Upcoming Events

Keynote Address

Dr. Glasier is a recognized world expert on emergency contraception and has been an instrumental figure in its deregulation. She has advised for such notable organizations as the World Health Organization, the Population Council, and the Wellcome Trust and has held many memberships on related advisory panels.

• Chair: Diana L. Blithe, Ph.D. (NIH/NICHD, Rockville, Maryland, USA).
• Speaker: Anna Glasier, M.D. (University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom). “Increasing Global Contraceptive Use.”

President’s Symposium

The President’s Symposium will focus on contraception, a key issue for the reproductive health and welfare of the human race. While contraceptive user rates are increasing in many developed and developing countries, there are still many gaps regarding their suitability for all individuals and in their availability, which collectively increases the likelihood of unintended pregnancies.

Invited Speakers

In line with the theme of the meeting, there will be four plenary lectures on the latest research on new methods of contraception for women and men.

• Co-chairs: Jock K. Findlay, Ph.D., D.Sc. (Prince Henry’s Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Victoria, Australia) and Richard L. Stouffer, Ph.D. (Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, Oregon, USA).
• Speaker: Jeffrey T. Jensen, M.D. (Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA). “The Future of Female Contraception: New Targets, More Choice.”
• Speaker: Christina C. Wang, M.D. (University of California Los Angeles, Torrance, California, USA). “Hormonal Male Contraception on the Horizon.”
• Speaker:John K. Amory, M.D. (University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA). “Novel ALDH1A2 Inhibitors for Male Contraception.”
• Speaker:Diana L. Blithe, Ph.D. (NIH/NICHD, Rockville, Maryland, USA). “Making Contraceptive Development Greener.”

Roundtable Discussion

During the Roundtable Discussion, the Plenary Speakers will participate in an interactive discussion session with attendees.

• Co-chairs: Jock K. Findlay, Ph.D., D.Sc. (Prince Henry’s Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Victoria, Australia) and Richard L. Stouffer, Ph.D. (Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, Oregon, USA).
• Participants:
  • John K. Amory, M.D. (University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA).
  • Diana L. Blithe, Ph.D. (NIH/NICHD, Rockville, Maryland, USA).
  • Anna Glasier, M.D. (University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom).
  • Jeffrey T. Jensen, M.D. (Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA).
  • Christina C. Wang, M.D. (University of California Los Angeles, Torrance, California, USA).

AgResearch Plenary Lecture

• Chair: Mark A. Mirando, Ph.D. (USDA–NIFA, Washington, DC, USA).
• Speaker: Milo C. Wiltbank, Ph.D. (University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA). “How Knowledge of Bovine Reproductive Physiology and Development of Reproductive Technologies Will Help to Feed a Growing World Population.”

Historical Perspectives Lecture

• Chair: Lois A. Salamonsen, Ph.D. (Prince Henry’s Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Victoria, Australia).
• Speaker: Sir Ian Wilmut, FRS, Ph.D. (University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom). “History of Nuclear Transfer.”

Hot Topics Lecture

• Chair: To be announced.
• Speaker: Enrica Bianchi, Ph.D. (Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, United Kingdom). “Izumo Meets Its Match: Introducing Juno.”

State-of-the-Art Lecture

• Chair: Jon D. Hennebold, Ph.D. (Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, Oregon, USA).
• Speaker: Richard E. Green, Ph.D. (University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA). “The Porous Barriers to Reproductive Isolation: Lessons from Genome Sequencing in Humans and Bears.”

ASRM Distinguished Research Scientist

• Chair: Andrew R. La Barbera, Ph.D. (American Society for Reproductive Medicine, Birmingham, Alabama, USA), Scientific Director, ASRM.
• Speaker: Robert J. Norman, AO, M.D. (Robinson Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia). “From Little Things, Big Things Grow—The Importance of Peri-conception Medicine and Biology to Human Health.”

SSR New Investigator

• Chair: Jennifer R. Wood, Ph.D. (University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA).
• Speaker: Kanako Hayashi, Ph.D. (Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois, USA). “The Impact of Epithelial Genes in Endometrial and Ovarian Cancer.”

A. Mechanisms of Fertility/Infertility

Session I. Neuroendocrine Function

• Invited Talk: Michael Lehman, Ph.D. (University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA). “KNDy Cells and Peptides in the Control of Fertility/Infertility.”
• Invited Talk: Haruhiko Kanasaki, M.D., Ph.D. (Shimane University, Izumo City, Japan). “Role of PACAP and Its PAC1 Receptor in Reproductive Neuroendocrine Cells.”

Session II. Germ Cell Development and Function

• Invited Talk: Eileen McLaughlin, Ph.D. (University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia). “Making It Through Meiosis: FZR1 Is Essential for Meiotic Prophase I.”
• Invited Talk: James A. MacLean II, Ph.D. (Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois, USA). “Somatic RHOX Homeobox Factors Support Male Fertility.”

