About Us
Who We Are
The Penn Equine Assisted Reproduction Laboratory (PEARL) at New Bolton Center is part of the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine. The Laboratory is headed by Dr. Hinrichs. Matheus Felix, DVM, is the Laboratory’s chief embryologist, and the Laboratory’s program coordinator is Kim Gleason, PhD. PEARL is expanding its personnel to include post-doctoral trainees, research assistants, fellows, technicians, and graduate students.
PEARL was founded in 2020, when Dr. Hinrichs accepted the position of the Harry Werner Endowed Professor of Equine Medicine and Chair of the Department of Clinical Studies-New Bolton Center and relocated, with her laboratory, from her previous institution, Texas A&M University. This is a return home for Dr. Hinrichs, as she completed her residency and graduate training at New Bolton Center before embarking on her academic career.
Our Team
What We Do
PEARL performs both research and clinical work in equine assisted reproduction. PEARL’s clinical equine ICSI program works in collaboration with clinicians in the Section of Reproduction and Behavior at New Bolton Center, to produce foals from client horses — for problem mares for which embryo transfer has poor success, for stallions with low sperm reserves, and for embryo production post mortem from mares that suffer untimely death. PEARL also accepts oocytes collected by referring veterinarians and shipped to the Laboratory. Other clinical procedures include embryo biopsy for genetic diagnosis, embryo vitrification, and tissue culture and cell line freezing for genetic preservation.
The Laboratory conducts research into aspects of equine gamete biology, fertilization, and embryo development. This includes studies on sperm capacitation, oocyte recovery and maturation, fertilization in vitro, including ICSI and standard IVF, and equine embryo development.
The overall goal of the Penn Equine Assisted Reproduction Laboratory is to provide answers for important clinical problems in equine reproduction, to allow breeders to optimize their breeding programs and to preserve exceptional equine genetics.
All proceeds from the clinical service at PEARL go to support research on equine assisted reproduction in the Laboratory.