Research team Kenny Rodriguez-Wallberg
Laboratory of translational fertility preservation
Short Biography
Dr. Kenny A. Rodriguez Wallberg completed her medical education and her residency in obstetrics and gynecology in her home country, Colombia. As specialist, Dr Rodriguez-Wallberg was then awarded a fellowship from the Groupement Français de Gynécologie de l’Enfant et de l’Adolescence and completed her training in Pediatric Gynecology at Hôpital Necker Enfant Malades in Paris, as well as in Reproductive Endocrinology, Infertility and Assisted Reproduction at Cochin-Baudelocque. In 2005 she earned her PhD degree at Uppsala University in Sweden and since 2007, she is a Senior Consultant in Reproductive Medicine at Karolinska Hospital in Stockholm and Head of the Program for Fertility Preservation. Dr Rodriguez-Wallberg is currently adjunct professor at the department of Oncology and Pathology at Karolinska Institutet and is sharing her clinical work with both clinical and translational research.
Team fertility in the news
About our research
Our specific area of interest and expertise focuses on the impact of cancer treatment on fertility potential and the prevention of infertility through fertility preservation strategies. This new medical field has been recently recognized and is usually named “Reproductive Oncology”. In the U.S. the term “Oncofertility” has become popular. As several methods are available for fertility preservation and those are currently used for cancer patients, we consider it of outmost importance the investigation of their safety in the oncological context.
Our research also encompasses the impact of several variables and interventions, such as the performance of ovarian surgery, even conservative and for benign diseases, in the development of infertility, as well as the treatment of infertility, in particular by using assisted reproductive techniques in both men and women. Psychological aspects of infertility after cancer, ethics in health care provision and a better understanding of specific patient groups’ access and barriers to healthcare are also subject of my research.
Our research activity is clinically oriented and integrated into Dr Rodriguez-Wallberg clinical work as senior consultant at the Reproductive Medicine clinic of Karolinska University Hospital, where she has been the clinical responsible for the Program for Fertility Preservation since 2007. Our projects have developed into both clinical and experimental research and thus our current research network includes clinicians and basic science researchers. Our research results have contributed to the improvement of potentially safer stimulation protocols for female patients with hormone-sensitive tumors including breast cancer, one of the most challenging patient groups in the field of fertility preservation. Dr Rodriguez-Wallberg have introduced the use of aromatase inhibitors for stimulation protocols of patients with breast cancer at Karolinska University Hospital in 2010 and shared her experience with colleagues of several Swedish hospitals, who have thereafter implemented those protocols at their hospitals successfully. Several of our current projects in fertility preservation are prospective and of national coverage. Those projects include the evaluation of safety and efficacy of fertility preservation by surgical methods, such as in the case of gynecological cancer, and by the performance of assisted reproductive technologies.
Our research is supported by:
- The Swedish Research Council
- The Swedish Cancer Foundation
- The Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation
- Radiumhemmets Research Fonds
- Stockholm County Council
Team members
Mariana Barosso, PhD Student
Charlotta Riese, PhD Student
Anastasia Drakou, MD, PhD Student
Yanyu Jiang, PhD student
Mujin Ye, MD, PhD student
Tobias Lekberg, MD, PhD student
Fotios Sergouniotis, MD, PhD student
Hana Shabana, MD, PhD Student
Arturo Reyes Palomares, MSc, Post doc
Laleh Hosseini, Post doc
Frida Lundberg, Epidemiologist, Post doc
Gry Johansen, MD, Post doc
Anna Marklund, MD, Post doc
Xia Hao, Pharmacologist, Post doc
Amandine Anastacio, Molecular biologist, Post doc
Milan Milenkovic, MD, Post doc
Sujata Lalit Kumar, MD, Post doc
Michael Feichtinger, MD, Post doc
Tekla Lind, MD, Post doc
Ida Wikander, MD, Clinical Research Fellow
Max Waterstone, MD, Clinical Research Fellow
Birgit Borgström, MD, PhD, Senior Researcher
Hanna Nilsson, PhD, Research Coordinator
Co-supervisor to doctoral candidate:
Anders Kjellberg, MD, PhD student
Selected publications
Find our full-text articles avaliable at Research Gate
Reproductive Outcomes After Breast Cancer in Women With vs Without Fertility Preservation.
Marklund A, Lundberg FE, Eloranta S, Hedayati E, Pettersson K, Rodriguez-Wallberg KA
JAMA Oncol 2020 Nov;():
A global recommendation for restrictive provision of fertility treatments during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rodriguez-Wallberg KA, Wikander I
Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 2020 05;99(5):569-570
Fertility preservation in boys: recent developments and new insights †.
Goossens E, Jahnukainen K, Mitchell RT, van Pelt A, Pennings G, Rives N, et al
Hum Reprod Open 2020 ;2020(3):hoaa016
A prospective study on the long-term outcome of prepubertal and pubertal boys undergoing testicular biopsy for fertility preservation prior to hematologic stem cell transplantation.
