The Centre for Human Reproductive Science (ChRS) was established in December 2006 to further develop research and innovation in fertility diagnosis and treatment, working in partnership as the academic and research wing of the

Birmingham Women's Fertility Centre The Birmingham Women's Fertility Centre at Birmingham Women’s Hospital, Birmingham, England, formerly named the "Assisted Conception Unit", is one of the UK's leading medical centres for infertility treatment and care. It is the longest estab ...

at Birmingham Women’s Hospital and the

University of Birmingham Medical School The University of Birmingham Medical School is one of Britain's largest and oldest medical schools with over 400 medical, 70 pharmacy, 140 biomedical science and 130 nursing students graduating each year. It is based at the University of Birmi ...

. A particular emphasis in the biomedical research strategy is placing research and discovery in the true physiological context.

Current Research and Funding

The current focus and funding of the Centre includes: * Translational medicine research funded by the

National Institute for Health and Care Research The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is the British government’s major funder of clinical, public health, social care and translational research. With a budget of over £1.2 billion in 2020–21, its mission is to "impr ...

(NIHR) on

Andrology Andrology (from grc, ἀνήρ, ''anēr'', genitive , ''andros'', "man"; and , ''-logia'') is a name for the medical specialty that deals with male health, particularly relating to the problems of the male reproductive system and urological probl ...

and male factors in healthy live birth * Research into the role for paternal sperm DNA damage in unexplained miscarriage, its diagnosis and treatment - as part of the Tommy's National Centre for Miscarriage Research * Research into advanced computer-assisted diagnosis of male fertility issues - funded by the

EPSRC The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is a British Research Council that provides government funding for grants to undertake research and postgraduate degrees in engineering and the physical sciences, mainly to univers ...

* A clinical trial of how to select the best sperm for

ICSI ICSI may refer to: * Intracytoplasmic sperm injection, a medical technique used in assisted reproduction * International Computer Science Institute, a non-profit research lab in Berkeley, California * Institute of Company Secretaries of India ...

and the associated basic science of how it works - HABSelect * How engineering design and additive manufacture can be guided by human development processes - funded by the

Research Advances

The ChRS team alongside the Fertility Centre have made recent notable advances in various areas, these include achievements in: *Translational medicine, such as the invention of the male Fertell over-the-counter home fertility test. *The first detailed studies of ion channels in human sperm. *Detailed characterisation of the events occurring in sperm in response to steroid hormones, including the discovery of slow calcium oscillations, now thought to possibly regulate motility. To date the identity of the cell receptors involved has not been clearly elucidated. *Substantial follow-up data of children born through IVF treatment to check for increased risks associated with the treatment. *Research on the area of gametogenesis, this includes research derivation of gametes from embryonic stem cells by Dr Sarah Conner at the

University of Birmingham , mottoeng = Through efforts to heights , established = 1825 – Birmingham School of Medicine and Surgery1836 – Birmingham Royal School of Medicine and Surgery1843 – Queen's College1875 – Mason Science College1898 – Mason Univers ...

and work to identify the genes that are expressed during normal and perturbed spermatogenesis. *Due to its interest in human embryonic stem cell research, the group and associated clinic was one of five selected around the UK to receive Medical Research Council funding to elevate the IVF laboratories to '

cleanroom A cleanroom or clean room is an engineered space, which maintains a very low concentration of airborne particulates. It is well isolated, well-controlled from contamination, and actively cleansed. Such rooms are commonly needed for scientif ...

' levels. This is fundamental for producing human embryonic stem cells that are suitable for human use, as all stages of development were in strictly controlled conditions. These opened in summer 2006 and the clinic has maintained good clinical results at the new operating levels (see

HFEA The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) is an executive non-departmental public body of the Department of Health and Social Care in the United Kingdom. It is a statutory body that regulates and inspects all clinics in the Unite ...

). *ChRS also has psychology collaborations to actively pursue research enabling better understanding of patient feelings and care during fertility treatment; and issues surrounding motivation to be a donor and receipt of donor gametes.

Fertility Treatment & Diagnosis

The ChRS does not directly enter into patient treatment or diagnosis being focussed upon research. These are delivered through the affiliated

at Birmingham Women’s Hospital.

Management

The current

Person Responsible on the Research Licences and Research Lead is Jackson Kirkman-Brown MBE PhD.

References

External links

ChRS WebsiteMale Fertility Kit Invented in Birmingham BBC news
{{DEFAULTSORT:Centre For Human Reproductive Science Medical research institutes in the United Kingdom Obstetrics and gynaecology organizations Research institutes in the West Midlands (county) Infertility