17 Apr The start-up experience: Conducting fertility research at Proov
Andrea Wegrzynowicz
UW–Madison graduate student Andrea Wegrzynowicz studies proteins implicated in antibiotic resistance using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques. But something else was always at the back of her mind — how could she help people who are looking to understand fertility better?
Wegrzynowicz was inspired by her experiences with fertility planning and hormonal birth control. The latter had given her unmanageable side effects.
“My second year of grad school, I was experiencing these side effects and throwing my hands up and saying, something has to change for my own mental health,” Wegrzynowicz says.
So, she did what many scientists often do and turned to peer-reviewed research studies.
“My ability to read research articles led me to realize that this field is incredibly science-based…things just kind of snowballed from there. I started pursuing fertility awareness educator training, which I finished in spring of 2022,” Wegrzynowicz says. “Then, I did an internship with Proov.”
Wegrzynowicz’s internship with Proov, a company that makes at-home ovulation kits that measure levels of reproductive hormones such as luteinizing hormone and progesterone, was made possible through the Biotechnology Training Program (BTP). The BTP offers opportunities, including focused coursework and an internship, for doctoral students to obtain training and experiences they might not otherwise.