Podcast: Cancer treatment & fertility preservation
Laurie J. McKenzie, M.D.
Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine, Division of Surgery
About Dr. Laurie J. McKenzie
Laurie J. McKenzie, M.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. She also holds a joint appointment as an associate professor in the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Baylor College of Medicine. As a reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist, she has a specific interest in fertility preservation for reproductive age individuals diagnosed with cancer.
Following her fellowship training, Dr. McKenzie spent 11 years in private practice in Houston, providing comprehensive fertility care. She then joined the faculty at an academic health institution in Atlanta to focus on fertility preservation for individuals diagnosed with cancer and served as Director of Oncofertility. She returned to Houston to join the oncofertility team at MD Anderson, providing both clinical care and fertility related research.
Dr. McKenzie is a fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and a member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). She has authored and co-authored numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals, is co-editor of the textbook Caring for the Female Cancer Patient and serves as a reviewer for the Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics and Fertility and Sterility. She is a board examiner for the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and serves on multiple national committees. Dr. McKenzie remains an active speaker, both nationally and internationally.
Her clinical practice at MD Anderson encompasses fertility counseling before cancer treatment as well as family-building services for men and women whose reproductive potential may have been impacted by cancer treatment.
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Clinical Associate Professor, Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine, Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 1997 | University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, US, M.D |
| 1993 | Loyola University, Chicago, Illinois, US, Emphasis in Cancer Biology and Genetics, Post-Baccalaureate |
| 1992 | University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, US, Health Science Education, B.S |
| 1992 | University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, US, Zoology, B.A |
Postgraduate Training
| 2001-2004 | Clinical Fellowship, Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas |
| 2000-2001 | Clinical Residency, Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas, Houston, Texas |
| 1997-2000 | Clinical Residency, Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida |
Licenses & Certifications
| 2023 | Mississippi Medical License |
| 2023 | Alabama Medical License |
| 2023 | Tennessee Medical License |
| 2023 | Louisiana Medical License |
| 2023 | Oklahoma Medical License |
| 2023 | Washington Medical License |
| 2023 | Arizona Medical License |
| 2021 | Florida Medical License |
| 2018 | American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology |
| 2016 | Georgia Medical License |
| 2006 | American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology |
| 2001 | Texas Medical License |
Experience & Service
Administrative Appointments/Responsibilities
Site Director, Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Ben Taub General Hospital, Houston, TX, 2021 - Present
Director, Oncofertility Program, Winship Cancer Center, Atlanta, Georgia, 2017 - 2018
Director, Houston Oncofertility Preservation and Education (H.O.P.E.), Houston, TX, 2010 - 2016
Honors & Awards
| 2011 - 2012 | CREOG Teacher of the Year, Methodist Hospital Houston |
| 2003 | Ortho McNeil Academic Fellowship Award, American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology |
| 1998 - 1999 | Golden Apple Residency Teaching Award, University of Florida |
| 1997 | Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society |
| 1995 - 1997 | John Harrington Tannous Research Award recipient, University of Florida College of Medicine |
| 1994 | NIH Fellowship Award recipient, NIH |
Professional Memberships
Selected Presentations & Talks
Local Presentations
- 2025. Oncofertility Considerations and Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors. Conference. Grand Rounds. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. Oncofertility Considerations in Hematologic Malignancies. Invited. Fellow didactics. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. Oncofertility Management and Counseling for the Cancer Patient. Invited. Resident education. Houston, TX, US.
Regional Presentations
- 2024. Updates in Oncofertility Management. Invited. Texas Adolescent and Young Adult Virtual Symposium, US.
- 2023. Fertility and Survivorship Considerations in Young Onset CRC Cancer Patients. Invited. YOCRC Conference. Houston, TX, US.
National Presentations
- 2025. Oncofertility Considerations with Hereditary Cancers and ART. Invited. 8th Annual Hereditary Cancer Symposium for Health Care Providers. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. Oncofertility: Start of the ART. Invited. Baptist Health Oncology Symposium. Louisville, KY, US.
- 2023. Fertility and Reproduction. Invited. Annual Meeting Society of Women in Urology. Scottsdale, AZ, US.
International Presentations
- 2023. Recurrent Pregnancy Loss and Primary Ovarian Insufficiency. Invited. Prenatal and Medical Genomics in the New Millennium: BCM CUHK UM Joint Symposium in Clinical Genetics. Houston, US.
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Ahmed, AA, Steenwinkel, TE, Patton, BK, Jiang, P, Meyer, MD, Rishi, JK, Leng, M, Saltzman, AB, Anaya, ES, Sharif, M, McKenzie, LJ, Detti, L, Malovannaya, A, Hartig, SM, Pangas, SA. Neddylation maintains oocyte quality by stabilizing mitochondrial transcription. Science Advances 12(25):1-14, 2026. e-Pub 2026. PMID: 42308310.
- Bou Zerdan, M, Kfoury, B, Aoun, E, Hmaidan, SD, Wilke, RN, How, JA, Woodard, TL, Soliman, PT, McKenzie, LJ. Pregnancy Outcomes After in Utero Exposure to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors. Current Oncology 33(6), 2026. e-Pub 2026. PMID: 42346218.
- Rhodes, Q, Woodard, TL, Detti, L, Roth, M, Shott, S, McQuade, JL, McKenzie, LJ. Reproductive impact of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy in women with melanoma. F and S Reports 6(4):420-427, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 41473573.
- Rhodes Q, Woodard TL, Detti L, Roth M, Shott S, McQuade J, McKenzie LJ. Reproductive impact of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy in women with melanoma. F S Rep 6(4):420-427, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 41473573.
