MEDICAL ADVISORY COUNCIL

Pavna K. Brahma, M.D., FACOG, is a board certified reproductive endocrinologist. She earned her medical degree and completed her residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Michigan. Dr. Brahma completed her fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Emory University. During fellowship, her research in reproductive immunology was awarded a Prize Paper award at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) national meeting. Her fellowship thesis on the regulation of inflammation in adipose tissue was awarded the Basic Science 

Research award by Emory’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 

Dr. Brahma has practiced in Atlanta for over 10 years and has experience in assisted reproductive technologies and advanced reproductive procedures. Her clinical interests include optimizing outcomes in patients with diminished ovarian reserve, advances in vitro fertilization, recurrent pregnancy loss, fertility preservation, and polycystic ovary syndrome. Dr. Brahma has produced several publications and research presentations in the fields of endocrinology, infertility, and reproductive immunology. 

She is a fellow of the American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology and a member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Dr. Brahma is passionate about advancements in women’s health, and she is an appointed member of the Women in Healthcare Board of the Atlanta Women’s Foundation. Dr. Brahma’s most precious professional accomplishments are the awards she has received for patient care. She is married to Barun Brahma, M.D., a pediatric neurosurgeon at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, and they have two children. She enjoys international travel, yoga and flower arranging in her free time. 

Medical Director, Emory Reproductive Center
Associate Professor, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility
Clinical Director, Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART)
Guest Researcher, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Jennifer F. Kawwass, MD, joined the Emory Reproductive Center as an Assistant Professor in August of 2014. She is a native of Virginia Beach, VA where she was valedictorian of her graduating class at Norfolk Academy. She then went on to play Division I Field Hockey at Davidson College in Davidson, NC where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a BS degree in Biology.  She returned to her home state to complete medical school at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville where she received the Medical Alumni Association Outstanding Student Award.  In 2007, she moved to Atlanta for her Ob/Gyn residency at Emory University during which time she received numerous teaching, surgical, and research awards and was elected by her faculty and peers as an Administrative Chief Resident.  She chose to stay at Emory as a Fellow in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and received awards for her thesis research project, which she completed in partnership with the CDC, where she remains a Guest Researcher.  Dr. Kawwass is also the recipient of a national NIH / ASRM research training grant and of grant funding from the CDC.

Dr. Kawwass chose to join the Emory faculty because she genuinely believes that the Emory Reproductive Center offers exceptional evidence-based fertility care.  She is committed to individualizing and optimizing care for each of her patients.  She appreciates the emotional investment that goes along with fertility treatment and is dedicated to making the journey toward parenthood as smooth as possible for them. Dr. Kawwass is particularly interested in infertility, in vitro fertilization, functional hypothalamic amenorrhea, third party reproduction, and fertility preservation (oocyte cryopreservation).  

As a Guest Researcher at the CDC, Dr. Kawwass is also a member of the National ART Surveillance Team.  A few of her recent contributions to the literature include publications in Obstetrics and Gynecology (tubal factor infertility and perinatal outcomes, monozygotic twinning among ART-conceived infants), Fertility and Sterility (assisted hatching trends and outcomes), and JAMA (donor oocyte trends and predictors of good perinatal outcomes, safety of ART in the US, and ICSI trends and outcomes).  Her publications have received national press, including interviews by the Associated Press and USA today.  

Dr. Kawwass is Board Certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and is a member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. She is fluent in English and French, medical Spanish, and conversational Lebanese Arabic.  Dr. Kawwass’ interests outside of medicine include distance running, foreign travel, and spending time at the beach.  She and her husband, Peter Thompson, MD a Plastic Surgery Fellow at Emory, enjoy spending time with their two children.

Valerie Libby, M.D., M.P.H., FACOG, earned her medical degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin Honors Program studying Psychology and Spanish. She then earned a Masters in Global Public Health from George Washington University where she served as a fellow in Kenya for the Global Health Service. After finishing her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Parkland Hospital, University of Texas at Southwestern Medical Center, she completed a 3-year fellowship in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center/Case Western Reserve University.

Dr. Libby is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology and board eligible in reproductive endocrinology and infertility. She has expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of infertility, including polycystic ovary syndrome, male factor infertility, and ovarian aging. She is also accomplished in the areas of fertility preservation and elective egg freezing.

