By supporting the next generation of researchers, we're ensuring a sustainable future for male contraception. Our commitment to nurturing young talent will drive innovation and accelerate the development of new and improved birth control options.
Our MCI Fellows program supports promising graduate and postdoctoral students who are dedicated to developing non-hormonal, reversible male contraceptives. By providing mentorship, funding, and resources, we empower these young researchers to focus on their research, publish their findings, and build the foundation for successful careers as investigators. Our investment in the next generation of scientists will drive innovation and accelerate the development of new male birth control options.
Fellow HighlightThe next generation of male contraceptives are being developed by some of the brightest minds at the world's best institutions and organizations.
Our Fellows Melanie Balbach, Jae Yeon Hwang, and Max Lyon shared updates on the male contraceptives they are working on during a Lemonade Stand webinar in order to provide a window into the research and development process. |
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Jess DunleavyPostdoctoral Fellow
University of Melbourne Melbourne, Australia |
Dr. Jess Dunleavy is a Research Fellow in Prof. Moira O’Bryan’s Male Infertility and Germ Cell Biology lab in the BIO21 Institute and School of Biosciences at The University of Melbourne. Her research focuses on understanding the fundamental mechanisms that drive sperm production and function. With the support of MCI, Jess is characterizing a novel sperm specific regulator of osmoregulation. This regulator is essential for sperm adaptation to the female reproductive tract, and thus has the potential to be an exciting contraceptive target.
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Felix BennettsPostdoctoral Fellow
Monash University Melbourne, Australia |
Felix Bennetts is a postdoctoral researcher at the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Monash University, working with Assoc. Prof. David Thal and Dr. Sabatino Ventura. His research focuses on the structural and functional properties of the P2X1 receptor, with a particular interest in targeting this receptor for the development of non-hormonal oral contraceptives for men. MCI funding has enabled drug discovery and development on this target, aiming to develop potent compounds that could eventually be used in the clinic. Outside of science, Felix enjoys bouldering and watching sports.
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Ehfazul HaquePhD Candidate
University of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN |
Ehfazul Haque is a PhD candidate in Dr. Gunda Georg’s lab at the Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota. He is working on the discovery and development of Retinoic acid receptor (RAR) inhibitors as male contraceptive agents. RAR signaling is essential for spermatogenesis and sperm release, and pharmacological intervention has been proven to produce reversible sterility in males. The MCI predoctoral fellowship supports Ehfazul’s scientific endeavor and professional development, as well as enabling his future career aspirations of working as a medicinal chemist in industry.
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Jerrett HoldawayPhD Candidate
University of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN |
Jerrett Holdaway is a PhD candidate at the University of Minnesota, where he conducts his research under the guidance of Dr. Gunda Georg. His work focuses on the disruption of testis-specific serine/threonine kinases, which play a pivotal role in sperm development and function. Supported by the MCI, Jerrett is dedicated to developing selective inhibitors and targeted degraders for these key targets in male fertility.
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Zaile ZhuangPostdoctoral Fellow
Stanford University Stanford, CA |
Zaile Zhuang is a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of James Chen on the campus of Stanford University. His research is directed towards HIPK4, a protein necessary for sperm formation and a drug target for male contraception. Supported by MCI, Zaile's work focuses on the development of proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs), which mark a protein for degradation rather than inhibit its function.
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Xiaofang HuangPostdoctoral Fellow
Yale University New Haven, CT |
Xiaofang Huang is a postdoctoral researcher at Yale University, working under the direction of Jean-Ju Chung. Her research is focuses on CatSper, a protein complex required for sperm to fertilize the egg and a particularly attractive drug target for male contraception. Supported by MCI, Xiaofang is developing a mouse model that allows for screening of male contraceptive molecules that target CatSper.
MCI’s Lemonade Stand: CT/MPT Fellowship Promotional Webinar
Interested in becoming an MCI Fellow? More information on our Funding Opportunities page.
Completed Grants & Fellowships
Male Contraceptive Initiative has provided funding support to the research community investigating new methods of non-hormonal, reversible male contraceptives since 2017. For a list of our previous grant awardees and fellowships, click here.