PFC is proud to announce that all 5 Pacific Fertility Center Partner physicians have been named top reproductive endocrinologits on the U.S. News Top Doctors list.  Drs. Philip Chenette, Carolyn Givens, Carl Herbert, Isabelle Ryan, and Eldon Schriock were selected as top doctors based on a peer nomination process by U.S. News Top Doctors and Castle Connolly Medical Ltd.

Congratulations to each of you for this incredible honor!

Meet with a Registered Dietitian and:

Nutrition consultations consist of:

Not sure if you are a candidate for nutritional counseling?

Set up a time for a free 20 minute phone chat with the dietitian to find out!

Ask a member of the front desk or call 415-834-3000 for more information or to set up an appointment.

Alison Boden, MPH, Registered Dietitian

Alison received her undergraduate degree from UC Davis, followed by graduate training in nutrition and public health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As a practitioner of integrative nutrition she takes a holistic approach to wellness, recognizing that the foundation for optimal health and healing begins with a health promoting diet. Her emphasis is on using medical nutrition interventions to create a basis for health promotion and healing.

A lover of good food, Alison believes that a healthful diet should be thoughtful, enjoyable and satisfying. Each meal does not only provide calories, but is an opportunity to supply our organs with the nutrients and building blocks needed for health. When the body is out of balance, as in the case of infertility, proper food choices can correct deficiencies and bring balance back to the system. What you eliminate from your diet is often as important as what you include. Consultations with Alison will help you address the key components of your diet that may be affecting your fertility and wellbeing, as well as help prepare your body for pregnancy.

Alison has experience assessing and counseling clients related to pregnancy and fertility, weight management, lipid control, food allergies, digestive health, sports nutrition, and chronic diseases such as cardiovascular, kidney disease and cancer. She views each person as a unique individual, and is dedicated to educating patients on natural ways to achieve optimal health and allowing them to take an active role in their health care decisions.

Alison is a member of the American Dietetic Association and the Women’s Health and Integrative and Functional Medicine practice groups.

I was born and raised in Shanghai.  My father, a university mathematics professor, was one of the first generation of college graduates in China after the Cultural Revolution.  My mother, though intelligent and bold, never had the opportunity to pursue higher education.  They were “tiger parents” long before that term even existed.   This was the era before China had opened its door to the West, and disposable income was limited.  Nonetheless, they spent every penny towards my education and broadening my horizon.  I was the only child in my neighborhood to take private lessons in Chinese calligraphy and classical Chinese painting.  We spent weekends touring art exhibits and museums.  To ensure that I would succeed in school, my father taught me English and algebra during my summer breaks.

My childhood years spent holding the calligraphy brush played a critical role in helping me stay connected with my cultural roots after my family’s immigration to Canada when I was twelve.  Through the mastery of this traditional art form, I gained a deeper understanding of Chinese history and culture.  It has given me a platform with which I was able to continue my study of the Chinese language and literature long after English had become my primary language of learning.

My family’s immigration to Canada was serendipitous.  My father initially took us abroad for a one-year visiting fellowship at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg.   It was the summer of 1989, when the communist regimes throughout Europe fell like dominos and in Beijing the bloody suppression of student demonstrators for democracy occurred in Tiananmen Square.  Although we were not politically involved, my family was given the opportunity to seek asylum in Canada. My parents decided to stay.

What followed was the classic immigrant story, filled with the hardships of survival in a foreign country away from loved ones, and, at the same time, the never diminishing hope and optimism for the attainment of the “American dream”. 

After attending junior and high school in Canada where I excelled in math and science, I applied to colleges in the U.S. with a vague plan to have a career in the sciences.  With this in mind, I was convinced that MIT offered the strongest programs in virtually every scientific discipline.  My years at MIT were the most formative period in my professional and personal development.  My professors and research mentor opened my eyes to the wonders of biology and inspired me to pursue a career in the study of the human body.  I became fascinated by how the body functions, especially the mysterious process by which a single stem cell develops into a complete organism.  At the same time, I continued to pursue my interest in Chinese by taking graduate level courses at Harvard and obtained a minor in Chinese literature along with my S.B. in Biology from MIT.

