Dr Nicole McPherson

Dr Nicole McPherson is a Senior Lecture and ARC DECRA Research Fellow who runs the Male Reproductive Life Course Group in the Freemasons Centre for Male Health and Wellbeing, the Robinson Research Institute and the Discipline of Reproduction and Development at the University of Adelaide. As of 2024, Dr McPherson is also the Director of Research for Genea (Australia’s premier IVF company). Her research group and ART discovery laboratory is located on level 5 of the Adelaide Health and Medical Science Building (AHMS).

Research Vision

We now know that the responsibilities of fatherhood start well before conception. Obesity and chronic disease in men, whilst known to impact their own fertility, also extends to the disease burden in their children. Promoting 'healthy paternity’ may motivate men to improve their own health and in doing so, intervene in the transfer and amplification of chronic disease and reproductive ill-health in the next generation. Our research examines the biology of how disease risk is transferred via sperm and uses this knowledge to develop tests of risk and interventions for use in IVF practice and for family planning.

STUDENT PROJECTS (Semester 1, 2024 Start, Honours, Masters and PhD)

1. How mammalian males indirectly control epigenetic remodelling of the early embryo (Grant Funded: Honours and PhD)

The mechanistic pathway by which environmental cues to males prior to conception are able to program offspring traits is unknown. One candidate is microRNAs (miRs). MiRs are non-coding RNAs (ncRNA) present in sperm that respond and modify in abundance to environmental cues and can alter offspring traits. How these sperm miRs transmit offspring traits is unknown. This project examines one particular miR cluster, miR-30, which is upregulated in sperm in response to environmental change and looks to understand how it acts to reprogram the early embryo to alter offspring phenotypes.

2. Space sperm (Honours)

Space exploration and mining requires the ability for mammals to be able to reproduce successfully in different gravitation forces. This project looks to understand how microgravity effects sperm function and fertilisation ability, as well as understanding how and if embryos are able to be produced in zero gravity.

3. Nutrition for optimum male fertility (PhD) 

There is increasing focus on the relevance of preconception care to maximize pregnancy success and child health, to support environmental and lifestyle influences, and create awareness around infertility. However, despite the increased recognition and importance of nutrition for reproductive health, consistent evidence-based research identifying key dietary factors to support fertility especially in couples remains unclear especially in men. While there is some evidence to suggest that eating a healthy diet is good for sperm health, there is no information surrounding pre-conception diet in men for time to pregnancy or pregnancy outcomes. This project looks to understand the best nutritional patterns in men for optimising fertility.

Additional Supervisors: Dr Jessica Greiger

4. Improving sperm function for IVF (Grant Funded: Honours and PhD)

There is a pressing need for improved treatments in men that can increase fertilisation rates following IVF and AI. ICSI, and to a lesser extent IVF, bypass key sperm maturation (capacitation and hyperactivation occurring in the oviduct) events that naturally occur in the female tract prior to fertilisation, which cannot always be readily achieved in the clinic. Therefore, we need to better mimic natural sperm maturation and selection processes of the female reproductive tract, clinically. This project looks to improve sperm function in vitro to increase fertilisation rates and improve embryo and fetal health in a wide range of mammalian species.  

Additional Supervisors: A/Professor Mark Nottle

5. Men's access to preconception health care services (Grant Funded: Honours and Masters)

There is a growing expectation that men should be involved in preconception care however, our health care system does not proactively engage men as they attempt to become fathers even though they value parenthood and there is little acknowledgement of their roles or emotional needs when interacting with the health care system during this time. Men’s understanding about fertility and pregnancy is inadequate and they tend to overestimate chance of natural conception. This project looks to understand men's needs and wants to preconception knowledge and care and understand mens attitudes when diagnosed with infertility and infertility treatment.

Additional Supervisors: Professor Deb Turnbull, Dr Melissa Oxlad