RMA of New York Receives Record Number of Awards for Outstanding Research at 2024 Annual ASRM Conference
The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and RMA of New York, a US Fertility practice, proudly present twenty-nine original scientific abstracts at the 80th annual American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) conference in Denver, Colorado. The research addresses a variety of topics, including assisted reproductive technologies, reproductive urology, and fertility preservation.
Notably, RMA of New York received a record number of recognitions for its research, including the 2024 ASRM In Training Award, the 2024 FPSIG Prize Paper, and two top poster awards. Of these accolades, Dr. Alan Copperman, Director of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and CEO of RMA of New York, reflects, “We celebrate the relentless curiosity, unwavering dedication, and groundbreaking achievements of our physicians and scientists. By harnessing the power of big data and generative artificial intelligence, and interrogating the complexities of genomic and multiscale biology, we are advancing our mission to empower individuals and communities in realizing their reproductive goals.”
Dr. Keri Bergin, a third-year Fellow at RMA of New York, is the primary author of two of the prize-winning abstracts. One, a retrospective cohort study, assessing the reproductive potential of oocytes found to have delayed maturation. Dr. Bergin concluded that while late mature oocytes show lower fertilization rates compared to controls, those that do fertilize exhibit high reproductive potential in terms of oocyte thaw survival, blastulation, and ploidy results. Patients, therefore, can be reassured that oocytes with delayed maturation can serve to benefit future family-building.
In her second award-winning study, Dr. Bergin evaluated the impact of introducing a multiple embryo transfer (MET) policy, guided by collaboration between a medical advisory board (MAB) and a benefit solution organization, on clinical decision-making and outcomes. In partnership with Progyny, a company that offers benefits for fertility, family-building, and women’s reproductive health, Dr. Bergin concluded that such a policy prioritizes patient safety and clinical outcomes, ensuring best practices to lower the risk of multiple gestation pregnancies from IVF.
In a separate study, Dr. Emily Clarke, a fellow at Mount Sinai and RMA of New York reviewed reproductive outcomes following treatment for early pregnancy failure (EPF) with dilation and curettage (D&C), misoprostol, or expectant management. She found that compared to patients treated medically, patients treated surgically had an increased risk of pregnancy loss in the subsequent cycle. Fortunately, all groups ultimately achieved a comparable and high live birth rate.
Clinical and research team members from RMA of New York and the US Fertility network of clinics explored the relationship between ejaculatory abstinence (EA) and the incidence of embryo mosaicism and ploidy. On univariate analysis, the duration of EA was not associated with mosaic, euploid, or aneuploid rate. While factors such as sperm concentration may be influenced by EA, this research suggests couples undergoing IVF can feel confident that moderate differences in EA are unlikely to associate with embryonic PGT-A results.
Co-author and Associate Research Director for US Fertility, Dr. Phillip Romanski, stated. “This study exemplifies how leveraging large data sets can yield actionable clinical insights, transforming complex information into practical solutions for enhancing patient care.”
“Additional studies examine the effects of BMI on reproductive outcomes, success factors for same-sex female couples, the impact of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) Agonists, and long-term results for chemotherapy-treated patients will enrich the global literature on these critical topics,” commented Dr. Copperman. “These findings further demonstrate our commitment to delivering evidence-based, compassionate, personalized, and exceptional care."