It is ironic that reproduction is a luxury physiology that shuts down when an individual is not healthy and the individual can continue to live without any reproductive physiology. Yet, without reproduction, the species will become extinct in one lifetime. So essentially, reproduction is simultaneously unnecessary and the single most important physiology of a species.  There is an enormous variation in the physiology and strategies used for reproduction between different species and this is logical considering the importance of not losing all species after a catastrophic event.  It is nature’s way of not putting “all its eggs in one basket.” Therefore it is very important to select the appropriate model species to study specific reproductive functions.

Our lab focuses on Comparative Reproductive Medicine to advance our understanding of reproductive physiology as well as improving our ability to manipulate reproduction for increased fertility or sterility. We take advantage of being in a College of Veterinary Medicine which gives us access to a variety of domestic species through clinical cases. The comparative aspects include translational work between basic science discoveries in laboratory species to clinical practice in veterinary reproduction; between different domestic species and wildlife; and between human reproductive medicine and veterinary medicine. While not the core focus of the lab, we also investigate basic mechanisms especially those that relate to diseases or clinical technology.

Our work falls within four broad categories:

1) Peripartum reproductive health

In particular, we are interested to study uterine health as the uterus transitions from the previously pregnant stage to completing uterine involution (process to returning to a prepregnancy state that is ready to receive another pregnancy), the ovarian resumption of cyclicity especially as it relates to metabolic status, and the effects of bile acids as a marker of metabolic status on reproduction

 

2) Reproductive conditions that affect fertility/sterility

We take advantage of the fact that the Cornell Animal Health Diagnostic Center is one of the very few veterinary diagnostic laboratories that offer antifungal drug testing and we work with the Mycology Lab to study factors that affect fungal virulence and susceptibility to antifungal treatments. We have a special interest in fungal biofilm and utilize clinical isolates to study the different characteristics of fungal biofilm as it relates to conferring resistance to antiseptics, mucolytics, and antifungal drugs. Additionally, we are interested to enhance fungal diagnostics using Next-Generation Sequencing and novel testing platforms such as microfluidics.

 

3) Gamete preservation and Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART)

Cryopreservation is a critical technology that allows valuable genetic materials to be stored for later use but the cryopreservation process causes damage to the cells and tissue. We are interested in studying cellular responses to cryodamage and mitigating the harmful effects on cryopreservation. An exciting collaboration with the Thorne lab in the Physics Department and the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source involves studying the factors affecting ice formation during cooling and warming.

Assisted Reproductive Technology is a critical tool for overcoming fertility challenges including infertility, production limitations, and conservation. Our lab conducts bovine IVF from slaughterhouse ovaries weekly to study factors affecting early embryo development and produce embryos used for cryopreservation studies. We are excited to begin working on somatic cell nuclear transfer and to broaden our ART offerings in support of the clinical services of the Theriogenology section at the Cornell University Hospital for Animals.

 

4) Epidemiology of Reproductive Diseases

An important part of understanding reproductive diseases is to study the epidemiology of naturally occurring diseases. Taking advantage of available datasets, we hope to answer important questions related to reproductive disease prevalence, risk factors, the efficacy of treatment, safety, and prognosis of treatment.

 

5) Wildlife Conservation

Wild places and biodiversity are being lost at an alarming rate. We are exploring options for preserving biodiversity through biobanking and cryopreservation of gametes, embryos, and somatic cells. We are also interested in developing assisted reproductive technology to utilize preserved genetics. Another arm of our conservation efforts is The Commons Biodiversity Project, which currently focuses on using environmental DNA (eDNA) for biodiversity monitoring. Leveraging our expertise and resources, we work with local and international partners to preserve what we can.