Professor Oladapo Adenrele Ashiru's academic and professional qualifications include MB, BS, Lagos, 1974; MS (Nebraska) 1978; Ph.D., Nebraska, 1979; HCLD (High Complexity Clinical Laboratory Director), American Board of Bioanalysis, 1997; and CC (Clinical Consultant) ABB-USA, 2012; FASN, FNSEM, FAcadMedS, and Dip. MMM (Modern Mayr Medicine) Austria. He is the President of the Africa Reproductive Care Society Foundation and the Secretary-General of the International Federation of Fertility Societies (IFFS) (the first Black person in the office). Also, the President of the Academy of Medicine Specialties of Nigeria and a member of the International Federation of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (FIGO) Committee on Climate Change Toxic Environmental Exposure (C2TE2). He is also the Foundation President of the African Fertility Society. Prof Ashiru was appointed a Professor at the College of Medicine University of Lagos at 32, making him the youngest professor of Medicine in Africa. He was awarded Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (OFR) in 2005 for his meritorious contributions to Assisted Conception and reproductive health. In 2006, he was made the Otunba Orodudu-j’oye of Ijebuland by the Awujale of Ijebu for bringing joy to thousands of couples using his expertise in Assisted Reproductive Technology since 1983.
He discovered and reported the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) positive feedback mechanism in 1979. He pioneered the technique of In-Vitro fertilization and Embryo transfer in West Africa in 1983 (experimental), 1984 (human) co-pioneer of the first test-tube baby through IVF-ET in 1989. He also pioneered Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis for eliminating chromosomal abnormalities, Sickle cell disease in babies of sickle cell carrier couples, and family balancing. He has over 150 publications and four books.
Prof Ashiru is the CEO and Chief Medical Director of the MART Group of Health services consisting of the Medical ART (Assisted Reproductive Technology) Center, the MART Diagnostic Center, the Mart Medicare (for High-Risk Obstetrics and Neonatal care), the Mart Life Detox Clinic (the first modern Mayr clinic in Africa), and the Institute of Assisted Reproductive Technology (for human resources training in ART). He has recently been selected for the 2022 Hallmark of Labour Foundation award for outstanding contribution to Medicine in Nigeria.

Sofiane Bendifallah is a Professor of Gynecology-Obstetrics at Sorbonne University in Paris were he is the Head of the Endometriosis Expert Center (C3E). Prof. Bendifallah is an expert surgeon in endometriosis and gynecological cancer and has published over than 250 scientific works related to endometriosis and gynecological cancer.

Rachel graduated from the University of Nottingham in 1995, gained a trainee embryology position and completed the Association of Clinical Embryologists Post Graduate Diploma in 1998. In 2001 she gained the position of Principal Embryologist at Jessop Fertility and held the position of HFEA Person Responsible for 9 years. Rachel was Chair of ACE from 2011 to 2014. She was involved in writing the national curriculum for training embryologists and has written national guidelines for oocyte freezing and elective single embryo transfer. She has written several papers and chapters and has lectured internationally. After being a member of the HFEA for a year and an embryologist for 24 years Rachel joined the HFEA as the Director of Compliance and Information in 2019. She was awarded an MBE in 2015 for services to infertility.

Alan Hersh DeCherney, M.D., received his Bachelor’s Degree in Natural Sciences from Muhlenberg College in Allentown Pennsylvania, where he was a member of the Board of Trustees since 2006- 2010, and now is the Board of Oversears and his Medical Degree from Temple University School of Medicine, where he was AOA and awarded the Henry Laughlin Alumnus of the Year Award in 2005. Dr. DeCherney also holds honorary degrees from, Aristotle University, Greece, University of Bucharest, Romania, and Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.
Dr. DeCherney completed a research fellowship in Immunology at the Lister Institute in London, England, followed by an internship in Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh and a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Pennsylvania.
Currently, Dr. DeCherney is serving as Director of the Program in Reproductive and Adult Endocrinology and Chief, Reproductive Biology and Medicine Branch of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) of the National Institutes of Health. A position he has held since 2006.
A pioneer when IVF was first performed successfully in the U.S, he was among a handful of physicians who treated some of the earliest patients. Dr. DeCherney has mentored more than 100 Reproductive Endocrinologists over the years.
Previously, Dr. DeCherney was the John Slate Ely Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Yale University School of Medicine and the Division Director of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and Women’s Health Services; Dr. DeCherney was the Phaneuf Professor and Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Tufts University School of Medicine where he received the Outstanding Faculty Teaching Award.
He was the Director of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) from 1996 to 2006 and was Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology from 1996 to 2002.
He is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; Past President of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine; a Past President of the Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, the Society of Reproductive Surgeons, and the Society of Assisted Reproductive Technology. He is a Member of the American Gynecological and Obstetrical Society and a Past President of the Society for Gynecologic Investigation. He is the recipient of the President’s Achievement Award from the Society of Gynecologic Investigation.
He was the Editor–in-Chief of the journal, Fertility and Sterility, from 1996 to 2011. He was an Associate Editor and Editorial Board Member of the New England Journal of Medicine and a Member of the Editorial Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Dr. DeCherney served as a Member of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and is a Fellow Ad Eundem of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, London.
Dr. DeCherney has been a Member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies (NAM) since 2004 and was Chairperson of the NAM Interest Group on Maternal & Child & Human Development 2008 to 2010

