Dr Taylor Pini
Lecturer in Veterinary Reproduction
School of Veterinary Science
Researcher biography
Dr Taylor Pini is a lecturer in veterinary reproduction within the School of Veterinary Science. Taylor graduated with a Bachelor of Animal and Veterinary Bioscience (Hons) and a PhD in reproductive biology from The University of Sydney. After her PhD, Taylor undertook postdocs at the Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine (USA), and with the Gametic Epigenetics Consortium against Obesity (GECKO) at The University of Sydney. Taylor has worked across various aspects of male reproduction using a range of species, including sheep, mice and humans.
Taylor's research focuses on sperm biology and better understanding how both physiological processes and applied interventions impact sperm function, with the ultimate goal of improving outcomes of applied reproductive technologies.
Taylor is a co-host and producer of the science communication podcast Repro Radio.
Looking for a research project? Taylor is currently taking on Summer and Winter Scholarship Students (undergraduate) and Science Honours Students. If you are interested in pursuing a Masters or PhD degree with Taylor as a supervisor, please get in touch by email to discuss current opportunities and scholarship options.
Journal Articles
Crean, Angela J., Pulpitel, Tamara J., Pini, Taylor, Rickard, Jessica P., de Graaf, Simon P., Senior, Alistair M., Simpson, Stephen J. and Wali, Jibran A. (2024). Low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets reduce body weight and sperm count but increase sperm motility in mice. The Journal of Nutrition, 154 (1), 60-68. doi: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2023.11.016
Crean, A. J., Afrin, S., Niranjan, H., Pulpitel, T. J., Ahmad, G., Senior, A. M., Freire, T., Mackay, F., Nobrega, M. A., Barrès, R., Simpson, S. J. and Pini, T. (2023). Male reproductive traits are differentially affected by dietary macronutrient balance but unrelated to adiposity. Nature Communications, 14 (1) 2566, 1-12. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-38314-x
Warr, Sophie, Pini, Taylor, de Graaf, Simon P. and Rickard, Jessica P. (2022). Molecular insights to the sperm-cervix interaction and the consequences for cryopreserved sperm. Biology of Reproduction, 108 (2), 183-196. doi: 10.1093/biolre/ioac188
PINI, Taylor, AHMAD, Gulfam, BARRES, Romain, SIMPSON, Stephen and CREAN, Angela (2022). Nutritional Geometry of Male Fertility: Moving Beyond The ‘High-Fat’ Diet. Fertility & Reproduction, 04 (03n04), 179-179. doi: 10.1142/s2661318222740905
Liperis, George, Sharma, Kashish, Ammar, Omar Farhan, Fraire-Zamora, Juan J., da Silva, Sarah Martins, Thomson, Andrew, Pini, Taylor and Mincheva, Mina (2022). #ESHREjc report: are sperm selection techniques a panacea? Indications for the use of physiological intracytoplasmic sperm injection (PICSI) in medically assisted reproduction. Human Reproduction, 37 (10), 2492-2496. doi: 10.1093/humrep/deac182
Dunleavy, Jessica E. M., Dinh, Doan Thao, Filby, Caitlin E., Green, Ella, Hofstee, Pierre, Pini, Taylor, Rivers, Nicola, Skerrett-Byrne, David A., Wijayarathna, Rukmali, Winstanley, Yasmyn E., Zhou, Wei and Richani, Dulama (2022). Reproductive biology research down under: highlights from the Australian and New Zealand Annual Meeting of the Society for Reproductive Biology, 2021. Reproduction, Fertility and Development, 34 (13), 855-866. doi: 10.1071/rd22115
Pini, Taylor, Haywood, Mary, McCallie, Blair, Lane, Sydney L., Schoolcraft, William B. and Katz-Jaffe, Mandy (2021). Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry reveals an active response to DNA damage in human spermatozoa. F&S Science, 2 (2), 153-163. doi: 10.1016/j.xfss.2021.03.001
Pini, Taylor, Raubenheimer, David, Simpson, Stephen J. and Crean, Angela J. (2021). Obesity and male reproduction; placing the Western diet in context. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 12 622292. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2021.622292
Pool, K. R., Rickard, J. P., Pini, T. and de Graaf, S. P. (2020). Exogenous melatonin advances the ram breeding season and increases testicular function. Scientific Reports, 10 (1) 9711. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-66594-6
