sperm quality in healthy volunteers of unproven fertility and in infertile men. They went on to study the negative effects of oxidative stress generated during sperm processing and cryopreservation during ART procedures on semen quality. Ashok and his researchers looked into the cut-off values for ROS levels to distinguish between fertile and infertile men and the measurement of oxidative stress. 2000-2009 In the following decade, Ashok and his team at ACRM investigated the physiological and pathophysiological effects (both direct and indirect) of endogenous and exogenous ROS. Ashok and his researchers continued to examine normal range of ROS generation to distinguish between fertile and infertile men. 2010–2014 In the new millennium, Ashok and his team at ACRM examined the role of antioxidants (e.g. carnitines, vitamins C and E, pentoxifyline) as defense mechanisms to neutralize and prevent the over-production of ROS in relation to male infertility. Current research In the more recent years, Ashok has been working on the studies on molecular markers of oxidative stress, DNA integrity, effect of radio frequency radiation on fertility and fertility preservation in patients with cancer. His research focus currently is on the use of proteomics and bioinformatics tools in discovering the biological processes and pathways underlying OS-induced infertility. Awards and honors 2007: SCSA Research Award, American Society for Reproductive Medicine 2008: CCF Innovation Award 2007 for "Supplementation of L Carnitine in the Culture Media Causes a Significant Decrease in DNA Damage and Improves Embryo Quality – A Novel Finding" 2011–2012: Innovator Award, Cleveland Clinic Innovations 2010–2019: Star Award, American Society for Reproductive Medicine 2011, 2013, 2014: Scholarship in Teaching Award, Case Western Reserve University Medical School for the Summer Internship Course in Reproductive Medicine, 2013, 2014: Scholarship in Teaching Award, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine for the Training Program in Advanced Reproductive Techniques 2017: Outstanding Paper Award (along with his two collaborators from Hong Kong and Brazil), Asian Journal of Andrology 2018: Exceptional Research Productivity and Outstanding Research Collaboration, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar 2018: Outstanding Paper Award for Proteomic signatures of infertile men with clinical varicocele and their validation studies reveal mitochondrial dysfunction leading to infertility, Asian Journal of Andrology 2018: Outstanding Paper Award for Spermatozoa protein alterations in infertile men with bilateral varicocele, Asian Journal of Andrology 2019: IVF Expert of the Year, American College of Embryology 2019: Most Cited Article Award for Role of Antioxidants in Assisted Reproductive Techniques, World