Angela Maas is a cardiologist since 1988. Over the past 30 years she has specialized in heart disease in women. Since May 2012 she holds a chair in ‘Cardiology for Women’ at the Radboud University in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. The main focus of her work are cardiac symptoms in women at middle-age and the role of female-specific risk factors in heart disease.

Prof. Mocanu is a graduate of Iuliu Hatieganu Medical University, Cluj Napoca, Romania. He is an RCOG certified Subspecialist in Reproductive Medicine and Surgery, an RCOG and RCPI fellow. A Consultant at the Rotunda Hospital and Honorary Professor at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, he engages in providing clinical care, academic education at under and postgraduate level and contributes to the activities of international organizations such as ESHRE, FIGO, IFFS and the WHO. He is currently serving as the President of the International Federation of Fertility Societies.

Dr. James Henry Olobo-Lalobo is an Emeritus Fertility Specialist, and Consultant Medical Ethics & Law. Paragon at Fertility Centre in Kampala, Uganda

Professor Steven Ory has served as Editor-in-Chief of IFFS' Surveillance since 2010. Prior to that he was IFFS' Audit Committee Chair. He has served in multiple leadership roles including the ASRM and SREI presidencies. He has published over 100 papers, primarily pertaining to various aspects of ART."

Anja Pinborg is an MD, specialist in obstetrics/gynecology and expert in clinical reproductive medicine and was appointed professor at University of Copenhagen in 2013. Since 2018 she has been professor and medical director at the Fertility Department at Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital. She has published more than 300 original papers and authored nine book-chapters and has an H-index of 63. She is past member of ESHRE EXCO (2017-2021) and of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (2015-2021) and former president for Nordic Fertility Society (2011-2015). She is deputy editor of Human Reproduction Open and former AE of Human Reproduction Update and RBMOnline. Her main research focus areas are quality and safety in ART including maternal and child health.

Laura Francesca Rienzi is an Associate Professor at the Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino “Carlo Bo”, Italy. She is also the Director of the Scientific Executive Committee of GeneraLife and co-founder of Genera. With 30 years’ experience in human assisted reproduction technologies, pre-implantation genetic testing and cryopreservation of human oocytes, sperm and embryos, Laura Francesca Rienzi is the Director of the Scientific Executive Committee of the GeneraLife network of IVF clinics in Europe. Laura obtained her degree in Biology magna cum laude at the University of Rome “La Sapienza"", aMaster degree and a Course of Specialization in Reproductive Medicine at the University of Padua. She has authored >230 articles (Scopus Index 57), reviews and book chapters, she has also been invited to speak in >330 national and international scientific meetings and has won several awards regarding fertility investigation and innovation. In 2008 she founded together with Dr. Filippo Maria Ubaldi the Genera IVF centers, with 4 different locations in Italy, where she’s been Laboratory Director. Since 2016, she’s been Adjunct Professor of Biotechnology in Assisted Reproduction at the Faculty of Biology, University of Urbino “Carlo Bo”, Italy. Since 2022, she was appointed as Associated Professor, Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino “Carlo Bo”, Italy. In 2020, she was actively involved in the creation of GeneraLife, a network of >30 clinics in 5 different countries in Europe: the name GeneraLife was inspired by the group she founded 12 years before.

Filippo Maria Ubaldi is the Scientific Director of GeneraLife, International Reproductive Medicine network (more than 30 Centres in Italy, Spain, Sweden and Czech Republic).
He is also Member of the Technical Table for in-depth study of issues related to medically assisted procreation, established by the Italian Ministry of Health on January 2023.
With academic degrees in Ob & Gyn, Masters in Andrology and Reproductive Medicine, PhD in Andrology at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, he is also intensely dedicated to scientific activity.
Author and co-author >230 scientific papers with Scopus H-index of 56, he has been invited as speaker at >600 National and International congresses on the topic of Reproductive Medicine. Member of the ESHRE Executive Committee during 2005-2009, he has been Chairman of the 26th ESHRE Annual Meeting held in Rome in June 2010.
In 2008 he founded together with Prof. Laura Rienzi the Genera IVF centers, with 4 different locations in Italy, where he’s been Clinical Director.
In 2014 and 2019 he received the Italian National Scientific License as full Professor in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and at the present is the Chairman of the Italian Society of Fertility and Sterility (SIFES).
In 2020, he was actively involved in the creation of GeneraLife, a network of >30 clinics in 5 different countries in Europe: the name GeneraLife was inspired by the group he founded 12 years before.

