Ina Dobrinski, University of Calgary

Research

Animal Models Male Fertility Microfluidics Organoids Plastic Nanoparticles Spermatogenesis Stem Cell Differentiation Testis

Latest papers

Male germ cell technologies in large animals.
The Journal of reproduction and development · 2026 · senior author
Alcohol alters blood-testis barrier function in an in vitro model.
F&S science · 2025
Testicular Organoid Formation in Microwell Culture.
Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) · 2025 · senior author

All 43 publications

Latest funding

Development of a stem cell-based platform to model spermatogenesis in vitro: Engineering testicular organoids to study and preserve male fertility
CIHR · 2026 · Nominated PI
$1,071,000
The role of extracellular vesicles in mammalian spermatogenesis
NSERC · 2024 · Principal investigator
$55,000
Transient disruption of the blood-testis barrier using synthetic anti-claudin compounds in human and pig models: towards improving the efficiency of spermatogonial stem cell transplantation for fertility restoration in pediatric cancer survivors
CIHR · 2024 · Co-investigator
$1,044,226

All 8 grants and awards

43 publications.

01

Male germ cell technologies in large animals.

Peckham G, DE Lima E Martins Lara N, Dobrinski I

The Journal of reproduction and development2026Senior author

DOI: 10.1262/jrd.2025-108 PMID: 42309762

02

Alcohol alters blood-testis barrier function in an in vitro model.

Edenfield RC, Potter SB, Crow KS, Cho IK, Easley KF, Lara NLM, Waters ES, Hedges JC, Lo JO, Dobrinski I, Koval M, Easley CA

F&S science2025

DOI: 10.1016/j.xfss.2025.07.005 PMID: 40744289

03

Testicular Organoid Formation in Microwell Culture.

de Lima E Martins Lara N, Elsenhans A, Dobrinski I

Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1007/7651_2025_624 PMID: 40146523

04

Generation of Organotypic Testicular Organoids from Rat and Pig Primary Cells in Microwell Culture.

Elsenhans A, de Lima E Martins Lara N, Sakib S, Dobrinski I

Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-4698-4_5 PMID: 40601271

05

Platelet-derived growth factor signaling in porcine testicular tubular somatic cells.

de Lima E Martins Lara N, Jeyhoonabadi MA, Dardari R, Elsenhans A, Su L, Sakib S, Dobrinski I

Cell and tissue research2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1007/s00441-025-04004-x PMID: 40839115

06

The role of primary cilia in the testis.

de Lima E Martins Lara N, Elsenhans A, Dardari R, Dobrinski I

Current opinion in endocrine and metabolic research2024Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.coemr.2024.100508 PMID: 42415743

07

DAZL Knockout Pigs as Recipients for Spermatogonial Stem Cell Transplantation.

Lara NLM, Goldsmith T, Rodriguez-Villamil P, Ongaratto F, Solin S, Webster D, Ganbaatar U, Hodgson S, Corbière SMAS, Bondareva A, Carlson DF, Dobrinski I

Cells2023Senior author

DOI: 10.3390/cells12212582 PMID: 37947660

08

Comparing the adult and pre-pubertal testis: Metabolic transitions and the change in the spermatogonial stem cell metabolic microenvironment.

Voigt AL, de Lima E Martins Lara N, Dobrinski I

Andrology2023Senior author

DOI: 10.1111/andr.13397 PMID: 36690000

09

A Role for Exchange of Extracellular Vesicles in Porcine Spermatogonial Co-Culture.

Thiageswaran S, Steele H, Voigt AL, Dobrinski I

International journal of molecular sciences2022Senior author

DOI: 10.3390/ijms23094535 PMID: 35562927

10

Organotypic Rat Testicular Organoids for the Study of Testicular Maturation and Toxicology.

Sakib S, Lara NLEM, Huynh BC, Dobrinski I

Frontiers in endocrinology2022Senior author

DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.892342 PMID: 35757431

Development of a stem cell-based platform to model spermatogenesis in vitro: Engineering testicular organoids to study and preserve male fertility

Nominated PICIHR2026Project Grant

Principal investigators: Dobrinski, Ina

Keywords: Animal Models; Male Fertility; Microfluidics; Organoids; Plastic Nanoparticles; Spermatogenesis; Stem Cell Differentiation; Testis

$1,071,000

The role of extracellular vesicles in mammalian spermatogenesis

Principal investigatorNSERC2024Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Dobrinski, Ina

Keywords: extracellular vesicles; testis; sertoli cells; germ cells; differentiation; spermatogonia; cell communication; exosomes; microvesicles; stem cells

$55,000

Transient disruption of the blood-testis barrier using synthetic anti-claudin compounds in human and pig models: towards improving the efficiency of spermatogonial stem cell transplantation for fertility restoration in pediatric cancer survivors

Co-investigatorCIHR2024Project Grant

Principal investigators: Nagano, Makoto

Keywords: Animal Model; Cell Delivery; Claudin; Human Organ Culture; Male Fertility Restoration; Pediatric Cancer Survivors; Spermatogenesis; Tight Junction

$1,044,226

Testicular organoids derived from induced pluripotent stem cells as a bioassay for modelling human testicular development and function

