Dr. Emily Seidler is double board-certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility.
She specializes in all aspects of fertility care, and has particular interest in LGBTQ family building, fertility preservation, and use of donor egg.
Emily graduated with honors from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a double major in Neurobiology and Spanish literature. She then completed a year-long AmeriCorps program in the Bay Area, providing health education to underserved patients. Emily earned her medical degree at Marshall University School of Medicine. While there, she served as President of the American Medical Women’s Association.
Dr. Seidler completed her residency in Obstetrics & Gynecology at Washington University in St. Louis, where she was actively involved in several research projects in the field of Reproductive Endocrinology. She was selected for an oral presentation at American Society of Reproductive Medicine in 2015 on her findings involving anti-müllerian hormone, and was an award recipient at Pacific Coast Reproductive Society in 2016 for her presentation on the effect of CoQ10 on follicular development.
Dr. Seidler went on to do her fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility here at Boston IVF & Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Her fellowship research project was at the Needleman Laboratory at Harvard University in Cambridge. Her thesis involved the use of a novel two-photon microscope technique for noninvasive metabolic imaging of embryos and oocytes to ultimately improve embryo selection for transfer.
Dr. Seidler is currently an Instructor at Harvard Medical School, and an Assistant Fellowship Director at BIDMC/Boston IVF. She is a member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. She is the President-elect for the New England Fertility Society, and she will become President of the society in 2022.
She sees patients at Boston IVF virtually who live all over Massachusetts and beyond, and her office is based in Lexington, MA. She provides fertility education on Instagram @emilyseidlermd
Why Did You Become a Fertility Expert?
Because it’s the best job in the world! I can’t imagine a career that would be a better fit for me. I love the cerebral nature of reproductive endocrinology, the cutting edge technology, the hands-on surgical procedures, and most of all — playing a role in helping patients become parents.
What About Boston IVF Makes You Proud?
I have a unique position at Boston IVF compared to other physicians at our center: I am 60% clinical, seeing patients in the Lexington office 3 days a week, and 40% academic, teaching, performing research, and advocacy work at BIDMC with an academic appointment at Harvard Medical School. What I am most proud of is my 2019 teaching award, which recognized one faculty member that medical students and OB/GYN residents felt most contributed to their education. The award means so much to me.
I am also proud of the advocacy work I do at the state and national level, where I fight for reproductive choice. We are fortunate in Massachusetts to have mandated insurance coverage for fertility care, but there is so much more work to do across all of New England. Coverage for LGBTQ, single parents, fertility preservation, and so much more.
What is Your Approach to Patient Care?
As a patient, it is impossible to not become weighed down at some point while experiencing infertility. It can be isolating and frustrating and unfair. I expect my patients to struggle with it in some way at some point.
Patients should know that in the beginning it is very helpful (albeit not so easy) to normalize these feelings so they can better reach out when they need extra help. At Boston IVF, we are lucky to have the Domar Center, run by the incredible Alice Domar, a world expert on the psychology of infertility. So there is no better place to get added support.
What Makes Working at Boston IVF Great?
The best part about working at Boston IVF is that I am blessed to work alongside so many incredibly gifted fertility doctors. When I am treating a patient or couple who may be dealing with a complex clinical history or diagnosis, I have instant access to over a dozen experts who have seen it all, heard it all, and treated it all. This is a huge benefit to all patients — especially those who have an unexplained diagnosis or rare condition.
Where is the One Place You'd Like to Visit?
I love to travel and have visited 22 countries (and counting)! Each year, I'm always adding to my list. I visit China 6 times per year — where I educate and consult with doctors for Boston IVF. I recently visited Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. Next year I’d like to visit Japan!
How Would You Describe Your Personality?
Friends would describe me as warm, passionate, and ambitious. I enjoy educating and feel strongly that noone should ever feel lost or unsure about their own health journey.
