NYU Langone Health offers a three-year accredited fellowship program in reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI) that is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).

The fellowship leadership includes Mary Elizabeth Fino, MD, director of the REI fellowship, and Jennifer Blakemore, MD, MSc, the associate fellowship director. Fellowship requirements are met through a variety of scheduled activities, ensuring significant exposure to the intricacies of the specialty.

'The fellowship is supported by a strong faculty with a wide range of clinical and research interests:

• Alan S. Berkeley, MD
• Sarah D. Cascante, MD
• Shannon M. DeVore, MD
• James Grifo, MD, PhD
• Lisa M. Kump, MD
• Frederick L. Licciardi, MD
• Jacquelyn M. Shaw, MD
• Brooke H. Wertz, MD, MPH

The NYU Langone Fertility Center, located at 159 East 53rd Street in Manhattan, has state-of-the-art embryology and andrology laboratories with on-site cryopreservation and storage facilities, procedure rooms, a recovery suite, medical offices, and a research lab. The program manages approximately 3,500 assisted reproductive technologies (ART) cycles per year and is highly specialized in preimplantation genetic testing, oncofertility, elective fertility preservation, and comprehensive third-party reproduction. Fellows also participate in multidisciplinary activities that cross into gynecologic oncology, male urology, genetics, and molecular biology. At NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue, they also run a fertility clinic for underserved populations.

What the Program Offers

These are some of the major areas in which fellows take part.

Assisted Reproductive Technologies

As an integral part of the ART program, fellows actively participate in daily monitoring sessions, oocyte retrievals, embryo transfers, and case management sessions. The embryology laboratory is staffed with veteran professionals who rank among the world’s finest. All directors and physicians are actively engaged in research and oversee clinical and basic science activities. This combination of academic and technical expertise has created one of the most respected fertility programs and clinical divisions in the country.

Reproductive Surgery

Our program also offers a high volume of complex reproductive surgery, with faculty actively engaged in the latest endoscopic, robotic, and hysteroscopic procedures. The REI fellowship is partnered with the NYU Langone Health Division of Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery. Under the direction of Christopher N. Eswar, MD, who is also a member of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, our fellows perform advanced laparoscopic and robotic surgeries for treatment of complex reproductive disorders, such as endometriosis, uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, pelvic adhesions, and reproductive anomalies. Fellows are exposed to all aspects of surgery and can also choose to pursue a surgical track within the fellowship by using elective time to enhance their surgical experience. Surgeries are performed at NYU Langone’s Tisch Hospital.

Reproductive Care

Fellows have the unique opportunity to train at Bellevue Hospital, the oldest public hospital in the United States, providing healthcare for individuals regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay. The REI clinic at Bellevue Hospital provides an opportunity for the fellows to develop their own practice with oversight and supervision by a board-certified REI attending physician. This clinic serves an inner city and immigrant population of women who often have complex REI disorders.

Onco-fertility services are also provided through the Bellevue REI clinic, with the fellow responsible for coordination of an interdisciplinary plan of care between oncology and REI services.

Research

Our program is committed to excellence in research, and all fellows are actively involved in basic science and clinical research. Current areas of interest include preimplantation genetic diagnosis, oocyte cryopreservation, medical fertility preservation, embryo implantation, and artificial intelligence. Fellows also participate in multidisciplinary research that crosses into gynecologic oncology, male urology, genetics, and molecular biology. Fellows are encouraged to leverage existing collaborations with basic science and clinical investigators throughout the university and other sites nationally.

Overview of the Fellowship

The educational objective of the Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Fellowship is for all participants to complete the fellowship with the skills, knowledge, and attitudes to support independent practice in reproductive endocrinology and infertility and establish a foundation for continued professional growth in both clinical practice and scientific investigation. The fellowship provides robust exposure to a diverse patient population with supervised experiences in clinical care of patients with complex reproductive endocrinology and infertility problems throughout the life cycle. The fellowship provides comprehensive clinical training and academic breadth in all areas of reproductive medicine. There is a strong focus on ART and ART laboratory science, in addition to relevant experience in associated specialties that impact the diagnosis and treatment of patients and couples with reproductive disorders.

The research curriculum is designed to provide fellows with the knowledge required to conduct meaningful scientific investigation and become leaders in our field. We provide access to the most modern technology and molecular techniques and supportive mentorship to guide fellows through scientific investigations.

To provide a strong foundation in endocrinology, male infertility, genetics, and menopause, many educational forums are used. Supervised clinical activity at NYU Langone faculty offices provides specialty diagnostic experience in urology, endocrinology, and menopausal medicine. The medical and pediatric endocrinologists, geneticists, and male infertility specialists have a significant role in the education of the fellows. Fellows who rotate through each of these specialties are fully engaged in clinical care, and fellows participate in multiple lectures and seminars given by the subspecialty faculty. Each specialist directs their teaching based on the REI goals and objectives. Fellows are immersed in all aspects of genetics throughout their clinical training, but are more specifically educated through direct mentorship by NYU Langone’s two on-site genetic counselors, who provide a specialized understanding of genetic screening and testing and genetic diseases seen in the patient population served by NYU Langone Fertility Center.

