Antonio CapalboItalyAntonio Capalbo
Dr. Capalbo received his Bachelor of Science degree in Biotechnology from University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’ and his Ph.D. magna cum laude in Human Genetics at the Catholic University of Sacred Heart of Rome in 2011. From 2008 to 2012 Dr. Capalbo has been working as a clinical embryologist, pioneering embryo biopsy approaches and applications. Since then, his research has focused on preimplantation genetic testing and on the development of novel molecular biology techniques to improve pregnancy and take-home baby rates in ART. His basic research has been focused on the mechanisms of aneuploidies in oocytes and preimplantation human embryos. He received several grants for innovative studies on these subjects. From 2012-2017 he was co-founder and Laboratory Director at GENETYX, the largest PGT program in Italy. From 2017 until July 2022, he has been working as Genomics Research Director at Igenomix, and as laboratory director for Igenomix Italy. He is currently coordinator of the ESHRE SIG in Reproductive Genetics, member of the genomics-working group of the Italian society of human genetics, Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) at Juno Genetics and adjunct professor at the Department of Psychological Health and Territorial Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara. He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters and is currently Reviewer and Associated Editor for many Journals in the field of reproductive biology and genetics (New England Journal of Medicine, American Journal of Human Genetics, Human Reproduction Update, Human Reproduction, Fertility and Sterility, Reproductive BioMedicine Online, Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics, Journal of Medical Genetics, Scientific Reports, PNAS).
Nuno Costa-BorgesSpainNuno Costa-Borges
Nuno Costa-Borges is an embryologist with over 18 years of experience in both research and clinical practice. As a PhD fellow supported by the Portuguese National Funding Agency for Science (FCT), Nuno spent several years developing strategies to improve the efficiency of animal cloning, successfully achieving the first cloned animals in Spain in 2009. After completing his PhD at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, he joined the embryology team at IVI Barcelona, where he worked as a clinical embryologist.
Nuno later co-founded Embryotools, where he has focused on providing quality control tests, training, and consulting services to the global IVF community. As the scientific director of Embryotools, he has been committed to developing new IVF techniques, including the flicking method for blastocyst biopsy and the maternal spindle transfer technique. His work has resulted in several peer-reviewed publications, and he has been an invited speaker at numerous international conferences and scientific meetings. He has also received prestigious awards, including the Paper Prize from the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) in 2017, the IVI Foundation Award in 2019, the Paper Prize from the Society for Reproductive Biology and Technology (SRBT) and ASRM in 2022, and the Robert Edwards Award for the best paper published in RBMO in 2023.
Nuno was instrumental in producing the embryos that led to the birth of the world’s first babies following maternal spindle transfer for the treatment of infertility associated with poor oocyte quality. More recently, he was involved in the development of a semi-automated ICSI system, which resulted in the birth of the world’s first babies using this technology in 2023.
Gemma FabozziItalyGemma Fabozzi
Dr. Gemma Fabozzi is the Director of B-Woman, Nutrition Department of for Reproductive health, part of the IVI RMA Global Alliance.
Dr. Fabozzi graduated in Cellular and Molecular Biology at the University of Rome Tor Vergata in 2006 and obtained a Master Degree with Cum Laudem in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the same University in 2008. She obtained a second Master Degree with Distinction in Clinical Embryology from the University of Leeds (UK) in 2011 and a Master Degree in Dietetics and Nutrition in 2018. Currently she is completing her PhD in Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine at the University of Rome Tor Vergata.
Dr. Gemma Fabozzi is an ESHRE-certified Senior Embryologist with over 15 years of experience in embryology and quality/risk management serving as IVF Laboratory Director and Quality Manager of different ART centers in Italy. Currently she is the coordinator of the SIG in Nutrition and Reproduction of the Italian Society of Fertility and Sterility SIFES, Board member of the Italian Society of Embryology, Reproduction and Research SIERR, part of the scientific committee of the Microbiota International Clinical Society MICS and Adjunct Professor at the University of Rome La Sapienza, M.Sc. Nutrition for Human Reproduction.
Bart FauserThe NetherlandsBart 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.
Guillermo FerrandoSpainGuillermo Ferrando
Sc. Industrial Engineering from UPV and MBA from UNIR. Previous experience in Bain & Company (management consultant) and Vitrolife (VP Strategy & Corporate Development). Over 5 years of experience in the biotechnology industry.
