Ob/Gyn Now
a quarterly departmental newsletter
Message from the Chair
I am excited to unveil the department’s relaunched newsletter. This new design will give special focus to you and your innovative work, whether it’s in the clinic, the lab, the community or beyond. We hope you find it useful and interesting – giving both the option to glance at the big picture OR delve deeper into a colleague’s research, a recent news article, resource, or event.
It is my aim to connect regularly with even more of you. This newsletter is being sent to a comprehensive list of Ob/Gyn faculty, trainees, staff, alumni, and community peers. I know everyone is busy, but I feel it is important for us to engage and inform. Within this quarter’s newsletter, you will discover the many incredible accomplishments of our Ob/Gyn family. Thank you for who you are and all you do!
Please contact our new communications team if you would like to suggest items for future issues [cheri.lewis@yale.edu or saul.flores@yale.edu]. And a special thanks to Colleen Goble for all the work she has done on past newsletters.
Yale Ob/Gyn Chair Hugh Taylor, MD
News
- March 19, 2024
Dr. Taylor was recently invited to the White House for a Women’s History Month reception, where President Biden signed Executive Order 14120, focusing on women’s health research. Dr. Taylor was also joined by invitee John Krystal, MD, YSM chair and professor of psychiatry, and Carolyn M. Mazure, PhD, director of Women’s Health Research at Yale, and now chair of the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research.
- February 29, 2024
Molly McAdow, MD, PhD, continues her research into how to induce labor in more safe and natural ways. Learn about her latest study and why it suggests oxytocin is just one piece of the puzzle. Obstetric providers: Dr. McAdow is the PI of the study and is happy to answer questions. Please reach out to the MHB Contact “STIM Study Staff” at 475-246-5532 for patient enrollment.
- January 19, 2024
Kutluk Oktay, MD, PhD, and his colleagues have built a new mathematical model, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, to predict how long ovarian cryopreservation and transplantation procedures may potentially delay menopause under a range of circumstances in healthy women.
- August 04, 2023
In the latest U.S. News & World Report's "Best Hospitals for Obstetrics & Gynecology" listing, Yale Ob/Gyn ranked #4, the highest ranking for ANY Yale department or service.
People/Profiles
New Co-Vice Chairs
Vikki M. Abrahams, PhD, and Joshua A. Copel, MD, were chosen as the department's co-vice chairs of faculty development.
Dr. Abrahams oversees research faculty, and Dr. Copel handles clinical faculty needs and processes.
New Chair of Ob/Gyn at L+M in New London
Sarah Cross, MD, was named the chair of Ob/Gyn at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital and will also serve as vice chair in the Yale Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences.
Dr. Cross has begun transitioning to her new leadership position and will assume the full role in July of this year
New Director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine
Ozan Bahtiyar, MD, was named the director of the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Section.
Dr. Bahtiyar oversees a team of experienced physicians who treat complicated pregnancies related to diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, genetic disorders, and other conditions.
Welcome New Faculty
These are the newest additions to our faculty team:
- Associate Professor Amy Turitz, MD
- Instructor Liubin Yang, MD, PhD
- Assistant Professor Stephanie Bowers, MD
- Assistant Professor Aaron Lazorwitz, MD, PhD
- Assistant Professor Katyayani Papatla, MD, MPH
- Assistant Professor Sarah Andiman, MD
Aydin Arici, MD, Named Interim Director of REI
Aydin Arici, MD, has been selected as interim director of the Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility division - resurrecting a role he held more than two decades ago.
Since arriving at Yale in 1992, Dr. Arici has taken on several other positions, including Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Program director and Reproductive Endocrinology Fellowship Program coordinator.
He has received many NIH and pharmaceutical industry-sponsored research grants and has published more than 300 articles in leading journals.
Dr. Arici obtained his medical degree from Istanbul Medical School. He completed his fellowship in REI at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and his residency at Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons Harlem Hospital in New York.
Sandra Carson, MD, Retires
Sandra Carson, MD, recently retired, ending a distinguished career.
Dr. Carson began her time at Yale in 2019 as director of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility.