Dr. Libby has received several honors, including the Award for Excellence in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, University of Texas at Southwestern Medical Center; a Distinction in Medical Education from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio; and was acknowledged as an American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) 2018 Prize Paper Candidate. She has presented her research on in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes in fertile, sterilized patients at several national meetings.

An advocate in the reproductive endocrinology field, Dr. Libby has held a variety of leadership roles with the American Medical Student Association, American Medical Women’s Association, and the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Dr. Libby’s roots are in Atlanta, Georgia, where she graduated from Woodward Academy and was a member of Temple Sinai. She enjoys tennis, biking, cooking, and dancing. She speaks Spanish fluently and loves traveling. Sharing in her passion for reproductive medicine, her father and two brothers are urologists. After completing four egg freezing cycles herself, she is very passionate about egg freezing and reproductive planning.

Dr. Libby joined Shady Grove Fertility in September 2020 and is seeing patients at SGF's Atlanta - Northside location.

Dr. Bonnie Patel is a Board Certified Specialist in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at ACRM. Dr. Patel came to ACRM from Wake Forest University where she had been a practicing Reproductive Endocrinologist since 2012.

Dr. Patel completed her Fellowship training in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Case Western Reserve University in 2015. She received her undergraduate degree in Biology from University of Georgia in 2004, graduating summa cum laude with Highest Honors. She then completed her Medical Degree at The Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine in Augusta, GA in 2008. She completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine at Greenville Memorial Hospital, where she was elected by faculty and peers to serve as chief resident from 2011-2012. During residency, she was the recipient of the Thompson B. Gailey award for highest CREOG scores. 

In addition to being a practicing Reproductive Endocrinologist at Wake Forest Baptist Health, Dr Patel also served as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Wake Forest University. 

Dr. Bonnie Patel's clinical interests include oncofertility, assisted reproduction and minimally invasive surgery. 

Dr. Patel is a member of American Society of Reproductive Medicine, American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the American Association of Gynecological Laparoscopists. 

Dr. Bonnie Patel stated:“It is such a blessing to be able to help someone who has been struggling with infertility to finally achieve a pregnancy. I am looking forward to meeting new patients and helping them achieve their dreams of building a family.”

Dr. Reynolds completed her undergraduate education in microbiology and
Spanish at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. She subsequently completed her
medical training at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine which
earning research accolades.

After completing medical school, Dr. Reynolds continued her medical
education at Trihealth Obstetrics and Gynecology residency program in
Cincinnati, training at one of the highest-volume, highest-acuity obstetrics
programs in the state of Ohio.

Subsequently, she completed a three-year subspecialty training program in
Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Barnes-Jewish Hospital through
Washington University in St. Louis. During this fellowship program she
earned multiple awards for her research, including an NIH-funded research
grant, and has presented her research locally and internationally.
Dr. Reynolds is board-certified in both Obstetrics and Gynecology and
Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. She is a Fellow of the American
College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and a member of the American
Society for Reproductive Medicine.  Dr. Reynolds is the Medical Director of
the Bethesda Fertility Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. She is actively involved in
educating OB/GYN residents through the Trihealth Residency program as the
Director of Medical Education for the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology.
Providing personalized care plans and tailored therapies is the main focus of
Dr. Reynolds’ clinical practice. She is actively involved in reproductive clinical
research, and her main areas of focus are obesity and nutrition, and their
effects on fertility.

A deep understanding of infertility and the effects it has on a family guides Dr.
Reynolds’ medical practice. For this reason, she is honored to participate in
JFF. An inspiring program, JFF provides emotional, educational, and financial
assistance to ease the burden of infertility on patients.

Dr. Reynolds lives in Cincinnati with her husband, twin son and daughter, and
two mini lop bunnies.

Jessica R. Rubin, MD MSCI, returned to her hometown of Atlanta to join the RBA team of physicians in 2018. She received her B.S. degrees in Science, Technology and Society as well as Hispanic Studies at Vassar College. Dr. Rubin earned her medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia. Motivated by her interest in women’s health, she completed a four-year residency at Emory University and is board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Her residency training reinforced her passion for helping couples with reproductive struggles. 

Dr. Rubin’s primary clinical interests include fertility preservation, in vitro fertilization, polycystic ovarian syndrome, third party reproduction, and diminished ovarian reserve. Additionally, Dr. Rubin focuses on fertility preservation for women before and after cancer therapy. She is a passionate patient advocate who is dedicated to providing a high-quality, individualized approach to fertility medicine.

