Sonja B. Kristiansen, MD

Sonja B. Kristiansen, MD, board certified Reproductive Endocrinologist Infertility (REI) specialist, has practiced infertility in the Houston area since 1995. A native Texan, Dr. Kristiansen began her pursuit of becoming a REI specialist when she received her medical degree from Texas Tech University School of Medicine in Lubbock, Texas. Next, she completed a residency program in Obstetrics & Gynecology at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas. This is also where she met and married her husband. Not only did Dr. Kristiansen fall in love with her husband during their OB/GYN residency, she also fell in love with the challenges of infertility, both the surgical and technical aspects. "Seeing the smile on the face of my patient when we conquered the problem was addicting," said Dr. Kristiansen. She quickly decided to continue her training with a fellowship in the division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. Dr. Kristiansen delayed her own children to pursue her career, having her first son toward the end of her REI fellowship. Four long years later she had a second son. She personally understands the struggles and choices some women make regarding their careers and childbearing.

In January 2002 she realized her dream of starting her own infertility center by founding Houston Infertility Clinic (HIC) where she serves as the Medical Director. Her goal in establishing HIC and her own private practice "Where Women Specialize in the Care of Women" was to provide couples complete and comprehensive infertility treatment in a compassionate, private environment that was easily accessible and affordable. Recognizing most couples work and therefore have demanding schedules, she offers early morning appointments (7:00 am) for patients undergoing treatment. This allows most patients to be at work anywhere in Houston by 9:00 am. Having completed more than 700 IVF cycles with pregnancy rates that compare well nationally, HIC is now utilized by several other Reproductive Endocrinologists in the Houston area.

Specializing in surgical and in-vitro fertilization procedures, Dr. Kristiansen has advanced training in hysteroscopy, laparoscopy, and micro-tubal reconstruction. She also works with female endocrine abnormalities relating to menstrual and reproductive development.

Dr. Kristiansen is well published, participating in many speaking engagements relating to infertility and is frequently used as resource by the news media. Dr. Kristiansen is a fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, a member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, the American Medical Association, the Texas Medical Society, and the Harris County Medical Society.

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Neil R. Stoddart, Ph.D., HCLD

Dr. Stoddart began his career in Human Embryology in 1994 upon receiving his PhD at University of Southampton in the United Kingdom. He served four years at NURTURE (Nottingham University Research and Treatment Unit) at University of Nottingham, one of England's most prestigious and largest IVF programs.

He began as a clinical embryologist/andrologist and advanced to senior embryologist at NURTURE, specializing in the treatment of severe male factor cases using the Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) technique. During his tenure there, Dr. Stoddart treated more than 1,000 stimulated ART cases per year. NURTURE achieved the highest Live Birth Rate of all ART Centers licensed by the UK HFEA.

Dr. Stoddart worked directly in all aspects of Clinical Embryology at NURTURE, including carrying out:

• oocyte recovery and culture,
• semen analysis (including CASA)
• sperm preparation, freezing and thawing
• recovery of sperm after PESA/TESE
• IVF/HIC inseminations
• scoring of fertilization and oocyte maturity
• removal of cumulus cells in preparation for ICSI using hyaluronidase
• embryo assessment, transfer, cryopreservation and thawing

In 1998 Dr. Stoddart was invited to the United States to join Toll Center for Reproductive Sciences, Abington Memorial Hospital in Abington, Pennsylvania as their Laboratory Director. He served there until 2000 when his desire to live in a warmer climate prompted Dr. Stoddart to accept an invitation from University Community Hospital, Reproductive Medical Group in Tampa, Florida to serve as Laboratory Director. During his tenure there from 2000 until recently, UCH/RMG saw an appreciable increase in their overall pregnancy rate.

Dr. Stoddart is board certified in both Embrology and Andrology. He continues to be involved in research, publishing extensively and regularly in national and international scientific venues. He is a member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM,) the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE,) and of ALPHA, Scientists in Reproductive Medicine.