Before coming to New Haven, she served as vice president for education at the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Carson is one of the foremost leaders in the field of REI. She has published over 150 papers, received numerous competitive grants, and was a past president of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM).
We wish her the very best and thank her for her many contributions to the specialty.
Matched Residents
Congratulations and welcome to all the residents who matched with Yale Ob/Gyn for this coming school year.
Awards/Honors
Hugh Taylor, MD
Dr. Taylor joins four other faculty members from YSM to be elected into the Association of American Physicians.
Janice Crabtree, MS
Janice Crabtree has been honored with the 2024 Donna Wachter Clerkship Coordinator Award through the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics (APGO).
Mary Polan, MD, PhD, MPH
Dr. Polan received the 2024 Elizabeth Blackwell Award from the American Medical Women's Association.
This AMWA award is granted to a woman physician who has made outstanding contributions to the cause of women in medicine, created pathways for other women in medicine, and made exceptional contributions to the image of women in medicine.
Joshua Copel, MD
Dr. Copel has been awarded the Yale Medicine Distinguished Clinical Career Award.
Established in 2020, the YM award recognizes physicians who have significantly contributed to Yale Medicine, the medical profession, and the community.
Alessandro Santin, MD
Dr. Santin was noted among the most-cited authors of papers on endometrial cancer immunotherapy from 2002 to 2022. He was coauthor for 11 and corresponding author for 9, respectively, of the 100 that were most cited. The full analysis was published in Medicine.
Harvey Kliman, MD, PhD
The publication by Dr. Kliman titled "Placental Pathology Findings in Unexplained Pregnancy Losses," was selected as the most popular basic sciences article published by Reproductive Sciences in 2023.
Yale Fertility Center
Yale Fertility Center was honored for “outstanding blast conversion rates” by Fairfax Eggbank.
Olga Chaplia, PhD, Cihan Halicigil, PhD, HCLD, MS, and Stephanie Nichols-Burns, PhD, HCLD, MS, accepted the award last fall.
"This significant distinction … underscores not just our technical expertise and innovative methodologies, but also the exceptional quality and reliability of our team," said Halicigil, Yale Fertility Center's laboratory director.
Residents Represent at Research Day
Two of our residents were recognized at UCONN's fall research day.
Best Oral Presentation (tie):
Sarah Wang, MD
“Molecular Analysis of Endometriosis: Underlying Pathways of Symptomaticity in Endometriosis”
Best Poster- Original Research
Melissa Markowitz, MD
“Expedited Partner Therapy: A Multi-Component Initiative to Boost Provider Counseling”
Events
- Apr 20244Thursday
OBGYN Grand Rounds: "Preeclampsia: Before and Beyond"
Presented by Virginia D. Winn, MD, PhD
Speaker: Virginia D. Winn, MD, PhD
- Apr 202411Thursday
OBGYN Grand Rounds: "Postoperative Activity Restrictions and Postoperative Voiding Assessment After Urogynecologic and Gynecologic Surgeries"
Presented by Oz Harmanli, MD
Speaker: Oz Harmanli, MD
- May 20245Sunday
Peter E. Schwartz, MD Discovery to Cure Beverly Levy Walk & Block Party
- May 202416Thursday
GI Issues in Women's Health
Part of the 2024 Digestive Health Virtual CME Series
Speakers: Oz Harmanli, MD, Anamika Reed, MD
- May 202416Thursday
"Below the Belt" Special Screening Event
Exposing the Crisis of Endometriosis Care
Speakers: Hugh Taylor, MD, Shannon Cohn, Nina Stachenfeld, PhD, Alla Vash-Margita, MD, FACOG, Iris Becene
- May 202431Friday
Yale Robotic Surgery Symposium
Hosted by Yale New Haven Health and Yale School of Medicine
Speaker: Mani Menon, MD
- Jun 20245Wednesday
Community Discussion on Cervical Cancer Screening and Treatment
Part of L+M Hospital's Wellness Event Series
Speaker: Mitchell Clark, MD, MPH
- Jun 202413Thursday
Yale Ob/Gyn Research Day and Residency Graduation