Professor Andrea Whittaker PhD, FASSA is Professor of Anthropology at Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. As a medical anthropologist, she specialises in the fields of reproductive health and biotechnologies. Her current studies include two Australian Research Council funded projects: one on ova donation in Southern Africa and the other on Uterus Transplantation.

Dr Hrishikesh Pai, one of the leading gynaecologists and amongst the pioneers in the field of infertility treatment in India, has been named as the 61st President of FOGSI, the Federation of Obstetric and Gynecological Societies of India. FOGSI is a professional organization representing practitioners of obstetrics and gynecology in India, with 266 member societies and over 39,500 individual members spread across the country. Dr Pai, Founder and Medical Director of the Bloom IVF Group, is one of the earliest gynecologists in India to foray into the world of Assisted reproductive technology (ART) in 1991 and has introduced many innovations in the field. He is also a leading teacher and academician and has many articles and research papers published in national and international books and journals. He has been honoured with over 61 awards, including the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Special Award to Eminent Medical Men for Distinguished Achievement of the Highest Order 2020-21 by the National Indian Medical Association. Dr Pai is also the recipient of the prestigious Fellowship ad eundem FRCOG from the Royal College of Obstetrics & Gynecology, UK.

Treasurer – International Federation of Fertility Societies (IFFS)
Former President : FOGSI, ISAR, IAGE, MOGS
Consultant Gynaecologist: Lilavati, Jaslok & Hinduja Health Care Hospitals, Mumbai
Honorary Fellowship – FRCOG- Royal College of Obstet & Gyn, London.
Lifetime Achievement Award from the Indian Society for the Study of Reproduction – ISSRF in 2021 and from TAPISAR in 2022
2022- Power Women Award, by Governor Maharashtra, Bhagat Singh Koshiyari.
2022 – Lokmath Health Mentor Award, by the Health Minister, Maharashtra
2021- Vidya Bhushan Award – ICOG
2020- Glorious Legend – FOGSI award, at the AICOG 2020
Has received various awards such as - Women Empowerment Award by IMA, Inspiring Gynaecologist of Western India, Midday Health Wellness Award, RK HIV Research Centre award, Bharat Nirman Award, 50 Outstanding Women in Health Care Award, Middle East Leadership Award, Women’s achievers award. Newsmakers Best Doctor award, The Navshakti Award, The GR8 Women Achievers award for excellence in the field of medicine
Has given 65 orations and Invited speaker at 450 national and international conferences.
Chapters in 70 books and published 42 articles in leading journals and other publications.

Medical Doctor, graduated in Argentina (Buenos Aires University), ObGyn at the Buenos Aires British Hospital and postgraduate fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility in HRC, Pasadena, USA. Specialist in Clinical Infertility, Assisted Reproduction, Ultrasound and Reproductive Surgery.
Current activity: ART Lab Director, Pregna Medicina Reproductiva, Buenos Aires, Argentina (www.pregna.com.ar)
Graduated as a Medical Doctor at the University of Buenos Aires Medical School (U.B.A.) in 1990, OBGyn residency at the Buenos Aires British Hospital, focusing on reproductive surgery and endoscopy. He moved to the US for a Postgraduate Fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility in 1995, at Huntington Reproductive Center, Pasadena, USA. Certified specialist in Ultrasound, Reproductive Medicine and Gynecological Endoscopy by the Argentinian Society for Reproductive Medicine (SAMeR). He held positions as Infertility Specialist at Buenos Aires British Hospital and in Fertilab Reproductive Medicine Center, in Buenos Aires. In 2007 he founded Pregna Reproductive Center, now performing over 2,500 IVF cycles a year. He was its Medical Director from 2007 to 2012, and since then, is responsible for the ART lab and Quality Control program.
Dr. Horton has presented more than 130 scientific lectures in local, regional and international meetings, has published 15 papers in local scientific publications, 8 in international peer-reviewed journals, and authored 4 chapters in scientific books. He has received 8 local and one international Prizes for papers presented in Scientific Meetings, and in 2012 received the Grant for Infertility Innovation by Merck, which was applied on research about embryo metabolomics. He has been Editor in Chief of the “Revista Latinoamericana de Reproducción Humana,” and is currently Associate Editor for Global Reproductive Health Journal, and Assistant Editor for IFFS Surveillance, a triennial publication by the IFFS, surveying practice of Reproductive Medicine around the globe.
He has a long standing career in the Argentinian Society for Reproductive Medicine (SAMeR), serving as Secretary, Vice-President and finally, President of the Society (2009-2011). He has also been President of its Scientific Committee, Accreditation Committee for ART Centers, and Co-Director of the Argentinian Registry for Assisted Reproduction (RAFA). From 2010 to 2016 he has been the Argentinian representative in IFFS (International Federation of Fertility Societies), an NSA (Non state actor) in official relations with the WHO (World Health Organization). He later served as Treasurer in the organization, during two presidential periods, from 2016 to 2022.
Currently, is President elect of the IFFS for the period 2025-2028. He has participated in the presentation of various bill proposals for an IVF law to the Argentinian Parliament, and currently serves as advisor for Argentina’s Ministry of Health, as a member of the Scientific Committee for the Assisted Reproduction National Program. Since 2016, he has been interested in medical software and is currently medical advisor for VRepro, an IVF application from Reprosoft, a software company based in Granada, Spain.

