Your Impact

The SMRU and SREI Fellows Symposia: A Look Back
Building Community, Advancing Careers

From August 21–24, 2024, a group of REI and Andrology fellows gathered in Park City, Utah, for a unique experience—one that went far beyond lectures and learning objectives. The first-ever SMRU Fellows Symposium, held alongside the long-established SREI Fellows Symposium, created a space where early-career physicians could connect with mentors, exchange ideas, and gain real-world insight into the field of reproductive medicine.

Over four days, fellows engaged in honest conversations about their future—covering career paths, practice setup, social media, industry relationships, negotiation, scholarship, advocacy, and more. The agenda was practical, but the impact was personal. These were the kinds of discussions that don’t always happen in clinical training but are essential to building a meaningful and sustainable career.

“It was an amazing opportunity to network with male infertility thought leaders, as well as colleagues who are just starting out in the field,” said Dr. Cathy Nam. “It was also a fantastic chance to connect with our REI colleagues.”

The value of the program was clear—not just in the quality of the content, but in the sense of support and community it fostered. Dr. Matt Coward, who served as faculty, noted the high level of engagement between fellows and faculty, across both SMRU and SREI. “There was a strong sense of shared purpose,” he said. “You could tell that everyone was invested—in the field, and in each other.”

What made this symposium stand out was its focus on the real challenges fellows face at the start of their careers. It offered mentorship, encouragement, and the kind of peer connections that can make a lasting difference.

This gathering reinforced why programs like these are so important. They help shape not just better professionals, but stronger networks and a more connected field. We’re proud of what was accomplished in Park City and excited to keep building on this foundation in the years ahead.

In a time of deep uncertainty for scientific research, the mission of the ASRM Research Institute has never been more urgent. With the NIH announcing significant funding cuts for 2025, especially for studies involving gametes and embryos, countless critical research projects now face an uncertain future. Since its founding in 2018, the Institute has stepped in to fill that gap—funding groundbreaking work that would otherwise go unsupported.

One of those projects is led by Elizabeth Rubin, MD, who was awarded the Reproductive Scientist Development Program (RSDP) fellowship in 2024. Her study is entitled, the impact of high dose androgens on non-human primate oocyte competency and preimplantation embryo development and genetics. For Dr. Rubin, this support is more than a grant—it’s a lifeline at a pivotal moment in her career and in the broader scientific community.

“The recent changes regarding NIH funding eligibility are a devastating setback to scientific progress regarding gender affirming care and the medical treatment of transgender people. I am very fortunate to have funding from the American Society for Reproductive Medicine to continue my translational research in this area. As an early career physician-scientist, my work could not be continued without the generous support of ASRM. During this extremely challenging time when so many of my colleagues are being stripped of their funding, I am thankful that ASRM continues to recognize the importance of robust research to improve the health, well-being, and fertility outcomes for transgender people.”

Dr. Rubin’s words are a powerful reminder of what’s at stake—not just for researchers, but for the communities they serve. When public funding falls short, programs like the ASRM Research Institute become essential—not only to protect innovation, but to ensure that all people have a place in the future of reproductive medicine.

By supporting studies that explore complex, often underfunded areas of science, the ASRM Research Institute ensures that progress doesn’t stall. It helps young investigators continue their work. And it reaffirms a simple truth: that advancing reproductive health for all is a mission worth fighting for.

Kicking Through the Doubt: How ASRM Helped Deliver IVF Access in California

For four long years, the image we couldn’t shake was Lucy pulling the football away from Charlie Brown. Each time we thought California was ready to pass an IVF insurance mandate, the ball was yanked away at the last second. Week after week of coalition calls, daily phone check-ins, action alerts, and hearings ended in the same refrain: “We support this bill. But.” But the budget. But the fiscal analysis. But not this year.

By the start of the 2024 legislative session, fatigue had set in—but so had resolve. This time, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) responded with a “but” of our own: But we’re not giving up.

We began the year by strengthening our team. An expanded coalition—led by our partners at Ferring Pharmaceuticals—brought together diverse voices, from Equality California and Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly NARAL), to the California Department of Insurance and other allies. Together, we built a compelling case that IVF coverage isn’t just good policy—it’s necessary healthcare.

