Research Highlights
Scientific Firsts
The Monash IVF Group has been achieving outstanding Scientific Firsts since 1958, including the world’s first IVF pregnancy in 1973.
| 2021 | Monash Group launched the first at-home genetic carrier screening test connected with a fertility service |
| 2021 | Monash Group Fertility Specialist became the first Australian elected as President of the World Endometriosis Society |
| 2019 | Monash Group delivered Australia’s first baby born using PIEZO microinjection technology |
| 2014 | Monash Group achieved Australia’s first PGS pregnancy from ‘Next Generation’ sequencing |
| 2013 | Monash Group achieved Australia’s first pregnancy from frozen ovarian tissue re-implantation |
| 2010 | Monash Group Fertility Specialist became the first Australian elected as President of the International Federation of Fertility Societies (IFFS) from 2010 – 2013 |
| 1999 | Monash Group achieved Australia’s first birth from a frozen egg |
| 1996 | Monash Group achieved Australia’s first successful open testicular biopsy to treat severe male infertility Monash Group achieved Australia’s first birth of an embryo biopsy baby using Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT) |
| 1995 | Monash Group achieved Australia’s first blastocyst baby after in-vitro maturation of human primary eggs |
| 1993 | Monash Group achieved Australia’s first single sperm microinjection pregnancies |
| 1992 | Monash Group achieved world’s first microinjection intrafallopian transfer pregnancy |
| 1989 | Monash Group achieved world’s first birth following intra-fallopian insemination of spermatozoa from a male with obstructive azoospermia |
| 1988 | Monash Group achieved Australia’s first IVF surrogate birth (one of the first in the world) |
| 1987 | Monash Group developed the world’s first sperm microinjection technology; paving the way for the development of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment |
| 1985 | Monash Group achieved world’s first pregnancy and birth from a sperm retrieval operation (for a blocked sperm duct) |
| 1984 | Monash Group achieved world’s first birth from donated eggs |
| 1983 | Monash Group achieved world’s first frozen embryo birth |
| 1981 | Monash Group achieved 15 pregnancies using stimulated cycles in IVF (representing the 4th to 12th births in the world) |
| 1980 | Monash Group was the first group in the world to use stimulated cycles with clomiphene citrate |
| 1980 | Monash Group delivered AUSTRALIA’S FIRST IVF BIRTH |
| 1973 | Monash Group co-joint team achieved WORLD’S FIRST IVF PREGNANCY |
| 1958 | Monash Group commenced an ovulation stimulation program in Australia |
MonashIVF Group Research in Publication
(All Monash IVF Group staff/clinicians are underlined)
Does ICSI timing impact cumulative live birth and perinatal outcomes - a cohort study.
Zou H, Peirce K, Chapple V, Natalwala J, Wang R, Liu Y. Hum Fertil. 2026 Dec;29(1):2687699. doi: 10.1080/14647273.2026.2687699. Epub 2026 Jun 22. PMID: 42328858.
Advanced sperm selection techniques for assisted reproduction.
Garg A, Nakhla O, Steeper M, Afroz A, Lepine S, McDowell SJ, Kroon B, Glujovsky D, Yazdani A, Lensen S. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2026 Jun 2;6(6):CD010461. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD010461.pub4. PMID: 42227305; PMCID: PMC13227582.
Double bubble sign in early pregnancy: A case report of the sign of double trouble.
Karine P, Krivanek M, Nayyar R, Christie J, Landau K, Smet ME. J Med Ultrasound. 2025 Apr 4;34(1):112-114. doi: 10.4103/jmu.jmu_69_24. PMID: 42063925; PMCID: PMC13128082.
Antenatal presentation of MRPS22-related mitochondrial disease confirmed with rapid proteomics.
Semcesen LN, Ball M, Hock DH, Kaye J, Woods A, De Jong L; MitoMDT Diagnostic Network for Genomics and Omics; Christodoulou J, Thorburn DR, Compton AG, Stroud DA, Liebelt J. JIMD Rep. 2026 Apr 24;67(3):e70092. doi: 10.1002/jmd2.70092. PMID: 42040991; PMCID: PMC13107422.
Concordance between genome-wide cfDNA screening and diagnostic test results for large copy-number variants: a multi-site study from the Global Expanded NIPT Consortium.
