Laura Hewitson

Last updated
Laura Hewitson
Born1969 (age 54–55)
Birmingham, England
Alma mater University of Essex
University of York
Occupation(s)Affiliate Scientist at Washington National Primate Research Center
Research Director at Johnson Center for Child Health and Development
Scientific career
Thesis Energy metabolism of the trophectoderm and inner cell mass of the mouse blastocyst.  (1993)

Laura Charlotte Hewitson [1] is a British-born primate researcher noted for her work in the fields of reproductive biology and behavior. She is an affiliate scientist at the Washington National Primate Research Center (WaNPRC) [2] [3] and an adjunct associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. [2] [4] Additionally, she is the Research Director of the Johnson Center for Child Health and Development in Austin, Texas. [2] Hewitson was a staff scientist at Oregon Health Sciences University from 1997 to 2001. [5] From 2002 to 2010 she was an associate professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine [6] and a member of the Magee-Women's Research Institute and Foundation (MWRI&F) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. [6]

Contents

Education

In 1990, Hewitson graduated with honors in biology from the University of Essex. [5] She earned her PhD in biological sciences at the University of York, England, and later moved to the United States in 1994 to pursue postdoctoral training at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. [5]

Research

Hewitson's research has primarily focused on embryo metabolism, cytoskeletal dynamics, centrosome abnormalities during fertilization, assisted reproductive technology (ART) in non-human primates and infant primate neonatal development. [6] More recently, Hewitson's research has focused on understanding genetic and environmental influences that lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes, with special emphasis on autism spectrum disorders (ASD). [4] [6] Her research has been funded through the National Institutes of Health, [7] as well as private foundations. [4] [6] [7]

Hewitson's work on primate fertilization examined the role of the centrosome during assisted reproduction and identified unique check-points during the first cell cycle. [7] She also explored the safety of new methods of assisted reproduction by producing infant primates by ART to follow their early development and behavior (see Selected Publications).

Hewitson's more recent research has focused on the study of genetic versus epigenetic (environmental) causes of neurodevelopmental disorders. [4] [6] While at the University of Pittsburgh she researched the possible connection between pediatric vaccines and behavior and presented some of this research at the International Meeting for Autism Research (IMFAR) in 2008 [8] and the Neurobehavioral Teratology Society (NBTS) meeting in 2011. [9] She is now continuing this research with colleagues at the WaNPRC. [10] [11] Hewitson is also collaborating with colleagues at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School to identify blood biomarkers for autism. [2] With funding from the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative [12] and the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP), [13]

Awards and achievements

In 2010, Hewitson was the recipient of the Invisible Disabilities Association Honors Research Award for her research in autism. [14]

Hewitson's work has been published in many journals, such as Science, Nature Medicine , Biology of Reproduction , Human Reproduction , Fertility and Sterility , Developmental Psychobiology, Acta Neurobiologiae Experimentalis, Autism Research and Treatment, Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, and the Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics.

Selected publications

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Centriole</span> Organelle in eukaryotic cells that produces cilia and organizes the mitotic spindle

In cell biology a centriole is a cylindrical organelle composed mainly of a protein called tubulin. Centrioles are found in most eukaryotic cells, but are not present in conifers (Pinophyta), flowering plants (angiosperms) and most fungi, and are only present in the male gametes of charophytes, bryophytes, seedless vascular plants, cycads, and Ginkgo. A bound pair of centrioles, surrounded by a highly ordered mass of dense material, called the pericentriolar material (PCM), makes up a structure called a centrosome.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Intracytoplasmic sperm injection</span> In vitro fertilization procedure

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection is an in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedure in which a single sperm cell is injected directly into the cytoplasm of an egg. This technique is used in order to prepare the gametes for the obtention of embryos that may be transferred to a maternal uterus. With this method, the acrosome reaction is skipped.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhesus macaque</span> Species of Old World monkey

The rhesus macaque, colloquially rhesus monkey, is a species of Old World monkey. There are between six and nine recognised subspecies that are split between two groups, the Chinese-derived and the Indian-derived. Generally brown or grey in colour, it is 47–53 cm (19–21 in) in length with a 20.7–22.9 cm (8.1–9.0 in) tail and weighs 5.3–7.7 kg (12–17 lb). It is native to South, Central, and Southeast Asia and has the widest geographic range of all non-human primates, occupying a great diversity of altitudes and a great variety of habitats, from grasslands to arid and forested areas, but also close to human settlements. Feral colonies are found in the United States, thought to be either released by humans or escapees after hurricanes destroyed zoo and wildlife park facilities.