My interest in the human body led me to study medicine at Harvard Medical School.  During medical school, I conducted research in developmental neuroscience, which led to my honors thesis.  In addition, I became clinically interested in women’s health, a multifaceted discipline with broad psychosocial, political, as well as ethical implications.  I realized that I wanted to take care of women, promote reproductive health, and be a part of building families.  To that end, I completed a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).  During my residency, I learned to treat women of all ages and with every type of ailment from morning sickness to ovarian cancer.   It soon became clear that while I enjoyed delivering babies, I resonated most with patients who could not conceive.  Furthermore, the combination of advanced technology and cutting edge research in reproductive medicine perfectly matched my long held passions in science and technology.  Having come to that realization, I decided to pursue subspecialty training in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, and was accepted into the fellowship at Columbia University Medical Center in New York. 

At Columbia, I was fortunate to be taught by some of the pioneers of the field, Drs. Roger Lobo and Mark Sauer, who have trained many respected Reproductive Endocrinologists around the country, including PFC’s very own Dr. Chenette.  Under their guidance, I conducted research on how follicular hormones affect human oocyte and embryo quality, which has led to several published manuscripts in peer respected journals, as well as my fellowship thesis.  Clinically, I became interested in treating patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and other endocrine disorders, as well as fertility preservation, for patients who desire to delay childbearing for either medical or social reasons.

While I was a resident at UCSF, I met and fell in love with my husband and we welcomed the birth of our daughter last year.  We both love the Bay Area and decided that San Francisco is the place where we want to raise our family.  I have always had the highest regard for the physicians at PFC, one of the most respected fertility centers in Northern California.  Therefore, it is my pleasure and privilege to be able to join Drs. Herbert, Schriock, Givens, Chenette, and Ryan in their mission to help women and families of the Bay Area and beyond in achieving their reproductive potential.

Throughout all these years of training and research during which I learned many exciting new skills and technologies, I still derive the most profound joy and satisfaction from the very first glimpse of a beating heart on ultrasound and the accompanying excitement in my patient’s eyes.  It was not until I held my own daughter and she flashed me one of her toothless gummy grins that the notion finally hit home: life is precious and the love for one’s child knows no boundaries.  I am truly lucky to be in a profession where I have been granted the privilege to take part in the creation of a family, a privilege that I will honor and treasure throughout my career.

We appreciate your interest in research opportunities at Pacific Fertility Center (PFC). As a private practice we are committed to conducting research that will promote and advance the field of reproductive medicine. We welcome your questions about potential participation in research, also known as a “clinical study”.

Currently, PFC has several research opportunities for which you may be eligible. If you would like further information regarding research opportunities at PFC, please ask your physician. The opportunities for which you may be eligible can be identified and discussed at your physician consult. At that time you may be connected with research personnel who can guide you through the process.

If you are not a current PFC patient, please contact our New Patient Coordinators to make an appointment to speak with one of our physicians. 415-834-3095.

Our Active Studies include the following:

A RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL OF THE EFFECT OF TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE ON IVF SUCCESS RATES

Who Is Sponsoring This Study?

 The study is Sponsored by Pacific Fertility Center and is overseen by Eldon Schriock, M.D. Grant support providing medications and funding for study development has been provided by EMD Serono, a biopharmaceutical company.

What is the Purpose of This Study?

The purpose of this study is to determine the value of combining Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Protocols including acupuncture with In Vitro Fertilization (IVF).

The Auxogyn Eeva Study

Who Is Doing The Study?

Auxogyn, Inc. has selected Pacific Fertility Center as one of several centers to participate in The Auxogyn Eeva Study

Why Are We Doing This Study

Auxogyn is initiating a clinical study in an effort to submit data to the FDA to support the claim that the Eeva System may be used to identify embryos at day 2 that are most likely to form blastocysts. As a result, the Eeva System Study is an investigational study and is a non-significant risk device.

