Session 106: Mind the [Generation] gap
15th Nov 2022, 3pm EST LIVE, 8pm UK, 9pm CET
Course outline/synopsis:
Description: International IVF Initiative(I3)- Online Session 106: Mind the [generation] gap.
Tuesday, 15th Nov 2022, 3pm EST LIVE, 8pm UK, 9pm CET [ 91 mins]
This session focussed on showcasing the new demographic entering the ART work force, the digital native, Gen Z.
As our workforce is ageing out, as recent studies and surveys have shown, this online webinar looked at the some of the research and interests of the newest recruits to our profession.
It was hosted by veteran senior embryologist, lab manager and mentor, Dr Kimball Pomeroy and former embryologist and current educator Huey Huynh who has dedicated over 25 years as an adjunct instructor in anatomy and physiology for healthcare students.
The session tackled some generational stereotypes issues, misconceptions of young scientists and showcased some interesting research projects that were underway by the next wave of reproductive biologists.
The session including a talk by junior embryologist, Fran Farlie, on sustainability within IVF Clinics and highlighted ways that, not only the clinics, could be more ecological but also outlined steps that the profession could take to demand change.
Radhika Kakulavarapu gave a fascinating talk about the opportunities that an embryologist can grasp if they choose to travel and described her PhD into AI evaluations at the morula stage mof human embryo development.
Chloe He with “Adventures in 3D Time-lapse” explained the work currently underway to visualise time-lapse images in a different dimension and included a call to action to raise awareness of an initiative by the LGBTQ+ community ( Art X ART) to express experiences in family building and fertility care using art.
In the round table discussion that followed which included questions about “Green IVF”, implementation of AI, 3D time-lapse and cell division patterns, the participants were joined by young panelists; PhD student Savannah Palmer and newly employed trainee embryologist Toyin Ojo.
Aspects of career development and aspirations, recruitment and the changing role of the embryologist was discussed.
Angela Regan, the Group HR Director for Care Fertility, was also a panelist and shed light on current hiring practices, teamwork and strategies to create an effective and inspired workforce.
Moderators:
Dr. Kimball Pomeroy and Huey Huynh
Panelists:
Savannah Palmer, Toyin Ojo and Angela Regan
Presenters:
Fran Farlie “Reproduce, reuse, recycle – Green IVF®”
Radhika Kakulavarapu “Moving like the morula: A millennial experience”
Chloe He “Adventures in 3D Timelapse”
Panel discussion and Q and A.
SAVANNAH PALMER
TOYIN OJO
ANGELA REGAN
FRAN FARLIE
While working in the clinical laboratory environment, Fran soon noticed the amount of waste and lack of environmental consideration in medical practice. Inspired by attending an I3 Webinar on Green IVF, Fran had a light-bulb moment and started to challenge the “it has to be that way because that is how it has always been” mindset and sought for more sustainable options. Fran was made the Green Ambassador of her clinic and set up the first Concept Fertility Green Committee. She has since presented at the ARCS Summer Symposium and been accepted to present at Fertility 2023 where she will continue to push for sustainable change in the ART field.
RADHIKA KAKULAVARAPU
Following this, she decided to explore the industry side of things by aiding the set-up a low-cost clinic in the Philippines. Currently, Radhika is pursuing her PhD in Norway, where she works within a larger interdisciplinary team that investigates the use of explainable AI within the IVF clinic.
CHLOE HE
DR. KIMBALL POMEROY
Dr. Pomeroy is the Chief Science Officer for Ivy Fertility in the US. He also oversees several IVF laboratories in the US. He has lectured at many scientific meetings and post-graduate courses and has co-authored papers dealing with Covid-19 and the IVF laboratory, best practices for nitrogen storage tanks, risks of cross-contamination of microbes during storage of tissue in liquid nitrogen, the usefulness of embryo morphology in predicting pregnancy and the source of microbial contamination during embryo culture.
Kimball O. Pomeroy received a Ph.D. in Animal Physiology at Colorado State University, and then was a post-doc at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. At the Salk Institute, Dr. Pomeroy worked with Dr. Glen Evans on the Human Genome Project (chromosome 11) and did work in the production of transgenic animals.
He was trained in Bristol, England as a human embryologist and has worked as a consultant for several projects in Mexico, Nepal, China, Bolivia, and the Bahamas. He has served as a member of the SART Executive Board, Chair of the Reproductive Laboratory Technician’s Group, Chair of the College of Reproductive Biology, and a founding member of both the Regulatory Task Force and the Southwest Embryologist Summit.
Recently, he has focused his studies on what happens when cryotanks fail and is investigating how oocytes regulate their pH.
HUEY HUYNH
Huey pursued his undergraduate and graduate work in Biological Sciences and Developmental Biology at Temple University. In addition, he earned a master of science degree at the Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences in health education. He received IVF training at Jones Institute of Reproductive Medicine, in Norfolk, VA and dedicated the next 10 years supervising the lab at Lehigh Valley Hospital IVF lab. In addition to his work in IVF, Huey has dedicated over 25 years in education as an adjunct instructor in anatomy and physiology for healthcare students at several local colleges in Pennsylvania. He has served on educational boards and as guest lecturer in IVF and physiology.
In addition to his responsibilities as an embryologist Huey was an active participant in FDA clinical trials and ongoing research studies and served as a consultant to both colleagues throughout the country and to several biomedical companies.
He is clinical IVF specialist with LifeAire systems