Soster E, Dalton K, Bonifacio M, Ellis KB, Hardy T, Heddar A, Jurkowska M, Kleinfinger P, Kulisic M, Loggenberg K, Menezes M, Mori A, Savarese G, Westover T, Bhatt S. Front Genet. 2026 Mar 24;17:1744417. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2026.1744417. PMID: 41953135; PMCID: PMC13053642.
Understanding PGT-M: A guide for clinicians.
Hill A, Poulton A, Hardy T. Semin Reprod Med. 2025 Dec;43(4):264-274. doi: 10.1055/s-0046-1819623. Epub 2026 Apr 8. PMID: 41950933.
Indications for micro-injection of sperm in assisted reproduction: A consensus statement. Boothroyd C, Gee A, Hart R, Hull L, Hunter T, Lew R, Norman R, Rowan K, Stankiewicz M; on behalf CREI subspecialty group. Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol. 2026 Apr;66(2):e70108. doi: 10.1111/ajo.70108. PMID: 41940631; PMCID: PMC13391031.
Preimplantation genetic testing for meiotic aneuploidy in trophectoderm biopsies - is it time to change our approach?
Handyside AH, Horak J, Gimenez C, Hardy T, Mohammadi B, Summers MC. Reprod Biomed Online. 2026 May;52(5):105504. doi: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2026.105504. Epub 2026 Jan 28. PMID: 41865500.
The impact of first birth by cesarean delivery on subsequent reproductive outcomes-a population cohort study.
Pritchard NL, Hiscock RJ, Hastie R, Roddy Mitchell A, Vollenhoven BJ, Stern C, Green MP, Wilkinson D, Tong S, Walker SP, Gordon HG, Kennedy AL, Lindquist AC. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2026 Aug;235(2):338-346. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2026.03.006. Epub 2026 Mar 19. PMID:41861980.
Alignment among the zygotic cleavage plane, pronuclear axis, and polar axis predicts live birth outcome of blastocyst.
Liu Y, Peirce K, Natalwala J, Chapple V. J Assist Reprod Genet. 2026 May;43(5):1573-1580. doi: 10.1007/s10815-026-03847-9. Epub 2026 Mar 12. PMID: 41817946; PMCID: PMC13221487.
Confined placental mosaicism after discordant prenatal cell-free DNA screening: questioning the beneficence of genome-wide trisomy screening.
Raymond YC, Menezes M, Rolnik DL. Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM. 2026 Jun;8(6):101929. doi: 10.1016/j.ajogmf.2026.101929. Epub 2026 Mar 7. PMID: 41802543.
Association between history of fertility problems and pregnancy and birth complications: A longitudinal population-based cohort study.
Tully CA, Schoenaker D, Pacella-Ince L, Hodge AM, Grieger JA. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2026 May;105(5):859-867. doi: 10.1111/aogs.70178. Epub 2026 Feb 26. PMID: 41744442; PMCID: PMC13125425.
Refined trajectory smoothing and deep learning classification of human sperm motility.
Shahali S, Mortimer ST, McLachlan R, O'Bryan MK, Zander-Fox D, Mortimer D, Ackermann K, Neild A, Nosrati R. Hum Reprod. 2026 Mar 1;41(3):332-342. doi: 10.1093/humrep/deag005. PMID: 41633817; PMCID: PMC13016988.
Frozen versus fresh embryo transfer on perinatal outcomes-do endometrial preparation methods matter?
Zou H, Zander-Fox D, Au N, Liu Y, Vollenhoven B, Green MP, Wang R. Hum Reprod Open. 2026 Jan 12;2026(1):hoag002. doi: 10.1093/hropen/hoag002. PMID: 41613511; PMCID: PMC12848820.
A challenging diagnosis of interstitial ectopic pregnancy confounded by sonographic signs of adenomyosis: a case report.
Sutherland G, Putt S, Balachandar K, Ruff M, Siva S. J Surg Case Rep. 2026 Jan 25;2026(1):rjag003. doi: 10.1093/jscr/rjag003. PMID: 41589197; PMCID: PMC12832011.
Development of a deep learning algorithm for posterior fossa abnormality recognition on first-trimester US screening scans: AIRFRAME Study Part 1.
Familiari A, Di Ilio C, Dall'Asta A, Corno E, Ramirez Zegarra R, Di Pasquo E, Fanelli T, Minopoli M, Thilaganathan B, Scala C, Prefumo F, Raffaelli R, Bovino A, Quarello E, Binder J, Falcone V, Grisolia G, Ramkrishna J, Meagher S, Tran HE, Bizzarri C, Vagni M, Boldrini L, Volpe P, Ghi T.
