ReproUnion

🎓 Earlier this week, we held our second innovation workshop, co-organized with our partner, LU Innovation. The team at Reproduktionmedicinskt Centrum (RMC) in Malmo, had the opportunity to explore the NABC method. A powerful framework for structuring ideas, and learn the important distinction that an invention isn't truly an innovation until it’s successfully implemented. 🩺 The room was filled with clinicians from RMC, many of whom have been part of ReproUnion and RUBIC for years. For many participants, this was their first introduction to innovation, and it sparked new entrepreneurial thinking. They put this thinking into practice using the tools and frameworks presented by Per Mercke and Lars Svensson. Navigating innovation can be complex, especially in healthcare, but this is where ReproUnion steps in to guide and support the process. 🤓 The NABC method is incredibly effective because it helps clarify the Need, Benefit, Approach, and Competition behind an idea. This time, instead of focusing on competition, we explored the next steps for turning these ideas into actionable solutions. 🗝️ Key Takeaways 👉 Participants appreciated the simplicity of the workshop, which made it easier for them to structure and work on their ideas using the NABC method. 👉 They could find out exactly who to reach out to for support in developing their ideas further. 👉 Most importantly, the workshop highlighted that they can approach their immediate manager with new ideas, and that the organizational culture encourages innovation, ensuring they’re never alone in bringing fresh solutions to the table. 💫

Can you increase their chances of having children despite fertility issues? In 2023, a total of 6,107 children were born as a result of fertility treatments, according to the Danish Health Data Authority's 2024 report. This means that more than one in ten children in Denmark were conceived with medical assistance. One of the key experts helping couples struggling to conceive is Professor Anja Pinborg. She is a professor and chief consultant at the Fertility Clinic at Rigshospitalet, she is active in the ReproUnion Innovation platform collaboration where she is heading up the recruitment of women to the RUBIC cohort at Rigshospitalet, see link in comments, and she recently co-authored the book ‘Ufrivilligt barnløs’ (Involuntary Childlessness), which explores the causes of reduced fertility and how to address these challenges. Read about how to increase your chances of having children despite fertility issues in today’s article from Videnskab.dk https://lnkd.in/dQiVMW8h

Focus on Women’s Health – A Critical Agenda Yesterday, Kristine Koppelhus attended the launch of new Danish political recommendations on women’s illnesses. The discussions covered a broad range of crucial topics—from endometriosis and PCOS to infertility and early menopause. Personal testimonies highlighted the many challenges women face when seeking help within the healthcare system. A key issue that emerged was the urgent need for more research—currently, only 4% of research funding is allocated to women’s health, leaving significant knowledge gaps with serious implications for both treatment and prevention. Additionally, there is a pressing need for better collaboration among healthcare professionals and improved accessibility to knowledge and resources. From ReproUnion we fully support the five key recommendations for the future: 🔹 Prioritizing research in women’s health 🔹 Strengthening collaboration and knowledge-sharing among healthcare professionals 🔹 Public awareness and education initiatives 🔹 Personalized treatment pathways 🔹 Easier access to reliable information on women’s health We see a clear link between fertility and many of the conditions discussed as our work focuses on mapping the causes of infertility for both women and men to develop effective treatments and preventive strategies—a mission that can make a real difference for thousands of women, as well as men and couples struggling with involuntary childlessness.

Highlighting the Partner’s Role in Fertility Treatment Great to former ReproUnion research assistant now sexologist and doctoral researcher Ida Elisabet Hall featured for her important work in reproductive health! Her previous research explored the impact of COVID-19 on fertility treatment, shedding light on the disruptions and emotional toll it had on those undergoing care. In her new project at Lund University, Ida Hall aims to explore how partners navigate the fertility treatment process, how they are affected emotionally, and what support they need. An aspect that has received far too little attention. Understanding the challenges, emotions, and support needs of partners is critical for improving fertility care and ensuring better outcomes for couples facing involuntary childlessness. To learn more about the impact of COVID-19 on fertility treatment check out the link in the comment.

