YURS-Pregnancy Study Team

Dr Vikki Abrahams is a Professor, Director of the Division of Reproductive Sciences and Co-Vice Chair of Faculty Development in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences. Dr Abrahams received her B.Sc. (hons) in Immunology in 1996, and was awarded a Ph.D. in Immunology in 2000, both from University College London. She continued her studies as a postdoctoral associate at Dartmouth Medical School and then at Yale University in the field of Reproductive Immunology. In 2004 she joined the faculty in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at Yale School of Medicine. Dr Abrahams' research focuses on understanding the role of innate immune Toll-like receptor and Nod-like receptor family members in placental and maternal-fetal immune responses, and their role in regulating pregnancy outcome, including those complicated by infections and by autoimmune diseases. Studies from the Abrahams laboratory has characterized the mechanisms by which Toll-like receptors, Nod-like receptors, and the inflammasome function in the placental trophoblast and fetal membranes in response to both infectious and non-infectious stimuli. Dr Abrahams is a member of the American Association of Immunologists, International Society for Immunology of Reproduction, Society for Reproductive Investigation, and the American Society of Reproductive Immunology. Dr Abrahams is the Associate Editor for Reviews of the American Journal of Reproductive Immunology and also serves on the editorial boards for a number of other journals within the Reproductive Sciences field.

Dr. Gary Altwerger is an assistant professor of Gynecologic Oncology in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at the Yale School of Medicine. Known for his advanced surgical skills, Dr. Altwerger is an expert in minimally invasive techniques for treating uterine, ovarian, and vulvar cancers. His knowledge extends beyond the operating room to pioneering research in both clinical and basic sciences. He has identified biomarkers in advanced uterine cancer and developed strategies to disrupt tumor DNA repair pathways, advancing treatments for chemotherapy-resistant gynecologic cancers. Dr. Altwerger's basic science research on treatment resistant uterine cancers has led to the launch of an investigator-initiated clinical trial at Yale University. Additionally, his clinical research in evaluating desensitization protocols has enabled patients with hypersensitivities to receive effective yet previously intolerable chemotherapy treatments, with these findings published in high-impact gynecologic oncology journals. In the surgical arena, Dr. Altwerger has developed and published novel techniques for minimally invasive tumor removal in the upper abdomen. Additionally, as part of a mandate by the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, he participates in the CSATS (Crowd-Sourced Assessment of Technical Skills) platform. This initiative utilizes national expert feedback to rate and enhance a surgeon’s operative skills. Reviews on CSATS often highlight Dr. Altwerger's surgical expertise, with feedback noting his 'clever' and 'expert' approaches to managing 'challenging' cases in gynecologic oncology. Dr. Altwerger’s commitment to professional development and excellence in gynecologic oncology is evident in his multifaceted role at Yale. He educates future medical professionals on gynecologic cancers and related topics, oversees the Inpatient Gynecologic Oncology Advanced Practice Providers, and chairs the Gynecologic Oncology Morbidity and Mortality meetings. Furthermore, he serves on the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at Yale New Haven Hospital, ensuring the safety and ethical standards of cancer research protocols. Clinically, he remains at the forefront of administering the latest therapies, including chemotherapies, immunotherapies, intraoperative chemotherapy and antibody-drug conjugates, to provide targeted care for women with gynecologic malignancies.

Dr. Murat Basar is a highly experienced embryologist and research scientist. He is currently an Associate Research Scientist and Senior Embryologist at Yale University School of Medicine, specializing in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Reproductive Endocrinology, and Infertility. He holds a Ph.D. in Integrated Reproductive Biology and Embryology from Istanbul University Institute of Health Science and Yale University School of Medicine. Dr. Basar's extensive career includes roles such as IVF Laboratories Operations Manager at Bahceci Health Group and Laboratory Director at Johns Hopkins Anadolu Medical Center. He has also held an academic position as Assistant Professor at Biruni University Medical Faculty. His research interests focus on embryonic stress-related pregnancy complications, pathogenesis of endometriosis, and endometriosis-related pain. Dr. Basar has contributed to numerous high-impact publications and has presented his work at various international conferences. He is recognized for his expertise in advanced reproductive techniques, including optimizing QC&QA in IVF laboratories and trophoectoderm biopsy. Dr. Basar is affiliated with several professional organizations, including the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, the American Association of Bioanalysts, the Turkish Histology and Embryology Association, and the Turkish Society of Clinical Embryology, where he served as a board member from 2019 to 2021.

