Alumni Success Stories
Our graduates have gone on to leadership positions at prestigious institutions across the country, contributing to advances in reproductive medicine through clinical care, research, and education.
Jamie Merkison, MD (’25)
Dr. Merkison joined Reproductive Biology Associates in Atlanta, Georgia, following completion of her fellowship.
During training, Dr. Merkison developed a strong research portfolio centered on equity in assisted reproductive technology, ovarian biology, and reproductive aging. Her work includes a systematic review examining racial and ethnic disparities in ART, investigations into graduate student access to oocyte cryopreservation, and collaborative studies on fetal programming of polycystic ovary syndrome. She also contributed to emerging research on granulosa cell DNA methylation as a predictor of aging pace and health risk, and to educational innovations improving provider awareness of fragile X–associated primary ovarian insufficiency.
Her publications span Fertility & Sterility, Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics, and Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, reflecting both clinical relevance and translational science.
Lisa Shandley, MD (’24)
Dr. Shandley is currently practicing at InVia Fertility in Chicago, Illinois, and serves on the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology Registry Committee.
During fellowship, Dr. Shandley co-founded the Georgia Fertility Preservation Coalition, advocating for insurance coverage for patients undergoing planned gonadotoxic therapy. This effort directly contributed to the passage of Georgia HB 94 in summer 2025.
Her scholarly work reflects a deep commitment to access, patient experience, and reproductive justice. She has published extensively on fertility preservation, gestational carrier outcomes, ovarian reserve in Black women with sickle cell disease, male partner perspectives in fertility care, and the evolving legal landscape of reproductive medicine. Her research has appeared in JAMA, Fertility & Sterility, American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, and British Journal of Haematology, among others.
Jacqueline Lee, MD (’23)
Dr. Lee remained at Emory University following fellowship, where she is now an Assistant Professor and leads the Oncofertility Program at the Emory Reproductive Center. She also serves on the Advisory Board of the Georgia Fertility Network, supporting statewide advocacy for access to fertility care.
Dr. Lee’s research explores insurance mandates and ART discontinuation, embryo donation trends, frozen embryo transfer practices, endocrine disruptors, and reproductive care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her publications emphasize health policy, clinical outcomes, and systems-level impacts on fertility treatment access. She has authored work in American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Fertility & Sterility, Reproductive Biology & Endocrinology, and JAMA.
Quinton Katler, MD (’22)
Dr. Katler is currently a physician and the lab director at Shady Grove Fertility in Atlanta. He also serves on advisory boards for the Atlanta Jewish Fertility Foundation and Gift of Surrogacy Foundation, and is an active member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine LGBTQ Special Interest Group.
His fellowship research focused on ovarian reserve biology, egg freezing trends, IVF outcomes, and the long-term effort to reduce multiple gestation in assisted reproduction. He has also contributed to multinational metabolic disease research and studies examining COVID-19’s implications for human reproduction. His work appears in Human Reproduction, Fertility & Sterility, and American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Sina Abhari, MD (’21)
Following fellowship, Dr. Abhari spent two years as an Assistant Professor at Johns Hopkins University and is now with CCRM Fertility. He is currently a member of an ASRM national task force focused on endometriosis best practices and is recognized for his expertise in reproductive surgery.
His research spans environmental exposures and fertility outcomes, gender-affirming care and reproductive counseling, follicular fluid cytokine profiles, mosaic embryo transfer outcomes, and endometrial susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2. His publications reflect a blend of surgical, endocrine, and population health perspectives and appear in Environmental International, Urology, Reproductive Sciences, and Fertility & Sterility.
A Decade of Emory REI Alumni
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