Embryo Implantation Research Group

Research Overview

This group is interested in reproductive biology, specialising in infertility and pregnancy disorders associated with placental insufficiency and endometrial cancer, with a focus on endometrial receptivity, establishment of pregnancy embryo-endometrial communication and trophoblast-endometrial interactions, and cell adhesion and invasion.

Staff

    • Prof Eva Dimitriadis - Professor in Reproductive Biology, Co-Director, Gynaecology Research Centre
    • Dr Ellen Menkhorst - Snr Research Fellow in Reproductive Biology
    • Dr Wei Zhou - Research Fellow in Reproductive Biology
    • Dr Leilani Santos - Senior Research Support Officer
    • Mr Finn O'Brien - Research Technician
    • Ms Kelli Sorby - Graduate Research Student
    • Ms  Michaela Sacco - Graduate Research Student
    • Ms Siena Barton - Masters Student
    • Ms Poppy Downing - Masters Student
    • Ms Charlotte Fry - Honours Student
    • Ms Madeleine Howe - Honours Student

Collaborators

  • A/Prof Kaori Koga, University of Tokyo, Japan
  • A/Prof Daniel Rolnik, Monash University, Australia
  • Prof Kypros Nicolaides, NHS, London, United Kingdom
  • Dr Jemma Evans, Hudson Institute, Australia
  • Dr Clare Whitehead, The Royal Women's Hospital, Australia
  • Dr Louie Ye, The Royal Women's Hospital, Australia

Funding

  • Grant funding last 5 years (2013-19) $5,777,014
  • Grant funding overall as CIA $8,291,120
  • NHMRC funding last 5 years (as CIA 2013-19) $3,222,414
  • NHMRC funding overall as CIA $5,886,520
  • Industry Grant funding last 5 years as CIA (2013-19) $282,000
  • Industry Grant funding overall as CIA $2,404,600

Research Opportunities

This research project is available to Honours students to join as part of their thesis.
Please contact the Research Group Leader to discuss your options.