ASRM played a central role throughout. We coordinated meetings with lawmakers and staff to explain how IVF coverage makes economic sense and fulfills a critical promise of equitable care. Our champions in the legislature, especially Senator Caroline Menjivar, helped us navigate each twist and turn with tenacity and clarity.

Twice a week, our coalition strategized. ASRM’s Office of Public Affairs activated our California members through action alerts, crafted letters of support, and submitted formal testimony. And our medical leaders—Dr. Marcelle Cedars and Dr. Ruben Alvero—were relentless advocates, writing op-eds, giving interviews, and speaking out at the Capitol.

Then, in December 2024, what once seemed impossible became reality: Governor Gavin Newsom signed the IVF insurance mandate into law.

The celebration was instant and heartfelt. There were cheers, tears, and a shared sense that this wasn’t just a win—it was a turning point. Years of work, setbacks, and perseverance had led to a breakthrough moment in reproductive healthcare access.

And then, just weeks later, another door opened: California proposed including a comprehensive IVF package in its Essential Health Benefits (EHB) plan. That move could make IVF access a guaranteed benefit statewide—pending federal approval.

Once again, ASRM is leading the charge. We’re back in our advocacy shoes, ready to make the case to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Because for us, this isn’t just about one bill—it’s about building a future where everyone has the opportunity to create a family.

This success story belongs to all who fought for it. But make no mistake: ASRM’s voice, vision, and persistence helped turn the impossible into law—and that’s something worth celebrating.

ASRM Patient Story: Mary Dolan

I was diagnosed with diminished ovarian reserve/premature ovarian failure at 28 years old. At the time it was devastating news, and I felt blindsided by a diagnosis that was so unfamiliar. Our first visit to a reproductive endocrinologist did nothing to ease my fears—I was told bluntly that my labs were so poor that they wouldn’t even consider IVF with my eggs and my only options were donor eggs or adoption. I felt certain I was meant to be a mom and was convinced I could make it happen another way. Luckily, we lived in Boulder, Colorado where holistic medicine and healthy living are revered. It felt instinctual to me to learn about my body and to make lifestyle changes to heal and improve my overall health, outside of the intended outcome of having a baby.

For years I tried a variety of modalities to improve my egg quality, increase blood flow, regulate my menstrual cycles (they were unpredictable, then nonexistent), and reduce stress. I tried acupuncture, herbal treatments, supplements, dietary changes, Mayan abdominal massage, fertility yoga, hypnotherapy, meditation, ayurveda, and more! I learned to advocate for myself and my health, but none of the progress I made resulted in a positive pregnancy test. I knew it was time to move on. After 6 long years, we decided to pursue egg donation. It meant my husband would have a biological connection to our child(ren) and I would be able to carry them. It was so important to me to be physically involved in the process after years of yearning to be pregnant.

As we moved forward with this new path, things finally began to fall into place. As soon as we’d gone through the full workup with our clinic (gathering with our doctor, nurses, financial team, business office, and doing extensive labs and other tests), we were granted full access to their in-house donor database. By some incredible stroke of luck, we found our donor right away. Where I once received call after call with bad news (levels too high, levels too low, no follicles, too many cysts), calls with amazing results from our donor started becoming the norm. My confidence grew and I felt more ready than ever to start treatments.

As a result of overstimulation and near-perfect fertilization, we ended up with an incredibly large number of highly graded embryos. I continued acupuncture through my entire IVF medication schedule, and we did our first frozen embryo transfer (FET) in July of 2016. We welcomed our daughter in March the following year. Our second FET was in September 2019 and our son was born in May 2020.

I assumed that once I was pregnant and had a baby, I would be ready to shed my infertility story and just be a “regular” mom. But during both pregnancies and even now as my children are growing, I find myself sharing openly and unprompted the story of how they were created.

I am proud of all the blood, sweat and tears (SO many tears!) that went into all those years of procedures and treatments and lab work. I am proud of not letting the heartbreak and hopelessness overcome me and for continuing on during the darkest moments. Our marriage was tested during the trials and tribulations of infertility, but we ended up stronger parents having already experienced tremendous struggle as a team. I look back on those difficult years with mixed emotions, but most notably a fondness I never expected. They helped me trust myself and gain a deeper appreciation for the family I worked so hard to have.