Researchers in Australia and New Zealand are making exciting advances in the reproductive biology field. These advances are making an impact not only in human fertility, but also in global health, the agriculture industry and in the conservation of at-risk species
The Society for Reproductive Biology (SRB) represents researchers from Australia and New Zealand, and this week they will host their 51st Annual Meeting in Sydney, August 18-21.
The SRB fosters and promotes basic and translational research in all aspects of reproductive biology across all species.
This year, four outstanding early career research leaders will compete for the Society’s prestigious Newcastle Reproduction Emerging Leader Award. Meet the 2019 finalists!
- Dr John Schjenkenfrom the Robinson Research Institute (University of Adelaide) and Priority Research Centre for Reproductive Science (University of Newcastle). John examines how the health of the male at the time of conception influences pregnancy and offspring. John’s team studies how seminal fluid changes in response to environmental cues, and the resulting impact on fertility. Find out more about John’s exciting research here: https://researchers.adelaide.edu.au/profile/john.schjenken
- Dr Amy Winship from Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute (Monash University) seeks to understand the impact of cancer therapies on female fertility. Chemotherapies often compromise the function of the female reproductive tract, leading to sub-fertility or sterility. Amy’s team aims to understand how cancer therapies damage oocytes, in order to develop new strategies to safeguard the fertility of female patients undergoing treatment. Find out more about Amy’s research here: https://research.monash.edu/en/persons/amy-winship
- Dr Kylie Dunning from the Robinson Research Institute and the ARC Centre for Nanoscale BioPhotonics (University of Adelaide) uses cutting-edge, light-based imaging technologies to examine egg (oocyte) and embryo quality: one of the greatest challenges for fertility clinics. Kylie’s team employ these sophisticated imaging technologies to analyse live metabolic processes, non-invasively, to infer which eggs to fertilise, and which embryos to transfer. Read more about Kylie’s exciting works here: https://researchers.adelaide.edu.au/profile/kylie.dunning
- Dr Cassy Spiller from the University of Queensland studies the developmental processes that underpin the adult male testicular function – this includes ensuring enough stem cells exist for robust fertility and also that tumorigenesis (cancer) is avoided. Cassy’s team is especially interested in pluripotency (stem cell) pathways and aims to develop diagnostic screening methods for testis cancer. Find out more about Cassy’s amazing research here: https://researchers.uq.edu.au/researcher/1546
SRB President, Professor Moira O’Bryan, said that the Society’s Council firmly believes that supporting and promoting our junior researcher is one of the most productive things they can do their field.
“In line with this, we will be awarding the ‘Newcastle Reproduction Emerging Research Leaders Award’, which is our premier early and mid-career researcher award,” she said.
The finalists for this award will be tomorrow’s leaders in reproductive and fertility research, and it’s important we support them to be the best they can be.”
Find out more about the event https://esa-srb.org.au/ and the SRB society https://www.srb.org.au/
