Researchers examine fertility, reproductive health at Cornell symposium

At a moment of rapid scientific advances and mounting funding uncertainty, reproductive health researchers from across the Northeast gathered at Cornell University April 30-May 1 to examine infertility, embryo development and reproductive aging at the 2026 Tri-State Symposium on Reproductive Sciences.

The annual symposium brought together senior investigators, trainees and students from Cornell University, Rutgers University, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Pittsburgh to share emerging research in reproductive biology and medicine. Discussions spanned infertility, maternal health, contraception, early pregnancy loss and environmental factors that influence reproductive health across the lifespan.

"This symposium is about launching the next generation of reproductive scientists," said Paula Cohen, professor of genetics in the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) and founding director of the Cornell Reproductive Sciences Center (CoRe), who emphasized the role of collaboration in advancing the field.

"We've brought together trainees and senior investigators to present cutting-edge research that directly affects human health and fertility," she said. "The findings presented here represent some of the most groundbreaking and important research in the field of reproductive sciences."

Cohen said the symposium reflected how reproductive science is increasingly being used to understand broader questions surrounding the impact of reproductive organs on full-body aging and environmental exposure, in addition to fertility and reproduction.

Karen Schindler, professor of genetics at Rutgers University, delivered the keynote Stuart Moss Memorial Lecture, named in honor of the former NICHD program officer who helped shape the symposium and national reproductive health research initiatives. The keynote examined the genetic foundations of oocyte (egg) quality and their implications for infertility and early embryonic loss.

"This work is really important in trying to understand why infertility rates are increasing worldwide and becoming a pressing societal issue," Schindler said.  World Health Organization data show that 17.5% of the adult population experience infertility at some point, Cohen said, and that studies indicate a steady rise in prevalence from 1990 to 2021, with projections suggesting continued increases through 2040.

Additional sessions focused on the biological processes that shape fertility, reproductive aging and embryo development. Kathryn Grive, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Brown University, presented research on ovarian aging and egg quality, two major factors affecting fertility and reproductive lifespan.

Cornell's Jongmin Kim, assistant professor of biomedical and translational sciences in CVM, discussed gene regulation and its role in producing healthy sperm. Steven Tang, assistant professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry at Yale University, described molecular interactions involved in fertilization. Haifan Lin, the Eugene Higgins Professor of Cell Biology at the Yale School of Medicine, highlighted small RNA pathways that may play important roles in early embryo development and viability.

Alongside invited talks, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers and undergraduates presented research examining environmental impacts on fertility, genetic drivers of infertility and mechanisms underlying early pregnancy loss. A trainee career forum further emphasized mentorship and career development for emerging scientists entering the field.

Founded in 2007, CoRe is one of seven federally funded National Centers for Translational Research in Reproduction and Infertility focused on advancing reproductive medicine through collaborative research, training and mentorship. The symposium reflected a central part of that mission by bringing together established investigators and early career scientists to share discoveries and build research connections across institutions.

Cohen, whose work spans reproductive sciences, said supporting trainees remains especially important as reproductive health researchers face growing uncertainty surrounding federal funding.

"There is so much scientific momentum in the field right now," Cohen said, "but now more than ever, the science landscape faces tremendous funding uncertainties that threaten research progress and trainee support."

Provost Kavita Bala spoke to Cornell's ongoing commitment to reproductive sciences research and collaboration with partner institutions.

"Cornell is dedicated to supporting the important research being done here in the reproductive sciences," she said, "and collaborating with our partner institutions in advancing reproductive health."

Federal funding for the symposium is provided through the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Henry C. Smith is the communications specialist for Biological Systems at Cornell Research and Innovation.