Dr. Nandita Palshetkar is an IVF specialist in Mumbai and one of the pioneers of IVF Clinics In India specialising in Assistive Reproductive Technologies. She is Founder and Medical Director of the Bloom IVF Group which has been recognized for doing great work in the field of Reproductive Medicine in India since past 30 years.
She is currently the professor of OBGY at the Dr. D.Y. Patil Medical College, Navi Mumbai and teacher for super specialty degree (FNB), Fellowship in Reproductive Medicine, National Board, Delhi at Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai. She is also the President Elect of the Indian Society for Assisted Reproduction (ISAR).

Dr. Aleks Rajkovic is currently the Chief Genomics Officer at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), Stuart Lindsay Distinguished Professor in Experimental Pathology, and Medical Director and Chief of the Center for Genetic and Genomic Medicine in the UCSF Health. Prior to arriving to UCSF, he was the Chief of Medical and Laboratory Genetics at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center where he oversaw Pittsburgh’s cytogenomic, molecular genomic and pregnancy screening laboratories as well as adult/cancer and prenatal genetic clinical services. He has been the Principal Investigator on NIH grants that studied various aspects of reproductive genomics, women’s health, and population genetic screening, and has published more than 150 original peer reviewed articles in leading medical journals, including NEJM, JAMA, and Nature Genetics.

Guido Pennings is a full professor of ethics and bioethics at Ghent University (Belgium) where he is also the director of the Bioethics Institute Ghent (BIG). He has published extensively on ethical problems associated with medically assisted reproduction and genetics.
He is Guest Professor on "Ethics in Reproductive Medicine" at the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences of the Free University Brussels since 2009.
- past coordinator of the Special Interest Group on Ethics and Law of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE),
- member of the National Advisory Committee on Bioethics in Belgium
- chair of the Federal Commission on Medical and Scientific Research on Embryos in vitro
- advisor to the World Health Organisation (WHO)
- chair of the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Arts and Philosophy, Ghent University.
Bibliography: http://users.ugent.be/~gpenning

Prof. Raoul Orvieto is a full professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and incumbent of the Tarnesby-Tarnowski Chair for Family Planning and Fertility Regulation, at the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Israel. Prof. Orvieto is the director of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, at the Sheba (Tel-Hashomer) Medical Center, Israel.
Since 2022, Prof. Orvieto is the president of the Israel Fertility association (IFA).
Prof. Orvieto is Co-Editor-in-Chief of Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology. He has been author and co-author of more than 400 publications in national and international journals. His scientific interests include various aspects of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH). The role of GnRH-analogues, and specifically GnRH agonist versus antagonist in COH for IVF, pre-implantation genetic testing (PGT), triggering final follicular maturation and several aspects of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS): pathophysiology, prediction, prevention and its relation to the inflammatory response.

Prof. Dr. Marleen Temmerman, MD, MPH, PhD, FRCOG, FAAS, MBS, AAAS, leads the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya. Prior she was the Director of the Department of Reproductive Health and Research (RHR) at the World Health Organization (Geneva, Switzerland).
Founding Director of the International Centre of Reproductive Health (ICRH) at Ghent University with sister research organizations in Kenya and Mozambique, and a large global collaborative academic network of 27 Universities globally.
Strong academic and scientific background with over 600 publications and books in the area of women's health and rights, with a Hirsch index of 98 (google scolar). She supervised many PhD students in Europe, Africa, Latin-America and China and received several awards and honours for her research and advocacy work. Concurrent Professor Fudan University, National Institute Family Planning Research, China; Honorary appointments at University of the Western Cape, South-Africa, Free University Brussels, Belgium.
Elected Senator in the Belgian Parliament (2007) where she was member of the Commission on Social Affairs, and Chair of the Commission on Foreign Affairs. In that capacity, she was member of the European Parliamentary Forum and Chair of the HIV/AIDS Advisory Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union.
Member of the iERG (independent expert review group), installed by UN Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon, to raise the accountability in the 'Every Woman, Every Child' platform to accelerate MDG 4 and 5. She is one of the penholders of the UN Global Strategy for Women's, Children and Adolescents' Health 2016-2030, launched by the UNSG and partners in September 2015, transitioning from the MDGs to the SDGs.
Affiliations and Memberships: Professor-Emeritus Ghent University, Belgium; Chair, Health management Board of Pumwani Maternity Hospital, Nairobi County, Kenya; Scientific Advisory Committee of the European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP); FIGO committee for Human Rights, Refugees and Violence against Women; UNFPA Global Advisory Council; WHO Expert Advisory Group on Cervical Cancer Elimination; AU-EU Advisory Group on Research and Innovation in Health; Guttmacher-Lancet Commission on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in the post-2015 world; Lancet Standing Commission on Adolescent Health; Board member of PMNCH, the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health; Board member of CUGH, Consortium of Universities Global Health.
Selected awards: American Academy Arts and Sciences 2022; Moran of the Burning Spear, awarded by HE President Kenyatta, 2020; U2- recognition as Women Leader by Bono during his 2017 Joshua Tree Tour in Brussels 'Women of the World Unite', 2017; FIGO Distinguished Merit Award, Vancouver, 2015; Top 100 Women Leaders in Global Health, The Graduate Institute/Global Health Program, Switzerland, 2015; BMJ Lifetime Achievement Award 2010.

