Backcountry skier, former cowhand, and reproductive physiologist Klaus Wiemer, Ph.D. says he sometimes feels like a “third parent” to the many children he established the various laboratories at Northwest Center for Reproductive Sciences. It was pure coincidence that he started in the field of human reproduction.

“My grandfather was a cattle rancher, so I would spend a lot of my summers in Northern Mexico on a large ranch,” Wiemer said. “I basically became a cowboy and learned very early on about assisted reproduction in large animals.”

Wiemer laughs when he looks back on his preteen cowboy experience.

“I spent a lot of time working on a bunch of rambunctious animals trying to help them have babies. They were not always the most cooperative.”     

As a young man, Wiemer loved to be on the ranch, and whenever school was out he would go back to see his grandfather. Wiemer said his grandfather was a major inspiration in his life and helped shape his penchant for hard work.

“My grandfather was always keen to let me spend as much time as I wanted at the ranch. He was never afraid of letting me do what I wanted to do,” Wiemer said. “My father was and is still very supportive of following my dreams and passions. He always said to take the path less traveled. It is a real gift to have a job that makes you smile everyday.”

Being raised around the science of assisted reproduction, it was only a natural leap for Wiemer to jump from working with animals to more scientific approaches of human assisted reproductive technology.

After graduating with a master’s degree in reproductive physiology from New Mexico State University in 1985, Wiemer went on to Louisiana State University (LSU) where in 1989 he earned his Ph.D. in reproductive physiology with an emphasis in embryology.

While studying at LSU, Wiemer was honored for his work in mimicking the fallopian tube environment by placing embryos on a layer of cells that are originally found in the uterus or fallopian tube. In the veterinary field, this work resulted in Wiemer being awarded runner-up award by the International Embryo Transfer Society.

“That research also resulted in my winning the grand prize for the American Society of Reproductive Medicine when I was only 26-years-old,” Wiemer said laughing. “I had to go buy a suit at Goodwill just to collect the reward. I bet I was the only person on that stage with cowboy boots on. It’s really been a fun ride.”

Wiemer has successfully directed several IVF programs in the United States. His work in North Carolina achieved one of the highest pregnancy rates in the country with delivery rates of 55 percent and implantation rates of 22 percent.

In addition to his clinical work, Wiemer conducts research on improving embryo development, embryo morphology, and the effects of follicular stimulation on egg and embryo quality. Wiemer oversees all three laboratories at NCRS. Each focuses on a specific aspect of reproductive science and includes the andrology, endocrinology, and embryology laboratories. Recently, Wiemer had what is believed to be the first pregnancy and delivery from frozen thawed oocytes in the Pacific Northwest.

“I am a reproductive physiologist by training, but I would say my job title is more accurately laboratory or scientific director,” he said. “I really feel it is an important aspect of my job to help develop and put into place new technology here at NCRS. If you wait for the new technology to be published, you are not at the forefront in this field.”   

A fluent Spanish speaker, Wiemer is a frequent lecturer at professional conferences throughout the United States and overseas. In 1997, he received the LIFE Award for Laboratory Innovations in Fertility and Embryology.

Wiemer is happily married and is the father of two boys.