Clinical Research in Human Fertility

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This application proposes a five-year program integrating research, education, and teaching to develop skills for multidisciplinary research in demographic, clinical and behavioral aspects of human fertility. This award will. provide the applicant with intensive training and mentoring under the guidance of established scientists from multiple disciplines and perspectives. The specific aims of the application are (1) to enhance the candidate's research training to study the clinical application of markers of the probability of conception in the menstrual cycle to achieve pregnancy in normal fecundity and subfecundity; (2) to acquire in-depth training in demographic methods, epidemiologic methods, and behavioral science research methods as they relate to clinical and population dimensions of human fertility, and (3) to obtain formal training in ethical issues in human fertility. The training plan includes (1) course work, (2) research, (3) participation in seminars, (4) and targeted teaching experiences. The research plan collects data to observe the maximum clinically attainable fecundability of the menstrual cycle -in couples of proven fertility, information of importance for understanding normal fertility and infertility. Thus the research plan is designed to help the candidate to develop skills, methods, and collegial relationships needed to become an independent career clinical investigator working with multidisciplinary research teams to study human fertility. The research plan, "Effect of fertility awareness on time to clinical pregnancy," is a prospective randomized trial which will examine the effect of a proven method of identifying the approach of ovulation (the observation of vaginal discharge of mucus from the uterine cervix) on time to clinical pregnancy and distribution of acts of intercourse within a 6-day time period preceding and including ovulation, as determined by the measurement of LH in the urine. The project will be of immediate clinical relevance to couples of normal fertility seeking to time conception as precisely as possible. It will also help guide future research to more precisely describe subfecundity and infertility. The research activities, along with advanced studies of demographic methods, epidemiologic methods, behavioral science research methods, and ethics, will provide the expertise needed for a lifelong career as a successful, independent clinical investigator. Dr. Stanford's long-term goal is to develop a program of research at the end intersection of the clinical, demographic, and behavioral aspects of human fertility. This goal will be achieved by continuing and advancing in a faculty role at the University of Utah, working with colleagues and students in multiple disciplines. The University of Utah is a major research institution with many distinguished scientists which offers an excellent environment for Dr. Standford to develop his skills and gain the expertise needed to accomplish his goals.