Radiol Artif Intell. 2026 Mar;8(2):e250394. doi: 10.1148/ryai.250394. PMID: 41563074.
An artificial intelligence-based computer vision model for human sperm concentration, motility, and kinematics analysis.
Shahali S, Mortimer D, O'Bryan MK, McLachlan R, Zander-Fox D, Ackermann K, Ahmad G, Neild A, Nosrati R. Smart Med. 2026 Jan 9;5(1):e70026. doi: 10.1002/smmd.70026. PMID: 41531647; PMCID: PMC12794671.
Placental cytogenetic testing for confined placental mosaicism and obstetrical outcomes after discordant cell-free DNA screening results.
Raymond Y, Fernando S, Menezes M, Mol BW, Brown E, Arnold K, Rolnik DL. Am J Obstet Gynecol
MFM. 2026 Mar;8(3):101887. doi: 10.1016/j.ajogmf.2025.101887. Epub 2026 Jan 9. PMID: 41520802.
To discard or not to discard 1PNs? A systematic review and meta-analysis on 291,474 embryos.
Lee T, Qi F, Peirce K, Natalwala J, Chapple V, Mark PJ, Sanders K, Liu Y. Reprod Biomed Online. 2026 Feb;52(2):105080. doi: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2025.105080. Epub 2025 Jun 3. PMID: 41330859.
The impact of conception by in vitro fertilization on breastfeeding initiation and establishment among singleton infants: a statewide cohort study.
Pritchard NL, Kennedy AL, Hiscock R, Roddy Mitchell A, Idzes D, Vollenhoven B, Stern C, Green MP, Wilkinson D, Tong S, Gordon HG, Hastie R, Walker SP, Lindquist AC. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2026 Apr;234(4):1070-1090. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2025.11.034. Epub 2025 Nov 26. PMID: 41314325.
Male infertility and risk of cardiometabolic conditions: a population-based cohort study.
Marozzi J, Hanly M, Venetis C, O'Bryan MK, McLachlan R, Chambers GM. Hum Reprod. 2026 Jan 1;41(1):93-107. doi: 10.1093/humrep/deaf218. PMID: 41285026; PMCID: PMC12769446.
Fetal gestational age estimation using artificial intelligence on non-targeted ultrasound images and video.
Benson M, Walton S, Hartley T, Meagher S, Seshadri S, Sleep N, Papageorghiou AT. NPJ Digit Med. 2025 Nov 20;8(1):700. doi: 10.1038/s41746-025-02024-z. PMID: 41266569; PMCID: PMC12635104.
The first Australian evidence-based guidelines on male infertility.
Katz DJ, O'Donnell L, McLachlan RI, Moss TJ, Boothroyd CV, Jayadev V, Catford SR. Med J Aust. 2025 Dec 8;223(11):653-663. doi: 10.5694/mja2.70080. Epub 2025 Nov 10. PMID: 41208521; PMCID: PMC12683300.
Trends in the use and indications for intracytoplasmic sperm injection between 2005 and 2017: A state-wide descriptive cohort analysis.
Kink A, Mehdipour P, Hiscock RJ, Vollenhoven BJ, Stern CJ, Walker SP, Green MP, Osianlis T, Agresta F, Wilkinson D, Tong S, Hastie R, Kennedy AL, Lindquist AC.
Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol. 2026 Feb;66(1):e70070. doi: 10.1111/ajo.70070. Epub 2025 Nov 5.
PMID: 41191966; PMCID: PMC12881710.
Outcomes of assisted reproductive technology cycles following bushfire exposure: a retrospective cohort study.
Cao Y, Rose R, Griffiths MJ, Alesi LR, Hutt KJ, Stringer J, Reisen F, Zander-Fox D, Green MP, Winship AL. Reprod Biomed Online. 2025 Dec;51(6):105134. doi: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2025.105134. Epub 2025 Jul 12. PMID: 41160953.
Growth hormone therapy restores fertility in a woman with isolated growth hormone deficiency from chronic sheehan syndrome.
Park YA, Talmor A, Upreti R. JCEM Case Rep. 2025 Oct 10;3(11):luaf224. doi: 10.1210/jcemcr/luaf224. PMID: 41080974; PMCID: PMC12511772.
