Infertility is a rising health issue with approximately 1 in 6 people of the adult population is affected globally, according to a 2023 World Health Organization (WHO) report. Males are estimated to contribute in approximately half of the overall infertility cases. Male infertility is a multifactorial and complex pathological condition with variety of causes, ranging from genetic and epigenetic factors to environmental factors to lifestyle choices. Despite advancement in the biomedical research field, the underlying causes for a large proportion of male infertility cases remain unknown (idiopathic), reflecting major gaps in our knowledge of molecular and cellular mechanisms regulating spermatogenesis and sperm function. Spermatogenesis, the process of continuous sperm production from immature spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs), is a highly dynamic and one of the most complex developmental processes in sexually reproducing animals. Research into spermatogenesis and sperm biology seeks to better understand genetic factors influencing and controlling sperm production and male fertility.

Our overall research goal is to identify and characterize novel genetic factors/pathways required for normal sperm production and male fertility in order to better understand the molecular mechanisms controlling spermatogenesis. We are particularly interested in exploring the role of the DNA Damage Binding 1 (DDB1) protein, an adaptor protein of multi-subunit Cullin4-based E3 (CRL4) ubiquitin ligase complex and it's interacting substrate receptor proteins known as DDB1- and CUL4-Associated Factors (DCAFs) in regulation of spermatogenesis and male fertility by using powerful genomics, proteomics and molecular biology approaches on the specific knockout mouse models. We strongly believe that our research will not only produce fundamental knowledge on the molecular mechanisms controlling spermatogenesis in order to better understand the genetic causes of male infertility, but it will also lead us to develop new and effective tools for diagnosis and treatment of male infertility.