Nahata Lab

Our lab is focused on improving reproductive and psychosocial outcomes in pediatric populations at risk for infertility. Our goal is to help families make optimal decisions regarding fertility preservation in order to meet future parenthood goals.

Featured Researcher: August 2021
Dr. Leena Nahata was selected as the Abigail Wexner Research Institute featured researcher. Learn more about Dr. Nahata and her work in the Center for Biobehavioral Health.

News Congrats to Dr. Nahata on her K08 funding through the NIH! Current Studies

Fertility Education To Understand Reproductive Health in Sickle Cell Disease (FUTURES)

This study will test the efficacy, feasibility, and acceptability of an online fertility education program tailored for male adolescents and young adults with sickle cell disease and their caregivers. It will also test the feasibility of obtaining semen samples for fertility testing in male adolescents and young adults with sickle cell disease.

Fertility Preservation Discussions and Decisions (FP-DAD)

This randomized clinical trial will test the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a novel family-centered, psychoeducational intervention with known and newly identified factors to improve fertility preservation uptake, decision quality, and family communication among male adolescents and young adults newly diagnosed with cancer.

Selected Publications From Our Lab

Nahata L, Stanek SJ, Theroux CI, Olsavsky AL, Quinn GP, Creary SE. Fertility testing knowledge and attitudes in male adolescents and young adults with SCD and their caregivers: a pilot study. Blood Adv. 2022;6(12):3703-3706. Stanek C, Theroux CI, Olsavsky AL, Hill KN, Rausch JR, O’Brien SH, Quinn GP, Gerhardt CA, Nahata L. Study protocol for fertility preservation discussions and decisions: a family-centered psychoeducational intervention for male adolescents and emerging adults newly diagnosed with cancer and their families. PLOS ONE. 2022;17(2):e0263886. Nahata L, Olsavsky A, Datillo TM, Lipak KG, Whiteside S, Yeager ND, Audino A, Rausch J, Klosky JL, O’Brien SH, Quinn GP, Gerhardt CA. Parent-adolescent concordance regarding fertility perspectives and sperm banking attempts in adolescent males with cancer. J Pediatr Psychol. 2021;46(10):1149-1158. Theroux CI, Hill KN, Olsavsky AL, Klosky JL, Yeager ND, Audino A, O’Brien, SH, Quinn, GP, Gerhardt CA, Nahata L Satisfaction with fertility preservation decisions among adolescent males with cancer: a mixed methods study. Cancers. 2021;13(14):3559. Olsavsky AL, Theroux CI, Datillo TM, Klosky JL, O’Brien SH, Quinn GP, Gerhardt CA, Nahata L. Family communication about fertility preservation in adolescent males newly diagnosed with cancer. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2021;68(7):e28978. Nahata L, Datillo TM, Olsavsky AL, Lipak KG, Whiteside S, Yeager ND, Audino A, Klosky JL, Rausch J, Saraf A, O’Brien SH, Quinn GP, Gerhardt CA. Impact of a novel family-centered values clarification tool on adolescent sperm banking attempts at the time of a new cancer diagnosis. J Assist Reprod Genet. 2021;38(6):1561-1569. Datillo TM, Lipak KG, Clark OE, Gehred A, Sampson A, Quin G, Zajo K, Sutter ME, Bowman-Curci M, Gardner M, Gerhardt CA, Nahata L. Parent-child communication and reproductive considerations in families with genetic cancer predisposition syndromes: a systematic review. J Adolesc Young Adult Oncol. 2021;10(1):15-25. Morgan TL, Young BP, Lipak KG, Whiteside S, Audino A, Yeager ND, Klosky J, O’Brien SH, Gerhardt CA, Nahata L. “We can always adopt instead”: family perspectives to biological parenthood among AYA males with cancer. J. Adolesc. Young Adult Oncol. 2020:9(5):572-578. Nahata L, Morgan TL, Lipak KG, Clark OE, Yeager ND, O’Brien SH, Quinn GP, Gerhardt CA. Perceptions of participating in family-centered fertility research among adolescent and young adult males newly diagnosed with cancer: a qualitative study. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2019;66(11):e27966. Nahata L, Morgan TL, Lipak KG, Clark OE, Yeager ND, O’Brien SH, Whiteside S, Audino A, Gerhardt CA, Quinn GP. Conducting Reproductive Research During a New Childhood Cancer Diagnosis: Ethical Considerations and Impact on Participants. J. Assist. Reprod. Genet. 2019;36(9):1787-1791. Nahata L, Morgan TL, Ferrante AC, Caltabellotta NM, Yeager ND, Rausch JR, O’Brien SH, Quin GP, Gerhardt CA. Congruence of reproductive goals and fertility-related attitudes of adolescent and young adult males and their parents after cancer treatment. J Adolesc Young Adult Oncol. 2019;8(3):335-241. Morgan TL, Clark OE, Whiteside S, Audino A, Yeager ND, Klosky J, O’Brien SH, Gerhardt CA, Nahata L. Recruiting families and children newly diagnosed with cancer for behavioral research: important considerations and successful strategies. Psychooncology. 2019;28(4):928-930. Recent Publications View All Publications

