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About the Center
"...to understand the basic biology of the male reproductive system
and to put this knowledge to use in solving clinical problems
related to infertility and contraceptive development."
Mission
The mission of the University of Washington’s Center for Research in
Reproduction and Contraception (CRRC)—formerly the Population Center for
Research in Reproduction—is to understand the basic biology of the male
reproductive system and to put this knowledge to use in solving clinical
problems related to infertility and contraceptive development. Another
important goal is to train young scientists for research careers in
reproductive medicine or biology.
History
The
concept of our center germinated in 1977 with Dr. C. Alvin Paulsen, who
persuaded Drs. William Bremner and Robert Steiner to join him and
several other investigators to focus on research in reproductive
physiology, and to concentrate especially on the male. In 1979 we closed
ranks under the organizational framework of an NIH-sponsored P-50
center grant, which comprised both strong scientific projects and core
service units.
Now, 25 years later and under the leadership of Dr. Bremner, the
CRRC continues its earlier goal of focusing on male reproduction,
implementing technical approaches that harvest the cutting edge of
genome sciences, biophysics, and clinical investigation. The
projects funded under the aegis of the center range from studies of
the molecular physiology of the brain and testis to clinical trials
of new contraceptive agents in men.
Project investigators are broadly trained individuals, drawn from
many disciplines, including biochemistry, biophysics, cell biology,
clinical medicine, genetics, molecular biology, neurobiology,
pharmacology, and physiology. We count among the
members of our center program junior and senior faculty as well as basic
scientists and clinical investigators. Together, we meet often
for seminars and to share ideas and technology so that we may
achieve our common goals. As part of our NICHD-funded Cooperative
Contraceptive Research Center we have recently recruited Dr. Mike Griswold
from Washington State University as a new investigator in the CRRC. Dr.
Griswold is a world expert in Sertoli cell function and in recent years
has made important contributions to the study of testis stem cell biology
and the identification of the testis transcriptome.
Since the initial founding of the University of Washington Population
Center, now the CRRC, we have been extremely successful in attracting the
very best young scientists, both in clinical investigation directly
related to male contraceptive development and in basic science with true
potential for application to contraceptive development and male
reproductive health. The program has also been successful in attracting
world leaders in clinical and basic sciences to be mentors for the
postdoctoral fellows. These
mentors,
in addition to being internationally recognized investigators, have a very
strong commitment to the application of their work to help in the solution
of the world's problem of explosive population growth.
Funding
Over the years our research and training programs have been supported by
grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Department of
Veterans Affairs, the World Health Organization, the Agency for
International Development (CONRAD), and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Research projects in the CRRC are currently supported by a NICHD U54
Specialized Cooperative Centers Program in Reproduction Research (SCCPPR)
(William Bremner, P.I.); a NICHD U54 Cooperative
Contraceptive Research Centers program (William Bremner, P.I.);
investigator-initiated R01 research grants; and by funding from private
foundations and companies. We are also the
recipients of a NICHD-funded postdoctoral training program (Robert
Steiner, P.I) which currently funds three fellows.
International Partnerships
In
1993, we enthusiastically responded to a Mellon Foundation proposal to
expand our activities into the development of twinning relationships with
research institutions in developing countries. We established successful
twinning relationships with two centers in China (Beijing and Shanghai)
and one in Indonesia (Denpasar). As a part of our twinning activities, we
developed joint research projects with each of the three foreign centers;
in each case, these projects formed the basis of successful competition by
the foreign center for additional external funding (from the World Health
Organization, the Rockefeller Foundation, or the Chinese Task Force on
Methods for Regulation of Male Fertility). Rockefeller Foundation and/or
Mellon funding also led to twinning arrangements with three centers in
developed countries (Scotland, Australia, and Italy). These interactions
have all led to very strong and productive research collaborations.
The Future
We are excited about the future
of the University of Washington’s Center for Research in Reproduction and
Contraception. The completion of the sequence of the human genome, the
development of new genomic and proteomic technologies, and emerging
technologies to probe sub-cellular structures will help us further our
mission of contraceptive development, discover treatments for infertility,
and promote the overall reproductive health of men.
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