Major Award Times Two
Researcher-physician and inventor DAVID SEIFER,
MD, a clinical professor of 
obstetrics, gynecology
and reproductive sciences at RWJMS, was honored
with an Inventor of the Year Award from the
New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame in October
and a Thomas Alva Edison Patent Award from
the Research & Development Council of New
Jersey in November. These awards are given to
scientists and inventors whose patents represent
the most important scientific innovations
originating in the state.
Seifer was given the awards for his work in developing clinical testing to assess ovarian aging. He and colleagues discovered that Mullerian Inhibiting Substance (MIS), also known as Antimullerian Hormone (AMH), is the earliest biomarker of ovarian aging. The hormone is produced by early stage ovarian follicles, declines with age and its levels can be measured with a simple blood test. The test to measure its levels is now widely used in reproductive medicine and research in more than 50 countries to assess female fertility. “Other fertility tests confirm that menopause has happened,” explains Seifer. “But AMH appears to anticipate menopause by several years,” giving women a window of opportunity for having children. “It’s useful in making clinical decisions about egg supply and a reasonable prediction of when menopause may occur.” Seifer’s co-inventor is David MacLaughlin, PhD, of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
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