Dr. Ashok Agarwal is a world-renowned authority in male reproductive health with over three decades of distinguished service at the forefront of andrology and reproductive medicine. He currently serves as Director of the Andrology Center at the Cleveland Clinic and holds the position of Director of Research at the American Center for Reproductive Medicine. After receiving his doctoral training and early research experience in India and at Harvard Medical School, he was appointed by the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in 1993 as Head of the Clinical Andrology Center, where he established a center of excellence for the diagnosis of male infertility and fertility preservation for men with oncological conditions. His academic appointments include Professor of Surgery at the Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, where he has trained generations of reproductive specialists through his leadership and mentorship.
Dr. Agarwal's groundbreaking research on oxidative stress and its relationship with sperm quality has fundamentally transformed the understanding of male infertility, with his team's pioneering work in the 1990s establishing the critical role of reactive oxygen species in reproductive health. His development of the ROS-TAC score in 1999 provided a novel diagnostic measure that could discriminate between fertile and infertile men and predict pregnancy outcomes, becoming a cornerstone in clinical andrology practice worldwide. As the most cited author in the field of andrology, with over 2,193 publications including 1,245 articles, 54 books, and numerous chapters, his work has generated unprecedented impact across reproductive medicine journals such as Fertility and Sterility and Urology. His innovative contributions extend beyond basic research to clinical applications, including the co-development of the NextGen Home Sperm Banking kit, for which he received Innovator Awards in 2011 and 2012.
Beyond his individual research achievements, Dr. Agarwal has been instrumental in building the global andrology community through his visionary founding of the Global Andrology Forum in 2020, which has grown to include 433 participants from 68 countries across six continents as of 2022. His leadership philosophy emphasizing mentorship and collaboration has created a dynamic ecosystem that nurtures early-career researchers while advancing the scientific prowess and clinical capabilities of the entire field. As a sought-after speaker invited to over 30 countries for international meetings, he continues to shape the future direction of male reproductive health through strategic pathways and innovative research approaches that challenge conventional wisdom. His ongoing work focuses on bridging the gap between basic science and clinical practice to refine the management of male infertility and sexual problems, ensuring his enduring influence on the next generation of reproductive specialists worldwide.
