MR. SATHA M.  SATHANANDAN     FRCS, FRCOG, MPhil, FFFP

 

 

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

My interest in basic research commenced while I was a lecturer at University College hospital, London where I was registered as a postgraduate student for an MD/MPhil degree. My initial research in infertility on the subject of "The pathophysiology of poor cervical mucous production as a cause of infertility" was carried out under the supervision of the consultant Endocrinologist DR Maurice Katz.

Following this I spent 24 months in full time research with Professor Samuel Yen at the University of California San Diego. The facilities for research in reproductive endocrinology in this unit were exemplary. Neuroendocrinology and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome were the main two interests of this department. My main research interest was in the role of Insulin in reproduction, using patients with PCO as a model. In addition I also performed the first human studies with a GnRH antagonist, NALGLU. Both of these studies were highly successful. The whole study was accepted as an MPhil thesis to the University College London.

Apart from individual research interests, the Fellows were trained in all aspects of Reproductive Endocrinology in accordance with the guidelines set out by the American Board in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, as this was a recognised subspecialty appointment.

During this period, I attended a weekly workshop in Neuroendocrinology for 12 weeks at the University of California, San Diego. I also attended a weekly course on the practical design and evaluation of biomedical research held at the University as part of in-service training.

In Adelaide I was involved in several research projects (vide list of publications and presentations). My main interests were in the evaluation of the use of GnRH analogues in super ovulation program both in human and sheep. I also evaluated the effect of laser in ovarian surgery in sheep. I created endometriotic models in rabbits to evaluate the role of gold vapour laser in the treatment of endometriosis.

In Bourn Hallam Infertility Centres, I continued my interest of the use of GnRH analogues in super ovulation program while initiating a new technique for replacement of frozen embryos in order to define the implantation window and improve the pregnancy rate. This study was completed and published.

In Stirling my research interests continued despite busy clinical and administrative commitments, as research is my hobby. I have encouraged and supervised our post

MRCOG doctors in clinical research and during the last year two papers were presented at regional and national meetings and three papers have been submitted for publication. In addition, I have completed four multicentric trials in the field of Endometriosis and Hormone replacement therapy, all of which will be published as soon as the statistical analysis is over. I am an approved Referee (Assessor) for manuscripts submitted for publications to the Journal of Human Reproduction and Scottish Medicine. I was also involved with my colleague in a WHO sponsored project looking at the value of action and alert line in the partogram. Preliminary results of this study were presented at the West of Scotland research Registrars meeting recently.

In Harold Wood, I have several collaborative research projects with University of Oxford. The first one is in collaboration with the Nuffield Dept of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Oxford looking at the source of inhibin and activin in females using surgical menopause patients as a model. The second project with Oxford is to look at the comparative predictive value of serum FSH Vs Inhibin and Activin in males with defective sperms.

 

Multicentre trials

 

 I was also one of the four UK centres for a multicentric and multinational trial comparing two continuous combined HRT products in relation to endometrial status, symptom relief and patient satisfaction (commissioned by Organon laboratories).

I have just completed a European Multicentre trial comparing pure urinary hMG vs. recombinant FSH in terms of efficacy, side effects and complications during controlled super ovulation for IVF/ICSI treatments (commissioned by Ferring International in Germany).

RESEARCH THESIS

A research thesis on "The acute in-vivo effects of insulin in human anterior pituitary and ovarian function and characterisation of insulin resistance in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome" was accepted by the University of London in fulfilment of an MPhil degree in medicine in Feb 1989.

The thesis is arbitrarily divided into 4 chapters. The first chapter titled as "Insulin resistance in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome" looks into the relative contribution of obesity and PCO to the insulin resistance. Throughout the study hyperinsulinaemic euglycemic clamp was used to study the effects of insulin at various doses. The second chapter looks into the effect of insulin on human pituitary gonadotropin secretion.

The third chapter evaluates the kinetics-kinetics and dynamics-dynamics of a new potent gonadotropin antagonist - Nal Glu. The fourth and the final chapter evaluate the effects of insulin in ovarian steroidogenesis.