How Data Will Be Used

The data collected in this study are intended to demonstrate the effectiveness of the Eeva System to successfully capture and record images of embryo development within a standard incubator and accurately identify those embryos on day 2 that are most likely to form blastocysts. The results may lead to effective methods for embryologists to identify the most viable embryos so that embryo implantation and pregnancy outcome may be significantly improved for future IVF patients. A higher success rate such as that seen with blastocyst transfer may be achieved for day 2 embryo transfer by using the Eeva System to select embryos; therefore, the adverse events associated with extended culture may be avoided. It may also facilitate implementation of single embryo transfer on cleavage stage (day 2 or day 3) and reduce multiple pregnancies. In summary, this new technology may increase IVF success rates within a given cycle and improve pregnancy and birth outcomes.

Impact of Parental Support on Pregnancy Outcomes (IPSO) Trial- Day 3 Preimplantation Genetic Screening (PGS) With Day 5 Fresh Transfer

Who Is Doing The Study?

Gene Security Network (GSN) has selected Pacific Fertility Center as one of several centers to participate in The IPSO Trial

Why Are We Doing This Study?

The purpose of the study is to determine whether PGS – testing of embryos created during IVF for chromosome abnormalities prior to transfer to the uterus – improves pregnancy and implantation rates in patients when compared to patients whose embryos are not tested. PGS will be conducted using 24 Chromosome Aneuploidy Screening with Parental Support from Gene Security Network

Terry L. Cranford, Life & Yoga Coach, is a passionate advocate of yoga and is a certified Ashtanga Yoga Teacher who studied with Master Shri K. Pattabhi Jois in India.  She has a 15 year focus customizing yoga programs that honor the uniqueness of her clients.  Her commitment to Yoga and her clients is exceptional.

•  
  • Relieve psychological stress
  • Gain a feeling of control
  • Create empowered thought patterns
  • Establish a more loving connection with your body
  • Gain confidence, self awareness and inner stillness

As a professional Life & Yoga Coach, Terry L. Cranford will also offer tools that will inspire you to change your thoughts in order to change your experiences.

Complimentary Class

Join Terry for an introductory ‘Yoga for Fertility’ class.  Bring your partner! Bring a friend!

Saturday, July 9^th

9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

If you really enjoy this introduction, then register for a full session:

Session I Class Dates

Saturday, July 23^rd                             Friday, August 12^th

Saturday, July 30^th                             Saturday, August 20^th

Saturday, August 6^th                                         Saturday, August 27^th

Saturday Classes -  9:00 a.m.  –  10:30 a.m.

Friday Class -  6:00 p.m.  -  7:30 p.m.

Tuition: $180

Classes are held at Pacific Fertility Clinic.  There will be a maximum of 10 participants.  Clients of PFC and non-clients are welcome.  All major credit cards are accepted.  Your payment of $180 is required ten days prior to the start date of each session to reserve your spot in the class.  Reserve your spot now! See the front desk members or call 415-834-3000 to register.

*Class if refundable if cancelled by Monday, July 18^th. 

Empowering a woman’s choice using fertility preservation

Protecting and preserving fertility is a new way of empowering reproductive choice. The fertility of youth is no longer a limited resource, constrained by age.  Women can now pursue their reproductive lives at their own pace, rather than according to the obligations of biology.  Reproductive choice means having children when you want them, rather than when you must have them.

Fertility preservation, specifically egg freezing, is changing the way we think about building families.  Through fertility preservation, eggs can be stored and saved for use a later. 

The potential of fertility preservation replaces the tick of the biological clock

The tick-tock of the biological clock influenced reproductive choice in the last decades.  The sacrifice of delaying family while assembling a career, home, and relationship worked in an economic sense.  It did not, however, fit well with the designs of biology. 

Eggs work best at a young age, when there are more of them, and they are more vital. The best pregnancy rates occur in women ages 18-30.  With declining egg numbers and egg quality, pregnancy rates are lower in older age groups, while miscarriage rates and chromosome defects become more common.

Biology wastes eggs

The limit of egg quantity and quality is a consequence of our biology. From mid-gestation through menopause, there is a continuous stream of egg follicles that grow to a certain stage and then are lost.  This pool of eggs is never replenished. Each woman is born with a set number of eggs (over a million), and by puberty perhaps 300,000 remain. Ovulation will happen only 500 times in a woman’s reproductive years. and will result in a child less than 1% of the time.  From start (gestation) to finish (menopause), 1 in a million eggs results in a child.  This constant and dynamic process of decline continues through the reproductive years, uninterrupted by birth control pills, pregnancy or ovulation.

