Our grantees represent some of the finest minds in the male contraception research community from around the world.
We make our grants through a variety of funding mechanisms, always prioritizing our mission and vision of driving male contraception closer to clinical trials. We value diversity in our portfolio, and our focus on non-hormonal and reversible methods of contraception ensures that these options can meet the needs of more users.
Research HighlightMale contraception is a field with long-term goals and near-term gains that can be made today. All towards ensuring a mix of contraceptive options for men and their partners.
One such near-term gain is with Contraline, and their vas-occlusive hydrogel, ADAM. With an investment from MCI, ADAM is entering clinical trials in Australia, moving towards US and global approval. |
Kevin Eisenfrats, CEO and Co-Founder of Contraline
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Fellowships and Young Researcher SupportTo ensure a productive future for contraceptive development, Male Contraceptive Initiative also provides funding for young researchers interested in male contraception.
Our Fellowship program provides direct research support, and our Trainee Success program supports travel, workshops, and other professional development opportunities for trainees. |
MCI Awardees
Yale University - 2021 Seed Grant Awardee
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Yale UniversityDr. Jean-Ju Chung is an Associate Professor at Yale University, and is an expert in membrane ion channels, specifically the sperm-specific contraceptive target, CatSper.
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YourChoice Therapeutics - 2021 Discovery and Development Awardee
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YourChoice TherapeuticsDr. Nadja Mannowetz is the Chief Scientific Officer of YourChoice Therapeutics, who is working on a novel inhibitor of the male contraceptive target Retinoic Acid Receptor Alpha.
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University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - 2021 Sokal Innovation Awardee
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University of North Carolina at Chapel HillDr. Rahima Benhabbour is an Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she studies novel delivery platforms and polymer-based devices that can solve current limitations in drug delivery.
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Baylor College of Medicine - 2021 Grantee
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Baylor College of MedicineDr. Thomas Garcia is an Assistant Professor at Baylor College of Medicine where he studies spermatogenesis and male reproductive tract-specific proteins through the lens of functional genomics and proteomics.
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University of Minnesota - 2018 Seed Grant Awardee & 2021 Program-Related Investment
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University of MinnesotaDr. Gunda Georg is a Regents Professor, Department Head, and Endowed Chair at the University of Minnesota. Her group has published over 200 scientific articles on the design, synthesis, and evaluation of biologically active agents such as male contraceptives.
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Contraline - 2019 Grantee & 2020 Program-Related Investment
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ContralineKevin Eisenfrats is the CEO and Co-Founder of Contraline, who is developing a reversible, non-hormonal contraceptive option for men that can last years. With an investment from MCI, their medical device ADAM™ is entering first-in-human studies and moving towards regulatory approval.
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Eppin Pharma - 2019, 2020 & 2021 Discovery and Development Awardee
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Eppin PharmaDr. O'Rand is the CEO of Eppin Pharma, who is developing a non-hormonal method of male contraception that may be usable either on-demand or as a daily pill. Nearing first-in-human studies, they represent the forefront of pharmacologic, non-hormonal male contraceptive methods.
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The Jackson Laboratory - 2020 Sokal Innovation Awardee
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The Jackson LaboratoryDr. Robert Braun is a Senior Advisor and Janeway Distinguished Chair at the Jackson Laboratory. His work focuses on the biological basis of development, and the use of mouse models to study fertility and contraception in innovative ways.
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Instituto de Biologia y Medicina Experimental - 2020 Sokal Innovation Awardee
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Instituto de Biologia y Medicina ExperimentalDr. Mariano Buffone is a Scientific Researcher from the National Research Council (CONICET) at Argentina’s Instituto de Biologia y Medicina Experimental (IBYME-CONICET) in Buenos Aires. Mariano has been working in the field of sperm physiology for two decades, studying the complex process of mammalian sperm capacitation.
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Planned Parenthood North Central States - 2020 Sokal Innovation Awardee
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Planned Parenthood North Central StatesAlison Ojanen-Goldsmith, MPH, Research Scientist and Manager, and Asha Hassan, MPH, Associate Research Manager and Reproductive Health Equity Predoctoral Fellow are part of Planned Parenthood North Central States and explore the attitudes and preferences of contraceptive technologies among users.
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University of Massachusetts, Amherst - 2020 Sokal Innovation Awardee
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University of Massachusetts, AmherstDr. Pablo Visconti is a Professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Focusing on reproductive biology and the process of sperm capacitation, his work elucidates the mechanism of action of many male contraceptive targets.
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Baylor College of Medicine - 2019 Discovery and Development Awardee
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Baylor College of MedicineDr. Stephen Palmer is an Associate Professor at the Center for Drug Discovery at Baylor College of Medicine. With 25 years experience across pharmaceutical discovery and start-ups, his work with Martin Matzuk uses powerful screening tools to find new drugs against male contraceptive targets.
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Emory University - 2019 Seed Grantee Awardee
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Emory UniversityDr. Steven L’Hernault is Professor and Chair of Biology and Emory University. Studying the basic mechanisms of spermatogenesis and fertility, he has discovered several contraceptive targets that can be developed for male methods.
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Wayne State University - 2019 Seed Grant Awardee
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Wayne State University
Dr. Zhibing Zhang is an Associate Professor at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. His work focuses on studying the complex mechanisms of spermatogenesis, and how these mechanisms can be exploited to make new male contraceptives.
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Completed Grants
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 grants, click here.