Orchid: A member of the family Orchideae.from Greek orkhis, testicle

Home

About the Center

Investigators

Projects

Seminar Series

Fellowships

Career Development

Training Directory

Funding Opportunities

Microarray Facility

Mammalian Reproductive Genetics Database

Links

UW and Seattle

About Orchids

"...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, more than 30 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.

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 and a male reproductive health research K12 grant (William Bremner PI).

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 sequencing 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.

CRRC Home page
Copyright ©2003 Center for Research in Reproduction and Contraception. All rights reserved.
Comments to CRRC
Last updated: March 25, 2010 ©