David GardnerAustraliaDavid Gardner
Tamara GarridoSpainTamara Garrido
Dr. Tamara Garrido is a molecular biologist specializing in endometrial physiology, with a focus on decidualization resistance and its role in pregnancy complications, particularly preeclampsia. She earned her Ph.D. in Molecular Biology in 2012 at the University of Valencia (Spain).
Dr. Garrido completed postdoctoral training in the laboratory of Dr. Susan Fisher at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where she gained expertise in uterine contributions to pregnancy disorders. She has authored over 18 high-impact publications in prestigious journals, including Nature Medicine, PNAS, eLife, and AJOG, and has presented her work at more than 20 international conferences.
Currently, she serves as the Senior Principal Investigator at the Carlos Simon Foundation and the Scientific Director at iPremom Pregnancy HealthCare Diagnostics S.L., where she leads research focused on early detection and innovative therapies for pregnancy complications, including preeclampsia.
Linda GiudiceUSALinda 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, the Society for Reproductive Endocdrinology and Infertility, the World Endometriosis Society, and the 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.
Demián GlujovskyArgentinaDemián Glujovsky
Dr. Demián Glujovsky is a specialist in reproductive medicine and holds a Master of Science in Clinical Effectiveness. He serves as the Scientific Director at Cegyr (Eugin group) in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and is a member of the Group Scientific Committee at Eugin. With over 50 published papers in peer-reviewed journals, Dr. Glujovsky actively contributes to the Editorial Boards at Cochrane and the Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics (JARG).
Aymara MasSpainAymara Mas
Aymara Mas, PhD. Reproductive biologist focused on uterine physiology and associated pathologies. Dr. Aymara Mas was graduated in Biological Sciences at the University of Valencia (2006) and specialized in assisted Human Reproduction Biotechnology (2008). She received her PhD degree in Biotechnology, Genetics and Cell Biology in 2012, as Magna Cum Laude.
Since 2012, she has contributed with her research to the identification and study of myometrial stem cells. She made an international postdoctoral training in Augusta University (Georgia, USA), primarily working on uterine disorders (polycystic ovary syndrome and uterine leiomyomas), by studying the role of steroid hormone receptors, signaling pathways, somatic stem cells and genetic alterations. She accomplished the last postdoctoral training years in Foundation for Research of La Fe Hospital, Valencia, Spain, under grant funding from the Institute of Health Carlos III.
Part of her work has been published in first decile and first quartile scientific journals. She has participated in national and international grants, and she has been internationally awarded for the Society of Reproductive Investigation, SRI; and American Society of Reproductive Medicine, ASRM. Moreover, she is guiding Medicine Degree Students in their final projects as well as PhD students.
Currently, she is working in Carlos Simón Foundation_ IIS INCLIVA, Valencia, Spain as a Principal Investigator under grant funding from the Institute of Health Carlos III. Her main research focus is trying to identify the molecular signature of gynecological tumors, mostly during menopause, for the development of predictive models that allow an early differential diagnosis, thus avoiding the risk of hidden diffusion.
Inma MorenoSpainInma Moreno
Craig NiederbergerUSACraig Niederberger
Nicolas PlachtaUSANicolas Plachta
Nicolas Plachta is Professor at the Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania. His lab has pioneered the use of live imaging technologies to study how the early mammalian embryo forms in real time. Dr. Plachta was previously Research Director at the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology of ASTAR in Singapore and Group Leader at EMBL Australia. He did his postdoc at Caltech and Ph.D. at the University of Basel. He has been awarded the HHMI International Scholar, EMBO Young Investigator, American Society for Cell Biology Gibco Emerging Leader Prize (USA) and Viertel Medical Fellowship (Australia).
Nicolas PolyzosSpainNicolas Polyzos
Laura RienziItalyLaura Rienzi
Ferrando RodríguezSpainFerrando Rodríguez
Fernando Rodríguez Fernández is an accomplished investment professional with a robust focus on financial analysis, strategic decision-making, and asset allocation, particularly within the healthcare sector. Over nearly a decade, he has developed deep expertise in assessing illiquid assets, such as private equity, private debt, and venture capital, driving high-impact investment strategies in both national and international markets.
