Faculty
Roberto de Azevedo Antunes
Brazil
Roberto de Azevedo Antunes
Medical Director of the Fertipraxis Human reproduction Centre in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– Director of the Brazilian Society of Assisted Reproduction and of the Latin American Society of Assisted Reproduction (REDLARA)
– Master in Science by the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro
– PhD in Endocrinology by the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro
Bart Fauser
The Netherlands
Bart Fauser
Bart CJM Fauser, MD, PhD, FRCOG, is a Professor Em. of Reproductive Medicine, Gynaecologist, former Chair of the Department for Reproductive Medicine and Gynaecology and Head of the Division of Woman & Baby at the University of Utrecht and the University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands.
He is also 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 National Academy of Medicine (US), Past Editor-in-Chief of Reproductive Biomedicine Online (RBMO) and Human Reproduction Update (HRU), Editor of Fertility & Sterility Science, and Night in the order of the Netherlands Lion.
Bart previously acted as a member of the board of the Dutch Medical Research Counsel (ZonMW), chair of the World Health Organization (WHO) steering committee for infertility guidelines, Chair of the ESHRE SIG Reproductive Endocrinology, Fulbright post-doctoral scholar at the University of California, San Diego, Professor and Division director at the Erasmus University, Rotterdam (The Netherlands); and acted as visiting professor 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).
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 ~ 500 peer-reviewed papers, edited 5 books, and contributed around 80 chapters to all leading textbooks in Reproductive Medicine. is one of the most cited (Hirsch factor ~120) authors in reproductive medicine worldwide, and his work has been widely covered in the national and international news media.
Robert Fischer
Germany
Robert Fischer
Obstetric and gynaecologic training at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University Hospital of Münster, Germany (1979-1982).
1982 one year of obstetrics and gynaecology at the Queen‘s Medical Centre,
University of Nottingham (King’s Mill Hospital Mansfield).
1983 pioneered and medical director of the first outpatient IVF-unit in
Germany – Hamburg .
1998 moved to new location in Hamburg and change the name to Fertility Center Hamburg, which became one of the largest and leading private IVF centres in Germany.
In July 1998 the Fertility Center Hamburg was one of the first centres in Germany and worldwide to introduce quality management to be certified according to the ISO 9001 and in 2002 accreditation of the IVF-Lab. (ISO 17025).
Numerous publications in national and international scientific journals, book articles as well as lectures on national and international conferences.
- Active member of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM)
- Founding member of the European Society of Human Reproduction (ESHRE)
- Member of the scientific committee of EXCEMED (former-(Serono Symposia International Foundation)
- Founding member of the POSEIDON Group.
- Scientific director of MEDEA
Yuval Fouks
Australia and Israel
Yuval Fouks
Yuval Fouks, MD, MPH, is a Reproductive Fellow at the Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne and a Research Associate at BostonIVF.
He received his medical education from the University of Bologna and underwent Ob Gyn training at the Tel Aviv Medical Center.
He holds an MPH in Quantitative Methods from Harvard University.
His research primarily focuses on predictive modeling and the development of decision support tools.
Jason Franasiak
USA
Jason Franasiak
Dr. Jason Franasiak, MD, FACOG, HCLD/ALD (ABB) is an attending physician at Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey where he serves as lead physician and high complexity laboratory director of the embryology and andrology labs at the Marlton office, Assistant Professor at Thomas Jefferson University in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Clinical Assistant Professor at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and Medical Director for the Liberty Corner Ambulatory Surgical Center at Marlton. Dr. Franasiak is regularly invited to speak at the regional, national, and international level and has authored and contributed to nearly 200 peer reviewed publications, published chapters, and abstracts. He serves as the editor of a textbook on recurrent implantation failure, on the Editorial Board for Fertility and Sterility and the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and has served on the executive board of the Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility.
David Gardner
Australia
David Gardner
David is a Pioneer in human IVF. He is a Distinguished Professor in the School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne and the Scientific Director of Melbourne IVF.
He completed his PhD (1987) at the University of York, with Henry Leese. In 1988 he moved to Harvard Medical School to work with John Biggers, after which he moved to Monash, Australia, in 1989 to work with Alan Trounson. In 1997 became the Scientific Director of the Colorado Centre for Reproductive Medicine in Denver, where his work on human embryo culture conditions and blastocyst transfer revolutionised how human IVF is performed today.
