Providence, R.I. – Infertility research topics included PGT, transgender fertility, infertility in women, aneuploidy and disparities in egg donor banks. Our esteemed physicians Dr. Carol Wheeler, Dr. May-Tal Sauerbrun-Cutler, Dr. Victoria Snegovskikh and new clinic director Dr. Jennifer Eaton led sessions and research presentations at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s (ASRM) virtual Scientific Congress in 2020.
Carol A. Wheeler, MD
Following her passion of nurturing medical residents, Dr. Wheeler, who is chair of ASRM’s Education Committee, moderated two educational sessions with them. The first infertility research presentation was on embryo preimplantation genetic testing (PGT), specifically genetics and ethics of screening for traits such as increased height or higher fluid intelligence, and using the test for disease risk reduction and polygenic risk scores (which identify how a person’s genetic risk compares to others with a different genetic constitution) to screen embryos for breast cancer. Her second presentation was on reproductive services for transgender patients.
May-Tal Sauerbrun-Cutler, MD
A former fellow at Women & Infants Fertility Center and now a staff physician, Dr. Sauerbrun-Cutler presented a study indicating that patients who don’t conceive have lower levels of endometrial regulatory T-cells than women who do. She also presented a study that compared two procedures to treat tubal infertility in women.
Victoria Snegovskikh, MD
Dr. Snegovskikh participated in a round table about PGT for aneuploidy (PGT-A). This is testing for an unequal division of either sperm or egg cells that causes too few or too many chromosomes (known as aneuploidy), and the cost as a barrier to uptake.
Jennifer L. Eaton, MD
Dr. Eaton joined Women & Infants Fertility Center as director this year. She presented a poster with some of her former Duke University trainees that examined racial and ethnic disparities among donor oocyte banks in the United States.
Living a philosophy of infertility research
Women & Infants Fertility Center is a division of Women & Infants Hospital, one of the most prestigious research hospitals in the country. In addition to practicing reproductive endocrinology, our fertility specialists have played historic roles in evolving reproductive medicine, such as the conception of the first donor embryo transplant baby.
The clinic’s mission is informed by the idea that research leads to better patient care. Our fertility specialists confirm that a close link exists between our infertility research in the lab and the care and outcomes we provide to patients.
We use research to examine whether treatments truly benefit patients and, significantly, to ensure they are not detrimental to outcomes. Continual advancements in technology and science change the way we practice, and our research keeps us at the forefront of developing cutting-edge interventions for the best possible outcomes.