The medical center has extensive resources for the enhancement of graduate education. The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology has kept pace with the advancement in modern technology and provides state-of the-art computer facilities for use by its resident staff. These facilities include bibliographic search, word processing, database software, image scanners. and slide production products designed to increase the efficiency of the fellow. In addition, the NYU School of Medicine’s library contains up-to-date collections of journals and texts. Computers and online access are provided to fellows in the conference and workrooms at each hospital. Fellows in the REI program share a fully equipped office at the Fertility Center for all administrative equipment and support.

Our Educational Program and Schedule

As of the 2025–26 academic year, we will have a total of six fellows, two in each year.

All previous graduates of the REI fellowship are practicing in the field of clinical reproductive medicine, and eligible candidates have all passed their REI boards. Educational and practical emphasis is placed on the clinical evaluation and treatment of patients and couples. Particular attention is paid to development of skills in diagnostic ultrasound, surgical techniques, evaluation of laboratory testing, ability to fully engage patients in a wide range of assisted reproductive modalities, treatment decision-making, basic science knowledge, and translational research. There is a direct, constant progression of clinical responsibility as the fellow moves from the first through the third year, so by the completion of the fellowship the physician is fully competent to enter private or academic practice.

Schedule

Fellows complete clinical rotations at NYU Langone Fertility Center, Tisch Hospital, and NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue. The center is an active referral site for oocyte cryopreservation, preimplantation genetic screening and diagnosis, medical fertility preservation, and third-party reproduction for the LGBTQ+ community. NYU Langone Fertility Center also features an in-house research lab. Fellows spend most of their rotation time at the fertility center, where they are fully integrated into the clinical practice of reproductive endocrinology and infertility.
The weekly schedule for each fellowship year is designed to provide exposure to all modalities of infertility treatment and surgery with didactic coverage of the topics outlined in the ACGME requirements. The first and second years of the fellowship are dedicated to clinical training. Elective rotations are required for genetics, embryology laboratory science and male infertility, with several other elective options available, including pediatric endocrinology, medical endocrinology, menopause, surgery, and care and surgery for those in the LGBTQ+ community.

Formal research rotations begin in the second year. However, all fellows are actively involved in research and serve as mentors for residents and students throughout their fellowship. Fellows will be provided ample opportunity to participate in research beginning their first year, during which they work with faculty research mentors to explore areas of interest and develop ideas for their thesis. Each fellow develops a thesis before the end of the first year and completes all research activities during dedicated time in the second and third year.

Year 1 Rotation Schedule

The first year, predominately core clinical REI, is divided between NYU Langone Fertility Center and Tisch Hospital. During this time, fellows are either participating in ART, surgery, or faculty clinical office hours, where they receive comprehensive training in ultrasound, saline sonohysterogram, and hysterosalpingography.

Year 2 Rotation Schedule

The second year continues with core clinical REI serving as the director of Bellevue’s infertility clinic and ovulation induction program, as well as six months of elective time.

Additionally, the department has a dedicated two-week research course to help fellows excel in research. It is taught by Tamar Schiff, MD, MBE, who teaches research design, and by Rebecca Betensky, PhD, who teaches statistics.

The course gathers together all the fellows in the various branches of obstetrics–gynecology—minimally invasive gynecologic surgery (MIGS), gynecologic oncology, maternal–fetal medicine, complex family planning, and reproductive endocrinology and infertility. They learn as a team and collaborate in a setting focused solely on how to do research in the field. The course covers all the essentials:

• engaging lectures and interactive discussions on research methodology, study design, data collection techniques, statistical analysis, and interpretation of results
• the encouragement of active participation by fostering a collaborative learning environment among medical fellows
• practical exercises and case studies to reinforce theoretical concepts and provide real-world examples
• the opportunity to apply knowledge in analyzing data and drawing meaningful conclusions with individual and group workshops—all with direct mentoring and professional development by core faculty in each fellowship division.

For the six months of electives, all fellows participate in embryology/andrology, urology/male infertility (at Preston Robert Tisch Center for Men’s Health), and genetics (at Clinical Genetic Services). The fellows will also be able to select from various other elective options, including; pediatric and medical endocrinology (at Bellevue), menopause and aging, minimally invasive gynecologic surgery , research, transgender medicine, and reproductive psychiatry.

Electives allow fellows to have an individualized education plan with the opportunity to enhance their training in multiple different areas of their choice. If a fellow chooses to enhance a specific track (such as with surgery, genetics, laboratory), they use the elective blocks to do so.

Fellows begin their formal research training in Year 2. Fellows develop a thesis subject at the end of the first year and begin their second year with the formal research methodology course designed to enhance their skills in advanced research methodology, synthesis of scientific literature, statistical analysis, and scientific writing. Fellows then work toward completion of a comprehensive thesis in their third year, which is protected research time, culminating in a thesis defense prior to submitting the manuscript to the American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology (ABOG) for board subspecialty certification.

