There’s more at stake than a medical test when families face infertility. For Dr. Yaron Goikhman, a practicing obstetrician-gynecologist and expert in reproductive medicine, that reality became personal in 2021. He and his wife chose to pursue in vitro fertilization (IVF) to help them grow their family, a journey that combines hope with complex medical decisions and emotional investment.
Their IVF cycle produced five embryos. They underwent preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A), which initially indicated that only two embryos were viable while the other three carried chromosomal abnormalities. Yet something about the results didn’t sit right. In his own lab, Goikhman reexamined the three supposedly nonviable embryos and found that two of them actually appeared viable. Several explanations could account for the discrepancy, but for the couple, the new information carried transformative potential—it offered renewed hope for a successful pregnancy.
“Trust in PGT results is challenging for families,” he notes, “yet people make life-altering choices based on those results.” IVF is a demanding, costly, and highly emotional process, so having more embryos suitable for transfer improves a couple’s odds of achieving a healthy outcome.
From local aims to global ambitions
Based in Tashkent, Goikhman is determined to bring safe, cutting-edge genetic tools to families across Central Asia. In this region, certain genetic conditions—such as thalassemia and spinal muscular atrophy—occur more frequently. For families where both parents are carriers of particular genetic risks, options that reduce the chance of conceiving an affected child are especially valued.
To realize this vision, he collaborates with top experts, including Svetlana Avdeichik, a genetics specialist, and Andrey Kuliev, an embryologist-geneticist. Their expertise, combined with scaling up the use of Illumina sequencing platforms for high-throughput PGT, noninvasive prenatal testing, and whole-exome sequencing, enables broader access to PGT services worldwide. Each advancement has pushed the boundaries of what’s possible.
Stories behind the science
Behind every technological breakthrough are lived experiences of resilience and hope. Goikhman recalls a mother who endured the heartbreak of losing three children to spinal muscular atrophy, seeking answers that science could provide. Through PGT, she used either aneuploidy testing (PGT-A) or monogenic testing (PGT-M) and subsequently conceived and delivered a healthy girl—the first child free from the disease.
Goikhman emphasizes that none of these outcomes are possible without a dedicated team of geneticists, embryologists, and reproductive specialists working in concert. “Their combined expertise ensures that each test translates into real possibilities for families, not just lab data.”
“Our mission is to help healthier generations take shape everywhere,” Goikhman shares. “Genetics isn’t merely a tool; it represents the future of medicine. The only viable direction is upward. When it comes to helping families build their futures, the goal is to aim for the stars.”
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