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Kim Thornton, MD

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Dr. Kim Thornton (she/her) is a board-certified Reproductive Endocrinologist at Boston IVF and an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School. She specializes in all aspects of fertility care.

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Kim Thornton, MD

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Biography

Dr. Kim L. Thornton is a reproductive endocrinologist at Boston IVF. Double board-certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology/Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility – she specializes in all aspects of infertility treatment and family building care.

In addition to her work at Boston IVF, Dr. Thornton is the Division Director of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology at Harvard Medical School.

In 2022, she was elected to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) Board of Directors, where she brings wide-ranging knowledge and leadership in all facets of fertility care, scientific research, industry policymaking, and disparities in health care.

She continues to serve as a member of the ASRM Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion Task Force, which brings together a multidisciplinary team of experts in reproductive medicine to create actionable recommendations that decrease barriers preventing women of color from accessing reproductive care.

Dr. Thornton received her medical degree from Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, completed her residency in Obstetrics/Gynecology at Wayne State University School of Medicine, and her fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Yale School of Medicine.

Awards

American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Fellow

Interview

I truly admire those patients who have unwavering resilience and are able to continue with care despite often serious medical conditions, unsuccessful cycles, family tragedies and other life circumstances as they pursue their goal of building a family.

Kim Thornton, MD

MD Q&A

Why Did You Become a Fertility Expert?
I truly enjoy the ability to make a difference in the lives of people who wish to build a family. While the theme of family building is common among the patients that I see, the journey of an individual or a couple is very different. There is a certain degree of satisfaction knowing that the care that I provide will make a positive impact on the lives of families. I love the impact that have been able to make in the lives of my patients, helping them achieve their dreams, seeing the children that are conceived, and the joy that patients feel when they are successful.

What is Your Approach to Patient Care?
The team approach to care, the passion our physicians, nurses, embryologists, psychologists and social workers and administrative staff have in delivering patient care is unparalleled in this industry. Our practice prides itself in being able to offer state of the art treatment to our patients, a task achieved only through the dedication of our physicians and scientists who work diligently to stay abreast of the advances in our field and bring the best technology to our practice to enhance the care our patients receive. It is certainly rewarding to work with a team where everyone goes above and beyond to help our patients.

For patients who struggle with treatment, my goal is to support them as best I can. I strive to ensure that patients are supported by my health care team and are aware of the complimentary services that are available. Most importantly, it is important to really listen to the stories and concerns that patients have and tailor and customize medical treatment to individual patients. In many instances going the extra mile to ensure that even if a patient is not as successful as I would have liked, that the experience of trying to conceive was a positive one.

Have Any Patients Truly Inspired You?
All of the patients I care for present for care with unique stories. That being said, I truly admire those patients who have unwavering resilience and are able to continue with care despite often serious medical conditions, unsuccessful cycles, family tragedies and other life circumstances as they pursue their goal of building a family.

Who is Your Inspiration?
I am inspired by my parents who encouraged me to work hard and pursue the dreams I had of becoming a physician

Where is The One Place You'd Like to Visit?
I am looking forward to traveling someday to South Africa.

How Do You Spend Your Free Time?
I love to cook, read, garden, travel and spend time with my daughter and friends

What Music Do You Enjoy Listening To?
I love jazz and Rhythm and Blues

How Would You Describe Your Personality?
Friendly, compassionate, realistic and candid

What’s The Most Recent Book You’ve Read?
While not the most recent, The Alchemist, by Paulo Coehlo is one of my favorite books and I re-read often. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates is another!

What Type of Outreach Work Do You Do?
I serve on the board of the Robert F Kennedy Children's Action Corps, a leader in child welfare and juvenile justice.

What Would Be Your "Desert Island" Food?
Fresh water, lobster, and chocolate

Publications

Recent Selected Publications

1. Ghofranian A, Estevez SL, Dubois B, Gellman C, Gounko D, Lee JA, Copperman AB, Thornton K. Spironolactone use and oocyte maturation in patients undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation. J Assist Reprod Genet. 2024 Aug; 41(8):1991-1996. PMID: 39060814; PMCID: PMC11339222

2. Ghofranian A, Estevez SL, Gellman C, Gounko D, Lee JA, Thornton K, Copperman AB. Fertility treatment outcomes in transgender men with a history of testosterone therapy. F S Rep. 2023 Dec; 4(4):367-374. PMID: 38204952; PMCID: PMC10774903

3. Huttler A, Thornton KL. The complexity of addressing racial and ethnic disparities. Fertil Steril. 2023 11; 120(5):987-988. PMID: 37709118

4. Thornton KL, Resetkova N. Pursuit of pregnancy by lesbian women: an opportunity to create best practice. F S Rep. 2021 Sep; 2(3):263-264. PMID: 34553146; PMCID: PMC8441552

5. Aluko A, Vaughan DA, Modest AM, Penzias AS, Hacker MR, Thornton K, Sakkas D. Multiple cryopreservation-warming cycles, coupled with blastocyst biopsy, negatively affect IVF outcomes. Reprod Biomed Online. 2021 Mar; 42(3):572-578. PMID: 33516664; PMCID: PMC10036156