Fertility preservation provides the potential for protection against future infertility

Fertility preservation is a relatively simple process.  The first step is for a woman to see her fertility doctor for an ultrasound and physical exam.  On ultrasound the ovaries are measured and the number of follicles determined.  A treatment calendar with a schedule of injectable fertility drugs is initiated.

Using fertility medications for approximately ten days, multiple eggs begin to mature in the ovaries.  Under sedation, the eggs are retrieved, a process that takes about 10-15 minutes.  The eggs are then cryopreserved and placed in frozen storage.

At a later time, the eggs can be thawed, inseminated with sperm (ICSI is recommended), and the embryo(s) created transferred back into the uterus to develop into a pregnancy.

Technology of Fertility Preservation is improving

We are continuing to optimize the outcomes of oocyte cryopreservation.  In a series of women under age 30 where eggs were cryopreserved, egg survival was 88%.  Over half of the eggs fertilized, and two thirds of transfers resulted in pregnancy.  As of January 2011 Pacific Fertility Center has 8 delivered babies from cryopreserved eggs.

The limits of biology continue to constrain outcomes of those eggs that survive.  Not all eggs have the capacity to produce a viable embryo.  This variable is very age dependent.  In a healthy woman under the age of 30, approximately one third of her eggs(33%) are capable of producing a viable embryo.  In women over the age 40, this ratio changes to one in twenty (5%).

Fertility Preservation:  reproductive choice

The message is this:  Fertility is optimal in your youth.  If you have not started your family, you should consider freezing your eggs for use in the future.

-Philip Chenette, M.D.

Advances in research & development bring a deeper understanding of infertility:

Modern fertility science is changing treatment, enabling better pregnancy rates.  A healthy child for every person suffering from fertility problems remains Pacific Fertility Center’s goal.  Through a better understanding of the egg and embryo we are  closer to delivering on that promise of one healthy baby at a time.

The problem of the aging egg:

The aging egg remains a very basic problem in fertility.  As a woman ages, her eggs do not work as well, resulting in embryos that do not develop or implant.  Mistakes in early cell division, chromosomes, and development become common.  With an aging egg, pregnancy rates are lower and miscarriage risk higher.

Finding that healthy egg can be a problem.  For a twenty year old, roughly 1 in 3 of her eggs will be healthy.  For a woman over forty, less than 1 in 20.  This continues to be a real and ongoing challenge for our patients.

One way to work around this problem is to increase the number of eggs.  Starting with more eggs gives a better chance of finding at least one that is healthy.  Once we have a batch of eggs, the problem emerges of trying to choose the best out of the group.  Which egg is most likely to achieve pregnancy?

Research of early egg and embryo development:

We are excited to share that we are currently working with a privately held medical technology company, along with several other centers in the Bay Area, on a new investigational imaging device in the early stages of development.  We can now observe, using a video microscope, the early stages of embryo development.

Knowledge of the way an embryo develops, the early cell division, when and how, promises to improve selection of embryos.  Over a several year period at Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Dr. Renee Pera, in collaboration with Stanford colleagues, Dr. Barry Behr (Associate Professor and IVF Lab Director), Dr. Thomas Baer (Executive Director of the Stanford Photonics Research Center), and post-doctoral fellows Dr. Connie Wong and Dr. Kevin Loewke, conducted ground-breaking research into early human embryo development.  Looking at embryos in their first few days of development, the team identified an elegant set of imaging parameters by day 2 that accurately identified embryos that develop to the blastocyst stage.

Through the use of precision imaging technology coupled with novel measurements, embryologists may be able to choose the best embryos more accurately and consistently.  Published last year in Nature Biotechnology, Time magazine named the discovery one of the 10 medical breakthroughs of 2010.

Dr. Renee Reijo Pera, Ph.D.

Dr. Renee Reijo Pera, a leader of the team that published this study, understands these problems, working with them in a research lab for the last twenty years.  She is now bringing that knowledge to clinical medicine.