🌟 A Conference ALL About Ovaries – Don’t Miss It! 🌟 📢 We are thrilled to announce the first-ever EMBO Workshop on Ovarian Biology: European Ovary Workshop, taking place February 17–20, 2025, in the beautiful coastal town of Lagos, Portugal! 🔔 Important Deadlines: 🕒 Early Bird Registration Deadline: January 6, 2025 📝 Late Breaking Abstract Submission Deadline: January 14, 2025 Your registration fee covers everything: ✔️ Full access to the 4-day scientific program ✔️ 4 nights’ accommodation at Hotel Vila Galé Lagos (conference venue) ✔️ All meals and dinners ✔️ A welcome reception ✔️ A half-day networking event on a boat ✔️ Bus transport to/from Faro Airport 💡 Don’t Miss the Chance to Share Your Research! Submit your late-breaking abstract before January 14, 2025, and showcase your work to leading scientists in ovarian biology. We’re honored to feature distinguished invited speakers and super impressed by the high-quality abstracts submitted by incredibly talented early-career researchers. This is an event you don’t want to miss! 📩 Stay Updated: Scan the QR code in the image or visit our website for updates: 👉 https://lnkd.in/dNW3Cs-T A huge THANK YOU to all our speakers and organizers for bringing this vision to life. Let’s make history together!

We are proud to house ReproYoung for today’s inspiring ReproTalk event, kicking off ReproYoung 2.0!🎉 This vibrant society of young researchers is dedicated to advancing reproductive science by promoting knowledge exchange, sparking meaningful discussions, and strengthening networks across Denmark and Sweden💥 With a full auditorium at Medicon Valley Alliance, Stine Gry Kristensen handed over the torch after her dedication to ReproYoung through many years. And then this first ReproTalk kicked off with the speakers Lone Schmidt, and Søren Ziebe who also raised the key questions: ⁉️Is it important to have children? ⁉️What happens when biology becomes an enemy? Building the next generation of reproductive scientists and clinicians has always been essential for ReproUnion, who facilitated the launch of ReproYoung in 2013. And since then the partnership has fostered competence development and collaboration across the Danish-Swedish border. Let’s come together to celebrate the relaunch of ReproYoung 2.0 and stay tuned for the next ReproTalk event on 22 May, which will explore more important topics with inspiring fertility-related talks!🚀

📢 Did you know that around 20-30% of children conceived through IVF have fathers with damaged DNA in their sperm, which can cause pregnancy complications? 👇An article in Sydsvenskan now highlights the research from Lund University that sheds light on the link between defective sperm and both preeclampsia and premature birth. As Prof. Giwercman highlights in the opinion piece, the quality of a father’s sperm is just as critical to pregnancy health as the mother’s! As also underlined by co-author Anette Steenberg, CEO of Medicon Valley Alliance, such findings call for a shift in how we approach reproductive health and fertility treatment. 💡Traditionally, conditions like preeclamsia and premature birth have been viewed through the lens of the woman’s health, but it’s clear that male factors are equally vital. Since DNA fragmentation in the sperm can double the risk of such conditions for their partners, we must continue to research how this can be tied to the father's overall health, including lifestyle factors such as smoking, obesity, and age. 🚀 One key next step is identifying the group of men who would benefit most from methods that prevent and address sperm DNA damage and for that purpose we are lucky to have the ReproUnion Biobank & Infertility Cohort - RUBIC, so watch this space! 📰 Find out more about these findings on the ReproUnion website under news - Defective sperm doubles the risk of preeclampsia.

PREGNANCY IS A TWO-WAY STREET: How Father's Sperm Can Affect Pregnancy Health Recent groundbreaking research from Lund University highlights a critical development in our understanding of infertility and pregnancy complications. For the first time, studies have established a link between defective sperm and increased risks of preeclampsia and premature birth. As highlighted by Aleksander Giwercman, Professor of Reproductive Medicine, the quality of a father's sperm plays a critical role in pregnancy health. This research and our cross-border fertility collaboration; ReproUnion are detailed in our article in Sydsvenskan today. 📈 Around 20-30% of children conceived through in vitro fertilization (IVF) have fathers with damaged DNA in their sperm. This damage can double the likelihood of their partners experiencing preeclampsia. Typically, when complications such as preeclampsia occur, doctors assess the woman’s health, age, and lifestyle. However, increasing evidence suggests that the quality of the man's sperm is equally important. These findings are a wake-up call to rethink our approach to fertility health! 🧬 The detrimental impact of DNA fragmentation in sperm is often tied to the father's overall health, including lifestyle factors such as smoking, obesity, and age. This insight presents the opportunity for proactive interventions, potentially transforming how we approach assisted reproduction. 🔍 Similar research is currently being conducted in Denmark by Professor Niels Jørgensen at Rigshospitalet. Both professors are part of ReproUnion a research collaboration in Medicon Valley, with an aim to prevent and improve treatment for infertility. Since 2010, this partnership has united researchers and clinicians from Region Skåne, Lund University, Malmö University, Region Hovedstaden, University of Copenhagen, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, and project managed by Medicon Valley Alliance. With access to a ReproUnion established unique biobank of samples from thousands of couples, women and men seeking fertility assistance, ReproUnion is and will be a key player in crucial research like this! 🌟Together, let’s change the conversation around infertility and acknowledge that both partners play vital roles in reproductive health. By focusing on comprehensive fertility assessments, we can foster hope and improve outcomes for families on their journey to parenthood. This is what we do in ReproUnion!

