Department of OBGYN

Kyle Orwig, Ph.D.

  • Professor, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences
  • Marcus Allen Hogge Chair in Reproductive Genetics School of Medicine

Education & Training

  • Senior Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Pennsylvania
  • Postdoctoral training, University of Kansas Medical Center
  • PhD, Biochemistry & Biophysics and Animal Sciences, Oregon State University

Representative Publications

  1. Sheng Y, Yap YT, Li W, Dhikhirullahi O, Niu C, Rabbani M, Krawetz SA, Hammoud SS, Orwig KE, Zhang Z. Normal embryo development needs MEIG1-mediated sperm formation. FASEB J 2025. doi: 10.1096/fj.202500109R. [PUBMED]
  2. Harancher MR, Sukhwani M, Castro CA, Hsieh MH, Orwig KE. Generation of two isogenic sickle cell disease induced pluripotent stem cell lines from testicular fibroblasts. Stem Cell Res. 2023 Dec:73:103257. doi: 10.1016/j.scr.2023.103257. [PUBMED]
  3. Younis N, Caldeira-Brant AL, Chu T, Abdalla S, Orwig KE. Human immature testicular tissue organ culture: a step towards fertility preservation and restoration. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2023 Aug 28:14:1242263. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1242263. [PUBMED]
  4. Tran KTD, Valli-Pulaski H, Colvin A, Orwig KE. Male fertility preservation and restoration strategies for patients undergoing gonadotoxic therapies. Biol Reprod 2022;107(2):382-405. doi: 10.1093/biolre/ioac072. [PUBMED]  
  5. Shami AN, Zheng X, Munyoki SK, Ma Q, Manske GL, Green GD, Sukhwani M, Orwig KE, Li JL*, Hammoud SS. Single-cell RNA sequencing of human, macaque, and mouse testes uncovers conserved and divergent features of mammalian spermatogenesis. Dev Cell 2020, 54(4):529-547.e12. doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2020.05.010. [PUBMED]
  6. Valli-Pulaski H, Peters KA, Gassei K, Steimer SR, Sukhwani M, Hermann BP, Dwomor L, David S, Fayomi AP, Munyoki SK, Chu T, Chaudhry R, Cannon GM, Fox PJ, Jaffe TM, Sanfilippo JS, Menke MN, Lunenfeld E, Abofoul-Azab M, Sender LS, Messina J, Klimpel LM, Gosiengfiao Y, Rowell EE, Hsieh MH, Granberg CF, Reddy PP, Sandlow JI, Huleihel M, Orwig KE. Testicular tissue cryopreservation: 8 years of experience from a coordinated network of academic centers. Hum Reprod. 2019; May 21; doi: 10.1093/humrep/dez043. [PUBMED]
  7. Fayomi A, Peters K, Sukhwani M, Valli-Pulaski H, Shetty G, Meistrich M, Houser L, Robertson N, Roberts V, Ramsey C, Hanna C, Hennebold J, Dobrinski I, Orwig KE. Autologous Grafting of Cryopreserved Prepubertal Rhesus Testis Produces Sperm and Offspring. Science. 2019; March 22; 363(6433): 1314-1319. doi: 10.1126/science.aav2914. [PUBMED], [PDF]

Full List of Publications

Clinical Interests/Research Interests

Research in the Orwig laboratory focuses on stem cells, germ lineage development, fertility and infertility.  Our progress investigating reproductive function in fertile individuals provides a basis for understanding the mechanisms of infertility caused by disease, medical treatments, genetic defects or aging.  Infertility impacts one in seven couples in the United States and can have a devastating impact on relationships and emotional well-being.  The Orwig lab is ideally located in Magee-Womens Research Institute and Magee-Womens Hospital of the University of Pittsburgh and is committed to translating lab bench discoveries to the clinic for diagnosis, prevention and treatment of infertility.

Orwig Laboratory Website: www.orwiglab.org

Fertility Preservation Program: www.fertilitypreservationpittsburgh.org