LGBTQ+ Researcher’s Dreams on hold after losing NIH Funding

LGBTQ+ Researcher's Dreams on hold after losing NIH Funding

When Dr. Brent Monseur, ASRM member and Chair of the LGBTQ Special Interest Group, was appointed to pursue focused research development under the Stanford Women's Reproductive Health Research Career Development Program, the intent was to usher in a new era in LGBTQ+ family building.

For 15 years, Monseur, a queer reproductive endocrinologist from rural southwest Virginia had been preparing to fill a gap in medicine that few were even acknowledging: Helping LGBTQ+ people build families.



Monseur has focused his entire career on challenging this heteronormative idea.

His mission was to develop a data-backed approach to LGBTQ family building, filling epidemiological data deserts on who uses medically assisted reproduction, what their outcomes are, and how we could better tailor/optimize care for same sex or queer relationships.

At Stanford, that dream came to life.

The Stanford Women's Reproductive Health Research program was funded by the federal government through an NIH grant that would disperse over 5 years. The university then selected two scholars to lead the charge in a particular discipline.

"It wasn't until I came to Stanford that [they were like] we got you. If you want to do that, we're going to support that vision."

Separately, the hospital approved Monseur's Brent with a multimillion-dollar business plan. So, in addition to the research funding, he was able to hire the dream team: an IVF nurse, a physician assistant, and a patient care coordinator. Everything was ready to go.

But then, less than a year into the grant cycle, NIH pulled the plug.

Working with Purpose

Monseur's journey to reproductive medicine began in southwestern Virginia, a deeply conservative region where being gay was synonymous with silence. A first-generation college graduate raised by his great-aunt, Monseur traces his earliest sparks of advocacy to the stories of racism and xenophobia they endured as Lebanese Americans.

" I grew up listening to this oral retelling of transgenerational trauma, and it  woke up this voice in me. Like no, there should be an advocate for marginalized people and I shouldn't be ashamed of my heritage."

His grandmother was devoutly catholic, and Brent saw a lot of people around him having children that they didn't necessarily want to have or couldn't afford.

"Ultimately, it's about reproductive autonomy and the choice to make decisions for your body."

So, when Monseur began his medical training, he knew the field he wanted to be in and the subspecialty he wanted to pursue. He remained steadfast for 15 years, earning his graduate degree from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, completing medical school, four years of residency, and an REI fellowship at Stanford.

Monseur was committed to a singular vision; to challenge the assumption that queer people aren't supposed to have children.

Monseur says that colleagues and others suggested he pivot and rework his biosketch to remove references to LGBTQ topics or DEI work.

Monseur has decided that it doesn't intend to hide his life's work. He has chosen to resign from his position at Stanford and step away from academia, traveling and taking time to realign.

What's Next?

Though Monseur is stepping away from academia, he's not giving up. For now, he's finishing his remaining clinical commitments, taking time to heal, and reflecting on what comes next.

Monseur's story isn't unique. Across the country, early- and mid-career researchers focused on reproductive health, gender equity, and marginalized populations are facing similar destabilization. The consequences aren't theoretical, they're unfolding in real time, impacting the future of inclusive reproductive science.

In an effort to respond to the urgency of stalled research, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine recently launched an emergency response: Fighting for Our Future: Rescuing Research. The campaign aims to provide bridge funding for reproductive researchers whose NIH grants have been cut, delayed, or politicized. Especially those working in sensitive or marginalized areas of care.



ASRM has pledged to match the first $1 million raised, doubling the impact of early donors.

Learn more about Fighting for our Future here

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