Carlos Simón is Professor of Ob/Gyn at the University of Valencia, Spain; Senior Lecturer PT, BIDMC Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA, and Adjunct Clinical Professor at Baylor College of Medicine, USA.
His main clinical and scientific interest is in the understanding of the human embryonic implantation process, a critical process to the survival of the species, considering as key elements the embryo, the maternal endometrium, and the cross-communication between them.
In human endometrial research, his group identified the transcriptomic signature of human endometrial receptivity using microarray technology (PMID: 20619403) and its confirmation by single-cell RNA seq (PMID: 32929266). Clinical translation of this work resulted in the creation of the endometrial receptivity analysis (ERA) for the diagnosis of the personalized window of implantation in infertile patients. His team provided evidence of a decidualization defect in the endometrium of women with severe preeclampsia, a pathology detectable at the time of delivery and persisting for years (PMC: 5635883), further discovering the footprint encoding this defect (PMC: 8553341). Also, they demonstrated that the human uterine cavity is not sterile, by identifying the existence of the endometrial microbiome (PMID: 27717732)) and its functional implications in pregnancy outcome in infertile patients (PMC: 8725275).Further, they investigated the existence and the functional proof of concept of human endometrial stem cells. Today, these findings are being translated to the first advanced cellular therapy of Asherman Syndrome ((PMID: 27005892)(EudraCT Number: 2016-003975-23)).
For the human embryo, he has created a prediction model for aneuploidy in early embryo development revealed by single-cell analysis (PMID: 26151134), deciphered the clinical impact of embryo mosaicism (PMCID: PMC8715143), and discovered the origin, and composition of human embryo-cell free DNA (PMID: 29471395) and its clinical translation (PMID: 32470458)). His team derived, characterized, and registered 10 human embryonic stem cell lines in the Spanish National Stem Cell Bank. (PMID: 20018958). His pioneering work in this field made possible the creation of the Valencia Node of the Spanish Stem Cell Bank in 2004. Finally, the cross-communication between maternal endometrium and the embryo (PMID: 29390102) has been addressed by discovering that maternal microRNAs (miRNAs) that might act as transcriptomic modifier of the pre-implantation embryo (PMID: 26395145).
His commitment to excellence in research is demonstrated by the publication of 528 papers (Pubmed) in peer-reviewed journals with an accumulated impact factor of 3,826.24. His papers have received a total of 46,140 citations. His Google Scholar is 123. He is editor of 21 books in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, and supervisor of 38 PhD Thesis. His work has been awarded by several scientific societies including SGI/SRI (see SRI related CV) and institutions including the Rey Jaime I Medical Research Award 2011, the ASRM Distinguished Research Award 2016, and the Lilly Foundation Biomedical Research Award 2021.

 

Pubmed Publication List: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/simon_c
ResearchID: G-2186-2014. http://www.researcherid.com/rid/G-2186-2014
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.es/citations?user=nA_MhRMAAAAJ&hl=es
Personal Website: www.carlos-simon.com

Prof Rombauts is the Group Medical Director of Monash IVF and chairs its National Medical Advisory Committee.  He is also the Head of Reproductive Medicine at Monash Health and holds an appointment as Adjunct Clinical Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Monash University.  He is also a Research Fellow of the Hudson Institute of Medical Research, where he is conducting research funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council in the fields of endometriosis and embryo implantation. He is one of the Chief Investigators to have received a $15 million grant from the Australian federal Government for the MitoHope project, a clinical pilot trial on mitochondrial donation.
Prof Rombauts is the President of the Fertility Society of Australia and President of the World Endometriosis Society.  He also serves as a board member with the World Endometriosis Research Foundation.

Baris graduated from Istanbul School of Medicine. Following residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology, he completed fellowship training in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at McGill University, Montreal, Canada. He is a clinical researcher with a Master's degree in Clinical Trials from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. His research focuses on female infertility, endometriosis and clinical aspects of assisted reproduction.  He has served and serves on editorial boards of leading journals in the field including Human Reproduction Update, Human Reproduction. He is an Executive Committee Member of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) and the President of the Turkish Society of Reproductive Medicine. He works at the ART Fertility Clinics, Dubai and Koç University, Istanbul, as Full Professor  of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He has received multiple awards for research, education and quality of patient care by prestigious national and international institutions.

