Research conducted with the Raine Study falls under one of 14 special interest groups (SIGs).
One of those special interest groups looks specifically at Hormonal and Reproduction data.
The focus of the Hormonal and Reproduction Special Interest Group is on the early life factors affecting male and female reproductive function.
This SIG focuses on areas including thyroid function, sex steroids, pregnancy, menstruation, hormonal contraceptive use, breast density and testicular function.
The Hormonal and Reproduction SIG works closely with allied groups in mental health, metabolic health, sexual risk-taking and breast health to better understand the relationship between hormones, behaviour and long-term health outcomes in the Raine Study.
SIG Leaders
We are fortunate enough to have some well-known researchers from across Australia leading this SIG.
Dr Melanie Walls, The University of Western Australia
Dr Melanie Walls is Scientific Director of Fertility North and Adjunct Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Obstetrics and Gynaecology at The University of Western Australia. Dr Walls is also a communication committee member of the NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and anactive member of the Australian and New-Zealand Scientists in Reproductive Technology (SIRT), Fertility Society of Australia and New-Zealand (FSA) and the Australian Institute of Medical Scientists (AIMS).
2014 saw Dr Walls receive the European Society for Human Reproduction and embryology (ESHRE) Exchange Award for the best scientific paper presentation at the Asia Pacific Initiative on Reproduction Congress. Alongside this accolade, Dr Walls was a finalist in the 2015 and 2016 Western Australian Premier’s Science Awards.
Currently Dr Walls specialises in minimally invasive treatment options, oocyte maturation, polycystic ovaries, fertility preservation and time-lapse incubation at Fertility North.
Prof Roger Hart, The University of Western Australia
Professor Roger Hart is a certified sub-specialist in the field of endocrinology and infertility, Medical Director of Fertility Specialists of Western Australia and Professor of Reproductive Medicine, Deputy Head of Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of Western Australia, and lead clinician for the public fertility service in Western Australia. Professor Hart is internationally recognised as a leader in the field of infertility and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and has published extensive scientific literature in this field. Professor Hart’s latest research on motherhood stress and child fertility has been published in a number of publications globally with over 300 stories distributed.
Professor Hart’s work with the Raine Study has examined the longitudinal influence that environmental factors have on fertility.
Prof Martha Hickey, The University of Melbourne
Martha Hickey is Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at The University of Melbourne, Adjunct Professor of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductive Sciences at Yale University, CT, as well as consultant gynaecologist at the Royal Women’s Hospital, Victoria. Professor Hickey’s research in reproductive endocrinology continues to grow in the following areas: abnormal uterine bleeding, menopause, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and teenage pregnancy.
Professor Hickey has been a part of the Raine Study Hormonal and Reproduction Special Interest Group with focus on predicting risky sexual behaviour in adolescence, the first prospective study of early childhood factors of its kind internationally.
Key Findings of the SIG
Thanks to the ongoing involvement of our participants, this SIG has been able to make a huge range of life-changing discoveries, including:
- Menarche (first period) represents the start of female reproductive life and age at menarche is a strong predictor of long-term physical and emotional health. Data from the Raine Study were the first to report how early life exposures affect age at menarche and how body mass index (BMI) and age at menarche affect risk of cardiovascular and metabolic disease in young adults.
- Female fertility (the “ovarian reserve”) is fixed during fetal life and ovarian follicles cannot be replaced after birth. The Raine Study Hormonal and Reproduction SIG have generated world-first data informing how the prenatal environment may influence ovarian reserve.
- PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) affects around 6% of reproductive age women. Data from the Raine Study was the first to demonstrate the prenatal exposures to androgens may not predict PCOS in adolescents. These findings were considered “hypothesis changing” when published in the prestigious Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism.
- Data from the Raine Study has also informed how early life events influence male reproduction including new evidence for how early life exposures and the early life environment affect male reproductive function.
For more information on key findings from this Special Interest Group, visit our Hormonal and Reproduction Special Interest Group page .