Session III. Gamete Transport/Fertilization

• Invited Talk: William H. Kinsey, Ph.D. (University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA). “In Vitro Aging Effects on Mouse Oocyte Signaling Pathways Revealed by Kinome Microarray Analysis.”
• Invited Talk: Gail A. Cornwall, Ph.D. (Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas, USA). “Good Amyloid and Fertility.”

Session IV. Uterine Receptivity/Implantation

• Invited Talk: Niamh Forde, Ph.D. (University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland). “‘Conceptualizing’ the Endometrium: Understanding Conceptus–Uterine Interactions in Cattle.”
• Invited Talk: Guiying Nie, Ph.D. (Prince Henry’s Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Victoria, Australia). “Post-translational Modifications and Endometrial Remodeling for Receptivity.”

Session V. Uterine Receptivity/Implantation

• Invited Talk: Indrani C. Bagchi, Ph.D. (University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA). “Molecular Mechanisms of Implantation: Stromal–Epithelial Crosstalk.”
• Invited Talk: Christopher R. Murphy, Ph.D. (University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia). “Coming Unstuck Gracefully: How Uterine Epithelial Cells Let Blastocysts In.”

Session VI. Placentation and Parturition

• Invited Talk: Ana M. Franchi, Ph.D. (CONICET–UBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina). “Participation of the Endocannabinoid System In LPS-Induced Embryonic Resorption.”
• Invited Talk: Kathleen M. Caron, Ph.D. (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA). “Fetal Signals that Contribute to Maternal Adaptation to Pregnancy.”

B. Translation of Basic Science to Real-World Practice

Session I. Humans/Nonhuman Primate Models

• Invited Talk: Jun Wang, Ph.D. (Beijing Genomics Institute, Beijing, China). “A New Era of Noninvasive Prenatal Testing: Cell Free DNA and Fetal Cell Sequencing.”
• Invited Talk: Krina T. Zondervan, Ph.D. (University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom). “Endometriosis in Humans and the Rhesus Macaque.”

Session II. Agricultural/Large Animal Species

• Invited Talk: George W. Smith, Ph.D. (Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA). “Embryotropic Actions of Follistatin: Mechanisms and Translational Relevance.”
• Invited Talk: Thomas E. Spencer, Ph.D. (Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA). “Systems Biology Approaches to Understanding Conceptus Elongation and Early Pregnancy Loss.”
• Invited Talk: Pablo J. Ross, D.V.M., Ph.D. (University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA). “H3K27me3 Remodeling During Bovine Preimplantation Development.”

Session III. Agricultural/Large Animal Species

• Invited Talk: Randall S. Prather, Ph.D. (University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA). “Biologically Relevant Swine Models of Human Disease.”
• Invited Talk: Alan D. Ealy, Ph.D. (Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA). “The Past, Present, and Future of Translational Biology Research in Cattle.”

Session IV. Wildlife, Feral Species, Companion Animals

• Invited Talk: Michelle Kutzler, D.V.M., Ph.D. (Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA). “Gonad-Sparing Sterilization Techniques in Dogs: Benefits of Contraception Without Risks of Gonadectomy.”
• Invited Talk: Katarina Jewgenow, Ph.D. (Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany). “The Miracle of Lynx Reproduction—Histological and Hormonal Life Span of CL in Felids.”

Session V. Humans/Nonhuman Primate Models (SGI Exchange)

• Invited Talk: Shawn L. Chavez, Ph.D. (Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, Oregon, USA). “Non-Invasive Detection of Chromosomal Abnormalities During Pre-Implantation Development: A Cross-Species Comparison.”
• Invited Talk: Nathan R. Treff, Ph.D. (Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA, and Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey, Morristown, New Jersey, USA). “Translating Basic Methods of Molecular Genetics into Improved Clinical Treatment of Human Infertility.”
• Invited Talk: Bruce A. Lessey, M.D., Ph.D. (Fertility Center of the Carolinas, Greenville, Greenville, South Carolina, USA). “Root Causes and Consequences of Endometriosis and Progesterone Resistance.”

Session VI. Cancer

• Invited Talk: Ronald J. Buckanovich, M.D., Ph.D. (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA). “Teaching Old and New Dogs a New Trick.”
• Invited Talk: Judith A. Smith, Ph.D. (University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA). “From Bench to Bedside and Back: Keeping Research Clinically Relevant.”

C. Interrelationship of Reproduction and the Environment

Session I. Toxicology

• Invited Talk: Eric Nilsson, Ph.D. (Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA). “Environmentally Induced Epigenetic Transgenerational Inheritance of Ovarian Disease.”
• Invited Talk: Ulrike Luderer, M.D., Ph.D. (University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA). “Transplacental Benzo[a]pyrene Exposure and Glutathione Deficiency: A Perfect Storm for Ovarian Toxicity and Tumorigenesis.”

