Our Faculty

Each patient encounter and research challenge represent a unique facet of a field I love. Early in my medical career, I realized I wanted a deep understanding of the processes of life and their effects on reproductive physiology and disease.

The medical system can be overwhelming and impersonal, and reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI) can be an enormously challenging experience for patients. I empathize with how my patients might feel. Providing access to fertility services for LGBTQIA+ patients and creating a positive, welcoming atmosphere for patients are integral parts of my practice.

I love meeting my patients, hearing their unique stories and feeling like I've been able to offer them something that makes their lives easier, more comfortable and brings joy to them and their families.

Outside of my work as an OB-GYN and REI specialist, I love to experience the outdoors by traveling, camping, hiking and skiing with my family. I also enjoy painting watercolor and cooking without a recipe.

As part of my role, I also run the Kallen Lab — a research program that aims to improve our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms underlying follicular development and reproductive aging in the mammalian ovary.

Areas of interest/expertise: LGBTQ+ fertility services access, regulatory mechanisms underlying follicular development and reproductive aging.

In addition to OBGYN training, Dr. Peipert has expertise in public health, epidemiology, and health services research. Previous NIH-funded grant/project experience include: 1) NICHD-funded randomized trial of a computer-based intervention to encourage dual method contraceptive use to prevent unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs); 2) Contraceptive CHOICE Project, a large prospective cohort study, the which recruited close to 10,000 women and followed them for 2-3 years for contraceptive effectiveness, satisfaction, and continuation rates; and 3) FACT (Fertility after Contraceptive Termination) Study. Dr. Peipert continues to be interested in conception, STIs, and infertility, and specifically the effect of Mycoplasma genitalium on fertility.

Areas of interest/expertise: contraception, sexually transmitted infection, infertility, epidemiology, public health

Ira M. Bernstein M.D. is Professor and University Scholar in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at UVM. He graduated magna cum laude from Union College in NY with a degree in Psychobiology (1978) and is an Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society graduate from the University of Vermont College of Medicine (1983). He has served as director of maternal fetal medicine (MFM) and MFM fellowship training as well as Senior Associate Dean for Research at the UVM College of Medicine and most recently as chair of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences.

Dr. Bernstein’s primary research interest is the investigation of human integrative physiology and its pathophysiologic variations during the course of pregnancy. He has been funded as a PI from NIH for a series of projects examining pre-pregnancy determinants of preeclampsia as well as mechanisms of thrombosis during pregnancy. He has served as a collaborating Co-I with Drs Higgins and Heil examining mechanisms to facilitate smoking cessation during pregnancy and their effects. Dr. Bernstein has served on, or chaired, several study sections at NIH and the Gates Foundation including 2 years as the chair of the NIH Pregnancy and Neonatology standing study section. He is past president of the New England Perinatal Research Society and the International Perinatal Research Society. He was a member of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology Task Force on Hypertension and has served as a member of multiple NIH workshops examining perinatal complications. Dr Bernstein was recognized with the Distinguished Academic Achievement Award from the UVM College of Medicine in 2002 and as a University Scholar in 2016. He has received research awards from the New England Perinatal Society, the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine and the Society for Reproductive Investigation. He currently serves as chair of the medical advisory board and ex-offico on the executive board for the Preeclampsia Foundation and is a member of the executive boards of the Cardiovascular Research Institute of Vermont and the Vermont Oxford Neonatal Network.

With regard to mentorship experience from 2004-10 I directed the fellowship training program in Maternal Fetal Medicine at the University of Vermont (UVM) Medical Center. In that position, and as a faculty member, I have been the primary mentor for 17 MD and/or PhD investigators for their fellowship or postdoctoral research projects. Of the 15 MD trainees, 5 remain in academic practices with a research component and 10 are in clinical practice. Of 2 PhD mentees, 1 is in an academic position and one works in Pharma. From 2005-2012 I served on the Internal Advisory Committee (IAC) for the UVM K-30 Clinical Research Training Grant. From 2009-2015 I chaired the IAC and then served as PI for the UVM Women’s Reproductive Health Research (K-12) mentored training program. I currently serve as a senior project mentor on the UVM COBRE on Cardiovascular and Brain Health, and mentor trainees at the undergraduate, medical school, resident, fellow and junior faculty levels.  I believe that the best mentored relationships identify the strength and interests of a mentee and build on those to create collaborative productive experiences.

Research Interests: Maternal smoking, coagulation in pregnancy, fetal growth, fetal growth abnormalities, pre-eclampsia, maternal physiology.

