Dagan Wells studied at University College London (UCL), obtaining bachelors and doctoral degrees in Genetics. He has been actively involved in preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and the study of human gametes and embryos for almost two decades, conducting his first PGD cases in 1992 at the age of 21. After a time spent supervising molecular diagnostics at the UCL Centre for PGD in London, Dr. Wells moved to the United States and joined Reprogenetics, one of the largest providers of PGD services in the USA. In 2003 he initiated Reprogenetics’ highly successful single gene PGD program, testing embryos for numerous serious inherited conditions. Dr. Wells later joined the faculty of Yale University Medical School, where he spent four years as an Assistant Professor, before returning to the UK in October 2007. His research group is now located in the Nuffield Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Oxford.
Dr. Wells’ research program is focused on increasing understanding of the molecular genetic processes underlying gametogenesis and preimplantation development. His laboratory has a strong translational emphasis and is actively involved in the development of new PGD methods that are more comprehensive and more reliable than those in current use. His research also aims to create novel techniques for improving the success rates of in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment. Dr. Wells’ research program has attracted funding from multiple public and private organizations, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Medical Research Council (UK).
Dr. Wells’ work has been recognized with the award of several prizes, including the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) General Program Prize (2000) and the publication of more than 80 papers in peer-review journals. Dr. Wells currently serves on the Editorial Boards of several international medical journals, including Molecular Human Reproduction, Reproductive Biomedicine Online and Prenatal Diagnosis, and is Director of Reprogenetics-UK, an independent UK-based company offering state-of-the-art PGD services. Dr. Wells was recently made a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists (UK) and holds a New York State Dept of Health PGD laboratory director license.