His “Gardner Grading system” for the human embryo is used worldwide as the standard selection system in human IVF.
In 2007 he was appointed Professor and Chair of the Zoology Department at the University of Melbourne and promoted to the level of Distinguished Professor, School of BioSciences in 2018.
In 2017 he became the Scientific Director of Melbourne IVF.
In 2017 in recognition of his many significant contributions to reproductive sciences he was elected as a Fellow into the Australian Academy of Science (FAA) and further was the recipient of the Distinguished Researcher Award from the American Society of Reproductive Medicine.
In June 2022, he was awarded the Order of Australia (AM) (one of the highest civil honours in Australia) for his significant contributions to reproductive medicine.
He has published over 300 papers and chapters and has edited 16 books on IVF and embryology, culminating in over 33,000 citations.
Linda Giudice
USA
Linda Giudice
Linda C Giudice, MD, PhD is Distinguished Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco. She is a biochemist and reproductive endocrinologist specializing in endometriosis, adenomyosis, ovulatory disorders and infertility. Her research focuses on multi-omics approaches to elucidate function and dysfunction of human endometrium in health and disease and environmental impacts on reproductive health. She has mentored >320 students, fellows and faculty, authored >370 peer-reviewed publications and is co-editor of 7 textbooks on women’s health, endocrinology, environmental health, endometrium, and endometriosis. She has received numerous awards acknowledging her contributions to science, medicine, and mentoring. Dr. Giudice is Past-President of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, Society for Reproductive Endocdrinology and Infertility, World Endometriosis Society, and International Federation of Fertility Societies. She is immediate past Chair of the FIGO Committee on Climate Change and Toxic Environmental Expsoures and is an elected member of the U.S. National Academy of Medicine and the U.S. National Academy of Inventors.
Norbert Gleicher
USA
Norbert Gleicher
Dr. Norbert Gleicher founded the Center for Human Reproduction (CHR) in New York, NY in 1981. He has been the Chief Scientist and Medical Director of the CHR since 1999 and is President of the not-for-profit Foundation for Reproductive Medicine. He also holds an appointment as a Guest Investigator at Rockefeller University and Professor (Adj.) at Medical University Vienna. Dr. Gleicher has published over 500 peer-reviewed scientific papers, hundreds of abstracts and book chapters in reproductive endocrinology and infertility, relating to medical complications in pregnancy and to the immune system in reproduction. He served as founding Editor-in-Chief for the American Journal of Reproductive Immunology (AJRI), and for 30 years as the founding editor of the Journal of In Vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer, in 1992 renamed the Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics (JARG), which is now an official organ of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM).
Eran Horowitz
Israel
Eran Horowitz
Eran Horowitz works as a Senior Physician in the IVF unit, Wolfson Medical Center, Holon, Israel.
He currently holds the position of Associate Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel.
Prof. Horowitz has published more than 50 scientific papers and chapters in books.
Mathew Leonardi
Canada
Mathew Leonardi
Dr Mathew Leonardi is an expert in complex gynecology, endometriosis excision surgery and gynaecological ultrasound at McMaster University Medical Centre in Hamilton, Canada. He is an honorary adjunct lecturer at the University of Adelaide. His philosophy of care includes working in an interdisciplinary team and patient-centred decision making. He has been awarded his PhD from the University of Sydney which is focused on the utility of ultrasound in the diagnosis and surgical management of endometriosis.
Dr Leonardi is a nationally and internationally recognized leader in his field. He has published over 90 peer-reviewed scientific articles, several textbook chapters, and presented at numerous international congresses on endometriosis. He has received numerous awards for his conference presentations on endometriosis. He is an avid researcher, actively contributing academically to the advancement of gynecologic health.
Dr. Leonardi is on the World Endometriosis Society Early Career Board and a founding member of the Next Generation Committee at the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology. He is currently contributing to the Clinical Practice Guidelines on Endometriosis for the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada. He is an Associate Editor for Reproduction & Fertility and on the Editorial Board for the Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology, Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of Canada. He is part of an international research group named Imagendo, which won the most prestigious science award in Australia, the 2023 ANSTO Eureka Prize for Innovative Use of Technology.
