Adrianne Pope

Adrianne Pope is an Australian human reproductive biologist. She is the supervisor of reproductive biology for the Queensland Fertility Group, a private medical consultant firm specialising in 'in vitro' fertilisation (IVF). After growing up in Brisbane, where she attended Kedron State High School, she later went to the University of Queensland, where she gained her PhD from in 1985 with a thesis on evolutionary genetics with Assoc. Prof Wharton B. Mather.

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Due to her solid reputation, Pope was soon invited to the U.S., where IVF was also only just beginning to be better understood by scientists. She worked as director of reproductive biology at a private Fertility Institution in Southern California for two years. After California she went to Tulsa, Oklahoma to the Hillcrest Fertility Centre, and was the director of Reproductive Biology and Andrology for four years.

In 1992, she returned to Australia, accepting a job at the Queensland Fertility Group prior to leaving the US. The decision to return was difficult, but family responsibilities predicated the move.

Adrianne's current research interest is in the theoretical side of IVF; spermatogenesis and folliculogenesis. She is also interested in monitoring levels of anticardiolipins and other immunological markers in serum, as well as the genetical abnormalities that result from polyploidy. Being involved in private consultancy has its drawbacks for a scientist, especially one that has to keep up so sensitively with activities in the field. This is primarily because of the code of secrecy inherent in any business of this nature. It is partly secrecy that has resulted in the exaggerated claims by some IVF clinics, but it is also secrecy that will prevent the free flow of information between scientists which is essential for the scientist to provide the most up-to-date service for the client. These problems are yet to be resolved. There are some advantages however, of being employed in a private consultancy, one of which is the ready availability of money if a discovery looks promising.

Pope is unique in that she is a rare female in a predominantly male workplace; she has only been aware of being female in her career in the commercial workplace. The headmaster at her state high school was enlightened and encouraged all students, regardless of sex. At present she couples her work with the IVF unit with a weekly lecture to sixth year obstetrics and gynaecology students from Queensland University on IVF techniques, andrology, the effects of alcohol and drugs on spermatogenesis and so on.

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