Dr. Flannery is an endocrinologist and Associate Professor with dual appointments in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences (Reproductive Endocrinology) and the Department of Internal Medicine (Endocrinology). She received her undergraduate degree in Chemistry from Wellesley College in 1995 before obtaining her M.D. degree from Trinity College, Dublin in Ireland in 2001. She completed internship in medicine and surgery at St. James’s Hospital in Dublin Ireland, and then Internal Medicine residency in the Women’s Health Track at Jacobi Hospital, Albert Einstein College of Medicine in NY, where she also served as Chief Resident in Internal Medicine in 2005. She then went on to the Yale School of Medicine for her fellowship in Endocrinology & Metabolism. She pursued research fellowship at Yale, in the respective labs of Dr. Hugh Taylor, and of Dr. Gerald Shulman and Dr. Kitt Petersen, to combine interests in endometrial physiology and the pathophysiology of Type-2 diabetes mellitus. She was awarded an NIH K08 mentored career award then NIH R01 funding. Her translational research lab studies mechanisms for endometrial cancer development, and the effect of weight and diabetes on women's reproductive health. She sees patients with diabetes and endocrine disorders, with a specialty interest in diabetes prevention, weight management, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, perimenopause, and gender-affirming hormone therapy.

Dr. Seth Guller, trained as a biochemist, joined the Yale Fertility Center as Director of the Reproductive Endocrinology Laboratory in 2007. The function of this clinical laboratory is to provide rapid hormone analysis for patients as well as test results for research studies. Dr. Guller strives to implement new tests for the recently acquired Roche Cobas e411 analyzer to improve the quality of patient care. He has also directed a research laboratory for the last 21 years. Dr. Guller has published more than 75 peer-reviewed papers.

After following an academic career including the degrees in BSc. in Biology (METU/ Ankara/Turkey) and MSc. And Ph.D. degrees in Biotechnology (2001) (METU/Ankara/Turkey), Cihan Halicigil joined to the Hacettepe University, Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology IVF unit in 2001. He had his second MSc. From Leeds University in Clinical Embryology (2005). Since 2001, He has been involved over 13000 fresh cycles, and over 7000 frozen embryo transfer cycles. He has trained more than 40 clinical embryologists and IVF laboratory directors. He has directed Florence Nightingale Gayrettepe IVF laboratory and Acibadem Maslak IVF Laboratory back in Turkey during 2003-2015. Also, he has built or refurbished 17 IVF laboratories. He is an AAB certified high complexity laboratory director (HCLD) since 2017. After moving to USA in 2015, he helped to start and worked at the Carolinas Fertility Institute program in Winston-Salem, NC as the senior embryologist which became one of the most successful and distinguished programs in USA. Dr. Halicigil's major interests are embryo culture, micromanipulation techniques, cryopreservation, PGT, timelapse microscopy, laboratory automation and AI applications in IVF .

Gloria Huang, MD, is an internationally known expert in the treatment and prevention of ovarian, uterine and cervical cancers. Dr. Huang is skilled at minimally invasive surgery and is the principal investigator of a federally-funded cancer research laboratory. A board-certified gynecologic oncologist, Dr. Huang enjoys providing exceptional, individualized, comprehensive care to patients, bringing together multi-disciplinary clinical teams to achieve the best outcomes. She is passionate about advancing the field of gynecologic oncology through innovative scientific research and hopes her discoveries will lead to better treatments for patients. Watch a video with Dr. Gloria Huang >>

Dr. Yingqun Huang received her undergraduate and medical degrees from the Fudan University School of Medicine in 1988 and her Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Connecticut Health Center in 1997. She carried out her postdoctoral studies with Dr. Gordon Carmichael at the University of Connecticut Health Center (1997-1999) and then with Dr. Joan Steitz at Yale University School of Medicine (1999-2003) prior to becoming an Assistant Professor in 2003 in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at Yale School of Medicine. She was promoted to Associate Professor in 2010 and then Full Professor in 2020. Her lab research centers on the mechanistic understanding of metabolic disorders including obesity, diabetes and infertility, in addition to reproductive tract tumors. Using cell and mouse models and an interdisciplinary approach her group generates new insights into disease pathogenesis with the ultimate goal of leveraging the knowledge to improve human health. She has made significant contributions in the field of noncoding RNAs and demonstrated the potential of long noncoding RNA H19 and microRNA let-7 as targets and/or therapeutics for uterine fibroids, ovarian and endometrial cancers, and type-2 diabetes. In the past 5 years, her research has extended to the epigenetic mechanisms of TET3 in metabolic diseases and cancer. Her current research projects include 1) TET3-mediated regulation of hepatic glucose production, NAFLD and liver fibrosis; 2) the role of TET3 in modulation of skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity; 3) the regulation of feeding, obesity, and other complex behaviors by TET3 through the hypothalamic AGRP neurons; and 4) development of therapeutic approaches (small molecule compounds and RNA therapeutics) to eating disorders, stress-related disorders, NAFLD, liver fibrosis, endometriosis, and ovarian cancer. Her contributions to science are highlighted by multiple publications in high impact journals, including Molecular Cell, Journal of Clinical Investigation, Nature Communications, EMBO Molecular Medicine, PNAS, Nucleic Acids Research, Cell Reports, Diabetes, and Oncogene. In addition to research, Dr. Huang is a dedicated teacher and mentor. She has mentored and trained many medical fellows, postdoctoral associates, and graduate students. Two of the medical fellows have become reproductive physician scientists holding Associate Professor positions. Dr. Huang has served as and will continue to be Director of Molecular Biology Core Training Laboratory for the Yale Women’s Reproductive Health Research program (WRHR). In recognition of her deep commitment to teaching and mentoring, she received the Harold Behrman Teaching Award in 2013.

