Sonia Herraiz, Ph.D.

Ovarian Rejuvenation and Fertility Preservation Research Group Leader at FIVI.

FIVI Valencia

Sonia Herraiz, Ph.D.

Biography

Dr. Sonia Herraiz is a staff scientist at IVI Foundation leading the Ovarian rejuvenation and Fertility Preservation research group, visiting scholar at Stanford University Medical School in the Department of OB/GYN, member of the Reproductive Medicine group at the Instituto Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, and part of the Fertility Preservation Unit at La Fe University Hospital in Valencia.

She obtained her Bachelors degree, majoring in Biology at the University of Valencia in 2003, and joined IVI Foundation in 2006, obtaining her PhD degree, also from the University of Valencia in 2010 with distinction as Magna Cum laude. As part of her post-doctoral training, she spent a year at the University of Edinburgh with Dr. Evelyn E. Telfer to learn in vitro follicle culture and oocyte maturation. In addition, she had several short term stays to improve her skills. These include Infertility Center of St. Louis (MI, US), hosted by Prof. Sherman Silber, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kanagawa (Japan) hosted by Dr. Kawamura, and Stanford University, CA, USA, under the supervision of Prof. Aaron Hsueh.

The primary focus of her laboratory is ovarian rejuvenation. She tackles this question using a number of cutting-edge approaches, including autologous bone marrow-derived stem cell transplantation and ovarian fragmentation. She is also intersted in the development of new alternatives for Fertility Preservation in cancer patients where the ovarian transplantation is contraindicated. She has been funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (SAF and FIS projects), and the Valencian Health Agency (PROMETEO project), as well as private institutions. She has also been awarded the highly competitive Sara Borrell postdoctoral grant from the Spanish Government in 2012 and from Valencian Education agency in 2016.

She has authored over 20 peer-reviewed scientific papers and review articles in international journals and presented over 30 communications in meetings. She received the Spanish Fertility Society Award in 2016. Dr. Herraiz is ad-hoc reviewer for a number of leading reproductive journals and has been recognized as a Star reviewer by Fertility and Sterility.

Dr. Sonia Herraiz is the co-director of 4 Thesis projects and 3 Master projects at University of Valencia and is Faculty of the Master’s Degree Program in Biotechnology of Assisted Human Reproduction (University of Valencia)

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Education and Training

BSc University of Valencia, Spain (2003)
PhD (Biology) University of Valencia, Spain (2010)
Fellowship University of Edinburgh (2012)
Fellowship Stanford University School of Medicine (2016)

Honors and recognition

Torres Quevedo Contract. Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness 2017-2020
BEST program Grant for postdoctoral stay at Stanford University, from the Valencian Regional Government 2016
Spanish Fertility Society Award 2016
Fertility and Sterility Star Reviewer Award – Dr. Jacques Donnez Associate Editor 2016
Fertility and Sterility Star Reviewer Award – Dr. Nicolás Garrido Associate Editor 2016
Sara Borrell post-doctoral contract granted by the Spanish National Institute of Health Carlos III 2011-2013
Top five abstract at International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology (ISUOG) 2009

Publications


  • Three-dimensional NIR-II molecular imaging distinguishes targeting organs with high-performance NIR-II bioconjugates.
    Zhu S, Herraiz S*, Yue J, Zhang M, Wan H, Yang Q, Ma Z, Wang Y, He J, Antaris A, Zhong Y, Feng Y, Zhou Y, Liang Y, Hsueh AJ, Dai H. Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.). Epub Dec 2, 2017.

  • Live imaging of follicle stimulating hormone receptors in gonads and bones using near infrared II fluorophore.
    Feng Y, Zhu S, Antaris AL, Chen H, Xiao Y, Lu X, Jiang L, Diao S, Yu K, Wang Y, Herraiz S, Yue J, Hong X, Hong G, Cheng Z, Dai H, Hsueh AJ.
    Chem Sci. 8(5):3703-3711, 2017.

  • Ovarian Tissue Cryopreservation: Slow Freezing.
    Herraiz S, Díaz-García C, Pellicer A.
    Gonadal Tissue Cryopreservation in Fertility Preservation, pp.53-77, 2016.


