Christine Whitehead: Our Research on Obesity and Embryonic Aneuploidy Wins 2026 ASRM Nurse Professional Group Prize Paper Award
Christine Whitehead, Research Operations Director of Everleap Fertility, shared on LinkedIn:
“I’m incredibly honored that our research examining obesity and whole chromosome aneuploidy in IVF was recognized with the 2026 ASRM Nurse Professional Group Prize Paper for Research.
I’m proud of the work behind this study and grateful for the opportunity to contribute to research that helps us better understand IVF outcomes and inform patient counseling.
I share more about our findings in the article.
Obesity and Embryonic Aneuploidy: What the Data Tells Us
I’m honored that our study, ‘Age Carries the Weight,’ received the 2026 ASRM Nurse Professional Group Prize Paper for Research.
Obesity has been associated with lower live birth rates and an increased risk of pregnancy loss following IVF, however its relationship with whole chromosome aneuploidy remained less clear. Understanding that distinction is important, particularly because whole chromosome aneuploidy is a major contributor to IVF failure and pregnancy loss.
To better understand this relationship, we analyzed data from 12,377 patients and 62,884 blastocysts across the Everleap Fertility network. Ultimately, we found that obesity was not associated with an increased rate of whole chromosome aneuploidy following IVF and PGT-A and patients with obesity were not at an increased risk of having no euploid embryos available after their cycle, while oocyte age remained the strongest predictor.
These findings contribute to our understanding of factors that may influence embryonic aneuploidy and underscore the importance of investigating clinically relevant questions through rigorous research.
As a researcher at Everleap Fertility, I strive to investigate questions that matter to both our patients and clinicians and bring findings back into the conversations shaping patient care. Our work contributes to a more nuanced understanding of IVF outcomes and helps inform evidence-based patient counseling.
I’m proud of our team and grateful to the ASRM Nurse Professional Group for recognizing this work. For me, the greatest reward is the opportunity to generate evidence that can inform clinical decisions, support individualized counseling and identify areas for future investigation. I look forward to continuing that work.”
Other articles on ASRM 2026 on Fertility News.
-
Oct 28, 2026, 15:55Katy Encalade: What Are the Biggest Myths About Egg Donation?
-
Oct 28, 2026, 15:53Diana Kayal: A Free Webinar on Trauma, Infertility and the Patient Journey
-
Oct 28, 2026, 15:49Rebecca Watson O’Connor: Applications for the 2027 PRIMED Cohort Are Open
-
Oct 28, 2026, 15:45Martin Varsavsky: Gameto Has Been Acquired by Ferring for 1.38 Billion Dollars
-
Oct 28, 2026, 15:37Gili Band: The People Are What Stay With Me After Day 1 at ASRM 2026
-
Oct 28, 2026, 13:56Samantha Payne: NSW Releases Final Report on Fertility Support and Assisted Reproductive Treatment
-
Oct 28, 2026, 13:53True Friendship and PCOS: Why Emotional Support Matters – PCOS Millennials
-
Oct 28, 2026, 13:51Fred Ushakov: The Future of Prenatal Screening, The Future of Your Practice
-
Oct 28, 2026, 13:49Hosting the First-Ever Fairfax Awards – Fairfax EggBank