The minds behind the research are many. The National Foundation for Fertility Research consists of researchers hailing from such renowned institutions as Purdue University and Virginia Tech. Every scientist and physician brings a varied and notable background to our cause. The result is a collaborative group who knows the power research has on improving the success rates of such procedures as in vitro fertilization and other forms of assisted reproduction.
Advancements in fertility research begins with fertility specialists. Our research foundation is led by Dr. Mandy Katz-Jaffe. Under her direction, our team is making incredible strides in the fight against infertility.
Our team
Mandy
Mandy is the Scientific Director for NFFR. She is a Reproductive Geneticist who received her Master of Reproductive Science in 2000 and her PhD from Monash University, Australia in 2004. She is a native Australian who moved to the USA after receiving her doctoral degree in order to continue her passion for research in the field of reproductive medicine. Mandy has focused her work on the development of new methods to assess the genetics of an embryo, and introduce tests that can identify the healthiest embryo for transfer. This research is designed to increase the success of human infertility treatment while reducing the risk of multiple pregnancies. Spending time outdoors with her own young family is her other passion outside of the Foundation.
Rebecca
Rebecca is the Research Director for NFFR. She is a Reproductive Biologist focusing on oocyte and embryo physiology. She received her Bachelor's degree in Biology from Hanover College, followed by a Master’s degree in Animal Sciences at North Carolina State University. She then worked for Granada Biosciences for several years before completing her PhD at Virginia Tech in Animal Science/Dairy. After graduate school, she worked for several years as an embryologist in human clinical reproduction, after which she returned to academia to complete a post doctoral fellowship at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She then joined the faculty of Purdue University, in the Department of Animal Sciences, before moving as Associate Professor to the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Rebecca’s research program focuses on defining processes within mammalian oocytes that are critical for subsequent embryonic and fetal development. In addition, she works with the Ossabaw mini-pig as a model for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in women.
Blair
Blair received her degree in biology from the University of Colorado at Boulder and has over 10 years of experience as a molecular biologist. After graduation, she worked in California for an industry-leading genetics company where she helped develop breast cancer diagnostics. After spending 5 years there, she moved back to her native Colorado where she was excited to bring her molecular biology expertise to the field of reproductive medicine. She is currently the Research Laboratory Manager and has been working with Dr. Katz-Jaffe for over 5 years. In her free time she enjoys spending time in the Colorado Rockies with her husband.
Susanna
Susanna grew up in Sweden. She came to the United States in 1994 on a swimming scholarship to go to Northern Illinois University. She obtained her bachelor degree in 1998 followed by a Masters degree in Biology in the year 2000. She continued her education at University of Illinois at Chicago, were she obtained her PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics in 2006. Susanna moved to Colorado in 2006 to work as a postdoctoral fellow at University of Colorado Health and Science Center, focusing her work in the fields of proteomics and virology. In 2008, Susanna joined NFFR as a postdoctoral scientist continuing her work in the field of proteomics. In her free time Susanna enjoys to spend time with her husband and two year old daughter.
Jason P
Jason grew up in Louisville and is a native to Colorado. He attended the University of Colorado at Boulder where he studied Health Sciences. Jason is an avid researcher who heads the Embryology Team at NFFR and has been working with Dr. Katz-Jaffe for over four years. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time outdoors in the Colorado Rockies.
Melissa
Melissa Paczkowski received her PhD under the direction of Drs. Rebecca Krisher and Chris Bidwell from Purdue University in 2008. Her dissertation research focused on identifying alterations in the oocyte transcriptome that correlated to differences in oocyte developmental potential. Her research mainly utilized porcine and mouse oocytes derived from adult and prepubertal females as a model for good and poor quality oocytes, respectively. In 2010, Melissa completed a 12-month postdoctoral research appointment with Dr. Krisher at the University of Illinois. The goal of the project was to extend the maturation period of oocytes in vitro in hopes of improving oocyte developmental potential by allowing for a prolonged period of gene transcription. Melissa is originally from Plainsboro, New Jersey but considers College Station, Texas home and hopes to find her way back home in the future
Jason H
Jason received his B.S. from Michigan State University in 1996, his M.S. in Zoology from Ohio State University in 1998, and his Ph.D. in 2003 from Purdue University studying in vitro oocyte maturation in pigs and goats. In 2004, Jason joined the Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden as a post-doctoral fellow and conducted research on the physiology of feline embryos. He was an assistant professor at the University of Illinois in the Dept. of Comparative Biosciences from 2007 to 2011 and started work at NFFR in June 2011. His primary research interest is how the composition of the maternal diet or the culture medium affects cellular metabolism in the embryo and the ability of the embryo to develop successfully. Jason also has a strong interest in wildlife conservation and conducts research to develop assisted reproductive technologies for endangered species.
Shane
Shane is a recent graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder where he received a bachelor’s degree in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. While at CU he participated in the Leinwand Lab’s Python Project, in an effort to elucidate which proteins present in pythons are related to metabolic regulation. Shane is excited to be entering into the field of reproductive biology. In his free time he enjoys playing ice hockey, building computers, and experiencing the many outdoor activities Colorado has to offer.
Alyssa
Alyssa moved to Loveland, Colorado in 1998 from northern California. She received a Bachelor’s Degree in Biomedical Science from Colorado State University in 2009. After graduating, Alyssa continued working at CSU in a Neurology lab researching the link between obesity and Pomc neurons. She recently joined NFFR and is looking forward to entering the field of fertility research. In her spare time she enjoys horse back riding, wakeboarding and other outdoors activities.
Kevin
Kevin is a recent graduate from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a degree in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. While at CU, under the direction of Dr. Bradley Olwin, his main focus was to understand the role of skeletal muscle stem cells in regards to muscle regeneration and aging. He became interested in fertility research after taking a college course on infertility of mammalian species. In his free time he likes to read books, train in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and go camping.
Erik
Erik joins the NFFR team after completing an internship with the Denver Zoo and working for two years in the Biotech field in Washington. He is currently pursing his bachelor’s degree in Biology from Metropolition State College of Denver. After living in Florida and Washington he is happy to be back in Colorado. Erik in his spare time enjoys traveling the world, hiking, and working with reptiles.
Adrienne
Adrienne is the Director of Fundraising and Development for NFFR. She is originally from northern Nevada, and received her BS in legal studies from the University of Central Florida in 2005. Adrienne worked for the Muscular Dystrophy Association as an Event Manager prior to joining the NFFR team. In her free time, Adrienne enjoys running, yoga, and outdoor activities. Please contact Adrienne agardner@fertilityresearch.org for information on donations, marketing opportunities, events, and volunteering.
Erin
Erin is the administrative assistant for NFFR. She has been working for the foundation since it began in 2008, and has been working in the reproductive medicine field since 2005. Erin was born and raised in Colorado and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from Colorado State University. In her free time, Erin is going back to school to earn a degree in Interior Design.