SupervisorCIHR2020CIHR Fellowship

Principal investigators: de Lima e Martins Lara, Nathalia

Keywords: Bioassay; Human Testis Development; Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells; Male Infertility; Spermatogonial Stem Cells; Testicular Organoids

$135,000

The role of UCH-L1 in mammalian spermatogonia

Principal investigatorNSERC2016Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Dobrinski, Ina

$324,000

Characterization and germ line differentiation of non-rodent embryonic stem cells

Principal investigatorNSERC2010Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Dobrinski, Ina

$350,000

Characterization and germ line differentiation of non-rodent embryonic stem cells

Principal investigatorNSERC2010Discovery Grants Program - Accelerator Supplements

Principal investigators: Dobrinski, Ina

$120,000

CIHR Training Program in Genetics, Child Development and Health

Co-investigatorCIHR2008Training Grant

Principal investigators: Gravel, Roy A

Keywords: Congenital Anomalies; Developmental Biology; Genetics; Metabolism; Neurobiology; Reproduction

$1,950,000

From CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions: CIHR since 2008, NSERC since 1991 and SSHRC since 1998, including their latest published competition results.

Frequent collaborators

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Biology
Medicine
Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine
Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
Urologic Sciences
Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Other

Co-authors at University of Calgary, colored by department. Thicker lines mean more shared papers; select anyone to open their profile and their own map.

Mark Ungrin

Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine

4 shared papers, latest 2021

Derrick Rancourt

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

2 shared papers, latest 2021

Caigan Du

Urologic Sciences

1 shared papers, latest 2021

Honglin Luo

Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

1 shared papers, latest 2021

Sandra Turcotte

Chemistry and Biochemistry

1 shared papers, latest 2021

Isabella Caniggia

Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute

1 shared papers, latest 2021

Nigil Haroon

Immunology and Rheumatology

1 shared papers, latest 2021

Steve Jean

Anatomie et biologie cellulaire

1 shared papers, latest 2021

John Cobb

Biological Sciences

1 shared papers, latest 2020

Khosrow Adeli

Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology

1 shared papers, latest 2021

Sophie Roux

Rhumatologie

1 shared papers, latest 2021

Antoine Dufour

Microbiology and Infectious Diseases

1 shared papers, latest 2021

Xi-Long Zheng

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

1 shared papers, latest 2021

Michael Sacher

Biology

1 shared papers, latest 2021

Write to this professor

A short, specific email works best. This draft uses one of their recent papers; replace the parts in brackets with your own details before sending.

Applying for

Paper to mentionMention their CIHR grant from 2026

Subject: Prospective PhD student: Animal Models Dear Professor Dobrinski, My name is [your name], and I am a [your current degree or role] at [your institution]. I am applying for a PhD position starting in [term and year]. I read your paper "Male germ cell technologies in large animals." (2026), and it connects closely to my own work on [your research topic]. [One or two sentences on what you did and what you learned.] I also saw your CIHR-funded project "Development of a stem cell-based platform to model spermatogenesis in vitro: Engineering testicular organoids to study and preserve male fertility" (2026), and I would be glad to contribute to work in that direction. Are you accepting new PhD students for [term and year]? I have attached my CV and transcripts, and I would be glad to talk at a time that suits you. Thank you for your time. Kind regards, [your name]

Ina Dobrinski

Research

Latest papers

Latest funding

Male germ cell technologies in large animals.

Alcohol alters blood-testis barrier function in an in vitro model.

Testicular Organoid Formation in Microwell Culture.

Generation of Organotypic Testicular Organoids from Rat and Pig Primary Cells in Microwell Culture.

Platelet-derived growth factor signaling in porcine testicular tubular somatic cells.

The role of primary cilia in the testis.

DAZL Knockout Pigs as Recipients for Spermatogonial Stem Cell Transplantation.

Comparing the adult and pre-pubertal testis: Metabolic transitions and the change in the spermatogonial stem cell metabolic microenvironment.

A Role for Exchange of Extracellular Vesicles in Porcine Spermatogonial Co-Culture.

Organotypic Rat Testicular Organoids for the Study of Testicular Maturation and Toxicology.

Development of a stem cell-based platform to model spermatogenesis in vitro: Engineering testicular organoids to study and preserve male fertility

The role of extracellular vesicles in mammalian spermatogenesis

Transient disruption of the blood-testis barrier using synthetic anti-claudin compounds in human and pig models: towards improving the efficiency of spermatogonial stem cell transplantation for fertility restoration in pediatric cancer survivors

Testicular organoids derived from induced pluripotent stem cells as a bioassay for modelling human testicular development and function

The role of UCH-L1 in mammalian spermatogonia

Characterization and germ line differentiation of non-rodent embryonic stem cells

Characterization and germ line differentiation of non-rodent embryonic stem cells

CIHR Training Program in Genetics, Child Development and Health

Frequent collaborators

Mark Ungrin

Derrick Rancourt

Sabah Hussain

Caigan Du

Honglin Luo

Sandra Turcotte

Gary Sweeney

Isabella Caniggia

Michael Weinfeld

Nigil Haroon

Steve Jean

John Cobb

Khosrow Adeli

Sophie Roux

Jean-Jacques Lebrun

Antoine Dufour

Xi-Long Zheng

Shashi Gujar

Yasir Mohamud

Michael Sacher