Professor Philippe Descamps is a Distinguished Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and has been the Head of the Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Angers University Hospital in France since 1999. In addition, he is the Director of the regional endometriosis care centre Endo Ref-Angers.
Professor Descamps was elected as the French representative to the FIGO Council 2015 – 2021. He has sat on the Minimal Access Surgery Committee (2018 – 2021) and was a member of FIGO's Strategic Planning Committee (2020 – 2021).
At a national level, Professor Descamps has supported the French National College of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians (CNGOF) by serving as the President of its International Relations Committee (2012 – present) and a member of its Board and Bureau (2005 – present). In addition, he was the Vice-President of the French Society of Gynaecological and Pelvic Surgery (SCGP) between 2011 and 2021.

Joyce Harper is an award winning educator, author, podcaster, academic, and scientist. She is Professor of Reproductive Science at University College London in the Institute for Women's Health where she is Head of the Reproductive Science and Society Group. She is a Director of the Embryology and PGD Academy which delivers an online certificate in clinical embryology, founder of Global Women Connected and Reproductive Health at Work. 
She has worked in the fields of fertility, genetics and reproductive science since 1987, written over 240 scientific papers and published three books. She started her career as an embryologist, then moved into reproductive science and genetics. Now she is researching into fertility and reproductive health education, FemTech, IVF add-ons, gamete donation, the menopause and cold water swimming and reproductive health.
Joyce is a passionate educator at all levels, from the general public to PhD students.  She is invited to numerous international meetings, including key note and plenary lectures. She regularly appears on TV, radio and in the press. She gives talks for companies to understand fertility issues in the workplace, including the menopause. In 2022, she is giving free talks in UK schools to discuss fertility education.
She is founder of Reproductive Health at Work, helping companies ensure that the reproductive health needs of their staff are catered for https://joyceharper.com/repro-at-work/
She is co-founder of the UK Fertility Education Initiative (www.fertilityed.uk) and founder of the International Fertility Education Initiative (www.eshre.eu/ifei).
Her latest book, Your Fertile Years, What you need to know to make informed choices, has been published by JOHN MURRAY PRESS, SHELDON PRESS and signed copies can be ordered from www.joyceharper.com.
Her new podcast is called Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me This? Available on all podcast channels.
She is a cold-water swimmer and a member of the Reproductive Health and Cold-Water Swimming research team. She is an ambassador for This Girl Can.

 

Further information – www.joyceharper.com
Follow on Twitter, Instagram, Tiktok and Linkedin - @ProfJoyceHarper

Chief Executive Officer -CEO of Merck Foundation, President of Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative (MFFLI), Member of Egyptian Senate (2020 - 2025), President of "More Than a Mother" Campaign. Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej has been recognized as one of the 100 Most Influential Africanً Women (2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022).
She is also the Chairperson of Merck Foundation Africa Research Summit (MARS), President of Merck Foundation Alumni and Chairperson of Africa Reproductive Care Society -ARCS.
She has been awarded with the Doctorate of Letters (D.Litt) Honoris Causa by the Krishna World University for her efforts and commitment towards Women Empowerment, Girl Education and Patient care transformation in Africa and other developing nations.  
Under her leadership, Merck Foundation has been recognized as the 2022 NGO of the Year, the Most Influential NGO Shaping Africa's Future.
Rasha Kelej was born in February 1972 in Egypt. She holds a degree in Pharmacy from Alexandria University and MBA from Robert Gordon University, Scotland. Rasha Kelej has more than 29 years of experience in the International Biopharmaceutical Industry and Healthcare & Social Development, having joined the industry in 1994. Rasha Kelej joined Merck in 1996 where she has undertaken many leading commercial roles. In this position, she led the development and formation of Merck Foundation; the philanthropic arm of Merck Germany as a nonprofit organization established in 2017.
However, since 2012 and before Merck Foundation formation, Rasha Kelej has developed many impactful programs such as Capacity Advancement Program, Cancer Access Program, More Than a Mother, Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative (MFFLI), Educating Linda program, Diabetes Blue Points Program, and STEM program for women and youth.
These programs are focused on building healthcare capacity and transforming patient care landscape through providing scholarships of training in 36 critical and underserved medical specialties in Africa and developing countries (More than 1500 scholarships were provided for doctors  from 50 countries till end of 2022).
Moreover, these programs contribute to improving access to health, information, change of mindset, empowering women and supporting girl education in Africa.
One of the most successful programs that Rasha Kelej created and presided is the historic campaign "More Than a Mother" and its innovative initiatives which aims to empower childless and infertile women through access to information, health, change of mindset and economic empowerment.
Over the past five years, she worked closely with 20 African First Ladies as Ambassadors of Merck Foundation "More Than a Mother" in their countries, to break the infertility stigma, empower infertile women, and support girl education.
Some of the initiatives of "More Than a Mother" campaign include Health Media Training, Media Recognition Awards, Fashion Awards, Song Awards, and Film Awards. She is also working closely with local artists to develop local songs to break infertility stigma, empowering women and support girl education in their communities.
She has successfully established strong partnerships with more than 20 African First Ladies, Governments, Ministries of Health, Gender, Education, Information & Communication, Academia, Global & Local Medical Societies, Media, Art and Not for profits Organizations from 50 countries, which has contributed significantly to the success of their programs.
Rasha Kelej has conceptualized, produced, directed, and hosted a first-of-its-kind TV program "Our Africa by Merck Foundation" to be the voice of the voiceless and break the silence about a wide range of critical social and health challenges in Africa such as: Breaking Infertility Stigma, Ending Child Marriage, Supporting Girl Education, Women Empowerment, Stopping GBV, Ending FGM and Diabetes, among other social and health issues affecting the continent, through the "Fashion and Art with Purpose" Community established in 2021. The TV program has been broadcasted on TV channels in many African countries.

