Reproductive Health

Embryo implantation is a crucial step in human reproduction, but it's also really inefficient. Join us on a journey through embryo selection theory where we explain how the uterus can sense embryo quality to avoid maternal investment in poor quality embryos and the issues that arise when this process fails. We’ll discuss the outdated approaches in women's health and show you how work at Warwick is filling the gaps. From the basic menstrual cycle to novel techniques to model the endometrium, we’ll highlight how research is improving our understanding of pregnancy, infertility, and miscarriage.

Human reproduction is remarkably inefficient, with only 30% of conceptions resulting in live birth. We are all aware of the ‘ticking biological clock’ – the phenomenon where human female fertility decreases with advancing age. But what exactly is causing this ticking? And why do embryos so often fail? These phenomena are tightly linked to the chromosomes inside human eggs and embryos. We will share with you updates from our current research, where we gain insights from donated eggs & embryos which are not able to be used for fertility treatment.

Human chromosomes must be accurately segregated during every cell division. However, this process is remarkably disorganised in early human embryos and often leads to cells having the wrong number of chromosomes. This phenomenon is associated with infertility, but some affected embryos can develop normally. We can now observe chromosomes in real time using fluorescent tags, which create a coloured spot visible under a microscope. We will share how we use this technology to track chromosomes throughout embryo divisions and investigate the fate of abnormal cells.