Dr. Scheiber graduated with distinction from Stanford University, received his MD from the University of California at San Francisco, and completed his residency in OB/GYN at the University of California at San Diego. 

He completed his fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the University of Cincinnati and holds graduate degrees in both Public Health and Health & Medical Sciences from the University of California at Berkeley.

Dr. Scheiber is board-certified in both OB/GYN and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. He is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and a member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.  Dr. Scheiber is Director of Reproductive Research and Co-Director of the IVF program at IRH.  He is also a Volunteer Associate Professor at the University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine.

In addition to performing laparoscopic laser, robotic, and pelvic reconstructive surgery, Dr. Scheiber has conducted research and has special interests in embryo development, ovarian stimulation, and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Dr. Scheiber lives in Cincinnati with his wife and three daughters.

Daniel B. Shapiro, M.D. joined Reproductive Biology Associates in 1995. A native of Miami, Florida, he graduated Magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. He then went on to medical school at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta and it was during this training that Dr. Shapiro first became interested in reproductive medicine by doing a research project with RBA in 1987.

Dr. Shapiro completed fellowship training in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine in 1995. Since graduating from fellowship, he has authored and/or co-authored over 50 scientific papers. He is an invited speaker on a number of topics in reproductive medicine and was recently faculty for a post-graduate course at ASRM. He is nationally and internationally known for his work with GnRH antagonists in IVF treatment and has consulted with other practices regarding the efficient use of these drugs.

With the advances made in egg freezing by RBA's lab, under Dr. Peter Nagy, Dr. Shapiro led the effort to establish a working clinical model for RBA's egg bank. Since the opening of the frozen egg bank for egg donation in 2007, Dr. Shapiro has acted as its clinical manager. Prior to this and currently, Dr. Shapiro also serves as RBA's medical director. In addition to his work in ovulation induction for IVF, Dr. Shapiro has interest in the management of PCOS, endometriosis and reproductive surgery.

Dr. Shapiro is board-certified in both Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Endocrinology/Infertility. He is a member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG), and the Society of Reproductive Endocrinologists.

Dr. Shapiro is married with three children. In his spare time he enjoys water sports, skiing, Scrabble with his children, and playing bit parts in community theater.

Stephanie Smeltzer, M.D., joined Atlanta Center for Reproductive Medicine in the summer of 2020. She completed her fellowship training at Duke University in North Carolina.

Dr. Smeltzer earned her undergraduate degree from Samford University and then received her M.D. from the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine. While at the University of Alabama, she received the John Di Placido Award, presented for Excellence in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Dr. Smeltzer completed her residency training at Baylor College of Medicine where she received the First Place Award for Resident Research Day from the Department of OB/GYN as well as Best Resident from the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility.

She specializes in medical management, surgical management, and IVF. She is excited to come to Atlanta to join ACRM due to our national reputation for success rates, the expertise of physicians, and the friendliness of the staff, and is looking forward to helping her patients realize their dreams of having a family.

Dr. Smeltzer’s interests outside of medicine include golfing and spending time with her husband and son.

Dr. Spencer is the director of the Reproductive Endocrinology Division and Fellowship in the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at Emory University. She attended the Sackler School of Medicine at Tel Aviv University in Israel and completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. She then completed a fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and a Masters in Clinical Research at Emory before joining the faculty in 2008. She is board-certified in both Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. Her research interests include premature ovarian insufficiency in girls and women with Classic Galactosemia, Fragile X premutation and in cancer survivors. She sees patients at the Emory Reproductive Center who need help getting pregnant or would benefit from advanced reproductive technologies including intrauterine insemination (IUI), in vitro fertilization (IVF) and preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). 

Suruchi Thakore, MD is the Division Director for the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the University of Cincinnati and Medical Diretor and Director of Third Party Reproduction at the UCHealth Center for Reproductive Health.  She received her medical degree from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo School of Medicine in 2009 and completed her OB/GYN residency at the Women and Children’s Hospital in Buffalo, NY.  Dr. Thakore’s fellowship training in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Fellowship was at University Hospitals at Case Western Reserve University. Her clinical interests include third party reproduction, fertility preservation, and reproductive endocrine disorders. Her current research is focused on social egg freezing and fertility preservation, endometriosis, and uterine fibroids.