Bart CJM Fauser, MD, PhD, FRCOG, is a Professor Em. of Reproductive Medicine, Gynaecologist, former Head of the Department for Reproductive Medicine and Gynaecology and Chair of the Division of Woman & Baby at the University of Utrecht and the University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands.
He is a Fellow ad Eundum of the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (RCOG), Honorary member of European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), scientific director of the International Federation of Fertility Societies (IFFS), international member of the US National Academy of Medicine (NAM), Night in the order of the Netherlands Lion, past member of the board of the Dutch Medical Research Counsel (ZonMW), and past Editor in Chief of Reproductive Biomedicine Online (RBMO), and Human Reproduction Update.
He previously held posts as a Fulbright scholar at the University of California, San Diego; visiting professorships at Stanford University School of Medicine (California, USA), Free University of Brussels (Belgium), University of Siena (Italy), University of Southampton (UK), and the University of Adelaide (Australia). He is a past chair of the World Health Organization (WHO) steering committee for infertility guidelines.
His major research interests include the pathophysiology of human ovarian function (especially PCOS, and POI), ovarian stimulation, IVF and women's health (including contraception, menopause and healthy aging). He has published over 500 peer-review articles, and is one of the most cited (Hirsch factor > 110) authors in reproductive medicine worldwide. He has acted as the editor of multiple textbooks, lectured all around the world and his work has been widely covered in the national and international news media.

Prof. Chen is an academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences and director of National Research Center for ART and Reproductive Genetics, China. She works as a leading clinical researcher and physician in obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive medicine, focusing on infertility, as well as reproductive health and birth defects.
She has also led a series of RCTs in assisted reproduction (ART) field and made numerous transformative and original findings. She has published more than 300 peer-reviewed articles as the corresponding author in journals including N Engl J Med, Lancet, Nature, Cell, Science, Nat Med, Nat Genet, PNAS, etc. As an invited speaker, she has presented in many international conferences, including those organized by the IFFS, FIGO, WARM, and ESHRE. She is currently the Envoy to International Organizations of the International Federation of Fertility Societies (IFFS).

President of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. She was the 64th President of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, a membership organization representing over 57,000 OBGYNS in the USA. She Chairs the Women's Preventive Services Initiative, a United States coalition of health professional organizations and advocates with expertise in women's health. She is vice Chair for the Partnership on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Partner Engagement in Country Committee and a member of its Health Care Professionals Association.  Dr. Conry leads national policy on Reproductive Health and the Environment and received the Environmental Protection Agency Health Champion Award.   Dr. Conry served in leadership as an obstetrician gynecologist at Kaiser Permanente, the largest health maintenance organization in the United States.  She is President and CEO of the Environmental Health Leadership Foundation.  Dr. Conry earned her medical degree and completed residency at the University of California, Davis where she served as an Associate Clinical Professor.  She has a PhD in biology from the University of Colorado.

Christos Coutifaris is the Celso Ramon Garcia Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology at the University of Pennsylvania where he also served as Chief of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility from 1998 to 2018. He has directed clinical and basic research programs in reproduction under continuous NIH grant support for more than 30 years. Dr. Coutifaris served on the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, was President of the Society of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, was on the Executive Board of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and is currently President of the American Gynecological and Obstetrical Society. He is an elected member of the United States National Academy of Medicine.

Marie-Madeleine Dolmans is gynecologist, and she divides her time equally between clinical and research activities. She succeeded Prof. Donnez as Head of the Gynecology Research Unit at the Université Catholique de Louvain in 2012. She is Past President of the International Society for Fertility Preservation (ISFP). Her research work focuses on human ovarian transplantation, fibroids and adenomyosis.

