Session 161: Cryogovernance® VIII
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Session 161: Cryogovernance® VIII
Mitigating Risk in IVF Storage, Logistics and Laboratory Operations
Tuesday 30th September, 3pm EST/ 8pm UK.
A webinar kindly sponsored by Cryoport Systems
Moderators:
Cynthia Hudson and Giles Palmer
Introduction by Cynthia Hudson: Why Cryogovernance® Matters:
Redefining Risk Management in IVF
Presenters:
Dr. Bec Holmes: Managing Risk at Scale: A Network-Wide Lab Approach
Amanjot Grewal: Risk in Practice: The Embryologist’s Daily Safeguards
Dr. Steven Katz: Risk and Liability in Fertility: A Professional Liability Perspective
Q and A
Synopsis
TBA
REGISTRATION
Cynthia Hudson
Cynthia Hudson is a distinguished embryologist and medical technologist with over 25 years of experience transforming reproductive medicine. She holds an MSc in Clinical Embryology from the University of Leeds and extensive certifications including Tissue Bank Director (NYS) and Embryologist (ACE).
She currently serves as VP of Clinical Strategy at TMRW Life Sciences, where she leads the development of automated cryostorage platforms that enhance IVF laboratory safety and efficiency. As Founding Partner of Perch Fertility and President of the New England Fertility Society, Cynthia continues to drive innovation in the field.[1][2]
Cynthia's entrepreneurial journey includes co-founding Kindbody, which revolutionized accessible fertility care, and founding NOVA Genomics. Through her consulting firm Cellavita LLC, she has advised fertility practices globally since 2004.[1]
A prolific researcher, Cynthia has authored numerous publications in leading journals including Fertility & Sterility and Human Reproduction. She serves on multiple scientific advisory boards and is a sought-after speaker at international conferences, advocating for evidence-based improvements in reproductive medicine standards.
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Giles Palmer
Giles is a clinical embryologist, skilled in laboratory, business, and quality management. After graduating in Genetics at Leeds University, UK he worked as a research officer at London's Hammersmith Hospital's acclaimed IVF unit working with Professors Lord Winston and Alan Handyside. In the following years he worked as laboratory manager and clinic director in IVF clinics in Greece while consulting in several countries including Iceland, Nigeria, Albania, Bulgaria, and Romania. His research collaboration with St. Sophia' s Children's Hospital (Athens University) resulted in the first births in Greece following embryo-biopsy and pre-implantation genetic diagnosis and the first ever PGT cycles screening for Beta Thalassemia.
Accomplished author and speaker, 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, Embryorigins, Larnaca and Vitalab in Johannesburg) and product developer in a wide range of areas within the Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) industry.
He is an honourary lecturer at Bristol University, 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.
After 25 years of living and working in Greece, Giles has developed a deep passion for Hellenism. He serves as a Trustee at the Hellenic Centre, and his two children attend the Greek Language School in Cardiff, where he has lived since 2016. In his free time, Giles enjoys family life with his wife, Eirini, and their 12-year-old twins, Natalia and Philippos. He also dedicates time to perfecting his skills on the Toubeleki.
Dr. Bec Holmes
Rebecca “Bec” Holmes, DPhil, HCDL is the East Coast Corporate Laboratory Director of the CCRM network. She is responsible for protocol/procedure implementation, as well as aiding in staff training and ongoing quality control monitoring for the network embryology, andrology and endocrinology laboratories.
Originally from England Dr Holmes obtained her BSc at Brunel University and her D. Phil in Biochemistry from the University of Oxford where she studied epigenetics. She completed her postdoctoral studies at Cornell University. After completing embryology training in the Boston area, she went on to become Technical Director of IVF at Brigham and Women’s Hospital before helping establish the Boston CCRM laboratory and now directing multiple labs within the CCRM network. She has given regional, national and international invited lectures on various topics related to the IVF laboratory, contributed to numerous peer-reviewed articles and actively participates in national and regional conferences
Patients facing the woes of infertility are desperately in need of researchers who can help them navigate the biological, technical, and emotional challenges of their effort to have a baby. Dr Holmes receives an immense amount of joy for being able to make this happen for thousands of people.
Amanjot Grewal
Amanjot earned dual undergraduate degrees in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Rochester, followed by advanced graduate training that includes an MS, MPH, and MBA. Her early career in pharmaceutical manufacturing quality assurance sharpened her expertise in regulatory rigor, safety, and process optimization—disciplines that now define her approach to reproductive science. Drawn to the life-changing impact of embryology, she made a decisive career shift into the field and has never looked back. In 2016, she joined Fairfax Egg Bank, where she rose to the role of Associate Scientific Director, building her reputation as a leader in egg banking and laboratory innovation.
Today, at Pinnacle Egg Bank, Amanjot leads with the dual responsibility of scientific excellence and operational integrity. Under her direction, Pinnacle Egg Bank has become a trusted partner to more than 250 IVF clinics, providing a broad and rigorously curated donor pool that reflects the racial, ethnic, and phenotypic diversity patients deserve. Every donor undergoes uncompromising screening and safety protocols designed to set a new gold standard in quality assurance for the field.
Beyond operations, Amanjot plays a central role in shaping the scientific vision and research direction of Pinnacle Egg Bank, ensuring continuous innovation and advancement. Her leadership extends across the laboratories, the donor intake process, and the integration of new research initiatives, positioning Pinnacle Egg Bank not just as a supplier, but as an industry leader driving the science of family building forward.
With her blend of scientific depth, operational discipline, and patient-first focus, Amanjot exemplifies Pinnacle Fertility’s mission: delivering excellence at scale while never losing sight of the human stories at the heart of fertility care.
Dr. Steven Katz
Steven L. Katz has focused his career on advanced reproductive care since 1995. A distinguished undergraduate at Cornell University, he received his medical degree with honors at Cornell Medical College in 1989, completed his residency in OB/GYN and a specialty fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the University of California, San Francisco. Upon graduation he directed an IVF satellite program for the Oregon Health Sciences Medical School. In 1999, Dr. Katz started the Fertility Associates of the Bay Area: created as a fertility program designed to provide state of the art fertility care in a personal environment. In 2007, Dr. Katz formed the investment group, IVF Centers of Excellence, LLC. Over the past 20+ years, Dr. Katz has developed and maintained countless relationships with physicians, embryology lab directors and industry. In developing these programs, he came to realize the lack of appropriate risk management and claims prevention and management in the REI practice environment. Dr. Katz has now dedicated his professional life to creating REI Protect and no longer practices clinical medicine.
