Pasquale Patrizio, MD

Pasquale Patrizio, MD, MBE, HCLD, FACOG, an internationally renowned specialist in female and male reproductive medicine, is joining the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine as professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences and chief of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility.
“I look forward to leading our clinical, research and education programs in the spirit of trust, transparency and inclusion,” said Dr. Patrizio, whose discoveries have changed the way reproductive medicine and in vitro fertilization (IVF) are practiced throughout the world. He has spent the last 17 years at Yale University, directing the fertility center and IVF program at Yale School of Medicine.
“Dr. Patrizio has made major contributions to the field of reproductive medicine since the 1990s,” said Michael Paidas, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences. “We are excited to welcome him to the UHealth-Miller School family and look forward to advancing our program.”
Dr. Patrizio, who holds a master’s degree in bioethics (MBE), takes a collaborative approach to patient care and research. He plans to develop a Center for Reproductive Health with a service for transgender individuals, similar to his highly successful program at Yale. He also expects to create a fellowship program with Dr. Paidas for training future generations of reproductive medicine specialists.
“I will be working closely with the Miller School’s urologists, oncologists, pediatricians, geneticists and other specialists to provide personalized care to our patients,” said Dr. Patrizio.
Dr. Patrizio is one of the few U.S. fertility specialists to see both men and women. “Couples appreciate being seen by one doctor in a supportive environment, so both individuals can express their feelings, and discuss their options based on the same information,” he said. “Patients love this approach, which improves the coordination of care.”
Significant discoveries
In his 25-year career, Dr. Patrizio has produced research accomplishments of extraordinary importance and innovation spanning basic and clinical reproductive medicine. For instance, he discovered that the congenital absence of the vas deferens in men is a mild form of cystic fibrosis, and he found that some cases of male infertility are due to deletions on the Y-chromosome. This finding paved the way for genetic assessments as part of the clinical assessments for infertile men.
Dr. Patrizio also co-pioneered the microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration (MESA) technique to improve male fertility and developed whole ovary cryopreservation via multi-thermal gradient for fertility preservation in women. He also studied new methods for bio-banking gametes, reproductive tissue, and stem cells. In addition, Dr. Patrizio was co-author of the guidelines for fertility preservation in cancer on behalf of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).
Global recognition
These accomplishments have earned Dr. Patrizio global recognition as a clinical translational scientist and numerous honors and awards, including the induction as a life fellow member of the International Academy of Human Reproduction, a 36-members-only international group of experts and teachers of reproductive medicine.
Dr. Patrizio was also co-founder and former president of the International Society for Fertility Preservation (ISFP) and immediate past chair of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine’s Fertility Preservation Group.
He has published a leading assisted reproductive technologies (ART) textbook, five additional books, and 211 peer reviewed original manuscripts. He serves as an associate editor of Reproductive BioMedicine online and the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, and is on the editorial board of the Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics.
Dr. Patrizio earned his medical degree followed by additional training in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Napoli in Italy and completed a residency in andrology at the University of Pisa. He moved to the United States for a second residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of California Irvine where he completed a fellowship in reproductive endocrinology and infertility. Dr. Patrizio was then appointed director of the male infertility program at the University of Pennsylvania, where he established a clinical and research program in male infertility.

Learn more about the services and treatments offered at the: UHealth Center for Reproductive Medicine.