Dr. Marisa López-Teijón stands as a prominent figure in the field of Assisted Reproduction, having made significant contributions over the years. As the General Director of Institut Marquès from the early 2000s until 2022, she played a pivotal role in shaping the clinic’s approach and offerings.
Her personal goal is to continue driving progress through research and development, with a special emphasis on streamlining processes and improving patient experiences. Currently, she is the Strategic Advisor for Innovation at Future Life group, aiming to elevate standards and possibilities in the field of Assisted Reproduction.
At the beginning of her professional life, male infertility was hardly given importance, with little to no study on males. Thus, in 2003, she began conducting population studies comparing semen quality. In doing so, she helped convince the scientific community that the classic causes attributed to poor sperm quality (stress, tight pants, alcohol…) are a myth, and the real issue stems from chemical toxins—industrial pollution, contamination by persistent organic pollutants, and estrogenic disruptors.
Continuing with the emphasis on semen quality, and to enhance the experience, semen collection rooms have an erotic environment and a buffet of sexual toys. Excitement improves semen quality. The quantity of semen (volume of ejaculate), its quality, and the level of orgasm depend on the degree of sexual arousal achieved.
Pursuing Passion
One of Dr. López-Teijón’s unique interests lies in the role of music during the early stages of life. She has launched an innovative project that introduces music into embryo incubators in assisted reproduction laboratories. Her research shows that musical micro-vibrations mimic the movements that fertilized eggs experience on their journey through the reproductive tract, leading to a more even distribution of nutrients and waste metabolites and, ultimately, increasing success rates.
Dr. López-Teijón’s work also extends to the study of fetal hearing. Her research on fetal facial expressions in response to intravaginal music emission, conducted with the Babypod device, is pioneering and has garnered international attention. Babypod is the only device that allows mothers to communicate with their unborn babies through music, with significant medical applications such as ensuring fetal hearing and improving ultrasounds.
In addition to her scientific research, Dr. López-Teijón is committed to promoting dissemination and education about fertility. She is the author of a fertility guide, “I Want to Get Pregnant Now”, available in several languages, which has helped countless individuals on their path to parenthood. She also shares her experiences and insights through her blog, “fertility-experiences.com,” which has more than 850,000 readers.
A Renowned Institution in Assisted Reproduction
Institut Marquès, named after the Marquès family, represents four generations of gynecologists with 100 years of history and has solidified its status as an international beacon of excellence in Assisted Reproduction.
Dr. López-Teijón and Institut Marquès’s contributions have been recognized worldwide, receiving accolades from prestigious institutions such as Harvard and MIT.
In 2004, she launched the world’s first Embryo Adoption Program to give life opportunities to embryos abandoned in clinics. Nearly 2,000 children have been born, with women of 124 different nationalities participating.
Improving Mobility and Telemedicine
She is committed to facilitating processes. She has invented a very simple system where the patient freezes their own semen sample at home and sends it to the clinic with identical results to when done by an expert biologist, “tele-semen.”
She has developed a protocol for patients to see their embryos from home: they watch live video of how they are developing in the incubators. For the Center, it is an exercise in transparency, sharing information, and emotion. It is called Embryomobile.
They have now invented a system (currently experimental) to perform embryo transfers at the patient’s home, the “Tele-transfer.”
Encouraging Change
The doctor asserts that 21st-century patients need inventive, non-conformist doctors with their own criteria and rebellious against impositions due to economic interests.
The study and treatment of infertility is one of the sciences that has advanced the most in recent years and requires continuous innovation…
Infertility is increasing due to the delay in the age of motherhood and because semen quality is deteriorating. Many women need medical help to become mothers.
A Legacy of Hope
In her words, “Thanks to continuous advances in research and technology, I believe life begins when a woman alone, a man alone, or a loving couple feel the desire to have a child. We still have much to learn, but assisted reproduction techniques are making desires become reality.”
Philosophy of Success
Dr. López-Teijón understands that success requires unwavering determination and passion. She wholeheartedly celebrates dedicating her life to what she calls “embryonic passion.” This dedication means working very hard, nourishing it with boundless enthusiasm, and surrounding herself with the best professionals in the field.
She also insists on the critical importance of pursuing excellence. In her view, excellence is not about seeking perfection or trying to make predictions. Rather, it is about fearlessly embarking on innovative and bold projects that have the potential to revolutionize the future. She firmly believes that excellence is a mindset that requires determination, creativity, and a genuine enjoyment of the journey. It means exceeding expectations and setting new benchmarks for success. This is the philosophy she has always conveyed to her teams.
Encouraging Creativity, Curiosity, and Teamwork
When it comes to fostering a culture of innovation and creativity within an organization, Dr. Marisa López-Teijón offers valuable insights. She believes that one of the most important qualities to encourage innovation is creativity. In her opinion, creativity is not something that can be taught in a classroom or confined to a few hours a day. It is a way of life and thinking. But it also demands a high degree of discipline.
She keeps her childlike curiosity alive, constantly wondering why things happen and never taking anything for granted. She refuses to accept the status quo of “it has always been this way” or “it’s impossible,” and challenges established norms.
Effective communication is another key aspect she emphasizes. It is essential to convey ideas in a way that others can understand and relate to. Furthermore, teamwork is crucial. She stresses that, in today’s world, significant achievements are seldom made by people working in isolation. Teamwork is the foundation for bringing innovative ideas to life and achieving real impact.
Reflections as a Woman
Men with a title or a position are taken for granted for their worth, but Dr. Marisa López-Teijón believes that women must also prove it. For many years, she has been the only female head of an infertility clinic and explains, “at conferences, they asked me who I had left my children with, and I responded with the same question.”
Dr. López-Teijón believes that “advanced societies, like ours, will be increasingly egalitarian. Before, a woman could choose whether she wanted to work, but now she no longer can. She knows she needs financial independence. We have to fight against the cultural environment of traditions aimed at women primarily being daughters, wives, and mothers, and working outside the home in whatever free time remains. This means putting ourselves at a disadvantage. We have to reassess everything for ourselves, and this requires discipline and courage.” In this sense, she states: “I am horrified by people who believe that the pregnant woman is a weak being who needs to be protected or removed from work. I believe that the life inside us gives us a supernatural strength that we must know how to use, directing it to fight more than ever for what we want for ourselves and for what we want our child to see in us, both in the short and long term.”
Ideas for Achieving Success
Institut Marquès is an extraordinary example of what can be achieved when passion, unwavering dedication, and cutting-edge innovation come together in the field of reproductive medicine.
The doctor tells us, “Look… every child is a miracle.
If it occurs naturally, it is a gift.
If you have to fight for it… it is a love story.
Written by Steve Sanchez.