The effect of obesity interventions on male fertility: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Peel A, Lyons H, Tully CA, Vincent AD, Jesudason D, Wittert G, McPherson NO. Hum Reprod Update. 2026 Mar 1;32(2):154-180. doi: 10.1093/humupd/dmaf025. PMID: 41065428; PMCID: PMC13016750.
Policy solutions to improve access to fertility treatment and optimise patient care: consensus from an expert forum.
Adamson GD, Armstrong H, Cheong Y, Damato E, Fatemi H, Ferriani R, Griesinger G, Ledger WL, Pistollato M, Pellicer A, Petrova A, Rombauts L, Wilsdon T, Ziebe S. Front Reprod Health. 2025 Aug 29;7:1605480. doi: 10.3389/frph.2025.1605480. PMID: 40950655; PMCID: PMC12426281.
Repeat cell-free DNA screening after initial false-positive results and term placental analysis for confined mosaicism: a prospective cohort study.
Raymond YC, Fernando S, Menezes M, Mol BW, Hardy T, Levin K, Brown E, McLennan A, Lorber Rolnik D. Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2025 Nov;312(5):1679-1687. doi: 10.1007/s00404-025-08162-9. Epub 2025 Aug 31. PMID: 40886210; PMCID: PMC12589244.
The type of follicle-stimulating hormone medication given for in vitro fertilization impacts oocyte retrieval: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Michael TJF, Kirubakaran R, Parab T, Wang R, Grosser M, Vollenhoven BJ, Smith V, Stocker SL; LIFE Consortium. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2025 Oct;118(4):790-802. doi: 10.1002/cpt.70014. Epub 2025 Jul 31. PMID: 40742097; PMCID: PMC12439018.
'What am I going to do with those eggs': patients' experience of, and attitudes towards, surplus frozen eggs.
Johnston M, Fuscaldo G, Zander-Fox D, Hunt S, Rombauts L, Mills C. Reprod Biomed Online. 2025 Sep;51(3):104897. doi: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2025.104897. Epub 2025 Mar 4. PMID: 40700881.
External validation of the Fetal Medicine Foundation model for preterm pre-eclampsia prediction at 11-14 weeks in an Australian population.
Tiruneh SA, Rolnik DL, Selvaratnam R, da Silva Costa F, McLennan A, Hyett J, Teede H, Enticott J. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2025 Sep;104(9):1774-1782. doi: 10.1111/aogs.70002. Epub 2025 Jul 2. PMID: 40600650; PMCID: PMC12393981.
Early diagnosis of fetal acrania.
Meagher S, Christensen S, Sepulveda W, Ramkrishna J. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2025 Nov;66(5):679-680. doi: 10.1002/uog.29283. Epub 2025 Jun 26. PMID: 40569057.
Patient preferences and understanding of genome-wide cell-free DNA screening for foetal chromosomal imbalances: A survey study.
Raymond Y, Fernando S, Mol BW, Menezes M, McLennan A, Meagher S, Hill A, Rolnik DL. Prenat Diagn. 2025 Jul;45(8):994-1003. doi: 10.1002/pd.6842. Epub 2025 Jun 19. PMID: 40537289; PMCID: PMC12254435.
Getting eggs 'out of the basket': facilitating decisions about surplus frozen eggs.
Fuscaldo G, Johnston M, Zander-Fox D, Mills C. Reprod Biomed Online. 2025 Jul;51(1):104865. doi: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2025.104865. Epub 2025 Feb 12. PMID: 40446647.
Pregnancy outcomes following ovarian tissue cryopreservation: an Australian cohort study.
Finkelstein T, Rolnik DL, Agresta F, Rozen G, Stern K, Vollenhoven B, Catt S, Horta F. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2025 Aug;233(2):108.e1-108.e11. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2025.02.007. Epub 2025 Feb 7. PMID: 39923876.
Placental cysts and atypical sonolucencies at 11-13 weeks' gestation: Sonographic features and clinical significance.
Sepulveda W, Stern J, von Bischhoffshausen S, Tonni G, Meagher S. J Clin Ultrasound. 2025 Jul-Aug;53(6):1234-1239. doi: 10.1002/jcu.23984. Epub 2025 Apr 11. PMID: 40213910.
A unified framework governing the establishment and maintenance of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance.
Woodhouse RM, Frolows N, Monteiro DS, Hawes JJ, Hawdon A, Davies M, Watson O, Lennox VS, Ashe A. Genetics. 2025 Aug 6;230(4):iyaf106. doi: 10.1093/genetics/iyaf106. PMID: 40460278; PMCID: PMC12341889.