Lab Staff

Leena Nahata, MD Principal Investigator Leena Nahata, MD, is a board-certified pediatric endocrinologist, Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine and founder and medical director of the Fertility and Reproductive Health Program at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. As an NIH-funded Principal Investigator in the Center for Biobehavioral Health at the Abigail Wexner Research Institute, she is leading and collaborating on several clinical research studies focused on improving reproductive and psychosocial outcomes in pediatric populations at risk for infertility.

Charis Stanek, MA Clinical Research Coordinator Charis Stanek, MA, earned her master’s degree in Social Sciences, with a concentration in Psychology, from the University of Chicago in 2020. Charis has worked as a senior research assistant at the Brain and Body Lab at UCLA and as a lab manager for a health psychology lab at the University of Kentucky. Charis’s research interests are broadly encompassed in social, developmental and clinical psychology. She is specifically interested in how peer and family relationships, institutions, and culture impact the experience of a mental health diagnosis. Her long-term goal is to earn a doctorate in clinical psychology.

Sophia Liles Clinical Research Coordinator Sophia “Sophie” Liles is a Clinical Research Coordinator working with Dr. Nahata in the Center for Biobehavioral Health. She graduated from Scripps College in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a minor in Anthropology. As an undergraduate student, Sophie worked as a research assistant in the Neuropsychology of Decision-Making Lab and as a gender equity intern at the Tucker Center for Research on Girls and Women in Sport. Sophie’s research interests include gender, sexuality, stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination, specifically in contexts such as healthcare, education, and athletics. In the future, Sophie plans to pursue a doctorate in social, developmental, or clinical psychology.

Zachary Colton, MS

Clinical Research Coordinator Zachary Colton is a clinical research coordinator working with Dr. Nahata in the Center for Biobehavioral Health. He graduated from Eastern Michigan University in 2022 with a master’s degree in General Clinical Psychology. His research interests broadly include patient/parent-provider communication, family-centered decision making, and the quality of life/mental health of children with chronic medical conditions and their families. Zachary’s long-term goal is to pursue a doctorate in clinical psychology, with a focus in pediatric psychology

News Congrats to Dr. Nahata on her K08 funding through the NIH! Current Studies

Fertility Education To Understand Reproductive Health in Sickle Cell Disease (FUTURES)

Fertility Preservation Discussions and Decisions (FP-DAD)

Selected Publications From Our Lab

Lab Staff

Zachary Colton, MS

News

Congrats to Dr. Nahata on her K08 funding through the NIH!

Current Studies

Fertility Education To Understand Reproductive Health in Sickle Cell Disease (FUTURES)

Fertility Preservation Discussions and Decisions (FP-DAD)

Selected Publications From Our Lab

Stanek C, Theroux CI, Olsavsky AL, Hill KN, Rausch JR, O’Brien SH, Quinn GP, Gerhardt CA, Nahata L. Study protocol for fertility preservation discussions and decisions: a family-centered psychoeducational intervention for male adolescents and emerging adults newly diagnosed with cancer and their families. PLOS ONE. 2022;17(2):e0263886.

Nahata L, Olsavsky A, Datillo TM, Lipak KG, Whiteside S, Yeager ND, Audino A, Rausch J, Klosky JL, O’Brien SH, Quinn GP, Gerhardt CA. Parent-adolescent concordance regarding fertility perspectives and sperm banking attempts in adolescent males with cancer. J Pediatr Psychol. 2021;46(10):1149-1158.

Theroux CI, Hill KN, Olsavsky AL, Klosky JL, Yeager ND, Audino A, O’Brien, SH, Quinn, GP, Gerhardt CA, Nahata L Satisfaction with fertility preservation decisions among adolescent males with cancer: a mixed methods study. Cancers. 2021;13(14):3559.

Olsavsky AL, Theroux CI, Datillo TM, Klosky JL, O’Brien SH, Quinn GP, Gerhardt CA, Nahata L. Family communication about fertility preservation in adolescent males newly diagnosed with cancer. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2021;68(7):e28978.