En fantastisk start på året! Den 27/1 fejrer vi udgivelsen af bogen "Ufrivilligt Barnløs" med en bogreception på Rigshospitalet. Du er velkommen til at deltage, se link ⬇️ Bogen er redigeret og skrevet af læger og forskere aktive i ReproUnion. Jeg har modtaget mit eksemplar, og anbefaler bogen – både til dig, der selv kæmper med barnløshed, til dig, der ønsker at lære mere om vores biologi, og specielt til dig, der kan hjælpe os, så vi kan fortsætte det vigtige arbejde. Forskning i fertilitet handler ikke kun om at hjælpe par med at få børn. Det handler også om at forstå biologien, så vi kan udvikle forebyggende tiltag, specifik diagnostik, målrette behandlingen for både manden, kvinden og parret og bidrage til sund aldring. Men festen stopper ikke der! Den 28/1, afholder en sammenslutning af unge forskere dedikeret til reproduktiv forskning "ReproYoung 2.0" deres første "ReproTalk". Temaet er: "Exploring parenthood – is it important to children? And what happens when biology becomes an enemy?" Du er velkommen til at deltage, se link ⬇️ Personligt perspektiv For mig er arbejdet med fertilitet og reproduktion ikke bare professionelt – det er dybt personligt. Som ung fik jeg diagnoserne Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrom (sammenvoksede æggeledere) og formodet PCOS, hvilket gav mig frygten for aldrig at kunne få børn. Det viste sig at min mand havde dårlig sædkvalitet – og ja sædceller, der svømmede baglæns! Jeg var overbevist om, at vi var uden håb. Men 20 år og tre børn senere kan jeg se tilbage og konstatere, at naturens veje virkelig er uforudsigelige, drømme kan gå i opfyldelse! I dag har jeg privilegiet at arbejde med nogle af verdens bedste forskere i Reproduktions videnskab – både i Danmark og Sverige – og jeg er stolt over at være en del af denne rejse, der ikke bare skaber håb, men også resultater. Jeg håber at se mange af jer til bog receptionen og til ReproTalk seminariet – sammen kan vi gøre en forskel!

BOGRECEPTION for bogen "Ufrivilligt barnløs". Bogen "Ufrivillig barnløs", som Anja Pinborg og jeg har arbejdet på i 2024 er nu udgivet. Udgivelsen skal fejres og FADL's forlag, som udgiver bogen for os, holder udgivelsesreception. Hvis du/I har lyst til at deltage i receptionen, kan du tilmelde dig via e-mail til FADL. Deres e-mail-adresse er forlag@fadlsforlag.dk. Forlaget skal have din tilmelding senest den 20. januar. Receptionen foregår Mandag den 27. januar kl. 15-17 FADL-huset, Blegdamsvej 26 2200 København N "Ufrivillig barnløs" henvender sig først og fremmest til de mænd og kvinder, der oplever et fertilitetsproblem på egne kroppe. Vi ved, at par med fertilitetsproblemer har mange spørgsmål. I bogen forsøger vi at beskrive de mange aspekter, der er af infertilitet, ud fra lægefaglig evidens. Bogen henvender sig dog ikke udelukkende til mænd og kvinder, der oplever et fertilitetsproblem. Vi håber, at mange flere vil læse med, og at vi dermed vil vække mange fleres syn på vigtigheden af at sikre befolkningens fertilitet. Problemerne med ufrivillig barnløshed er udtalte både i Danmark og en lang række andre. I Danmark er der de seneste år heldigvis kommet mere fokus på problemet. Vi er optimister og tror på, at vi om 25-30 år kan være i en bedre situation, hvis det lykkes at udbygge forskningsaktiviteterne og fastholde den politisk vilje til at prioritere løsning af de store fertilitetsudfordringer, vi som samfund og enkeltindivider står overfor. Anja Pinborg og jeg har fået stor hjælp til at skrive bogens kapitler af dedikerede kapitelforfattere. Vi skylder dem en stor TAK. Uden deres engagerede indsats var vi ikke kommet i mål med bogen. Bogen "Ufrivillig barnløs" kan fås både i trykt version og i elektronisk version.