidase antibodies, but not thyroid-stimulating hormone, are associated with decreased live birth rates in infertile women. Published in Fertil Steril, October 2017.
2. Cornual uterine diverticulum following a failed pregnancy. Published in Gynecol Endocrinol, May 2018.
3. Mid-luteal Progesterone: a Marker of Treatment Outcomes in Couples with Unexplained Infertility. Published in J Clin Endocrinol Metab, May 2018.
4. Major depression, antidepressant use, and male and female fertility. Published in Fertil Steril, May 2018.
5. Predictors of pregnancy and live-birth in couples with unexplained infertility after ovarian stimulation-intrauterine insemination. Published in Fertility & Sterility, June 2016.
6. Considerations for management of interstitial ectopic pregnancies: two case reports. Published in Journal of Medical Case Reports, April 2016.
7. Low anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) is a predictor of higher clinical pregnancy probability in younger women compared to older women. Poster presentation at the 72nd Annual American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) Scientific Congress & Expo, Salt Lake City UT, October 15-19, 2016.
8. Association of uterine fibroids and pregnancy outcomes after ovarian stimulation-intrauterine insemination for unexplained infertility. Published in Fertility & Sterility, March 2017.
9. Sexual function in infertile women with polycystic ovary syndrome and unexplained infertility.  Published in American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, April 2017.
10. Mandating coverage for fertility preservation – A step in the right direction. Published in the New England Journal of Medicine, October 2017.

Lynae M. Brayboy, MD

1. Girl Talk: A smartphone application to teach sexual health education to adolescent girls. Published in Journal of Pediatric & Adolescent Gynecology, February 2017.

Eden Cardozo, MD

1. Impact of transfer time on pregnancy outcomes in frozen-embryo transfer cycles. Published in Fertil Steril, May 2018.
2. MicroRNA 21a-5b overexpression impacts mediators of extracellular matrix formation in uterine leiomyoma. Published in Reprod Biol Endocrinol, in May 2018.
3. Total number of oocytes and zygotes are predictive of live birth pregnancy in fresh donor oocyte in vitro fertilization cycles. Published in Fertility & Sterility, June 2017.
4. Mandating coverage for fertility preservation – A step in the right direction. Published in the New England Journal of Medicine, October 2017.

Gary Fishman, MD

1. Counselling women about lubricants and intercourse. Published in BJOG, April 2018.
2. So what do cesarean section scar diverticula and intraligamental fibroids have in common? Published in Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology, August 2016.

Virginia Mensah, MD

1. “Low anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) is a predictor of higher clinical pregnancy probability in younger women compared to older women,” Poster presentation at the 72nd Annual American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) Scientific Congress & Expo, Salt Lake City UT, October 15-19, 2016.

Victoria Snegovskikh, MD

1. Corrigendum to “Point-of-care viscoelastic testing improves the outcome of pregnancies complicated by severe postpartum hemorrhage,” published in J Clin Anesth., August 2018.
2. “Antibiotics/Estrogen Administration Can Rescue Fertility in Patients with Chronic Endometritis Undergoing In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF),” Poster presentation at the Society for Gynecologic Investigation (SGI), Annual Scientific Meeting, Montreal Canada, March 16-18, 2016.

Carol A. Wheeler, MD

1. Screening for Mullerian anomalies in patients with unilateral renal agenesis: Leveraging early detection to prevent complications. Published in J Pediatr Urol, February 2018.
2. Girl Talk: A smartphone application to teach sexual health education to adolescent girls. Published in Journal of Pediatric Adolescent Gynecology, February 2017.