Dr. Pera received her PhD from Cornell University, and later worked in David Page’s lab at the Whitehead Institute.  While working with Dr. Page, she discovered a gene on the Y chromosome that was involved in male fertility called the DAZ (Deleted in AZospermia) gene.  As it turns out, the gene accounts for a significant proportion of male infertility and tests for this gene are now routine for men with low sperm counts.

Now, as Director of Stanford University’s Center for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research and Education, Dr. Pera’s focus is on understanding issues related to human reproductive failure.  The questions she and her team are addressing encompass issues such as Egg formation and development, as well as what triggers cell division and formation of a healthy embryo

Fertility care will change based on Dr. Pera’s research on early development of eggs and embryos.  This work has vast implications for the future of treatment and prevention of infertility.  In her exploration, she is finding new ways of thinking about old fertility problems.  Dr. Pera’s work will strongly influence medicine and clinical realm for years to come.

At Pacific Fertility Center we are committed to bringing advanced science to the clinic.  We are finding major changes in our understanding of early egg and embryo development and anticipate continuing to lead the way in bringing these advances to help our patients have one healthy baby at a time.

-Philip Chenette, M.D.

Having grown up in the Pacific Northwest, I have been a transplant to the Bay Area ever since starting graduate school in 1996.  I remained in the area for the fabulous professional opportunities.  It was here I met my husband and now am also blessed with a son.  I have always had a deep appreciation and love of nature.  Living in the Bay Area has allowed me to nurture this passion in the form of surfing, sailing and most recently snowshoeing.

I began my career as a practicing genetic counselor in the spring of 1998 when I accepted a position at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center in the Departments of Reproductive Genetics and Urology just prior to completing my graduate work at the University of California Berkeley’s Genetic Counseling Program.  It was my good fortune to begin my career with some of the most influential physicians in the field of reproductive medicine:  Eldon Schriock, Carolyn Givens, Isabelle Ryan and Paul Turek. In addition, I worked with Dr. Joe Conaghan to build the Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis Program at UCSF.    These physicians moved from UCSF to PFC, and soon after I moved from UCSF to California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC).  I was able then to re-establish our collaborative efforts with the additional advantage of working with the experienced Drs. Carl Herbert and Philip Chenette. We have learned much from each other over the years and continue to foster wonderful professional and personal relationships. In December of 2010, I left CPMC to branch out into private practice.  I am thrilled to be working more closely with the providers and patients at PFC in my new role as an in-house genetic counselor. 

As a genetic counselor, I am a health care professional trained in human genetics and counseling. I have a Master of Science in Genetic Counseling and in 1999 was certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling.  Genetic counselors practice in several subspecialty areas of genetics, including assisted reproduction technologies, infertility genetics, and prenatal diagnosis.  My job is to help you understand the complex information regarding your situation and enable you to make an informed decision as to what’s best for you. 

The most common reason your infertility doctor would refer you for a consultation is to discuss the testing of embryos.  There are two basic types of testing. Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is the testing of embryos for a specific genetic disease known in the family.  Preimplantation genetic screening (PGS) is the testing of embryos for general chromosome abnormalities such as Down syndrome.

The two main objectives in a genetic consultation for PGD/S are  family history review and informed consent.  During the review of family history, I take at least a three generation family tree (pedigree) to identify any additional genetic risks.  This process helps to clarify the correct type of PGD/S being offered, as well as to identify any additional testing that might be appropriate.  Medical records may be requested for review if there is a significant family history or to document familial mutations for PGD. This part of the consultation is typically less time consuming.

The informed consent portion of the consult includes an in depth discussion of the PGD/S process, from beginning to end, and a review of the information in the consent form.  For those who have already had IVF treatment, some of this explanation may be familiar.  However, as complex as the process of IVF is, embryo testing adds yet another layer of complexity.  In addition to the steps in the IVF process, there are the biopsy procedures, the testing of a single or more cells for specific chromosome abnormalities, DNA markers, and/or gene mutations, and then the review of the PGD/S report results prior to embryo transfer.  My job is to guide you through this process mentally, prior to the actual cycle, so hopefully there are no unanticipated outcomes for you.  Even more critical is the consent form review before signing.  Consent forms are designed to inform and protect patients.  Important information is contained in the consent form, including risks and limitations of PGD/S, as well as the purpose of the procedure and the diagnostic technique.  The informed consent portion of the consultation is typically the more in depth part of the discussion and is intended to address all of your questions about this option prior to your cycle start. I am available to answer these questions and witness your signature.   The entire consultation usually lasts one and a half to two hours depending on the type of testing being discussed and the number of questions you have.