Milton Leong
Hong Kong
Milton Leong
Prof. Milton Ka Hong Leong was brought up in Hong Kong, finished his basic school years, and then went to attend McGill University in Montreal Canada. He did Honours Biochemistry as an undergraduate, and then Medical School. Further postgraduate training in Obstetrics and Gynecology followed, and he obtained his specialists degree in 1974. He then went to London on a McLaughlin Fellowship granted by the Canadian Royal College where he studied under Professors Richard Beard and Stuart Campbell. Returning to Montreal, he joined the McGill University Department as academic staff, and was active in teaching and also headed the High Risk Obstetric Unit. In 1979 Prof. Leong returned to Hong Kong and engaged in private practice. Seeing a need at that time, he started to concentrate in the study and treatment of Infertility. He set up the IVF Centre at the Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital, a private hospital, in joint venture form, and with his partner Dr Clement Leung, they built it up to be one of the most successful IVF clinics in Asia and the world. He “made” and delivered the first IVF baby in Hong Kong in 1985,and in the last 20 years had researched, published, and taught the art and science of infertility and the assisted reproductive techniques. Prof. Leong is a member of the various reproductive medicine societies, and various international committees. He lecture widely, and still plays an active academic role, and remains to be an Adjunct Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology in McGill University. His current interest is how to provide the optimal treatment for infertile patients using a patient orientated, more holistic approach.
Kelle Moley
Denmark
Kelle Moley
Dr. Kelle Moley is a career physician-scientist obstetrician/gynecologist with a 35+-year history of basic, translational and clinical research into reproductive health issues including male and female infertility, maternal health, contraception, obesity in pregnancy, preterm birth, sexually transmitted infections and endometriosis.
Kelle spent 3 decades in academia at Washington University in St. Louis most recently as the James P. Crane Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Vice Chair and Chief of the Division of Basic & Translational Research. Her collaborative research (published in over 150 peer-reviewed articles) led to an international reputation along with numerous scholarly honors, including election to the National Academy of Medicine in 2014. She left academia in 2018 to become the Chief Scientific Officer and Senior Vice President of the March of Dimes where she facilitated a cooperative team of 6 Prematurity Research Centers in the US and UK at Stanford University, University of Chicago, Washington University in St. Louis, University of Pennsylvania and Imperial College in London. From there she went to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation where she assumed the role of Deputy Director of Reproductive Health Technologies, a new division within Global Health and created a strategic portfolio to tackle global problems of HPV and cervical cancer, vaginal dysbiosis otherwise known as Bacterial Vaginosis, non-hormonal contraceptives, novel menstrual products and STI vaccines.
Just recently on Sept 1, 2022, Kelle joined Ferring Pharmaceuticals as Global Vice President of Research and Development in Reproductive Medicine and Maternal Health. In her current role she leads a team to drive innovation in women’s health therapeutics and technologies with the goal of achieving better health outcomes for women at every stage of the reproductive journey. With extensive expertise in academic discovery science, clinical medicine, the non-profit space of maternal health, and the role of philanthropic foundation contribution to this area of unmet need, and now her newest adventure in the pharma industry, Kelle strives to change the global healthcare paradigm for sexual and reproductive health in women and girls, empowering them to pursue their life aspirations.
Pim Muijselaar
The Netherlands
Pim Muijselaar
Kyle Orwig
USA
Kyle Orwig
Dr. Orwig is a Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He is also the director of the Fertility Preservation Program and the Center for Reproduction and Transplantation at Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC. Research in the Orwig laboratory focuses on stem cells, germ lineage development, fertility and infertility. Our progress investigating reproductive function in fertile individuals provides a basis for understanding the mechanisms of infertility caused by disease, medical treatments, genetic defects or aging. Infertility impacts one in seven couples in the United States and can have a devastating impact on relationships, emotional well-being and overall health. The Orwig lab is ideally located in Magee-Womens Research Institute and Magee-Womens Hospital of the University of Pittsburgh and is committed to translating lab bench discoveries to the clinic for diagnosis, prevention and treatment of infertility.