Year 3 Rotation Schedule

The third year consists of one-month blocks of protected research time, during which the fellow spends approximately half a day a week on core clinical REI at either the Fertility Center or Tisch Hospital.

A Focus on Academic Leadership Excellence

We graduate fellows prepared to become clinical and academic leaders in the specialty. With this in mind, we have a graduated program of teaching and mentoring woven throughout the three years of fellowship. All fellows participate, with graduated autonomy, through our Junior Academic Attending pathway—one or two days a week of protected time to teach and learn without in vitro fertilization (IVF) or research duties. The junior attending is responsible for the education of our medical students and residents on service as well as gaining experience in a “day in the life” of being an attending. This includes monitoring, teaching, retrievals, embryo transfers, IUIs, office procedures, and inpatient consults.

Our senior fellows also serve as mentors to the junior fellows. with dedicated roles, such as an administrative and education chief. This is to ensure the voices of the fellows are heard as an investment into the program and all clinical and educational opportunities are balanced.

Call Schedule

All fellows participate in weekend call, with decreasing frequency over the course of the three years. On-call duty is limited to the specialty of reproductive endocrinology and infertility. Fellows do not cover the general obstetric and gynecology call.

Research Curriculum

Fellows have opportunities to participate in research during their first year of training, while formal research rotations begin in the second year with the department’s research course discussed in the Year 2 Rotation Schedule section above.

You have access to a strong faculty with a broad range of research interests, including embryology, andrology, and endocrinology. Fellows conduct research in our laboratories and collaborate with several other NYU Langone research laboratories. Approved fellowship research initiatives are funded through NYU Langone Fertility Center, NYU Langone, and from additional sources for basic science and translational research.

Fellows contribute significantly to the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility’s publication efforts. All fellows are financially supported to travel to and present their research at local and national meetings.

The recognition our fellows have received includes a nomination for the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) Scientific Program Prize Paper in 2016 and the Prize Paper Award in 2017 for research conducted by Kara Goldman, MD, on fertility preservation in murine models during chemotherapy.

In addition, Jason Kofinas, MD, received a nomination for the ASRM Scientific Program Prize Paper in 2017 for “The Association of Mitochondrial Copy Number and Deletion Ration to Oocyte Competency: A Multiplex Real Time PCR Evaluation of In Vitro Matured Human Oocytes and Their Mitochondrial Complement.”

Here are some examples of recent thesis projects completed by past fellows:

• “Blinded Reanalysis of Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) Non-Euploid Embryos Using Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) Array-Based Pre-Implantation Genetic Testing for Aneuploidy (PGT-A)” (Sarah Druckenmiller Cascante, 2023)
• “Characterization of Extracellular Vesicles in Human Follicular Fluid and Embryo Culture Media and the Impact on Assisted Reproductive Technology Outcomes” (Jacquelyn Shaw, 2022)
• “Vitrification with DMSO Containing Cryoprotectant Alters Gene and Transposable Element Expression in Human Oocytes” (Ashley Wiltshire, 2022)

In addition to producing a wide range of thesis projects, our fellows are regularly published in nationally recognized peer-reviewed publications.

Didactics

Fellows attend a weekly didactic conference targeting the knowledge guidelines provided by the ABOG. These conferences are directed by core reproductive endocrinology and infertility faculty members. Research design and methodology is also taught during didactic conferences. Additionally, fellows attend weekly departmental grand rounds and biweekly or monthly lunchtime journal clubs and conferences. All fellows and faculty participate in a biannual joint journal club with NYU Langone Fertility Center and IVI-RMA Global, which gives fellows a world-class forum in which to discuss groundbreaking research.

Fellows organize and teach didactic sessions for the medical student clerkship in obstetrics and gynecology, covering topics such as menopause, puberty, infertility, hirsutism, and endometriosis. They provide residents with three to four didactic sessions each year on topics such as the menstrual cycle, polycystic ovary syndrome, and review for the Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology (CREOG) exam.

Professional Development

The professional development and academic excellence of our reproductive endocrinology and infertility fellows are of the utmost importance. Fellows meet weekly on Program Wednesdays with the program director and assistant program director to discuss training progress and professional development. All fellows develop an academic portfolio by the end of their fellowship to establish a core for future academic endeavors. This is in addition to the weekly didactic curriculum.

Our fellows receive financial support and are given time to attend multiple educational events. These include the following meetings and conferences:

• Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility fellows’ retreat (first and third fellowship year)
• American Society for Reproductive Medicine Scientific Congress and Expo
• European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology Annual Meeting
• Pacific Coast Reproductive Society Annual Meeting
• Annual Oncofertility Consortium Conference
• NYU Grossman School of Medicine Departmental Honors Day

Important Dates

Deadline for receiving applications: May 1, 2025
Receive interview offer by: June 4, 2025
Deadline for accepting interviews: June 11, 2025
Receive interview date and time by: June 20, 2025
Virtual Interview Date: August 1, 2025
Rank List Entry: September 11, 2025
Match Day Results: October 1, 2025

Contact Us

For more information about the Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Fellowship, please contact James Hamilton, fellowship coordinator, at James.Hamilton@NYULangone.org or 212-263-3897.