I also work with the PFC Egg Donor Agency to provide genetic risk assessment for all prospective ovum donors. The EDA has implemented this protocol to ensure that their donors have been screened in accordance to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists guidelines. Any genetic risk from family history is addressed.  This screening is just one of the ways the EDA works to optimize your pregnancy outcome when using an ovum donor.

In addition, I am available on request to provide a genetic risk assessment for you, even if there is no embryo testing or ovum donor included in your treatment cycle.  Some of you may have questions concerning conditions in your families, and want to discuss what impact that history may have on your or your children’s future health.  Discuss these concerns with your infertility doctor, so they may determine whether a genetic risk assessment consultation is appropriate for you. 

I am grateful for the opportunity to work directly with PFC.  I wish all of you the best in your family building pursuits.

Most sincerely,

Lauri Black, MS, CGC

Certified Genetic Counselor

Born into a musical family, some of my earliest memories are of visiting musicians and musical instrument makers.  I was fortunate to meet Carl Geyer in Chicago, who built some of the world’s finest French horns.  His shop was full of raw materials, the valves, tubes, and bells associated with a French horn.  I watched as Mr. Geyer shaped them into beautiful instruments, ones that professional musicians from all over the world came to play.  For me, these visits became early lessons in craftsmanship, quality and personal responsibility.

My father, a conductor and horn player, expected each of his five children to play an instrument.  I turned to Oboe.  There are many stories about oboe players, mostly revolving around the fact that playing the oboe is a real challenge; the oboe being “an ill wind that nobody blows good”. 

However, I pursued the art and craft of the oboe and learned from some of the top master oboists and conductors of the day.  My instructors came from major symphony orchestras in Indianapolis, Cleveland and Chicago.  I met and was influenced by world renowned conductors and composers;  Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, Dika Newlin, and Peter Shickele.  Working with masters you learn that, while there are many ways to accomplish a task, the path chosen must be done correctly and pursued with passion.

Many years have passed since I played in an orchestra, but those early experiences are still with me each day I practice medicine.  The symphony is a wonderful analogy to describe the work in our practice.   In an orchestra there are nearly a hundred individuals of diverse backgrounds, origins, and personalities. There’s a conductor at the helm, working the notes placed on paper by a master of composition.  The mastery and craftsmanship, performed by a unified team devoted to a single goal, using all the skills available to them, creates a performance of great beauty and power.

Similarly, at Pacific Fertility Center, the doctors compose a treatment plan and direct the team.  We give our staff the best of class tools.  Our staff orchestrates the performance; a highly talented group of people applying their best skills to the unique problems of each individual patient.  It is an honor to work with the patients that entrust us with their care. We continue to pursue the best in fertility technology and pregnancy rates.

On reflection, perhaps I became interested in fertility medicine because it gave me the same sense of structure, purpose and wonder as playing the oboe as a young student.  I was inspired by the announcement of the first pregnancy from in vitro fertilization. The application of medical technology to help a family achieve their dreams was a landmark event.  Controversy and hoopla ensued, but the truth stood clear, that a small baby – a new child – was held in its parents’ arms as a result.   For me, this was a momentous event that inspired me to attend medical school at Indiana University, residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Pittsburgh’s Magee-Womens’ Hospital, and ultimately a fellowship in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at USC.

USC was a crucible of fertility technology.  Roger Lobo was performing extraordinary work on ovulation induction and PCOS.  Some of the pioneers of IVF and oocyte donation were rewriting the book on fertility care.  Lobo, Rick Paulson and Mark Sauer published the first report of oocyte donation in women over 40 years of age (New England Journal of Medicine, 1990).  The protocol diagram in that paper is my design.

After completing fellowship, I returned to Chicago to join Anne Wentz in developing the program for in vitro fertilization at Northwestern University.  Anne came from the Gerogeanna and Howard Jones Institute tradition, and was a real master of the embryo transfer.  We established a successful program synthesizing the best of East and West coast protocols, advancing the theory and practice of embryo transfer, developing new techniques for male fertility problems, and developing fertility preservation for endangered species. 