Fertility Preservation Program in Pittsburgh http://www.fertilitypreservationpittsburgh.org
Orwig Research Group http://www.orwiglab.org
Teodora Popa
UK
Teodora Popa
Teodora Popa is a reproductive geneticist and currently the director for the Reproductive Science and Women’s Health programme at University College London (UCL), as well as the Chief Innovation Officer at Avenues London, the world’s first end-to-end AI-driven fertility clinic. After completing her PhD at the intersection between artificial intelligence and the development of novel technologies for pre-implantation genetic testing for aneuploidy, she joined UCL Genomics on a mission to bring personalised medicine closer to the patients across the globe, collaborating with governments and health institutions from countries such as United Arab Emirates, Romania, Hong Kong. Teodora is passionate about bringing disruptive technologies into the fertility sector, one example being the use of virtual reality and the metaverse for embryology training and patient communication. Teodora holds numerous national and international awards, including the prestigious Young Scientist of the Year 2023 prize awarded by the British Fertility Society.
Zeev Shoham
Israel
Zeev Shoham
Professor Zeev Shoham serves as the head of the Fertility and IVF Unit at the Kaplan Medical center in Rehovot, Israel.
Professor Shoham was born and raised in Jerusalem, Israel. He received his M.D. degree from the Hadassah Medical Center in 1981. Later completing, his residency at Kaplan Hospital in Rehovot, and his fellowship in infertility and in vitro fertilization at Tel – Hashomer Hospital and MIDDLESEX Hospital in London, UK. Since 1988 he has specialized in a wide range of treatments including:
Fertility treatments, in vitro fertilization, oocyte retrieval preservation and freezing, donor eggs and sperm, care for women during pregnancy and follow-up and treatment of postmenopausal women.
In 1991 Prof. Shoham received an award from the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology for the best scientific research that year in Europe for his work on stimulating sperm production by adding GH to treatment with gonadotropins in patients with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism.
Professor Shoham has published over 140 papers in the field of Reproductive Medicine, and his publications had won international awards. In addition, he has contributed chapters to numerous books. He is the editor/ author of the textbook, Female Infertility Therapy: Current Practice (1999), and one of the four editors of the textbook, Assisted Reproductive Techniques, which is at its fourth edition.
Professor Shoham is the co-founder of IVF-Worldwide the most comprehensive website on in-vitro fertilization. Professor Shoham has been organizing internationals medical conferences for the past 18 years and is a lecturer in many conferences in the field.
Sherman Silber
USA
Sherman Silber
Dr. Sherman Silber, a renowned pioneer in microsurgery and infertility, is considered one of the world’s leading authorities on IVF, mini-IVF, sperm retrieval, ICSI, vasectomy reversal, male infertility, tubal ligation reversal, egg and embryo freezing, ovary transplantation and the reproductive biological clock.
He has operated all over the world, including Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iran, Behrain, Israel and Qatar.
Sherman J. Silber, M.D., and his team have pioneered most of the “miracle” infertility treatments now accepted around the world for both male and female infertility.
Seang Lin Tan
Canada
Seang Lin Tan
Avi Tsafrir
Israel
Avi Tsafrir
Avi Tsafrir is a senior clinician at Shaare Zedek IVF unit and a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Medicine, the Hebrew university, both in Jerusalem.
He organized a fertility preservation service in his unit in 2012. His research interests include decision making in reproductive medicine, and fertility preservation.
Ariel Weissman
Israel
Ariel Weissman
Professor Ariel Weissman graduated the Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical School Jerusalem in 1988. In 1994 he completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Kaplan Medical Center, Rehovot, where he spent another two years working as a senior physician at the IVF unit. Prof. Weissman then pursued a 2-year research and clinical fellowship with Prof. Bob Casper at the Division of Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. His main focus of research was transplantation of human ovarian tissue in immune-deficient mice. Upon returning to Israel in 1998, Prof. Weissman joined the IVF unit at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wolfson Medical Center, Holon, Tel Aviv University Faculty of Medicine where he currently holds a position of a Full Professor. Since the year 2000 together with David Gardner PhD, Colin Howles PhD, and Zeev Shoham M.D., Prof. Weissman has published the “Textbook of Assisted Techniques: Laboratory and Clinical Perspectives”, which is one of the leading books in the field of ART. The sixth edition of the textbook has recently been released.