23 years experience in reproductive technologies; lab director for 12 years.
Lecturer at Imperial College London; Chief Scientific Officer at Apricity, Chief Clinical Officer at Faurtility; Chief Operational Officer at OvomCare and owner and co-founder of Avenues and Aria Fertility and Ovom Care.

Ben (Willem) Mol is Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Monash University. He concentrates on the organisation of multi-centric evaluative research in Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Fertility. His research focuses mainly upon everyday practices. Born and trained in the Netherlands, Ben was instrumental in setting up a nationwide research consortium in women's health that produced many landmark studies.
Ben came to Australia in 2014 and works as Professor Obstetrics & Gynaecology at Monash University since 2018. Ben is holding continuous NHMRC funding since 2014, including a prestigious investigator grant. He continues to develop extensive relations with Asian universities whilst continuing to collaborate within European networks. Ben has mentored >123 PhD students and has published >1590 papers, many in high impact journals.  A publication in Nature acknowledged Ben as one of the most prolific medical scientists. His professional adage is 'A day without randomisation is a day without progress.

Carmen Sapienza is Professor Emeritus in the Fels Cancer Institute for Personalized Medicine and Department of Cancer and Cellular Biology at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University. Dr. Sapienza received a B.A. in Biology from the University of California, San Diego, an M.S. in Oceanography from the University of Maine and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada. He was a Jane Coffin Childs Postdoctoral Fellow at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Salt Lake City. He has held faculty positions at Mc Gill University, UCSD and Temple University. His laboratory was among the first to discover DNA methylation differences between maternally and paternally inherited genes, ushering in the modern era of epigenetic research. His research is directed towards discovering the genetic rules governing epigenetic marking of chromosomes, the selective forces that shape the process, whether natural variation in this process is associated with a predisposition to disease, and whether the environment has an effect on the process. Dr. Sapienza is most excited about the possibility that much of "gene/environment interaction" is accomplished via alteration of epigenetic marking, with an eye towards "personalized medicine". Research in Dr. Sapienza's laboratory is supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and National Cancer Institute. Away from the laboratory, Dr. Sapienza enjoys listening to baseball games on the radio, making and drinking wine, reading, traveling, swimming and SCUBA diving.

Dr. Turek is Director of The Turek Clinic (www.TheTurekClinic.com) a men's health clinic in Beverly Hills, San Francisco and San Jose. He is a former Endowed Chair Professor at the University of California San Francisco. Dr. Turek is an international authority and widely acclaimed speaker on issues of men's sexual and reproductive health.
Dr. Turek attended Yale College, followed by Stanford University Medical School. After urology residency training at the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Turek was fellowship trained at Baylor College of Medicine. His 200 publications have advanced our knowledge of stem cell genetics, the management of azoospermia and the epidemiology of men's sexual and reproductive health problems. He was awarded an NIH grant to develop an artificial testicle to make sperm. He is a consultant to several biotech companies, the Men's Health Care Network, the CDC, the White House and the NIH and oversees an award winning blog on men's health issues (www.TurekonMensHealth.com). He also writes regularly for WebMD. He is Past-President of the American Society of Andrology and the Society of Male Reproduction and Urology. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Société Internationale d'Urologie and the Royal Society of Medicine (U.K). He co-founded a volunteer medical clinic powered by retired physicians for the working uninsured (www.ClinicbytheBay.org) in San Francisco. His hobbies include vintage cars and longboard surfing.

Manuel Viotti is VP of PGT and Clinical Laboratory Director at Kindlabs, Kindbody. He holds an appointment as Senior Scientist at the Zouves Foundation for Reproductive Medicine. He obtained a PhD in molecular and cell biology from the Weill Graduate School of Cornell University in 2012 studying mammalian developmental biology. Dr. Viotti then completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the biotech company Genentech, investigating human cell dynamics and differentiation. His current research aims to improve outcomes in the IVF clinic, with a special focus on molecular and cell biology of the embryo and uterine environment.

Zhao, Han is a professor, chief physician of Shandong University. She is currently the deputy director of the Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology of the Ministry of Education, and the vice president of the Reproductive Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University. She also holds multiple positions such as Deputy Secretary General of the Reproductive Medicine Branch of the National Association for the Promotion of Health Care Exchange, Vice Chairman of the Reproductive Medicine Professional Youth Committee of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, and Vice Chairman of the Adolescent Medicine Professional Committee of the Shandong Medical Doctor Association et al.
She has been mainly engaged in research on the pathogenesis of reproductive disorders and assisted reproductive technology. In recent years, she has published more than 80 papers in journals such as NEJM, Nature, Science, Nat Genet, Cell Res, AJHG, and PNAS. She has presided over ten projects including the National Key Research and Development Plan (Chief) and the National Natural Science and Technology Major Project. She has won the Youth Science and Technology Award of the Chinese Medical Association, the Youth Science Award of the Huo Yingdong Education Fund, and the Wu Mengchao Medical Youth Award.