Overview

The responsibilities of fatherhood start well before conception. Obesity and chronic disease in men, whilst known to impact their own fertility, also extends to the disease burden in their children. Promoting ‘healthy paternity’ may be an effective motivator for men to improve their own health and in doing so, intervene in the transfer and amplification of chronic disease and reproductive ill-health in the next generation. This research based in the Robinson Research Institute, examines the biology of how disease risk is transferred via sperm and use this knowledge to develop tests of risk and interventions targeting men at the family planning stage.
Contact: Dr Nicole McPherson

Key reference: Dietary Micronutrient Supplementation for 12 Days in Obese Male Mice Restores Sperm Oxidative Stress. McPherson NO, Shehadeh H, Fullston T, Zander-Fox DL, Lane M.Nutrients. 2019 Sep 12;11(9):2196. doi: 10.3390/nu11092196.

Funding acknowledgement: National Health & Medical Research Council, The Robinson Research Institute, Masonic Charities Trust.