DNA fragmentation is the separation or breaking of DNA strands into pieces. It can be done intentionally by laboratory personnel or by cells, or can occur spontaneously. Spontaneous or accidental DNA fragmentation is fragmentation that gradually accumulates in a cell. It can be measured by e.g. the Comet assay or by the TUNEL assay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sperm</span> Male reproductive cell in anisogamous forms of sexual reproduction

Sperm is the male reproductive cell, or gamete, in anisogamous forms of sexual reproduction. Animals produce motile sperm with a tail known as a flagellum, which are known as spermatozoa, while some red algae and fungi produce non-motile sperm cells, known as spermatia. Flowering plants contain non-motile sperm inside pollen, while some more basal plants like ferns and some gymnosperms have motile sperm.

Asthenozoospermia is the medical term for reduced sperm motility. Complete asthenozoospermia, that is, 100% immotile spermatozoa in the ejaculate, is reported at a frequency of 1 of 5000 men. Causes of complete asthenozoospermia include metabolic deficiencies, ultrastructural abnormalities of the sperm flagellum and necrozoospermia.

Gerald Schatten is an American stem cell researcher with interests in cell, developmental, and reproductive biology. He is Professor and vice-chair of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences and Professor of Cell Biology and of Bioengineering in the Schools of Medicine and Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh, where he is also Director of the Division of Developmental and Regenerative Medicine at the university's School of Medicine. Additionally, he is deputy director of the Magee-Women's Research Institute and Director of the Pittsburgh Development Center.. He is a member of the NCI-designated University of Pittsburgh Cancer Center and the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

In genetics, paternal mtDNA transmission and paternal mtDNA inheritance refer to the incidence of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) being passed from a father to his offspring. Paternal mtDNA inheritance is observed in a small proportion of species; in general, mtDNA is passed unchanged from a mother to her offspring, making it an example of non-Mendelian inheritance. In contrast, mtDNA transmission from both parents occurs regularly in certain bivalves.

Immunocontraception is the use of an animal's immune system to prevent it from fertilizing offspring. Contraceptives of this type are not currently approved for human use.

The Genetics & IVF Institute (GIVF) is an international provider of infertility and genetics services and products, and also engages in biomedical research in these fields. The Institute was founded in 1984 by Dr. Joseph D. Schulman and associates. GIVF headquarters are in Fairfax, VA, US, and its facilities include locations in Pennsylvania, Minnesota, California, and Texas in the United States, as well as in China, Mexico, and several other countries.

Sperm guidance is the process by which sperm cells (spermatozoa) are directed to the oocyte (egg) for the aim of fertilization. In the case of marine invertebrates the guidance is done by chemotaxis. In the case of mammals, it appears to be done by chemotaxis, thermotaxis and rheotaxis.

FNA mapping is an application of fine-needle aspiration (FNA) to the testis for the diagnosis of male infertility. FNA cytology has been used to examine pathological human tissue from various organs for over 100 years. As an alternative to open testicular biopsy for the last 40 years, FNA mapping has helped to characterize states of human male infertility due to defective spermatogenesis. Although recognized as a reliable, and informative technique, testis FNA has not been widely used in U.S. to evaluate male infertility. Recently, however, testicular FNA has gained popularity as both a diagnostic and therapeutic tool for the management of clinical male infertility for several reasons:

  1. The testis is an ideal organ for evaluation by FNA because of its uniform cellularity and easy accessibility.
  2. The trend toward minimally invasive procedures and cost-containment views FNA favorably compared to surgical testis biopsy.
  3. The realization that the specific histologic abnormality observed on testis biopsy has no definite correlation to either the etiology of infertility or to the ability to find sperm for assisted reproduction.
  4. Assisted reproduction has undergone dramatic advances such that testis sperm are routinely used for biological pregnancies, thus fueling the development of novel FNA techniques to both locate and procure sperm.
<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gianpiero D. Palermo</span>

Gianpiero D. Palermo is the developer of the revolutionary procedure known as intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in 1991, which is able to overcome male infertility in many cases.

Jacques Cohen is a Dutch embryologist based in New York, U.S. He is currently Director at Reprogenetics LLC, Laboratory Director at ART Institute of Washington at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, and Scientific Director of R & D at IVF-online.

Mason-Pfizer monkey virus (M-PMV), formerly Simian retrovirus (SRV), is a species of retroviruses that usually infect and cause a fatal immune deficiency in Asian macaques. The ssRNA virus appears sporadically in mammary carcinoma of captive macaques at breeding facilities which expected as the natural host, but the prevalence of this virus in feral macaques remains unknown. M-PMV was transmitted naturally by virus-containing body fluids, via biting, scratching, grooming, and fighting. Cross contaminated instruments or equipment (fomite) can also spread this virus among animals.