Session II. Endocrine Disruptors

• Invited Talk: Jodi A. Flaws, Ph.D. (University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA). “The Effects of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals on the Ovary.”
• Invited Talk: Louis J. Guillette Jr., Ph.D. (Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA). “Endocrine Disrupting Contaminants and the Developing Reproductive System.”

Session III. Endocrine Disruptors

• Invited Talk: Benson T. Akingbemi, D.V.M., Ph.D. (Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA). “Endocrine Disruptor Regulation of Leydig Cell Differentiated Function.”
• Invited Talk: Penny Swanson, Ph.D. (NOAA Fisheries, Seattle, Washington, USA). “Alteration of Pituitary Function in Fish by Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals in Aquatic Ecosystems.”

Session IV. Obesity/Nutrition

• Invited Talk: Kelle H. Moley, M.D. (Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA). “Maternal Overnutrition, Oocyte Programming and the Right Scientific Questions: Nuclear or Mitochondrial? Diet-Induced or Obesity?”
• Invited Talk: Kartik Shankar, Ph.D. (University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA). “Like Mother, Like Son: How Maternal Obesity Programs Offspring Obesity Risk.”

Session V. Obesity/Nutrition

• Invited Talk: Romain Lambrot, Ph.D. (McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada). “Effects of Paternal Diet on the Sperm Epigenome and Offspring Health.”
• Invited Talk: Hasan Khatib, Ph.D. (University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA). “Transgenerational Effects of Maternal Nutrition on Reproduction and Health Traits.”

Session VI. Obesity/Nutrition

• Invited Talk: Roger G. Sturmey, Ph.D. (The Hull York Medical School, Hull, United Kingdom). “The Impact of Maternal Body Weight on Early Embryo Physiology.”
• Invited Talk: Rebecca L. Robker, Ph.D. (The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia). “Protecting Oocytes from Hyperlipidemia—Shared Pathways in Mice, Cows, and Women.”

D. Ovarian Workshop (morning) and Pregnancy/Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (afternoon)

Session I. Ovarian Workshop: Fertility Preservation

• Invited Talk: Karla Hutt, Ph.D. (Monash Institute of Medical Research–Prince Henry’s Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Victoria, Australia). “Emerging Approaches to Preserve Fertility in Young Women with Cancer: Preventing Follicle Loss.”
• Invited Talk: Richard A. Anderson, Ph.D. (The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom). “Fertility Preservation for Girls and Young Women.”

Session II.Pregnancy/Developmental Origins of Health and Disease: Effects on Gonadal Function

• Invited Talk: Tod Fullston, Ph.D. (The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia). “Paternal Obesity Impairs the Reproductive Viability of Two Generations of Male Mice and Alters Founder Sperm MicroRNA Profile, A Candidate Epigenetic Mechanism for Paternal Programing.”
• Invited Talk: Deborah Sloboda, Ph.D. (McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada). “Developmental Origins of Health and Disease: Effects on Ovarian Function.”

Session III. Ovarian Workshop: Oocyte Development and Function

• Invited Talk: Karen A. Schindler, Ph.D. (Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA). “Aurora Kinase Function During Meiosis in Mouse Oocytes.”
• Invited Talk: Catherine Combelles, Ph.D. (Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vermont, USA). “Environmental Influences: Is the Developing Oocyte in Danger?”

Session IV.Pregnancy/Developmental Origins of Health and Disease: Programming Effects of ARTs on Development

• Invited Talk: Paolo Rinaudo, M.D., Ph.D. (University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA). “Can IVF Affect Offspring’s Metabolic Health? Experience from a Rodent Model.”
• Invited Talk: Kevin D. Sinclair, Ph.D. (The University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom). “Epigenetics and Reproductive Health: Linking Nutritional Biochemistry to Long-Term Development.”

Session V. Ovarian Workshop: Mechanisms of Ovulation and Luteinization

• Invited Talk: Mario Ascoli, Ph.D. (University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA). Title to be announced.
• Invited Talk: Rina Meidan, Ph.D. (Hebrew University, Rehovot, Israel). “Hypoxia—A Driving Force in Corpus Luteum Formation.”

Session VI. Pregnancy/Developmental Origins of Health and Disease: Epigenetics and Gametes/Gonads

• Invited Talk: Piroska E. Szabó, Ph.D. (Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, California, USA). “Remodeling the Epigenome in the Male Germline.”
• Invited Talk: Toru Nakano, M.D. (Osaka University, Osaka, Japan). “Gene Silencing of Male Germ Cells by piRNA.”