MANHASSET, N.Y. — The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research at Northwell Health has received a $3.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health’s National Human Genome Research Institute to advance research into the emerging technology of Polygenic Embryo Selection (PES). The funding will support expanded scientific and ethical studies aimed at understanding how accurately PES can predict complex adult diseases and how society views its use in reproductive medicine.
The four-year grant, led by Todd Lencz, Ph.D., associate director and professor in the Institute of Behavioral Science at the Feinstein Institutes, extends a collaboration with Baylor College of Medicine and Massachusetts General Hospital. The multi-institutional effort will assess both the technical validity of PES and its broader ethical and social implications.
“Receiving this additional funding from the NIH underscores the critical importance of rigorously evaluating polygenic embryo selection,” said Dr. Lencz. “This support allows us to deepen our understanding of both the scientific validity and the complex ethical and societal dimensions of PES, ultimately working towards more informed decision-making in reproductive medicine as this technology evolves.”
The renewed study will continue to focus on two key areas. First, it will assess the accuracy of polygenic risk scores—genetic measures used to estimate an individual’s likelihood of developing diseases such as diabetes, schizophrenia, or cancer—to determine the true utility of PES. Second, it will involve interviews and surveys with IVF physicians, prospective parents, and other stakeholders to better understand their perceptions, concerns, and attitudes toward using PES in fertility treatments.
“The profound scientific and ethical landscape of polygenic embryo selection demands nothing less than meticulous investigation,” said Kevin J. Tracey, M.D., president and CEO of the Feinstein Institutes and Karches Family Distinguished Chair in Medical Research. “Dr. Lencz and his colleagues are uniquely positioned to investigate the foundational research and societal insights that will responsibly guide this rapidly evolving field, anchoring any future applications in robust evidence and unwavering ethical principles.”
Dr. Lencz’s work builds upon his prior NIH-funded research in cognitive genomics, exploring the genetic foundations of neurodevelopment and psychiatric disorders—an area that laid the groundwork for his current studies in embryo genetics and ethical genomics.