- Chamani IJ, Gannon A, Connell PT, Bisen A, Kovanci E, Sangi-Haghpeykar H, Woodard T, McKenzie LJ. Dose-Dense Chemotherapy Regimen for Breast Cancer Associated with Significant Decline in Ovarian Reserve. J Adolesc Young Adult Oncol 13(3):465-468, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 38112555.
- Peregrin-Alvarez I, Roman R, Schenk L, McKenzie L, Woodard T, Detti L. Ultrasound Evaluation of Uterine Cavity Changes After Stimulation for In Vitro Fertilization. J Ultrasound Med 43(10):1833-1836, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 38856180.
- Knight AK, Hipp HS, Abhari S, Gerkowicz SA, Katler QS, McKenzie LJ, Shang W, Smith AK, Spencer JB. Markers of ovarian reserve are associated with reproductive age acceleration in granulosa cells from IVF patients. Hum Reprod 37(10):2438-2445, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 35944168.
Review Articles
- Alexander MV, Ciomperlik H, Reynolds AC, Nevins A, Ghidei L, Kassab J, Campbell K, Sullivan J, Jochum MD, Detti L, Woodard TL, Lipshultz LI, McKenzie LJ. Decreasing barriers to the utilization of cryopreserved sperm in male cancer survivors: an expert review and guide. Oncologist 30(12), 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 41138163.
- Chamani IJ, Taylor LL, Dadoun SE, McKenzie LJ, Detti L, Ouellette L, McCulloh DH, Licciardi FL. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Vaccination and Assisted Reproduction Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Obstet Gynecol 143(2):210-218, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 37441788.
- Reynolds AC, McKenzie LJ. Cancer Treatment-Related Ovarian Dysfunction in Women of Childbearing Potential: Management and Fertility Preservation Options. J Clin Oncol 41(12):2281-2292, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 36888938.
Abstracts
- Chen J, Peregrin-Alvarez I, McKenzie LJ, Woodard TL, Johnson HM. Oncologic outcomes after ovarian stimulation for fertility preservation in women with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, 2025. e-Pub 2025.
- Peregrin I, Woodard TL, Henshaw C, McKenzie LJ, Detti L. Comparative retrospective analysis of oocyte cryopreservation cycles in female adolescents and young adults at risk for infertility, 2024. e-Pub 2024.
- Alexander MV, Reynolds AC, Ghidei L, Kassab J, Campbell K, Sullivan J, Detti L, Woodard TL, Lipshultz L, McKenzie LJ. Posthumous reproduction in male oncology patients: Significant desire for disposition to surviving partner, 2024. e-Pub 2024.
- Alexander MV, Reynolds AC, Ghidei L, Kassab J, Campbell K, Sullivan J, Detti L, Woodard TL, Lipshultz L, McKenzie LJ. Sperm Banking Prior to Cancer Therapy: Elapsed time to specimen use or discard, 2024. e-Pub 2024.
- Henshaw C, Patel S, Peregrin Alvarez l, Dillon J, Schenk L, McKenzie LJ, Woodard TL, Detti L. Exploring factors associated with fertility preservation utilization in pediatric and adolescent patients undergoing ovarian-toxic treatments, 2024. e-Pub 2024.
- Patel S, Henshaw C, Peregrin Alvarez I, Dunn T, McKenzie LJ, Woodard T, Detti L. Reviewing the upper age limit for ovarian tissue cryopreservation in oncologic and non-oncologic populations, 2024. e-Pub 2024.
- Detti L, Sharif M, Woodard T, Reed C, Saed G, McKenzie LJ, Martinez M Li F. A pilot study on AMHR2BP for the prevention of cyclophosphamide induced ovarian follicle depletion in mice, 2024. e-Pub 2024.
- Patel S, Henshaw C, Peregrin Alvarez I, Reynolds A, McKenzie LJ, Woodard T, Detti L. Evaluating the safety and outcomes of ovarian tissue cryopreservation in leukemia patients, 2024. e-Pub 2024.
- Rhodes Q, Woodard TL, Roth M, Detti L, Shott S, McKenzie LJ. Reproductive impact of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy in women with melanoma, 2024. e-Pub 2024.
- Peregrin Alvarez I, Henshaw C, Huang J, Dillon J, Dunn T, McKenzie LJ, Hamilton D, Detti L. Impact of testicular sperm extraction procedures on trophectoderm quality of embryos in male factor infertility patients undergoing IVF, 2024. e-Pub 2024.
- To A, Dunn T, Reynolds AC, Dillion JC, McKenzie LJ, Detti L. Sperm Cryopreservation is associated with an increased incidence of abnormally fertilized embryos in IVF cycles using intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Fertil Steril 120(4), 2023. e-Pub 2023.
- Reynolds AC, Ghidei L, Kassab J, Campbell K, Sullivan J, Lipshultz L, McKenzie LJ. Utilization of cryopreserved men with cancer. J Clin Oncol 41(16), 2023. e-Pub 2023.
- Woodard, Holman D, McKenzie LJ, Soliman, Rauh-Hain JA, Flenckenstein, Zhang M, LePoidevin L, Dillion JC. A clinical care pathway to optimize clinical decision making and reproductive outcomes in women considering fertility sparing management of early gynecologic cancers, 2022. e-Pub 2022.
- Chamani I, McKenzie LJ, Licciardi F, McCulloh D. Covid 19 Vaccination and Assisted Reproductive Outcomes: A literature Review and Meta analysis. Fertil Steril 118(4):e82, 2022. e-Pub 2022.
Books (edited and written)
- McKenzie, LJ, Nebgen, D. Caring for the Female Cancer Patient - Gynecologic Considerations, 2024.
- McKenzie LJ, Nebgen D. Caring for the Female Cancer Patient: Gynecologic Considerations. Cambridge University Press.
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified September 03, 2026