Session 157: Smooth Operations

Session 157: Smooth Operations

Tuesday July 8th, 3pm EST / 8pm BST/ 9pm CET

Moderators:
Dr. Alessandra Alteri, Shaun Reed and Ahmed El-Damen

Presenting:
Simon Lumsdon - Clinics that run like clockwork
A talk kindly sponsored by FertilAI

Shakil Kanji - The Cryostorage Pain Chain: A Data-Backed Case for Change
A talk kindly sponsored by Fertility Billing Solution

Q and A

Synopsis

Session 157, titled *Smooth Operations*, took place on Tuesday, July 8th, and focused on practical strategies for streamlining workflows, reducing administrative burdens, and improving cryostorage management in fertility clinics. Moderated by Dr. Alessandra Alteri, Shaun Reed, and Ahmed El-Damen, the session brought together industry professionals to share data-driven insights and operational best practices.

Simon Lumsdon presented *Clinics that run like clockwork*, a session sponsored by FertilAI. He examined how clinics had successfully minimized inefficiencies and optimized staff workflows by implementing AI-powered tools and refining their operational protocols. Lumsdon highlighted examples where smart automation had significantly reduced administrative workloads, improved coordination across teams, and allowed clinical staff to focus more on patient care.

Following that, Shakil Kanji delivered *The Cryostorage Pain Chain: A Data-Backed Case for Change*, with sponsorship from Fertility Billing Solution. He presented compelling data illustrating the risks, challenges, and inefficiencies commonly found in cryostorage systems. Kanji made a strong case for modernizing cryostorage management with digital tracking, centralized oversight, and updated compliance strategies to prevent loss, errors, and unnecessary labor.

The session concluded with a Q&A segment, during which attendees engaged with the speakers on practical implementation, emerging technologies, and real-world challenges in clinical operations. The talks emphasized the importance of embracing innovation to create smoother, safer, and more sustainable fertility practice environments.

Ahmed El-Damen

Ahmed El-Damen is a senior clinical embryologist and an IVF Lab Manager with more than 24 years of experience, being certified as an Embryology and Andrology Laboratory Scientist (ELS/ALS) by the American Association of Bioanalysts (AAB) and as a Senior Clinical Embryologist by ESHRE.  He started his journey as an embryologist in June 2001 and now he is the IVF Laboratory Manager of ART Fertility Clinics (previously IVIRMA Middle East Fertility Clinic) in Dubai, and formerly was the IVF Laboratory Manager and Chief Embryologist of many IVF clinics in Cairo, Egypt.

Ahmed received his undergraduate degree in biology (subspeciality: Zoology/Chemistry) form the Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Egypt; a master's degree in infertility from the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, Palermo University, Italy; a master's degree in Reproductive Techniques from the Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Institute (GEBRI), Egypt; and now he is a PhD candidate at the division of Embryology and Comparative Anatomy, the Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Egypt.
Ahmed El-Damen is the elected president of the Egyptian Society of Embryology and Assisted Reproductive Technology (ESEART), as well as a member of other scientific societies including ESHRE, ASRM, SRBT, and AAB.

Dr. Alessandra Alteri

Alessandra Alteri obtained her Ph.D. in Cell and Developmental Biology at Sapienza – University of Rome. She began her career as an embryologist in 2011 at FertiClinic-Villa Margherita in Rome and worked at the IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milan from 2015 until March 2025. She is currently serving as an expert in Medically Assisted Reproduction (MAR) at the Italian Competent Authority — the National Transplant Center, National Institute of Health.
From 2021 to 2024, she was Adjunct Professor of Biology at the University Vita-Salute San Raffaele in Milan. She is currently Adjunct Professor of Histology and Embryology at UniCamillus – Saint Camillus International University of Health Sciences in Rome.
She is an ESHRE-certified Senior Embryologist. She serves as the Coordinator of the Special Interest Group on Safety and Quality in ART (SQART) of ESHRE and is a member of the Scientific Committee of the Italian Society of Embryology, Reproduction, and Research (SIERR).
She has authored or co-authored approximately 60 scientific articles, reviews, and book chapters. She also acts as a reviewer for several leading journals in reproductive medicine and serves as a Sector Editor for Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology.
Her current research interests focus on quality and risk management in the IVF laboratory, with particular attention to patient and offspring safety and strategies for error prevention.

Shaun Reed

Shaun is the embryology lab manager at Utah Fertility Center where he has been for 11 years. He completed his master’s degree at EVMS in 2018. When not in the lab, he likes to dabble with making social media content around IVF, nature, and making jokes. He also started competing this year in college track meets running the 400m dash. The pain of that race and beating 1 or 2 college kids makes him feel ALIVE.

Simon Lumsdon

Shakil Kanji 

Shakil Kanji is an ex-Google software engineer and the Founder & CEO of Fertility Billing Solution, a Canadian technology company focused on modernizing cryostorage billing, consent workflows, and patient communications for fertility clinics. After his time at Google, Shakil entered the fertility sector by partnering with his sister, Dr. Salina Kanji, a reproductive endocrinologist, to tackle operational challenges that impact both clinics and patients