Renowned Dr. Thomas ‘Rusty’ Pool, Ph.D. Joins AFRM as Westlake IVF Lab Director

Austin Fertility & Reproductive Medicine/Westlake IVF (AFRM) is honored and excited to announce the appointment of renowned Dr. Thomas ‘Rusty’ Pool, Ph.D., as Westlake IVF Lab Director.  Dr. Pool is a pioneer in the field of embryology and has been integral to the development of culture media in which embryos grow in IVF laboratories.  Additionally his experience as a CAP inspector of IVF laboratories is a strong and rare asset, and provides the best quality assurance and quality control in the IVF laboratory.  Dr. Pool’s extensive research and broad-based background coupled with his commitment to developing the IVF laboratory standards further our mission to help couples achieve pregnancy.  With his true scientific foundation/ background at the PhD level, Dr. Pool will continue to ensure that AFRM provides the highest standards in our IVF laboratory.

Dr. Pool is board-certified as a High-Complexity Clinical Laboratory Director (HCLD). The esteemed lab director is also an active member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), the American Association of Bioanalysts (AAB) and the Pacific Coast Fertility Society. Dr. Pool served as the Chairman of the College of Reproductive Biology of the AAB from 2000-2001. He was also a member of the Practice Committee of the Society of Assisted Reproductive Technology, and Dr. Pool worked with the CDC to develop a model inspection program for embryo labs throughout the United States. Currently, the renowned embryologist is the laboratory inspector for the Accreditation Program of the College of American Pathologists and has helped organize international symposia on fertility and early human development. In addition, Dr. Pool reviews for various reproduction and genetics journals and is the Section Editor for Reproductive BioMedicine Online.

Upon receiving his Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Texas, Dr. Pool was awarded his Ph.D. in cellular and developmental biology at the University of Virginia in 1976. Upon completion of his post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Texas Health Science Center, Dr. Pool became a faculty member and performed research that led to the birth of the first cynomolgous monkey produced by IVF and the first live-birth of a nonhuman primate. In 1986, the distinguished embryologist left academics to help found the Fertility Center of San Antonio, for which he is the Scientific and Laboratory Director.

The prominent Dr. Pool serves alongside the other prestigious board-certified members of Austin Fertility & Reproductive Medicine (AFRM), the only private fertility center in the United States with fellowship trained specialists in both female and male fertility. This family-oriented practice has over 40 years of combined experience enabling couples to build families. Female patients receive care from Dr. KM Kavoussi and Dr. SK Kavoussi, recipient of the Patient’s Choice Award 2008-2013. Male patients see Dr. PK Kavoussi, named Texas Monthly Rising Star Super Doctor, who has a greater than 95% success rate for vasectomy reversals within 15 years of vasectomy.