Pini, Taylor, Makloski, Rachel, Maruniak, Karen, Schoolcraft, William B. and Katz-Jaffe, Mandy G. (2020). Mitigating the effects of oxidative sperm DNA damage. Antioxidants, 9 (7) 589, 1-13. doi: 10.3390/antiox9070589
Leahy, Tamara, Rickard, Jessica P., Pini, Taylor, Gadella, Bart M. and de Graaf, Simon P. (2020). Quantitative proteomic analysis of seminal plasma, sperm membrane proteins, and seminal extracellular vesicles suggests vesicular mechanisms aid in the removal and addition of proteins to the ram sperm membrane. Proteomics, 20 (12) 1900289. doi: 10.1002/pmic.201900289
Pini, T., Parks, J., Russ, J., Dzieciatkowska, M., Hansen, K. C., Schoolcraft, W. B. and Katz-Jaffe, M. (2020). Obesity significantly alters the human sperm proteome, with potential implications for fertility. Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics, 37 (4), 777-787. doi: 10.1007/s10815-020-01707-8
Parks, Jason C., McCallie, Blair R., Haywood, Mary E., Pini, Taylor, Schoolcraft, William B. and Katz-Jaffe, Mandy G. (2019). Minimally invasive uterine aspiration 24 hours ahead of embryo transfer characterizes the compromised RIF uterine microenvironment and is predictive of reproductive outcome. Fertility and Sterility, 112 (3), e72-e72. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2019.07.309
Pini, Taylor, Parks, Jason C., Dzieciatkowska, Monika, Hansen, Kirk C., Schoolcraft, William B. and Katz-Jaffe, Mandy G. (2019). Obesity causes significant changes to the human sperm proteome. Fertility and Sterility, 112 (3 Supplement), e211-e211. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2019.07.666
Pini, Taylor, Leahy, Tamara and de Graaf, Simon P. (2018). Sublethal sperm freezing damage: manifestations and solutions. Theriogenology, 118, 172-181. doi: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2018.06.006
Pini, T., Rickard, J. P., Leahy, T., Crossett, B., Druart, X. and de Graaf, S. P. (2018). Cryopreservation and egg yolk medium alter the proteome of ram spermatozoa. Journal of Proteomics, 181, 73-82. doi: 10.1016/j.jprot.2018.04.001
Pini, Taylor, Farmer, Kiri, Druart, Xavier, Teixeira-Gomes, Ana Paula, Tsikis, Guillaume, Labas, Valerie, Leahy, Tamara and de Graaf, Simon P. (2018). Binder of Sperm Proteins protect ram spermatozoa from freeze-thaw damage. Cryobiology, 82, 78-87. doi: 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2018.04.005
Pini, Taylor, De Graaf, Simon P., Druart, Xavier, Tsikis, Guillaume, Labas, Valerie, Teixeira-Gomes, Ana Paula, Gadella, Barend M. and Leahy, Tamara (2018). Binder of Sperm Proteins 1 and 5 have contrasting effects on the capacitation of ram spermatozoa. Biology of Reproduction, 98 (6), 765-775. doi: 10.1093/biolre/ioy032
Pini, Taylor, Leahy, Tamara and Paul De Graaf, Simon (2018). Seminal plasma and cryopreservation alter ram sperm surface carbohydrates and interactions with neutrophils. Reproduction, Fertility and Development, 30 (5), 689-702. doi: 10.1071/RD17251
Pini, Taylor, Leahy, Tamara, Soleilhavoup, Clement, Tsikis, Guillaume, Labas, Valerie, Combes-Soia, Lucie, Harichaux, Gregoire, Rickard, Jessica P., Druart, Xavier and De Graaf, Simon P. (2016). Proteomic investigation of ram spermatozoa and the proteins conferred by seminal plasma. Journal of Proteome Research, 15 (10), 3700-3711. doi: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.6b00530
Rickard, J. P., Pini, T., Soleilhavoup, C., Cognie, J., Bathgate, R., Lynch, G. W., Evans, G., Maxwell, W. M.C., Druart, X. and De Graaf, S. P. (2014). Erratum: Seminal plasma aids the survival and cervical transit of epididymal ram spermatozoa (Reproduction (2014) 148 (X1)). Reproduction, 148 (6), 469-478. doi: 10.1530/REP-14-0285e
Rickard, J. P., Pini, T., Soleilhavoup, C., Cognie, J., Bathgate, R., Lynch, G. W., Evans, G., Maxwell, W. M. C., Druart, X. and de Graaf, S. P. (2014). Seminal plasma aids the survival and cervical transit of epididymal ram spermatozoa. Reproduction, 148 (5), 469-478. doi: 10.1530/rep-14-0285
Conference Paper
Pini, Taylor, Leahy, Tamara and de Graaf, Simon P. (2016). Changes to sperm surface carbohydrates following exposure to seminal plasma and freezing. 10th Biennial Conference of the Association for Applied Animal Andrology, Tours, France, 24 June 2016. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2016.03.021