Research Publications

  1. Ansari, N., Isojima, T., Crimeen-Irwin, B., Poulton, I.J., McGregor, N.E., Ho, P.W.M., Forwood, M.R., Kovacs, C.S., Dimitriadis, E., Gooi, J.H., Martin, T.J. and Sims, N.A. (2021), Dmp1Cre-directed knockdown of parathyroid hormone–related protein (PTHrP) in murine decidua is associated with a life-long increase in bone mass, width, and strength in male progeny. J Bone Miner Res. https://doi.org/10.1002/jbmr.4388
  2. Zhou, Wei, and Menkhorst, Ellen, Dimitriadis Evdokia. "Jagged1 regulates endometrial receptivity in both humans and mice.". FASEB J, vol.35,no.8, 2021, pp. e21784-. doi:10.1096/fj.202100590R
  3. Grbac E, So T, Varshney S, Williamson N, Dimitriadis E, Menkhorst E. Prednisolone alters decidualization and affects decidual-trophoblast interactions. Frontiers in cell and developmental biology. 2021 09 April. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2021.647496. Online ahead of print.
  4. McKenna J, Bellofiore N, Dimitriadis E, Temple-Smith P. Postpartum ovulation and early pregnancy in the menstruating spiny mouse, Acomys cahirinus. Scientific Reports. 2021 11, 5344. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-84361-z
  5. Zafir S, Zhou W, Menkhorst E, Santos L, Dimitriadis E. MAML1: A coregulator that alters endometrial epithelial cell adhesive capacity. Fertility Research and Practice. 2021, 27 March . 7, 8  https://doi.org/10.1186/s40738-021-00100-y
  6. Santos LL, Ling CK, Dimitriadis, E. Tripeptidyl peptidase I promotes human endometrial epithelial cell adhesive capacity implying a role in receptivity. Journal of Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology. 2020 Dec 14;18(1):124. doi: 10.1186/s12958-020-00682-0. SciVal Citations: 0. Field Weighted Citation Impact: 0.
  7. Santos LL, Wertaschnigg D, Rolnik D, Da Silva Costa F, Syngelaki A, Dimitriadis E, Nicolaides K. Serum Leukotriene B4 and Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid in the prediction of pre-eclampsia. Placenta. 2021 Jan 1;103:76-81. doi: 10.1016/j.placenta.2020.10.007. Epub 2020 Oct 10. PMID: 33099202.Scopus Citations 0. Field Weighted Citation Impact 0.
  8. Menkhorst E, Zhou W, Santos L, Delforce S, So T, Rainczuk K, Loke H, Syngelaki A, Varshey S, Williamson N, Pringle K, Young MJ, Nicolaides KH, St-Pierre Y, Dimitriadis E. Galectin-7 impairs placentation and causes preeclampisa features in mice [published online ahead of print, 2020 Aug 31]. Hypertension. 2020. doi:10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.120.15313. Citations 0. Field Weighted View Impact 0.
  9. Ling CK, Santos LL, Zhou W, Dimitriadis E. Chloride intracellular channel 4 is dysregulated in endometrium of women with infertility and alters receptivity [published online ahead of print, 2020 Aug 14]. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2020;S0006-291X(20)31436-4. doi:10.1016/j.bbrc.2020.07.046. Citations: 0. Field Weighted View Impact: 0.
  10. George L, Winship A, Sorby K, Dimitriadis E, Menkhorst E. Profilin-1 is dysregulated in endometroid (type I) endometrial cancer promoting cell proliferation and inhibiting pro-inflammatory cytokine production [published online ahead of print, 2020 Aug 13]. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2020;S0006-291X(20)31524-2. doi:10.1016/j.bbrc.2020.07.123. Citations: 0. Field Weighted View Impact: 0.
  11. Zhou W, Santos L, Dimitriadis E. Characterization of the role for cadherin 6 in the regulation of human endometrial receptivity. Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology, 2020; 18(1); art. no. 66. DOI: 10.1186/s12958-020-00624-w. Citations: 0. Field Weighted View Impact: 0.
  12. Murthi P, Rajaraman G, Erwich J.J, Dimitriadis E. Decreased placental FPR2 in early pregnancies that later developed small-for-gestation age: a potential role of FPR2 in the regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Cells 2020 April 10; 9(4); E921. doi: 10.3390/cells9040921. Citations: 0. Field Weighted View Impact: 0.
  13. Menkhorst EM, Van Sinderen M, Correia J, Dimistriadis E. Trophoblast function is altered by decidual factors in gestational-dependant manner. Placenta. 2019; 80:8-11. doi: 10.1016/j.placenta.2019.03.013. Epub 2019 Mar 26. Citations: 1. Field Weighted View Impact: 4.22.
  14. Takamura M, Zhou W, Rombauts, L, Dimitriadis E. The long non-coding RNA PTENP1 regulates human endometrial epithelial adhesive capacity in vitro: implications in infertility.  Biology of Reproduction. (2019) 102(1):53-62. doi10.1093/biolre/ioz173. Citations: 1. Field Weighted View Impact: 0.
  15. Van Sinderen M, Griffiths M, Menkhorst E, Niven K, Dimitriadis E. Restoration of microRNA-29c in type I endometioid cancer reduced endometrial cancer cell growth. Oncology Letters. 2019;18(3):2684-2693. doi: 10.3892/ol.2019.10588. Citations: 0. Field Weighted View Impact: 0.
  16. Griffiths M, Van Sinderen M, Rainczuk, K, Dmitriadis E. miR-29c overexpression and COL4A1 downregulation in infertile human endometrium reduces endometrial epithelial cell adhesive capacity in vitro implying roles in receptivity. Scientific Reports. 2019; 14;9(1):8644. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-45155-6. Citations: 3. Field Weighted View Impact: 0.
  17. Loke H, Rainczuk K, Dimitriadis E. MicroRNA biogenesis machinery is dysregulated in the endometrium of infertile women suggesting a role in receptivity and infertility. Journal of Histochemistry & Cytochemistry. 2019;67(8):589-599. doi: 10.1369/0022155419854064. Citations: 2. Field Weighted View Impact: 0.92.
  18. Malekmohamadi N, Abdanipour A, Ghorbanlou M, Shokri S, Shirazi R, Dimitriadis E, Nejatbakhsh R. Differentiation of bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells into male germ-like cells in co-culture with testicular cells. Endocrine Regulations. 2019;53(2):93-99. Doi:10.2478/enr-2019-0010. Citations: 1. Field Weight View Impact: 0.
  19. Menkhorst E, Griffiths M, Van Sinderen M, Rainczuk K, Niven K, Dimitriadis E. Galectin-7 is elevated in endometriod (type I) endometrial cancer and promotes cell migration. Oncology Letters. 2018;16(4):4721-4728. Doi: 10.3892/ol.2018.9193 Citations: 3. Field Weighted Citation Impact: 0.61.
  20. Menkhorst E, Van Sinderen M, Rainczuk K, Cuman C, Winship A, Dimitriadis E.  Invasive trophoblast promote stromal fibroblast decidualization via profiling 1 and ALOX5. Scientific Reports. 2017;7:1:8690. Doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-05947-0. Citations: 5. Field Weighted View Impact: 0.52.
  21. Winship A, Menkhorst E, Van Sinderen M, Dimitriadis E. Interleukin 11 blockade during mid to late gestation does not affect maternal blood pressure, pregnancy viability or subsequent fertility in mice.  Reproductive BioMedicine Online.  2018;36(3):250-258. Citations: 1. Field Weighted View Impact: 1.01.
  22. Lappas M, McCracken S, McKelvey K, Lim R, James J, Roberts CT, Fournier T, Alfaidy N, Powell KL, Borg AJ, Morris JM, Leaw B, Singh H, Ebeling PR, Wallace EM, Parry LJ, Dimitriadis E, Murthi P. Formyl peptide receptor-2 is decreased in fetal growth restriction and contributes to placental dysfunction.  Molecular Human Reproduction. 2018;24(2):94-109. doi: 10.1093/molehr/gax067. Citations: 2. Field Weighted View Impact: 3.05.