  • New methods to improve the safety assessment of cryopreserved ovarian tissue for fertility preservation in breast cancer patients.
    Rodríguez-Iglesias B, Novella-Maestre E, Herraiz S* Díaz-García C, Pellicer N, Pellicer A.
    Fertil Steril. 104(6):1493-502, 2015.

  • Short-Term PTEN Inhibition Improves In Vitro Activation of Primordial Follicles, Preserves Follicular Viability, and Restores AMH Levels in Cryopreserved Ovarian Tissue From Cancer Patients.
    Novella-Maestre E, Herraiz S*, Rodríguez-Iglesias B, Díaz-García C, Pellicer A.
    PLoS One. 10(5):e0127786, 2015.

  • Single site laparoscopy for fertility preservation: a cohort study. Núñez Valera MJ, Padilla Iserte P, Higueras García G, Herraiz S, Rubio JM, Romeu Villarroya M, Pellicer A, Díaz-García C. J Minim Invasive Gynecol.22(2):291-6, 2015.

  • The artificial ovary: any new step is a step forward.
    Díaz-García C, Herraiz S.
    Fertil Steril. 101(4):940, 2014.

  • Improving ovarian tissue cryopreservation for oncologic patients: slow freezing versus vitrification, effect of different procedures and devices.
    Herraiz S, Novella-Maestre E, Rodríguez B, Díaz C, Sánchez-Serrano M, Mirabet V, Pellicer A.
    Fertil Steril.101(3):775-84, 2014.

  • Effect of antiangiogenic treatment on peritoneal endometriosis-associated nerve fibers.
    Novella-Maestre E, Herraiz S, Vila-Vives JM, Carda C, Ruiz-Sauri A, Pellicer A.
    Fertil Steril. 98(5):1209-17, 2012.

  • Sildenafil citrate improves perinatal outcome in fetuses from pre-eclamptic rats.
    Herraiz S, Pellicer B, Serra V, Cauli O, Cortijo J, Felipo V, Pellicer A.
    BJOG.119(11):1394-402, 2012.

  • Prenatal brain damage in preeclamptic animal model induced by gestational nitric oxide synthase inhibition.
    Pellicer B, Herraiz S, Leal A, Simón C, Pellicer A.
    J Pregnancy. 2011:809569, 2011.

  • Haemodynamic effects of long-term administration of sildenafil in normotensive pregnant and non-pregnant rats.
    Pellicer B, Herraiz S, Cauli O, Rodrigo R, Asensi M, Cortijo J, Serra V, Morcillo E, Felipo V, Simón C, Pellicer A.
    BJOG. 118(5):615-23, 2011.

  • Ultrasound bioeffects in rats: quantification of cellular damage in the fetal liver after pulsed Doppler imaging.
    Pellicer B, Herraiz S, Táboas E, Felipo V, Simon C, Pellicer A.
    Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 37(6):643-8, 2011.

  • Treatment with sildenafil prevents impairment of learning in rats born to pre-eclamptic mothers.
    Cauli O, Herraiz S, Pellicer B, Pellicer A, Felipo V.
    Neuroscience.171(2):506-12, 2010.

  • cGMP modulates stem cells differentiation to neurons in brain in vivo.
    Gómez-Pinedo U, Rodrigo R, Cauli O, Herraiz S, Garcia-Verdugo JM, Pellicer B, Pellicer A, Felipo V.
    Neuroscience. 165(4):1275-83, 2010.

  • Occurrence of Edwardsiella tarda in wild European eels Anguilla anguilla from Mediterranean Spain.
    Alcaide E, Herraiz S, Esteve C.
    Dis Aquat Organ.;73(1):77-81, 2006.

  • First description of nonmotile Vibrio vulnificus strains virulent for eels. Esteve C, Alcaide E, Herraiz S, Canals R, Merino S, Tomás JM.
    FEMS Microbiol Lett. 266(1):90-7, 2007.

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Videos

Ovarian rejuvenation
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