Translational Reproductive Medicine
Our mission is to understand female reproductive organs and their unexplained pathologies. By creating biobanks and developing advanced in vitro models we aim to translate clinical questions and observations, towards better understanding and improving reproductive medicine and woman's healthcare
Ongoing projects
- SEMPLA (MERCK fertility NL)- Explores seminal plasma interaction with the endometrium to ultimately improve IVF
- PROFOUND (IBSA)- Hormonal influences on fertility within obesity contexts
- RISE (ZonMw)- The relation between childhood sexual abuse and adverse events and Endometriosis
- FEMCHIP (NWO)- Tackling endometriosis and adenomyosis through improved clinical diagnostics and human in vitro models to unlock understanding and therapy development
- TULIP (EU horizon)- Untapping the potential for improved female reproductive healthcare: diagnosing and reinforcing the status of UTERINE-associated fertility
Contact for internships
Dr. Gaby Steba g.s.steba@umcutrecht.nl
People
| Name | Position | Information/Contact |
| Gaby Steba | Assistant professor (PI) | g.s.steba@umcutrecht.nl |
| Jonna van den Berg | PhD student | j.s.vandenberg-35@umcutrecht.nl |
| Yuwei Zhang | PhD student | y.zhang-2@umcutrecht.nl |
| Marlon Veldkamp | PhD student | m.g.veldkamp-6@umcutrecht.nl |
| Holly O’Conner | Master student | |
| Nina Bussink | Master student | |
| Martine Kleiman | HLO student |
Publications
| van den Berg JS, Toros M, Abendroth MS, Zhang Y, Arends B, Verpoest WMJA, Broekmans FJM, Steba GS. Seminal plasma induces receptivity-associated genes and pathways in endometrial epithelial organoids. Reprod Biomed Online. 2025 Sep;51(3):104982. doi: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2025.104982. Epub 2025 Mar 26. PMID: 40706170. |
| van den Berg JS, Molina NM, Altmäe S, Arends B, Steba GS. A systematic review identifying seminal plasma biomarkers and their predictive ability on IVF and ICSI outcomes. Reprod Biomed Online. 2024 Feb;48(2):103622. doi: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2023.103622. Epub 2023 Oct 18. PMID: 38128376. |
| Kaya YA, de Zoete MR, Steba GS. Advanced Technologies for Studying Microbiome-Female Reproductive Tract Interactions: Organoids, Organoids-on-a-Chip, and Beyond. Semin Reprod Med. 2023 Sep;41(5):160-171. doi: 10.1055/s-0043-1778067. Epub 2024 Jan 23. PMID: 38262440; PMCID: PMC11444813. |
| Bui BN, Ardisasmita AI, van de Vliert FH, Abendroth MS, van Hoesel M, Mackens S, Fuchs SA, Nieuwenhuis EES, Broekmans FJM, Steba GS. Enrichment of cell cycle pathways in progesterone-treated endometrial organoids of infertile women compared to fertile women. J Assist Reprod Genet. 2024 Sep;41(9):2405-2418. doi: 10.1007/s10815-024-03173-y. Epub 2024 Jul 12. PMID: 38995509; PMCID: PMC11405558. |
| Bui BN, Ardisasmita AI, Kuijk E, Altmäe S, Steba G, Mackens S, Fuchs S, Broekmans F, Nieuwenhuis E. An unbiased approach of molecular characterization of the endometrium: toward defining endometrial-based infertility. Hum Reprod. 2024 Feb 1;39(2):275-281. doi: 10.1093/humrep/dead257. PMID: 38099857; PMCID: PMC10833067. |
Alumni
| Name | Past position/ current position | Contact/Linkedin |
| Matthijs Abendroth | Research technician | |
| Bich Bui | PhD student |