Pregnancy Study Online - "Presto"

03/08/2026

https://publichealthpost.org/disease/my-disease-is-not-benign-in-any-sense-of-the-word/

02/25/2026

Check out this Radiolab podcast episode featuring PRESTO’s Principal Investigator, Dr. Lauren Wise, on the “fertility cliff” 🎧 Link to the episode is in our bio! 🎙️

02/20/2026

Check out the March 2026 podcast from Obstetrics & Gynecology highlighting the latest research and practice updates in the field. This episode features an interview with Dr. Alexandra C. Sundermann, author of “Pregnancy Test Use and Timing of Pregnancy Detection in a Prospective Cohort of Pregnancy Planners,” new research out of the PRESTO cohort. Creator: Mark Clapp, MD, MPH. Duration: 14:22 Obstetrics & Gynecology https://journals.lww.com/greenjournal/pages/podcastepisodes.aspx?podcastid=9

01/10/2026

“Scientists are making inroads in understanding one of the central mysteries of human reproduction: Why do women’s eggs deteriorate as they age?” https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/01/09/nation/scientists-find-new-clues-why-female-fertility-declines-with-age/

12/29/2025

“As she -- and her friends — approached the age of 35, senior correspondent Molly Webster kept hearing a phrase over and over: “fertility cliff.” It was a short-hand term to describe what she was told would happen to her fertility after she turned 35 — that is, it would drop off. Suddenly, sharply, dramatically. And this was well before she was supposed to hit menopause. Intrigued, Molly decided to look into it — what was the truth behind this so-called cliff, and when, if so, would she topple?

This story first premiered in “Thirty Something,” a 2018 Radiolab live show that was part of, Go**ds, (https://radiolab.org/series/radiolab-presents-gonads) a six-episode audio and live event series all about reproduction and the parts of us that make more of us. The live event was produced by Rachael Cusick and edited by Pat Walters.

Special thanks to epidemiologist Lauren Wise, at Boston University. Plus, Emily, Chloe, and Bianca. And of course, Jad Abumrad.”

https://radiolab.org/podcast/fertility-cliff

12/04/2025

💭 Can discrimination affect your ability to get pregnant?

New research from Pregnancy Study Online (PRESTO), suggests that it might. 🧐

➡️ Swipe to read, as we break down what the data says about everyday discrimination, how fertility is impacted, and why this shows how important it is to continue inclusive and equitable research in reproductive health. 👩🏽‍🍼⚖️🤰🏻

08/25/2025

ONLINE WATCH NOW: America’s Declining Birth Rate: A Public Health Perspective — Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health brought together a panel of and policy experts at the school to explore the drivers of declining , examine whether the U.S. needs more , and discuss innovative strategies to improve the health of and . https://www.youtube.com/live/SwF6GcFOOxc?si=9C39bvP7rDIalCFW

08/22/2025

Dr. Julio Landero at the conference in Atlanta describing his method for estimating concentrations of trace elements such as lead, mercury, and cadmium in microsampled blood from participants in the PRESTO cohort.

08/16/2025

❗️New paper out now❗️

Female sexual function is important for reproductive health, relationship satisfaction, and positive sexual expression. Sexual function may be sensitive to environmental chemicals, but remains largely understudied in EH.

In their new paper, Dr. Samantha Schildroth and colleagues investigated associations of preconception phthalate exposure with validated measures of female sexual function in Pregnancy Study Online (PRESTO). These findings suggest a complex relationship between phthalate exposure and sexual function, highlighting the need for additional research on female sexual function to inform clinical practice.

Dr. Schildroth will be presenting on these findings at ISEE/ISES next Wednesday in the “Environmental chemicals and reproductive outcomes” session.

https://lnkd.in/g6qnutUw

08/14/2025

“Human eggs don't accumulate as many mutations with age as we thought
Mitochondrial mutations don't seem to build up in women's eggs as they age, which suggests they may have evolved a mechanism to avoid this.”

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2491490-human-eggs-dont-accumulate-as-many-mutations-with-age-as-we-thought/?fbclid=IwQ0xDSwMIcLVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHqKpj1XA3jk__6pvB3wS4n-D9k3epFDE_AdGTQ0dbJ75n_5jeCr7cY3Widfo_aem_M2XD5FEDXqWvcuJppQJ2ng&deeplink_ref_surface=instagram_direct&direct_share_include_copy=1&fb_entity_type=unknown

Mitochondrial mutations don't seem to build up in women's eggs as they age, which suggests they may have evolved a mechanism to avoid this

06/14/2025

Congratulations to Dr. Sharonda Lovett on being awarded the SPER Student Prize Award for her doctoral dissertation research on residential segregation and in PRESTO!

06/08/2025

“With cannabis now legal in much of the US, the focus is shifting from the ethics of using the drug to the health implications. New research suggests smoking cannabis doesn't lower s***m quality, challenging the results of some previous studies.”

https://www.sciencealert.com/does-cannabis-lower-s***m-quality-new-study-reveals-a-surprise-result