Nahata L, Datillo TM, Olsavsky AL, Lipak KG, Whiteside S, Yeager ND, Audino A, Klosky JL, Rausch J, Saraf A, O’Brien SH, Quinn GP, Gerhardt CA. Impact of a novel family-centered values clarification tool on adolescent sperm banking attempts at the time of a new cancer diagnosis. J Assist Reprod Genet. 2021;38(6):1561-1569.

Datillo TM, Lipak KG, Clark OE, Gehred A, Sampson A, Quin G, Zajo K, Sutter ME, Bowman-Curci M, Gardner M, Gerhardt CA, Nahata L. Parent-child communication and reproductive considerations in families with genetic cancer predisposition syndromes: a systematic review. J Adolesc Young Adult Oncol. 2021;10(1):15-25.

Morgan TL, Young BP, Lipak KG, Whiteside S, Audino A, Yeager ND, Klosky J, O’Brien SH, Gerhardt CA, Nahata L. “We can always adopt instead”: family perspectives to biological parenthood among AYA males with cancer. J. Adolesc. Young Adult Oncol. 2020:9(5):572-578.

Nahata L, Morgan TL, Lipak KG, Clark OE, Yeager ND, O’Brien SH, Quinn GP, Gerhardt CA. Perceptions of participating in family-centered fertility research among adolescent and young adult males newly diagnosed with cancer: a qualitative study. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2019;66(11):e27966.

Nahata L, Morgan TL, Lipak KG, Clark OE, Yeager ND, O’Brien SH, Whiteside S, Audino A, Gerhardt CA, Quinn GP. Conducting Reproductive Research During a New Childhood Cancer Diagnosis: Ethical Considerations and Impact on Participants. J. Assist. Reprod. Genet. 2019;36(9):1787-1791.

Nahata L, Morgan TL, Ferrante AC, Caltabellotta NM, Yeager ND, Rausch JR, O’Brien SH, Quin GP, Gerhardt CA. Congruence of reproductive goals and fertility-related attitudes of adolescent and young adult males and their parents after cancer treatment. J Adolesc Young Adult Oncol. 2019;8(3):335-241.

Morgan TL, Clark OE, Whiteside S, Audino A, Yeager ND, Klosky J, O’Brien SH, Gerhardt CA, Nahata L. Recruiting families and children newly diagnosed with cancer for behavioral research: important considerations and successful strategies. Psychooncology. 2019;28(4):928-930.

Recent Publications

View All Publications

Lab Staff

Leena Nahata, MD Principal Investigator

Leena Nahata, MD, is a board-certified pediatric endocrinologist, Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine and founder and medical director of the Fertility and Reproductive Health Program at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. As an NIH-funded Principal Investigator in the Center for Biobehavioral Health at the Abigail Wexner Research Institute, she is leading and collaborating on several clinical research studies focused on improving reproductive and psychosocial outcomes in pediatric populations at risk for infertility.

Zachary Colton, MS

Charis Stanek, MA Clinical Research Coordinator

Charis Stanek, MA, earned her master’s degree in Social Sciences, with a concentration in Psychology, from the University of Chicago in 2020. Charis has worked as a senior research assistant at the Brain and Body Lab at UCLA and as a lab manager for a health psychology lab at the University of Kentucky. Charis’s research interests are broadly encompassed in social, developmental and clinical psychology. She is specifically interested in how peer and family relationships, institutions, and culture impact the experience of a mental health diagnosis. Her long-term goal is to earn a doctorate in clinical psychology.

Sophia Liles Clinical Research Coordinator

Sophia “Sophie” Liles is a Clinical Research Coordinator working with Dr. Nahata in the Center for Biobehavioral Health. She graduated from Scripps College in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a minor in Anthropology. As an undergraduate student, Sophie worked as a research assistant in the Neuropsychology of Decision-Making Lab and as a gender equity intern at the Tucker Center for Research on Girls and Women in Sport. Sophie’s research interests include gender, sexuality, stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination, specifically in contexts such as healthcare, education, and athletics. In the future, Sophie plans to pursue a doctorate in social, developmental, or clinical psychology.

Zachary Colton, MS

Clinical Research Coordinator

Zachary Colton is a clinical research coordinator working with Dr. Nahata in the Center for Biobehavioral Health. He graduated from Eastern Michigan University in 2022 with a master’s degree in General Clinical Psychology. His research interests broadly include patient/parent-provider communication, family-centered decision making, and the quality of life/mental health of children with chronic medical conditions and their families. Zachary’s long-term goal is to pursue a doctorate in clinical psychology, with a focus in pediatric psychology

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Current Studies#

Lab Staff#

News

Current Studies

Lab Staff