6. Johnson KM, Hacker MR, Thornton K, Young BC, Modest AM. Association between in vitro fertilization and ischemic placental disease by gestational age. Fertil Steril. 2020 09; 114(3):579-586. PMID: 32709377; PMCID: PMC7487041

7. Thornton K, Merhi Z, Jindal S, Goldsammler M, Charron MJ, Buyuk E. Dietary Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) could alter ovarian function in mice. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2020 06 15; 510:110826. PMID: 32339649

8. Leung A, Sakkas D, Pang S, Thornton K, Resetkova N. Assisted reproductive technology outcomes in female-to-male transgender patients compared with cisgender patients: a new frontier in reproductive medicine. Fertil Steril. 2019 11; 112(5):858-865. PMID: 31594633

9. Murphy LA, Seidler EA, Vaughan DA, Resetkova N, Penzias AS, Toth TL, Thornton KL, Sakkas D. To test or not to test? A framework for counselling patients on preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A). Hum Reprod. 2019 02 01; 34(2):268-275. PMID: 30500907

10. Asch E, Wei J, Mortele KJ, Humm K, Thornton K, Levine D. Magnetic resonance imaging performance for diagnosis of ovarian torsion in pregnant women with stimulated ovaries. Fertil Res Pract. 2017; 3:13. PMID: 28904809; PMCID: PMC5585973

11. Ibrahim Y, Haviland MJ, Hacker MR, Penzias AS, Thornton KL, Sakkas D. Elevated progesterone and its impact on birth weight after fresh embryo transfers. J Assist Reprod Genet. 2017 Jun; 34(6):759-764. PMID: 28417348; PMCID: PMC5445056

12. Maas K, Galkina E, Thornton K, Penzias AS, Sakkas D. No change in live birthweight of IVF singleton deliveries over an 18-year period despite significant clinical and laboratory changes. Hum Reprod. 2016 09; 31(9):1987-96. PMID: 27381765

13. Merhi Z, Thornton K, Bonney E, Cipolla MJ, Charron MJ, Buyuk E. Ovarian kisspeptin expression is related to age and to monocyte chemoattractant protein-1. J Assist Reprod Genet. 2016 Apr; 33(4):535-43. PMID: 26879207; PMCID: PMC4818642

14. Goldman MB, Thornton KL, Ryley D, Alper MM, Fung JL, Hornstein MD, Reindollar RH. A randomized clinical trial to determine optimal infertility treatment in older couples: the Forty and Over Treatment Trial (FORT-T). Fertil Steril. 2014 Jun; 101(6):1574-81.e1-2. PMID: 24796764

15. Karipcin FS, Moragianni VA, Milette B, Kinzer DR, Thornton KL, Barrett B, Penzias AS. Effect of steroid and antibiotic treatment during assisted hatching on IVF outcomes. Hum Fertil (Camb). 2012 Dec; 15(4):205-9. PMID: 23190298

16. Mody SK, Hacker MR, Dodge LE, Thornton K, Schneider B, Haider S. Contraceptive counseling for women who undergo bariatric surgery. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2011 Dec; 20(12):1785-8. PMID: 21988600

17. Savchev SI, Moragianni VA, Senger D, Penzias AS, Thornton K, Usheva A. Follicular fluid-specific distribution of vascular endothelial growth factor isoforms and sFlt-1 in patients undergoing IVF and their correlation with treatment outcomes. Reprod Sci. 2010 Nov; 17(11):1036-42. PMID: 20697141

18. Eaton JL, Hacker MR, Barrett CB, Thornton KL, Penzias AS. Influence of embryo sex on development to the blastocyst stage and euploidy. Fertil Steril. 2011 Mar 01; 95(3):936-9. PMID: 20688326

19. Eaton JL, Hacker MR, Barrett CB, Thornton KL, Penzias AS. Influence of patient age on the association between euploidy and day-3 embryo morphology. Fertil Steril. 2010 Jun; 94(1):365-7. PMID: 20004892

20. Reindollar RH, Regan MM, Neumann PJ, Levine BS, Thornton KL, Alper MM, Goldman MB. A randomized clinical trial to evaluate optimal treatment for unexplained infertility: the fast track and standard treatment (FASTT) trial. Fertil Steril. 2010 Aug; 94(3):888-99. PMID: 19531445

Dr. Thornton's Additional Resources

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Nov 13, 2019 | About Boston IVF & Your Care Team Press Releases

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Kim Thornton, MD

Kim Thornton, MD

Biography

Awards

Interview

Publications

Dr. Thornton's Additional Resources

Boston IVF Opens New Fertility Center in Worcester

Kim Thornton, MD Appointed to Diversity Task Force

Boston IVF's Kim Thornton, MD Elected to ASRM Board of Directors

Boston IVF Shines with 20+ Studies at 2023 ASRM Scientific Congress