Borgström B, Fridström M, Gustafsson B, Ljungman P, Rodriguez-Wallberg KA
Pediatr Blood Cancer 2020 09;67(9):e28507
A Swedish Nationwide prospective study of oncological and reproductive outcome following fertility-sparing surgery for treatment of early stage epithelial ovarian cancer in young women.
Johansen G, Dahm-Kähler P, Staf C, Flöter Rådestad A, Rodriguez-Wallberg KA
BMC Cancer 2020 Oct;20(1):1009
ESHRE guideline: female fertility preservation.
, Anderson RA, Amant F, Braat D, D'Angelo A, Chuva de Sousa Lopes SM, et al
Hum Reprod Open 2020 ;2020(4):hoaa052
Utility of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists for fertility preservation in women receiving chemotherapy: pros and cons.
Dolmans MM, Taylor HS, Rodriguez-Wallberg KA, Blumenfeld Z, Lambertini M, von Wolff M, et al
Fertil Steril 2020 Oct;114(4):725-738
Pregnancy Achieved Using Donor Eggs in Cancer Survivors with Treatment-Induced Ovarian Failure: Obstetric and Perinatal Outcome.
Marklund A, Nasiell J, Berger AS, Fagerberg A, Rodriguez-Wallberg KA
J Womens Health (Larchmt) 2018 07;27(7):939-945
Reduced live-birth rates after IVF/ICSI in women with previous unilateral oophorectomy: results of a multicentre cohort study.
Lind T, Holte J, Olofsson JI, Hadziosmanovic N, Gudmundsson J, Nedstrand E, et al
Hum. Reprod. 2018 02;33(2):238-247
Safety of fertility preservation in breast cancer patients in a register-based matched cohort study.
Rodriguez-Wallberg KA, Eloranta S, Krawiec K, Lissmats A, Bergh J, Liljegren A
Breast Cancer Res. Treat. 2018 02;167(3):761-769
Protein profile of mouse ovarian follicles grown in vitro.
Anastácio A, Rodriguez-Wallberg KA, Chardonnet S, Pionneau C, Fédérici C, Almeida Santos T, et al
Mol. Hum. Reprod. 2017 12;23(12):827-841
Weekend-free scheduled IVF/ICSI procedures and single embryo transfer do not reduce live-birth rates in a general infertile population.
Feichtinger M, Karlström PO, Olofsson JI, Rodriguez-Wallberg KA
Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 2017 Dec;96(12):1423-1429
Common diseases as determinants of menopausal age.
Li J, Eriksson M, Czene K, Hall P, Rodriguez-Wallberg KA
Hum. Reprod. 2016 12;31(12):2856-2864
Ovarian tissue cryopreservation and transplantation among alternatives for fertility preservation in the Nordic countries - compilation of 20 years of multicenter experience.
Rodriguez-Wallberg KA, Tanbo T, Tinkanen H, Thurin-Kjellberg A, Nedstrand E, Kitlinski ML, et al
Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 2016 Sep;95(9):1015-26
Fertility preservation in women with cervical, endometrial or ovarian cancers.
Feichtinger M, Rodriguez-Wallberg KA
Gynecol Oncol Res Pract 2016 ;3():8
Can ovarian suppression with gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs (GnRHa) preserve fertility in cancer patients?
Rodriguez-Wallberg K, Turan V, Munster P, Oktay K
Ann. Oncol. 2016 Feb;27(2):357
Ovarian protection during adjuvant chemotherapy.
Oktay K, Rodriguez-Wallberg K, Munster P
N. Engl. J. Med. 2015 06;372(23):2268-9
Is Estradiol Monitoring Necessary in Women Receiving Ovarian Suppression for Breast Cancer?
Papakonstantinou A, Foukakis T, Rodriguez-Wallberg KA, Bergh J
J. Clin. Oncol. 2016 05;34(14):1573-9
Fertility preservation during cancer treatment: clinical guidelines.
Rodriguez-Wallberg KA, Oktay K
Cancer Manag Res 2014 ;6():105-17
Fertility preservation in young breast cancer patients: addressing individual patient needs.
Rodriguez-Wallberg KA, Oktay K
Future Medicine 2013;2(2):135-147.
Principles of cancer treatment: impact on reproduction.
Rodriguez-Wallberg KA
Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. 2012 ;732():1-8
Recent advances in oocyte and ovarian tissue cryopreservation and transplantation.
Rodriguez-Wallberg KA, Oktay K
Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol 2012 Jun;26(3):391-405
One uterus bridging three generations: first live birth after mother-to-daughter uterus transplantation.