Currently, as Managing Director at the Carlos Simón Foundation, Fernando leads strategic financial planning and allocation, aligning investments with the foundation’s mission to support innovative healthcare and life sciences projects. His responsibilities include developing the foundation’s budgetary framework, implementing treasury management, and crafting the financial structure to support both current initiatives and future R&D ventures in the healthcare field. Additionally, his work involves detailed project assessment and strategic fund allocation, ensuring investments are targeted to maximize both scientific impact and financial stability.
His role as Chief Investment Officer at Enjoy Investing Family Office further demonstrates his proficiency in portfolio structuring and asset allocation. At the family office, Fernando designs comprehensive strategic and tactical asset allocation plans, managing investments across a variety of fields and asset classes while considering complex financial vehicles and tax structures. He integrates rigorous asset analysis and selection with coordinated oversight of multiple investment teams, ensuring a cohesive approach to portfolio management that aligns with long-term wealth preservation and growth goals.
Fernando’s analytical expertise also extends to his previous experience as an Investment Advisor at Edmond de Rothschild Europe, where he was instrumental in advising on a wide range of investment opportunities, from direct equity and fixed income to illiquid assets. He played a key role in structured product origination and hedge strategy development, frequently meeting with clients to discuss investment ideas and refine portfolio allocations in response to changing market dynamics.
Fernando’s financial acumen is complemented by his commitment to the ethical dimensions of investment, as he is currently pursuing a PhD on the philosophy of philanthropy. His academic research provides a thoughtful perspective on decision-making in investment, particularly in sectors like healthcare where social impact and financial goals intersect. Through this combination of rigorous analysis, strategic allocation, and a principled approach to investment, Fernando is well-positioned to drive sustainable growth and meaningful impact across complex portfolios.
Carmen RubioSpainCarmen Rubio
Trained in Science and Embryology in the University of Valencia, Spain, Dr Carmen Rubio specialized in cytogenetic studies in human reproduction, partly in the University of Barcelona. She completed her PhD in the field of Reproductive Genetics and post-doctoral research included research in male and female meiosis at the laboratory of Drs. Patricia Hunt and Terry Hassold (Washington State University, USA). She has published more than 100 papers in the main peer-reviewed specialist journals in the field, books chapters as well as numerous lectures at conferences worldwide. She is Board member of the PGDIS society, and the PGT Consortium working group, under the auspices of ESHRE. Currently she is the head of the Research & Development department at Igenomix (Vitrolife group). Her main research interests are non-invasive approaches of embryo aneuploidy and understanding the origin of cell-free DNA in the culture medium.
Denny SakkasUSADenny Sakkas
Xavier SantamariaSpainXavier Santamaria
Xavier Santamaria M.D, Ph.D. is at present a specialist obstetrician and gynecologist in Reproductive Medicine at Clinic IVI Barcelona from 2012. He was Head of IVI International Department Area from 2012 until July 2016 to focus on his field of interest in the biomedical research. He is currently Director of the Asherman Project at iGenomix.
On graduation as Medical Doctor in 2003, he was board certified in obstetrics and gynecology at the Hospital del Mar in 2008. He also completed a PhD at the Universitat Autònoma of Barcelona in 2013 and worked as clinical fellow at IVI Valencia from 2010 to 2012 with Prof. Antonio Pellicer, Prof Carlos Simon and Dr Ernesto Bosch.
While preparing his PhD, he obtained a post-graduate fellowship on Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Yale University (2008-2010) performing research on endometrial Stem Cells at Dr Hugh Taylor’s Laboratory.
Among his large post-graduate training, it is worth highlighting an Advanced Training in Gynecology at Universitätklinikun München Grosshadern in Germany, a Laparoscopic Surgery Advanced Training under the supervision of Professor Querleu at the Institute Claudius Regaud – Toulouse (France) and The Frontiers in Reproduction Course at the Marine Biological Laboratory – Woods Hole (USA). He has recently obtained the ESHRE Certification for Reproductive Endoscopic Surgeons (ECRES).
Dr. Santamaria current research directions are to investigate embryo implantation as well as to develop a cell therapy for the treatment of Asherman’s Sydrome.
He is member of the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) and of the Spanish Fertility Society (SEF).
Dr. Santamaria was awarded with the Prize as Best Oral Presentation for Young Investigators at the Society of Gynecological Investigation Meeting (2009) and with the Post Graduate Grant of Fundación Cajamadrid in 2008.
