Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) is an assisted reproductive technique (ART) initially developed by Dr. Gianpiero D. Palermo in 1993 to treat male infertility. It is most commonly used in conjunction with in vitro fertilization (IVF) or a less commonly used technique called zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT). In natural fertilization, the sperm must penetrate the surface of the female egg, or oocyte. When the male has a fertility problem such as low sperm count, malformed sperm shape, or sperm immobility, there is a significant decrease in the chance a healthy sperm will penetrate the outer surface of the oocyte. Other fertility problems ICSI can be used to overcome include the sperm having trouble attaching to the egg or the male having a blockage in his reproductive tract preventing normal ejaculation. In this procedure, the physician first obtains the sperm and oocytes from the male and female and then manually injects the sperm through a needle into the oocyte to fertilize it in an injection plate. The physician then places the fertilized egg into the female s uterus for implantation, following IVF procedures.

Alan Osborne Trounson is a scientist from Australia who studies embryology and stem cells. His research has improved the success rates of in vitro fertilization, or IVF. IVF is a medical procedure in which scientists fertilize an egg cell with sperm outside of the body, often in a laboratory petri dish, then transfer the fertilized egg to a woman’s uterus to start pregnancy. Trounson also researched embryonic stem cells, or stem cells collected from embryos, and their potential for treating injuries and diseases. Additionally, Trounson led the Californian Institute for Regenerative Medicine, or CIRM, one of the largest agencies to fund stem cell research in California, from 2007 to 2014. Over the course of his career, Trounson developed several techniques that improved the effectiveness of IVF, including fertility treatments and cryopreservation, and supported stem cell research as a scientist and administrator.