Educated in the UK, Dr Tracey Edgell came to Australia in 1999 after completing her PhD at the University of Hertfordshire. She spent 11 years working within the Australian biotechnology sector as a Research and Development scientist, with expertise in developing protein isolation/analysis techniques, biomarker identification and assay development. During this time, Dr Edgell’s work generated novel intellectual property and she oversaw a number of products to commercial release. Dr Edgell joined the Hudson Institute of Medical Research in 2011 under the mentorship of Professor Lois Salamonsen.

Dr Edgell’s initial focus was to examine the role of cytokines in determining endometrial receptivity and predicting IVF outcome. This project has led to the completion of a 400 patient clinical trial and the generation of two patents. Dr Edgell is collaborating with a commercial partner on the project.

Dr Edgell’s program of research also examines protein glycoforms and their relationship with endometrial receptivity, regulation of fertility and potential diagnostic use. Another major focus is the often overlooked proliferative phase of endometrium formation. This study was performed largely by Dr Harriet Fitzgerald during her PhD and has identified significant differences in cytokine, proteome and glycoproteomes of infertile women during the endometrial renewal phase. This study progressed to generating a 3-dimensional co-culture model of gland development, opening the way for future studies examining potential therapeutics to improve endometrial growth and treatment of infertile women.

Dr Edgell has been successful in securing funding from NHMRC, including a current Development grant to perform a multi-site validation of a prognostic for predicting IVF outcome. Additonal funding from Merck Serono Grant for Fertility Innovation (2012, 2013, 2015), Ferring Innovation Grant (2018) and in 2017 Dr Edgell was the recipient of the Fielding Innovation Award.

Selected publications

• Edgell TA (2018) Protein biomarkers of endometrial receptivity. In: Kovacs G and Salamonsen L (eds). How to prepare the endometrium to maximize implantation rates and IVF success. Cambridge University Press.

• Edgell TA, Evans J, Lazzaro L, Boyes K, Sridhar M, Catt S, Rombauts LJF, Vollenhoven BJ, Salamonsen LA (2018) Assessment of potential biomarkers of pre-receptive and receptive endometrium in uterine fluid and a functional evaluation of the potential role of CSF3 in fertility. Cytokine 111:222-229.

• Fitzgerald HC, Evans J, Johnson N, Infusini G, Webb A, Rombauts LJR, Vollenhoven BJ, Salamonsen LA, Edgell TA (2018) Idiopathic infertility in women is associated with distinct changes in proliferative phase uterine fluid proteins. Biol Reprod 98(6):752-764.

• van Sinderen M, Oyanedel, Menkhorst E, Cuman C, Rainczuk K, Winship A, Salamonsen LA, Edgell TA, Dimitriadis E (2017) Soluble delta-like ligand 1 alters human endometrial epithelial cell adhesive capacity. Reprod Fertil Dev 29(4):694-702.

• Salamonsen LA, Evans J, Nguyen HPT, Edgell TA (2015) The microenvironment of human implantation: determinant of reproductive success. Am J Reprod Immunol Review 75(3):218-25.

• Fitzgerald HC, Salamonsen LA, Rombauts L, Vollenhoven BJ, Edgell TA (2016) The proliferative phase underpins endometrial development: altered cytokine profiles in uterine lavage fluid of women with idiopathic infertility. Cytokine 88:12-19.

• Edgell TA, Rombauts LJF, Salamonsen LA (2013) Assessing receptivity in the endometrium: the need for a rapid, non-invasive test. Reprod Biomed Online 27(5):486-96.

• Evans J, Hannan NJ, Edgell TA, Vollenhoven BJ, Lutjen PJ, Osianlis T, Salamonsen LA, Rombauts LJ (2014) Fresh versus frozen embryo transfer: backing clinical decisions with scientific and clinical evidence. Hum Reprod Update 20(6):808-21.

• Salamonsen LA, Edgell TA, Rombauts L, Stephens A, Robertson D, Rainczuk A, Nie G, Hannan N (2013) Proteomics of the human endometrium and uterine fluid: a pathway to biomarker discovery. Fertil Steril 99(4):1086-1092.

• Edgell TA, Barraclough DL, Rajic A, Dhulia J, Lewis KJ, Armes JE, Barraclough R, Rudland PS, Rice GE, Autelitano DJ (2010) Increased plasma concentrations of anterior gradient 2 protein are positively associated with ovarian cancer. Clinical Science (London) 118(12):717-725.

• Edgell TA, Martin-Roussety G, Barker G, Autelitano DJ, Allen D, Grant P, Rice GE (2010) Phase II biomarker trial of a multimarker diagnostic for ovarian cancer. Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology 136(7):1079-1088.

• Rice GE, Edgell TA, Autelitano DJ (2010) Evaluation of midkine and anterior gradient 2 in a multimarker panel for the detection of ovarian cancer. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 29:62.