He is main author of more than 25 articles in the international journals, 13 chapters in books and invited speaker in more than 70 international conferences.
Zeev ShohamIsraelZeev 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.
Carlos SimonSpainCarlos Simon
Carlos Simon is Professor of Ob/Gyn at the University of Valencia (Spain), Senior Lecturer PT, BIDMC Harvard University, USA, and Adjunct Clinical Professor at Baylor College of Medicine, USA.
His main clinical and scientific interest is in understanding human embryonic implantation, a critical process to the survival of the species, considering the embryo, the maternal endometrium, and their cross-communication as crucial elements.
He discovered a transcriptomic signature of human endometrial receptivity using microarray technology, which was confirmed by single-cell RNA sequencing. Clinical translation of this research resulted in a patent for the creation of the endometrial receptivity analysis (ERA) to diagnose the personalized window of implantation in infertile patients. He provided evidence of a decidualization defect in the endometrium of women with severe preeclampsia, a pathology detectable at the time of delivery and persisting for years, also discovering the footprint encoding this defect. Next, he demonstrated that the human uterine cavity is not sterile, by reporting the existence of the endometrial microbiome and its functional implications in pregnancy. He also discovered the existence and provided functional proof of concept for the existence of human endometrial stem cells. Today, these findings are being translated to the first advanced cellular therapy for Asherman’s Syndrome (EudraCT Number: 2016-003975-23). For the human embryo, he created a prediction model for aneuploidy in early embryo development revealed by single-cell analysis, deciphered the clinical impact of embryo mosaicism, and discovered the origin and composition of human embryo cell-free DNA and its clinical impact. His team derived, characterized, and registered ten human embryonic stem cell lines in the Spanish National Stem Cell Bank. His pioneering work in this field made possible the creation of the Valencia Node of the Spanish Stem Cell Bank in 2004. Finally, he addressed cross-communication between the maternal endometrium and the embryo, discovering that maternal microRNAs might act as a transcriptomic modifier of the pre-implantation embryo.
His commitment to excellence in research has been demonstrated by the publication of over 500 papers (PubMed) in peer-reviewed journals with an accumulated impact factor of 3,826.24. His papers have received over 46,000 citations, and he has a Google Scholar H-index of 123. He has edited 21 books in English, Spanish, and Portuguese and supervised 38 Ph.D. theses. Several scientific societies and institutions have awarded his research, including the Rey Jaime I Medical Research Award 2011, the ASRM Distinguished Research Award in 2016, and the Lilly Foundation Biomedical Research Award in 2021.
His commitment to excellence in clinical care has been demonstrated by his instrumental role as a clinician and scientific director in establishing IVI’s clinical practice and research program from 1994 to 2018 (www.ivirma.es). As an inventor and entrepreneur, his research has generated 17 patent applications that enabled the creation of Igenomix S.L. in 2011, in which he was a founder and the chief science officer (CSO), leading a scientific/medical team of 120 Ph.D. students worldwide until it was acquired by Vitrolife in 2021, a biotech company devoted to precision medicine in reproductive health through advanced reproductive genetic diagnoses with an international footprint on all continents.
Nathan TreffUSANathan Treff
Nathan R. Treff is Co-founder, Chief Scientific Officer, and Clinical Lab Director of Genomic Prediction. His career has been devoted to developing innovative and effective methods of reproductive genetic testing for IVF patients. He completed postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in embryonic stem cells and the Serono Research Institute in reproductive biology. He is an Associate Professor at Rutgers University Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, where he teaches reproductive genetics. Nathan is the recipient of 8 ASRM Prize Paper Awards, the ASRM New Investigator Award, and the Bonei Olam Scientific Achievement Award. He has published over 120 peer-reviewed papers in reproductive genetics. He served as a Member of the ASRM Research Committee, a Senior Associate Editor of JARG, and an Editor of Fertility and Sterility and is currently Associate Editor of Fertility and Sterility Science. He holds a PhD in Biochemistry from Washington State University and an HCLD in Molecular Diagnostics from the American Board of Bioanalysis.
Dennis VaughanUSADennis Vaughan
SpeakersAdam Barkay2025-05-25T09:22:19+00:00
- David GardnerAustralia
- Inma MorenoSpain
- Craig NiederbergerUSA
- Nicolas PolyzosSpain
- Laura RienziItaly
- Denny SakkasUSA
- Dennis VaughanUSA