Brännström M, Bokström H, Dahm-Kähler P, Diaz-Garcia C, Ekberg J, Enskog A, et al
Fertil. Steril. 2016 Aug;106(2):261-6
Postoperative AMH reduction is not associated with reduced fecundity two years following ovarian cyst surgery.
Lind T, Lampic C, Olofsson JI, Rodriguez-Wallberg KA
Gynecol. Endocrinol. 2016 Sep;32(9):745-748
Attitudes towards new assisted reproductive technologies in Sweden: a survey in women 30-39 years of age.
Wennberg AL, Rodriguez-Wallberg KA, Milsom I, Brännström M
Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 2016 Jan;95(1):38-44
Full-term newborn after repeated ovarian tissue transplants in a patient treated for Ewing sarcoma by sterilizing pelvic irradiation and chemotherapy.
Rodriguez-Wallberg KA, Karlström PO, Rezapour M, Castellanos E, Hreinsson J, Rasmussen C, et al
Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 2015 Mar;94(3):324-8
Anti-Müllerian hormone reduction after ovarian cyst surgery is dependent on the histological cyst type and preoperative anti-Müllerian hormone levels.
Lind T, Hammarström M, Lampic C, Rodriguez-Wallberg K
Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 2015 Feb;94(2):183-90
Women more vulnerable than men when facing risk for treatment-induced infertility: a qualitative study of young adults newly diagnosed with cancer.
Armuand GM, Wettergren L, Rodriguez-Wallberg KA, Lampic C
Acta Oncol 2015 Feb;54(2):243-52
Desire for children, difficulties achieving a pregnancy, and infertility distress 3 to 7 years after cancer diagnosis.
Armuand GM, Wettergren L, Rodriguez-Wallberg KA, Lampic C
Support Care Cancer 2014 Oct;22(10):2805-12
Young women's perceptions of fertility-related information and fertility distress before surgery for ovarian cysts.
Lind T, Lampic C, Hammarström M, Rodriguez-Wallberg K
Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 2013 Nov;92(11):1290-6
Sex differences in fertility-related information received by young adult cancer survivors.
Armuand GM, Rodriguez-Wallberg KA, Wettergren L, Ahlgren J, Enblad G, Höglund M, et al
J. Clin. Oncol. 2012 Jun;30(17):2147-53
Fertility preservation and pregnancy in women with and without BRCA mutation-positive breast cancer.
Rodriguez-Wallberg KA, Oktay K
Oncologist 2012 ;17(11):1409-17
Four spontaneous pregnancies and three live births following subcutaneous transplantation of frozen banked ovarian tissue: what is the explanation?
Oktay K, Türkçüoğlu I, Rodriguez-Wallberg KA
Fertil. Steril. 2011 Feb;95(2):804.e7-10
Fertility preservation by ovarian stimulation and oocyte cryopreservation in a 14-year-old adolescent with Turner syndrome mosaicism and impending premature ovarian failure.
Oktay K, Rodriguez-Wallberg KA, Sahin G
Fertil. Steril. 2010 Jul;94(2):753.e15-9
GnRH agonist trigger for women with breast cancer undergoing fertility preservation by aromatase inhibitor/FSH stimulation.
Oktay K, Türkçüoğlu I, Rodriguez-Wallberg KA
Reprod. Biomed. Online 2010 Jun;20(6):783-8
In vitro maturation improves oocyte or embryo cryopreservation outcome in breast cancer patients undergoing ovarian stimulation for fertility preservation.
Oktay K, Buyuk E, Rodriguez-Wallberg KA, Sahin G
Reprod. Biomed. Online 2010 May;20(5):634-8
Options on fertility preservation in female cancer patients.
Rodriguez-Wallberg KA, Oktay K
Cancer Treat. Rev. 2012 Aug;38(5):354-61
Psychosocial distress in young cancer survivors.
Rosen A, Rodriguez-Wallberg KA, Rosenzweig L
Semin Oncol Nurs 2009 Nov;25(4):268-77
For wider audiences:
Article in Medical Science in 2015
From "Nätverket mot gynekologisk cancer" (in Swedish)
From "Onkologi i Sverige" (in Swedish)
Frozen eggs and ovarian tissue helped women conceive children after breast cancer
Women with breast cancer whose eggs or ovarian tissue were frozen had more children after their diagnosis than women who did not undergo fertility preservation using those methods before start of cancer treatment. That is according to a study led by Kenny Rodriguez-Wallberg at the department of Oncology-Pathology, published in JAMA Oncology.
Kenny Rodriguez-Wallberg reports large cohort study
Kenny Rodriguez-Wallberg has reported a large cohort study of 1254 women and girls undergoing procedures for fertility preservation in Sweden between 1998-2018
Fertility treatment did not increase risk of breast cancer relapse
Dr Kenny Rodriguez-Wallberg's research show that women who receives hormone stimulation for fertility preservation do not have a higher relapse rate in breast cancer compared with unexposed control women.