Session 134: RBMO LIVE #8
3pm ET/ 8pm UK/ 9pm CET, Tuesday 11th June, 2024.
Synopsis:
The webinar by RBMO celebrated the 2024 Robert G. Edwards Prize Paper Award and significant contributions in reproductive medicine. The session, hosted by Chief Editors Prof. Juan A. Garcia-Velasco and Prof. Nick Macklon, featured authors of the prize-winning papers who provided insights and discussed future progress and innovations in the field.
Dr. Santiago Munné presented on "First babies conceived with Automated Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection," which won the Robert G. Edwards Prize Paper Award. Prof. Baris Ata critically appraised studies on endometrial thickness and embryo transfer outcomes, and Dr. Mina Alikani discussed sustainability in the IVF laboratory with recommendations from an expert panel. The webinar concluded with a very interactive and productive Q&A session
Moderators:
Prof. Juan A Garcia-Velasco and Prof. Nick Macklon
Presenters:
Dr. Santiago Munné “First babies conceived with Automated Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection”
Prof. Baris Ata “A critical appraisal of studies on endometrial thickness and embryo transfer outcome”
Dr. Mina Alikani "‘Sustainability in the IVF laboratory: recommendations of an expert panel’
Q and A
Prof. Juan A Garcia-Velasco
Chief Scientific Officer or IVI RMA Global and Director of IVI RMA Madrid, where he attends his patients. He is also Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Rey Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain
Professor García-Velasco graduated from University Medical School, Madrid, in 1990 and received his obstetrics and gynaecology certification from La Paz Hospital, Madrid, in 1995. He completed his PhD in Medicine at Autonoma University, Madrid, in 1995, and from 1997 to 1998 studied at Yale University, New Haven, CT, under a Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Fellowship.
Professor García-Velasco’s main research interests have been in IVF and endometriosis. He is the Principal Investigator of projects funded by the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health in Spain, and has received awards from the Spanish Fertility Society, Spanish Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. He has published over 200 peer-reviewed articles and 30 book chapters and 6 books on human reproduction, endometriosis and hypo- and hyper-ovarian stimulation response. He is the Co-Editor in Chief of Reproductive Biomedicine Online.
Prof. Nick Macklon
Prof. Nick Macklon is Group Medical Director of LWC, LEB and LSB.
He has held full professorships and departmental Cahir positions at the Universities of Utrecht, Southampton and Copenhagen. Widely published both papers and books. Former member of ESHRE Executive Committee and coordinator of ESHRE Special Interest Group in Reproductive Endocrinology. Recently chaired ESHRE Guide to Good Practice in RIF. He has been Associate Editor of Reproduction, HR and HRU and now co Chief editor of RBMO.
Dr. Santiago Munné
Ph.D. in Genetics from Pittsburgh University. In 1993 he developed the first Preimplantation Genetic Test for Aneuploidy (PGT-A) (1994, 1995 SART prizes) and PGT for translocations (1996, SART prize), and demonstrated that PGT-A reduces miscarriages and increases implantation rates (1998 SART prize). Santi has published >260 scientific publications, received SART and ASRM prize papers in 1994, 1995, 1998, 2005, 2015, 2016, 2020, SRBT in 2022 and the ASRM Star Award consecutively for 2011-2022.
In 2001 founded Reprogenetics with Jacques Cohen and David Sable, and as its CEO Reprogenetics became the first commercial US PGT laboratory, performing over 100K procedures. Reprogenetics was sold in 2016 to Cooper Companies (NYSE: COO).
In 2011 he co-founded with Alex Bisignano Recombine, which offered genetic carrier screening and was bought by Cooper Companies in 2016. These companies became CooperGenomics and Dr. Munné became its CSO. In 2017 he co-founded MedAnswers with CEO Alice Crisci, an infertility telehealth platform. In 2017 he joined Martin Varsavsky and Joson Horcajadas to co-found Overture Life, a company focused on automating the IVF Laboratory, which in 2023 published the first babies conceived with automated ICSI. Santi is a co-founder and president of HoMu Health Ventures, an incubator for early-stage biomedical research specialized in reproductive medicine, which has invested in SAMA, Butterfly Bio, GenEmbryomics among many other companies. He serves in several Advisory Boards of companies in reproductive medicine.
As of January 2024 he is the scientific director of Progenesis.
He has published in leading scientific journals on a variety of topics including pre-implantation genetic testing for Cystic Fibrosis and B-thalassaemia, Morpho-kinetics, Quality Management and laboratory technology. He is a certified HCPC clinical scientist in the UK and has been accredited with Senior Embryologist Status by ESHRE. More recently, Giles, has become a consultant for IVF clinics, Institute of Life, Athens and Nordica Fertility Centre in Lagos and product developer in a wide range of areas within the Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) industry.
He is the executive director for the non-profit global educational project the International IVF Initiative (I3) which supports the ART community with webinars and lectures and Director of Global Communications for IVF 2.0 Ltd.
In his spare time, he spends with his family and perfecting playing the Toubeleki.
Prof. Baris Ata
Professor Ata graduated from Istanbul School of Medicine. Following residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology, he completed REI fellowship at McGill University. He holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Trials from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. His research is concentrated on female infertility, particularly clinical aspects of assisted reproductive technology and endometriosis. He serves on editorial boards of leading journals in the field including Human Reproduction Update, Human Reproduction, RBMO. He is the President of the Turkish Society of Reproductive Medicine and a past ExCo Member of ESHRE. He works at the ART Fertility Clinics, Dubai and Koç University, Istanbul. He holds multiple awards for research, education and quality of patient care.
Dr. Mina Alikani
Mina obtained her PhD in 2006 from Monash University under the mentorship of Professor Alan Trounson. Mina is a Clinical Consultant and a Board-Certified High Complexity Laboratory Director in assisted human reproduction, she provides expert guidance and support to embryology and andrology laboratories. Mina has extensive experience in setting up and directing successful laboratories, ensuring effective quality management, compliance, and best practices in all aspects of laboratory operations and patient care.
She is Science Editor with more than a decade of experience at Reproductive Biomedicine Online and has authored and co-authored more than 80 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, and lectured around the world on various topics related to assisted reproduction.
Dr Alikani is the president of Alpha Scientists in Reproductive Medicine, and on the Scientific Advisory Boards of TMRW and Conceivable Life Sciences
.