Fertility Research

TRIOS (Trio analysis of Recurrent pregnancy loss Integrated bioinformatics genomics Study)

Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) can affect up to 5% of couples.  Although chromosomal abnormalities explain about half of sporadic pregnancy losses, many RPL patients remain unexplained.  The TRIOS Study’s aim is to understand what biological factors are associated with normal and abnormal pregnancies.  Molecular profiles will examine the interactions between the genes and the environment and how metabolism and immune systems change in normal and abnormal pregnancies.  This study will hopefully help providers identify possible targets and improve future treatments for families suffering with unexplained pregnancy loss. 

Aleksander Rajkovic, MD, PhD

Principal Investigator

Hakan Cakmak, MD

Research Investigator

Eleni Jaswa, MD

Research Investigator

Endometriosis is an estrogen dependent disease present in 25-35% of infertile women. When treating infertility controlled ovarian hyperstimulation leads to development of multiple follicles and considerable rise in serum estradiol concentration, patients and providers must consider the posible risk of disease and symptom progression related to ovarian hyperstimulation. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of this hyperstimulation on symptoms related to endometriosis using patient surveys, and to evaluate the impact of Letrozole use during this stimulation with respect to symptoms related to endometriosis, embryo quality, and pregnancy rates. 

You may be eligible if you are: diagnosed with Endometriosis and are undergoing fertility treatments

Marcelle Cedars, MD

Principal Investigator

Maren Shapiro, MD

REI Fellow

maren.shapiro@ucsf.edu

The CLeAR study is investigating markers of inflammation and reproductive health. Inflammation may influence human fertility and we would like to know more about these factors and evaluate the impact of these markers on various stages of reproduction. Participants will be asked for a short blood draw and follicular fluid collection (typically discarded during IVF) during their retrieval procedure. 

You may be eligible if you are: female, aged 18-43 years old, and undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment

Victor Fujimoto, MD

Principal Investigator

Jamie Corley

Research Coordinator

Jamie.Corley@ucsf.edu

Despite the rise in the number of births from fertility treatments, there are limited long-term data on health of the offspring. The purpose of the study is to establish an epidemiological cohort of almost 4,000 pregnancies to address critical public health questions regarding potential metabolic risk to children conceived through fertility treatments.

You may be eligible if you: have previously/are currently receiving fertility treatment from UCSF Center for Reproductive Health 

Marcelle Cedars, MD

Principal Cedars

Zakia Young

Research Coordinator

Zakia.Young@ucsf.edu

Maren Shapiro, MD

Research Coordinator

maren.shapiro@ucsf.edu

Whether the sole factor or an additional cause, male factor contributes close to 50% of infertility experienced by couples. Given this high prevalence, the evaluation of the male partner is an essential component of the couple's initial evaluation and usually exclusively refers to the semen analysis. No studies to date have evaluated barriers to completion of the semen analysis besides cost, particularly in low resourced settings. The study objective is to identify barriers to completing the basic infertility work-up in a low resource setting. Participants will be randomized to complete a semen analysis by the standard in-clinic test versus completion of an at-home semen testing kit. All participants will receive a survey at the end of the study exploring their level of satisfaction with and/or potential barriers encountered with semen analysis testing. 

You may be eligible if you are: male between the ages of 18-64, no history of a prior semen analysis, economically or educationally disadvantaged are eligible to enroll, and undergoing an infertility evaluation. 

Yanett Anaya, MD

Primary Investigator

James Smith, MD

Primary Investigator

Aileen Portugal

Resident

Women have variable amounts of estrogen produced from the growing follicles that circulates in their blood as they undergo ovarian stimulation. Higher studies suggest this difference may be related to how women metabolize estrogen. This matters because it effects how much hormone goes in circulation and may have implications on how effective medications are, as well as how many medication side effects women feel. Our goal will be to determine, if metabolize difference are present, and if so, to learn why these differences ocur. 

You may be eligible if you are: Female, 18 years or older, and undergoing ovarian stimulation for elective oocyte cryopreservation or in vitro fertilization.

Victor Fujimoto, MD

Principal Investigator

Maren Shapiro, MD

Research Coordinator

maren.shapiro@ucsf.edu

The study is enrolling UCSF CRH patients willing to donate embryos created during the IVF cycle that are of low quality and therefore cannot be used for treatment. Embryos to use in this project would normally be discarded because their quality indicates that they cannot implant and subsequently cannot give rise to pregnancy. The overall goal of the study is to develop cell-based therapies for diabetes. 

You may be eligible if you are: female (or assigned female at birth), aged 18-41, undergoing IVF treatment at UCSF Center for Reproductive Health, and not using sperm or ovum donor samples

Hakan Cakmak, MD

Principal Investigator

Susan Fisher, PhD

Principal Investigator

Michael McMaster, PhD

Principal Investigator

Solana Chertow

Research Coordinator

415-535-7186

solana.chertow@ucsf.edu

The purpose of this study is to evaluate implantation rate with intra-vaginal culture with the INVOcell devise versus traditional IVF while using minimal stimulation protocols. 

You may be eligible if you are: female (or assigned female at birth), aged 18-37, and experiencing one or more years of infertility

Marcelle Cedars, MD

Principal Investigator

Nikolaus Lenhart

Research Coordinator

Nikolaus.Lenhart@ucsf.edu

It is assumed by many that physical activity should be reduced during stimulation, however, there are limited data to support this recommendation. Moreover, decreased exercise can affect stress levels, which has been associated with early drop-out from treatment and possibly IVF success. This study is a randomized control trial to determine the safety and value of maintaining versus reducing physical activity during ovarian stimulation.

You may be eligible if you are: female, 18-43 years of age, and undergoing your first ovarian stimulation for elective oocyte cryopreservation OR in vitro fertilization. 

Heather Huddleston, MD

Principal Investigator

Maren Shapiro, MD

REI Fellow

maren.shapiro@ucsf.edu

One of the most common fertility treatments is intrauterine insemination (IUI). Sperm is typically prepared for IUI with density gradient centrifugation, though this technique can damage the genetic material in sperm.  Studies of sperm prepared with a newer process using the FDA-approved Zymot Multi sperm preparation device have shown a 67% higher pregnancy rate (an increase from 9% to 15%), less DNA damage, higher sperm motility (movement/speed), and better morphology (shape). 

The purpose of this randomized controlled trial is to figure out which sperm preparation yields a higher pregnancy rate – density gradient centrifugation compared to the Zymot Multi sperm preparation device.

You may be eligible if you are: planning your first intrauterine insemination cycle and are not using a frozen sperm source

Mitchell Rosen, MD

Principal Investigator

Alisha Tolani, MD

Principal Investigator, REI Fellow

In our continued commitment to innovation in the treatment of infertility, the UCSF Center for Reproductive Health has partnered with Celmatix to conduct an ambitious research study that will help us understand the genetic factors that underlie both fertility potential and infertility. Your participation could help us get one step closer to understanding unexplained infertility and a woman’s fertility potential. You will be asked to donate blood during a routine blood draw and to allow researchers to review your relevant medical information. This information will be used to help discover genetic factors associated with a woman’s fertility.

Any female between the ages of 18-45 is eligible to participate who is a current or prospective patient of the UCSF Center for Reproductive Health, including those who are seeking help conceiving and/or undergoing fertility preservation.

Marcelle Cedars, MD

Principle Investigator

Nikolaus Lenhart

Research Coordinator

Nikolaus.Lenhart@ucsf.edu

Flor Juarez-Hernandez

Research Coordinator

Flor.Juarez-Hernandez@ucsf.edu