Jones Institute continues its leadership in reproductive medicine

January 10, 2007

Sergio Oehninger, M.D., Ph.D., and the new book, Male Infertility Diagnosis and Treatment, he co-authored with Thinus Kruger, M.D.

NORFOLK—When researchers publish new knowledge about reproductive medicine, they build on a foundation established by EVMS scientists and physicians more than any other single source.

That's the conclusion of a recent article published in the journal Fertility and Sterility. The author reviewed Fertility and Sterility articles from a 30-year period and found that the most frequently cited "classic" articles were written by faculty at the Jones Institute for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, of EVMS.

Published by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, Fertility and Sterility is the leading U.S. journal in the field of reproductive medicine.

The Jones Institute led the list with eight articles among the 102 classic articles published between 1975 and 2004. Monash University, Cornell University, Harvard University and Catholic University (Belgium) had six, five, four and three classic articles, respectively. Among the 25 most cited classic articles, six were written by Jones Institute clinicians and/or scientists.

"The evolution of reproductive medicine can be mapped through the scientific literature," wrote Hua Yang, M.D., author of the study of classic articles. "The number of citations an article receives after its publication reflects its recognition by the scientific community."

A 1988 article on abnormal shape (or "morphology") of sperm was the most popular Jones Institute publication (with 504 citations). It was third among all the classic articles.

Among the authors of that 1988 classic was Sergio Oehninger, M.D., Ph.D., now medical director of the Jones Institute and vice chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. In 1988, Oehninger had just joined the EVMS faculty after completing a fellowship in reproductive medicine and endocrinology at the Jones Institute.

Oehninger recently teamed with the principal author of the second most cited article, Thinus Kruger, M.D., chairman of obstetrics and gynecology at Tygerberg Academic Hospital, University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa, to co-edit a book on male infertility. In 30 to 40 percent of couples that experience infertility, the problem can be traced to the male.

The new book, Male Infertility Diagnosis and Treatment, is the first in 10 years on the subject. It is expected to become the definitive reference source on andrology (the study of male reproductive biology and medicine), just as its predecessor did.

Kruger also was a co-editor of an earlier book on the subject, Human Spermatozoa in Assisted Reproduction. Among the other editors was Anibal Acosta, M.D., then on the faculty at the Jones Institute. Jones Institute faculty contributed chapters to both the earlier book and the new book.

"There are very few thorough publications that present the current status of clinical diagnosis and management in andrology," Oehninger said. In their 460-page volume, Oehninger and Kruger offer a broad perspective on the issue, providing a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art diagnosis and treatment of male infertility.

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