Expertise: Doppler Velocimetry, Fetal Echocardiography, Fetal Growth, Obstetrical Ultrasound

Dr. Bonney is a senior member of the Vermont Collaborative for Immunity and Host-Microbe Interactions (CIHMI), past President of the Preterm Birth International collaborative, past Chair of the Board of Scientific Councilors of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and past Chair of the Career Development and Diversity Committee of the Society for Reproductive Investigation. She is also an attending physician in our Generalist Division and the University of Vermont Medical Center for Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery. She is the recipient of several awards for leadership, mentorship, gender equity and reproductive science.

Her NIH-funded laboratory uses mouse models to study the homeostasis of maternal T cells in response to fetal and environmental antigens. Her group further investigates the role played by this process in the regulation of infertility, maternal cardiovascular biology, responses to viral infection, and the metabolic and other factors leading to preterm birth.  She feels that this work may also reveal clues about how the maternal immune system “educates” that of the developing fetus. Her recent work interests also include mechanisms of aging in the fetal membranes and in other reproductive tissues, such as the ovary. In her work she has published over 125 manuscripts, abstracts, book chapters and scientific commentaries.

She strongly supports the wise and innovative approaches to use both mouse and novel non- animal models for research,  representation in science and medicine and the building of research capacity through teaching, mentorship and sponsorship.

In her free time, Dr. Bonney loves her garden, walking and traveling.

Research Interests: using developing mouse models to investigate pregnancy’s influence on T-cell regulation; role of infection and innate immunity in preterm birth.

Expertise: Gynecologic Infectious Disease, Gynecology, Obstetrics, Sexually Transmittable Infections in Women, Vulvar Pain Syndromes

Dr. Dundee has a particular interest in the application of assisted reproduction technologies to unique populations.  She also enjoys working with pediatric and adolescent reproductive endocrinology patients, particularly primary and secondary amenorrhea.  Additionally, she performs minimally invasive surgeries to optimize fertility.

Areas of interest/expertise: ART, pediatric and adolescent reproductive endocrinology, primary and secondary amenorrhea, minimally invasive surgery

Navid Esfandiari, PhD, ELD, HCLD, is a Clinical Professor and the IVF and Andrology Laboratories Director at the University of Vermont Medical Center. Dr Esfandiari has been a hands-on clinical embryologist for nearly three decades, has published over 100 papers and book chapters in the field of human reproduction, and his current research is focusing on improving IVF treatment outcome. Dr Esfandiari serves in American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) Patient Education Committee as well as the SART Quality Assurance Committee.

Areas of interest/expertise: Andrology, Embryology, human reproduction, and improving IVF treatment outcomes

I came to UVM in 1990 from my REI Fellowship and was involved in establishing the IVF program and becoming a clinical researcher and educator.  Before leaving for the position of OB/GYN Chair at the University of Massachusetts, I was fortunate to be involved in providing clinical care to all aspects of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility patients, performing minimally invasive surgery, and advancing infertility treatment.  As the OB/GYN Residency Director and then the REI Fellowship Director, I was committed to advancing educational services to our students, residents, and fellows at UVM.  My research in the areas of hormonal contraception, hormonal impact on neurologic function, postmenopausal health, and academic gynecologic education also involved my UVM colleagues including residents and fellows.  As the REI Division Director, I had the privilege of recruiting outstanding faculty and fellows.  Many active years with ASRM, ACOG, and the AMA as an academic representative allowed me to contribute to promote OB/GYN and REI as critical portions of health care.  After retiring and becoming a Professor Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts in 2020, I returned home to Vermont to relax on Lake Champlain with my husband.  Yet UVM needed me!  I have been pleased to continue to offer patient care and education through the last 6 years and continue to highly value my time with REI Fellows.

Teaching is my way to learn from the learners.  I enjoy hearing their insights and approaches to complex medical issues.  It is a joy to observe their academic growth as their knowledge advances.

Outside of REI:  Still love quiet days on the lake with my beloved husband of 42 years and time spent with our family.

Shanmugasundaram Nallasamy received his Veterinary Medicine degree in India and his PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He continued his post-doctoral research at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. In 2019, He started his independent faculty position at the University of Vermont, where he currently holds a primary appointment in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at the Larner College of Medicine.

His research interests are always centered around reproductive biology. Throughout his career, he has investigated various reproductive processes, such as ovarian follicular development, in vitro embryo development, embryo implantation, endometrial decidualization, cervical remodeling, myometrial function, and steroid hormone regulation. The current focus of his laboratory is to understand the structure and function of the extracellular matrix in the uterus during pregnancy and parturition. His laboratory utilizes physiologically relevant, genetically engineered mouse models, as well as genomic, proteomic, tissue biomechanical, and imaging techniques to address various research questions.

Areas of interest/expertise: Reproductive biology, Parturition, Preterm birth, Myometrial biology, Extracellular matrix