Federal Grant Award Summary

Emory University received a $444,067 Project Grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) under the Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.865) to conduct research on fertility preservation decision-making for individuals with genetic conditions associated with premature ovarian insufficiency (POI). The research, which commenced June 1, 2026 and concludes February 29, 2028, addresses a critical clinical gap by developing and validating biomarkers—specifically anti-müllerian hormone (AMH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)—to predict ovarian function and risk of POI in prepubertal girls with Turner syndrome and classic galactosemia prior to puberty.

The project delivers research services focused on two primary aims: (1) testing the predictive value of prepubertal AMH and FSH measurements for spontaneous menarche and sustained menstrual cycling using large national cohorts with existing hormonal and clinical outcome data, and (2) characterizing longitudinal hormone trajectories to identify distinct biological phenotypes through latent class mixed modeling. The research will provide clinicians with evidence-based biomarkers to inform optimal fertility preservation strategies, reducing unnecessary surgical interventions in prepubertal girls while identifying those at highest risk of POI who would benefit from fertility preservation options such as ovarian tissue cryopreservation.