Dr. Bernard Robaire delivers 2023 Erwin Goldberg Lecture in Male Reproduction
On Friday, February 24th, the CRS hosted its second lecture of the Translational Lectureship in Reproductive Science seminar series in 2023. The Erwin Goldberg Lecture in Male Reproduction is held annually to commemorate the life and career of the distinguished reproductive biologist Dr. Erwin Goldberg, who was one of the co-founders of the CRS. This year Dr. Bernard Robaire was invited to deliver the lecture. Dr. Robaire is a James McGill Professor of Pharmacology & Therapeutics and Obstetrics & Gynecology at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, where he conducts research on the effects of both toxic environmental substances and aging on the male reproductive system. Prior to his prolific research and mentorship career, Dr. Robaire received his PhD at McGill and completed his NIH postdoctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins University. His work as an academic in male reproductive science has resulted in close to 300 publications as well as over 60 students and mentees in his lab going on to successful careers.
Dr. Robaire’s lecture, titled “Are Replacements for Legacy Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals Responsible or Regrettable?” covered three different families of endocrine disruptors: bisphenols, flame retardants, and plasticizers. The gravity of this topic was underscored when Dr. Robaire pointed out that in the body, “there’s really no system that’s not affected by endocrine disruptors.” That ubiquitous “BPA-free” label? Turns out it’s not quite as reassuring as one would hope. In fact, there are 230 bisphenols according to Dr. Robaire, and his analysis from toxicity assays conducted on testicular cells overwhelmingly demonstrated that many of them are even more toxic than BPA itself. All hope is not lost though, as Dr. Robaire also compared organophosphate flame retardants and the brominated ones they have come to replace. And while there were still toxic effects detected for some, not all replacements are harmful. In fact, Dr. Robaire’s data from the plasticizer replacements are rather promising, as this is an area where there are actually chemicals on the market that are safe. Ultimately, Dr. Robaire closed his remarks with an answer to the question he posed initially, stating, “I would say we have mostly regrettable, have a few responsible, and we have to push industry to come up with more responsible replacements.”
MS-RSM students expressed that they were fascinated by the lecture and surprised by the fact that testing replacement chemicals for toxicity is not mandated, as Dr. Robaire mentioned in his talk. They also valued the sage advice he shared with CRS trainees as he discussed the importance of never letting anyone tell you that you can’t do something. This mentality has surely served Dr. Robaire well in some of the challenging moments of his career, including the clashes his group has had with large corporations that produce the toxic substances that his research has exposed. In his lecture he noted, “These are billion dollar products, so when you deal with the private sector, you’ve got to hold your own. You’ve got to be ready to respond to their attacks.” 
Dr. Robaire’s persistence is just one of the factors that has allowed him to become an expert in male reproductive science, much like Dr. Goldberg himself. At the beginning of the event, Dr. Goldberg briefly shared his own remarks. “This is the sixth lecture that we’ve had,” he said, “I was honored the first time, and I still find each time a special honor.” Dr. Goldberg’s efforts are deeply appreciated by the CRS, from his nearly 50 years of dedicated service as an esteemed faculty member all the way down to the insightful questions he still asks every week during Reproductive Research Updates. Although the CRS may continue to change over time as its members come and go, it is certain that the community will always value Dr. Goldberg’s contributions.