Harvey J. Kliman has, in addition to an M.D., a Ph.D. in cellular biochemistry from the University of Chicago. He is currently a Research Scientist in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yale University School of Medicine and the Director of the Reproductive and Placental Research Unit with a special interest in infertility and pregnancy complications. He has over thirty years of anatomic pathology training with particular emphasis in electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry, endometrial and placental pathology. He has over ten patents, including the patent for the Endometrial Function Test® (EFT®)—“The soil test for the endometrium®” and “Method and system for determining placental volume.” His contributions in the field of placental research include the development of the “Kliman” method of trophoblast purification, research into the mechanisms of trophoblast differentiation and invasion, the role and genesis of syncytial knots, the discovery of placental fetal fibronectin, and more recently, the clinical utility of abnormalities in placental villous growth patterns, especially trophoblast invaginations and inclusions, to diagnose genetic abnormalities in pregnancy, including autism.

My current interests involved endometrial angiogenesis and hemostasis in both the non-pregnant and pregnant states. To this end we have recently found that the molecule "ICON" developed by Hu and Garen has been successful in eradicating endometriotic lesions in a mouse model of endometriosis. This occurs by destroying the aberrant vasculature supporting the disease. Lately I have become interested in reproductive immunology and am part of a program project directed by Dr. Gil Mor in which I study the maternal part of the innate immune system during implantation. Lastly, together with Dr. Hugh Taylor, I have learned and published several papers involving the endometrial stem cell population and the possible contributions of immune cells on the stem cell niche.

Aaron Lazorwitz, MD, is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology and earned his Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Johns Hopkins University. He then went to medical school at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and completed his residency at the University of Colorado. He remained at the University of Colorado for his fellowship in family planning. In 2018, Dr. Lazorwitz joined the University of Colorado faculty and became a Women's Reproductive Health Research (WRHR) scholar, during which he completed a PhD in Clinical Science and. In 2023, Dr. Lazorwitz left Colorado and joined the faculty of Yale University with a dual appointment in the divisions of Family Planning and Reproductive Science. Dr. Lazorwitz pursued sub-specialist training in family planning so he could help provide comprehensive reproductive healthcare to even the most medically complicated patients. He is passionate about providing the full range of contraceptive options to his patients, including sterilization options. Dr. Lazorwitz also spends a large portion of his time involved in research activities and is interested in better understanding how genetic differences influence hormonal contraception. In his free time, he loves to explore National parks and affiliated sites while also checking out local craft breweries across the country.

Dr. McAdow received her MD and PhD in Microbiology from the University of Chicago. Her doctoral studies investigated the interactions between Staphylococcus aureus virulence factors and the host coagulation cascade during the pathogenesis of bacterial infection under the mentorship of Dr. Olaf Schneewind. She came to Yale University for her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology and stayed for fellowship in Maternal Fetal Medicine. Dr. McAdow cares for patients pregnancy complications. She is the recipient of one of the inaugural Yale Physician Scientist Development Awards and a training grant from the Foundation for the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine and the American Association of Obstetrics and Gynecology Foundation. Her research, conducted under the mentorship of Dr. Anne Eichmann in the Yale Cardiovascular Research Center, investigates the molecular mechanisms of endothelial dysfunction in preeclampsia, a common complication of pregnancy that jeopardizes the health of the mother and fetus. Her other research interests include the biology of labor induction and fetal growth restriction.