The International Meeting for Autism Research, or IMFAR for short, is an annual meeting held each spring by the International Society for Autism Research. The 2019 meeting was held in Montreal. The 2015 meeting was in Salt Lake City. The 2014 meeting was held in Atlanta from May 14 to 17. In 2013, IMFAR was held in San Sebastian, Spain.

The history of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) goes back more than half a century. In 1959 the first birth in a nonhuman mammal resulting from IVF occurred, and in 1978 the world's first baby conceived by IVF was born. As medicine advanced, IVF was transformed from natural research to a stimulated clinical treatment. There have been many refinements in the IVF process, and today millions of births have occurred with the help of IVF all over the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Globozoospermia</span> Medical condition

Globozoospermia is a rare and severe form of monomorphic teratozoospermia. This means that the spermatozoa show the same abnormality, and over 85% of spermatozoa in sperm have this abnormality. Globozoospermia is responsible for less than 0.1% of male infertility. It is characterised by round-headed spermatozoa without acrosomes, an abnormal nuclear membrane and midpiece defects. Affected males therefore suffer from either reduced fertility or infertility. Studies suggest that globozoospermia can be either total or partial, however it is unclear whether these two forms are variations on the same syndrome, or actually different syndromes.

Antisperm antibodies (ASA) are antibodies produced against sperm antigens.

Dmitri Dozortsev is a Russian-American physician scientist, inventor and researcher. Dozortsev's contributions in research and publications are mostly in the areas of human reproductive medicine and biology. In particular, he is best known for his studies of in vitro fertilisation and embryo transfer. Dozortsev currently serves as President of the American College of Embryology and as Director of Omni-Med laboratories.

References

  1. ↑ "WorldCat Identities entry for Laura Charlotte Hewitson". worldcat.org.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Laura Hewitson Biography". Johnson Center for Child Health and Development.
  3. ↑ "WaNPRC Study Examines Safety of Pediatric Vaccines, Such as MMR – Washington National Primate Research Center". wanprc.org. 24 February 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Gadad BS, et al. (September 2013). "Neuropathology and animal models of autism: Genetic and environmental factors". Autism Research and Treatment. 2013: 731935. doi: 10.1155/2013/731935 . PMC   3787615 . PMID   24151553.
  5. 1 2 3 JCCHD. "The Johnson Center for Child Health & Development : Staff". www.johnson-center.org.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Laura C. Hewitson, Ph.D." Archived from the original on 2005-04-24.
  7. 1 2 3 Hewitson L, et al. (April 1999). "Unique checkpoints during the first cell cycle of fertilization after intracytoplasmic sperm injection in rhesus monkeys". Nat Med. 5 (4): 431–3. doi:10.1038/7430. PMID   10202934. S2CID   6564806.
  8. ↑ Hewitson L, et al. (May 2008). "Pediatric vaccines influence primate behavior, and amygdala growth and opioid ligand binding". International Meeting for Autism Research.
  9. ↑ Hewitson L, et al. (2011). "Discrimination Reversal Learning in Infant Primates Exposed to Low-Dose Thimerosal: A Pilot Study". Neurotoxicology and Teratology. 33 (4): 501. doi:10.1016/j.ntt.2011.05.036.
  10. ↑ Burbacher T, Grant KS, Worlein J, Ha J, Curnow E, Juul S, Sackett GP (Nov 2, 1013). "Four decades of leading-edge research in the reproductive and developmental sciences: the Infant Primate Research Laboratory at the University of Washington National Primate Research Center". American Journal of Primatology. 75 (11): 1063–1083. doi:10.1002/ajp.22175. PMC   5452618 . PMID   23873400.
  11. ↑ Curtis, Britni; Liberato, Noelle; Rulien, Megan; Morrisroe, Kelly; Kenney, Caroline; Yutuc, Vernon; Ferrier, Clayton; Marti, C. Nathan; Mandell, Dorothy; Burbacher, Thomas M.; Sackett, Gene P.; Hewitson, Laura (June 2015). "Environmental Health Perspectives". ehp.niehs.nih.gov. 123 (6): 579–589. doi:10.1289/ehp.1408257. PMC   4455585 . PMID   25690930.
  12. ↑ "Identification of candidate serum antibody biomarkers in autism". Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
  13. ↑ "Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (DoD CDMRP)" . Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  14. ↑ "2010 Research Award – Laura Hewitson PhD – Invisible Disabilities Association – IDA". invisibledisabilities.org.
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