Hudson Institute of Medical Research is internationally recognised for its outstanding research into reproduction, which spans more than 40 years. The Centre for Reproductive Health’s current reproductive health research program is strongly based in both basic and translational science. Reproductive Health is now a key global challenge, with impacts of the environment and changes in societies strongly impacting not only on both male and female reproduction but also on the long-term health of their offspring. The latter detrimental changes are established both in the sperm and egg, and during early development of the conceptus.

With a rapidly increasing world population, the need for new contraceptive options has never been greater. Furthermore, translation of advances in reproductive sciences also impacts on cancer biology, animal food production, and conservation of endangered species. In addition, proteins involved in the regulation of reproduction also have wider actions influencing inflammation and tissue repair in a wide variety of organs.

A labour of love | “Organoids made from the human endometrium (the lining of the womb) allow us to closely examine the functions of this unique reproductive tissue. Here, one organoid appears to be splitting into two, giving rise to this spectacular heart shaped formation.”   Jennifer Hutchison, CRH PhD Student.		. Brightfield image of an embryonic (E) 18.5 mouse testis half fragment cultured for 48 hrs. “Cord structures are visible, they look like a plate of spaghetti! We culture testis fragments with different factors to determine their impact on testis development.”  Penny Whiley, CRH PhD Student.
Congratulations Penny! Penny Whiley, PhD Student, Testis Development and Germ Cell Biology is the winner of the 2021 MHTP PhD Student Symposium with her presentation titled ‘Activin A impacts on germ cell development: new insights into male infertility’, which was held on 6 October 2021. Penny’s supervisors are Prof Kate Loveland and A/Prof Robin Hobbs.		.3 x germ cells (gonocytes) enriched for stem cell capacity. ‘These cells will likely become spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs), which are essential for maintaining spermatogenesis and sperm production in adult mammals. Immunofluorescence on newborn mouse testis, SALL4 (red fluorescent signal) marks gonocytes, GFRA1 (green fluorescent signal) marks cells with a high stem cell potential, and DNA counterstained with DAPI (blue).’   Penny Whiley , CRH PhD Student

Key areas of research

• Male Reproductive Health
  • Male factor infertility
  • Male reproductive cancer
  • Immunobiology in male reproductive health

• Uterine Biology
  • Disorders affecting female fertility
  • Endometrial receptivity

• Reproductive Developmental Biology
  • Offspring health
  • Environmental exposures

• Molecular Biology of Reproduction
  • Germline genetics and epigenetics
  • RNA biology

Student Research Projects at Centre for Reproductive Health