California called me back, and I joined Pacific Fertility Center (PFC) in San Francisco in 1991.  At PFC, I was fortunate to meet Dr. Herbert who later established The San Francisco Center for Reproductive Medicine.  Dr. Herbert’s vision of patient-centric fertility care was pioneering and contemplated my own interests in quality care.  In 1999, we carried this vision forward joining with Drs. Schriock, Givens, and Ryan from the University of California to form Pacific Fertility Center as we know it today.

Being an early member of the profession, I have been blessed with many opportunities to apply technology to patient care.  I developed an embryo transfer system with Danforth Biomedical and was awarded a patent, “Methods for endometrial implantation of embryos”.  We were early adopters of networking technologies in the early 1990s and developed one of the first fertility support websites, PacificFertilityCenter.com (at that time sfivf.com) in 1993.  My wife was responsible for the early work leading to FertilityWire.com, which continues today as an educational resource for patients.  Ongoing interests in genetics, fertility preservation, and imaging are leading to new developments that we will apply to clinical care in the near future.

Today I am a husband to a remarkable wife and three wonderful girls.  I have many outside interests in skiing, music, bicycling, and aviation.  I was pleased to receive a “Best Doctors in America” award and recognition in “America’s Guide to Top Obstetricians and Gynecologists”. Our entire family went to New York for the American Fertility Association’s Kokopelli Ball, where I received the AFA’s Family Building Award. 

One of my interests includes teaching young doctors that are contemplating their roles in the field, and I was asked to join the faculty at UCSF where I teach these bright young minds.  I am reminded of how unique our profession really is, seeing  it again through their eyes.  Reproductive Medicine has grown much since that first IVF pregnancy and I am proud to be part of its continuance into the future.

-Philip Chenette, M.D.

Pacific Fertility Center (PFC) is excited to announce our new Research Program, focused on advancing the ART of conception through research.  Supervised by our new Director of Research, Cynthia Willson, R.N. BSN, PFC’s Research Program assures that patients will have access to the latest scientific and technological advancements.  Our new program will maintain Pacific Fertility Center’s place as one of the West Coast’s leaders in fertility medicine. 

We want you to know that all study protocols are evaluated for scientific merit by the Pacific Fertility Center Medical Board.  Standards for study planning, informed consent, and safeguards are rigorously maintained. Research at PFC meets the standards developed by the federal Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) branch of the Department of Human Health and Services.  The OHRP has established criteria for oversight and review by an independent Investigational Review Board (IRB). 

Currently, PFC has several ongoing research opportunities and others that are to be initiated at the first of the year.  For further information feel free to browse our web site at www.pacificfertilitycenter.com/research.

One study open to enrollment at this time is utilizing an investigational new drug. The title of the study is “Effectiveness and Safety Research Study of a Single Injection of Investigational Drug compared to Daily recFSH Injections in Women Undergoing Controlled Ovarian Stimulation (PURSUE)”

Who Is Doing This Study?

Schering-Plough Research Institute has selected Pacific Fertility Center as one of about 35 study sites located in the United States to participate.

Why Are We Doing This Study?

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of a single injection of corifollitropin alfa (an investigational drug) in inducing the development of multiple follicles, compared to daily injections of recFSH (300 IU [international units]). The number of fetuses (unborn babies) with heart activity (also referred to as a vital pregnancy) conceived in study subjects, along with the number of growing follicles, the number of eggs retrieved, the number of viable (good quality) embryos and the number of babies born will be determined as part of the objectives of this study.

Who is eligible?

Females who are:

• Suffering from infertility
• 35-42 years of age
• Weigh at least 110.3 lbs and have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of at least 18 but no more than 32
• Have regular spontaneous menstrual cycles every 24 to 35 days
• Will use their partner’s sperm derived from ejaculation or that of a sperm donor

This list is not all-inclusive.  If you have questions regarding your eligibility to participate in this study, or would like to schedule an appointment for an evaluation, please contact us at 415-834-3095.

-Carolyn Givens, M.D. & Cynthia Willson, R.N., BSN