Scientific program
  
Thursday, April 26th
Pre-Congress Workshops
for details please visit the website
Workshop 1: Course on Vitrification Hands-on Workshop
Workshop 2: Trophectoderm Biopsy with practical demonstrations
Workshop 3: Dynamic Embryo Analysis Workshop
14:00-17:00
Registration
Friday, April 27th
07:30-08:30
Registration
08.30-08.35
Welcome
Basak Balaban
08.35-08.45
Memorial Lynette Scott
Basak Balaban
08:45-09:25
Key note lecture
The promise of embryonic stem cells
Anna Veiga
09:25-12:00
Main topic I: Role of the clinical embryologist
Chair: Basak Balaban + Anna Veiga
 
09:25-09:45
The 21st century Embryologist - technician or scientist?
Alan Thornhill
09:45-10:15
COFFEE
 
10:15-11:30
Is there a need for an international standardization of the “Embryologist”?
 
Round table presentation and discussion:
ACE–UK -      Rachel Cutting
ASEBIR -       Manuel Ardoy
NILS -           Sirpa Mäkinen
Alpha -          Thomas Ebner
ESHRE -        Anna Veiga / Kersti Lundin
ACE USA -     Peter Nagy
AAB USA -     Barry Behr
Australia -     David Gardner
Canada -       David Mortimer
Kersti Lundin
(moderator)
 
 
11:30-11:45
CFAS Winning abstract
F. Ashkar
11:45-12:00
ACE UK Winning abstract
S. Sargeant
12:00-13:00
LUNCH
 
13:00-14:00
Grant for Fertility Innovation:
Developing innovative technologies to become best in class in take home baby rate
Chair: Diego Ezcurra
 
Rapid inexpensive DNA fragmentation analysis of sperm & cumulus cells
Dagan Wells
 
Selection of embryos by 3D modelling to evaluate cell to cell contact between blastomeres
Goedele Paternot
Lipidomics: A new Non-Invasive Diagnostic Method of Human Endometrial Receptivity
Carlos Simon
14:00-16:30
Main topic II: Non-invasive selection of gametes and embryos - New techniques and strategies
Chair: Peter Nagy and Daniel Brison
 
 
Subsession A: Spermatozoa
 
14:00-14:30
Hyularonic Acid binding: the science and the practice
Gabor Huszar
14:30-15:00
IMSI: impact on clinical outcomes
Pierre Vanderzwalmen
 
Subsession B: Oocytes and Embryos
 
15:00-15:30
Biomarkers of human oocyte developmental competence
Markus Montag
15:30-16:00
Polar bodies: back to the future?
Dagan Wells
16:00:16:30
Can proteomics and/or metabolomics help shape the future of human ART?
David Gardner
16:30-17:00
COFFEE
 
17:00-18:00
Free communications
Chair: Aidita James + Rachel Cutting
Selected from abstract submissions: 4x15 min
 
20:00
Opening ceremony
Alan Thornhill

 

Saturday - April 28th
08:00-09:30
Main topic III: Time-lapse: The final frontier? 
Chair: Thorir Hardarson + Ana Cobo
 
08:00-08:30
Cytoplasmic movements of newly fertilised eggs are predictive of development to term
Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz
08:30-09:00
Analysis of embryo cleavage: developing algorithms using a human model
Barry Behr
 
09:00-09:30
Morphokinetic analysis of human embryos: an update
Marcos Meseguer
09:30-10:00
COFFEE
 
10:00-11:00
Main topic IV: Success in IVF
Chair: Peter Fancsovits + Allan Pacey
 
10:00-10:30
Defining success in the IVF laboratory: the devil is in the details
David Mortimer
10:30-11:00
The role of the Clinician in improving ART success
Georg Griesinger
11:00-12:00
Main topic V: Ethics and Law Update
Chair: Alan Thornhill + Virginia Bolton
 
11:00-11:30
Offering treatments without an evidence-base: safety or service?
Francoise Shenfield
11:30-12:00
Staying on the right side of the law - What you need to know
James Lawford Davies
12:00-13:00
LUNCH
 
13:00 -14:00
SATELLITE SYMPOSIUM sponsored by Origio
The effect of GM-CSF in human reproduction
Speakers:
Prof. Dr. Ole Bjarne Christiansen
Dr. Søren Ziebe
 
14:00-16:00
Main topic VI: Scanning the IVF horizon
Chair: Alpesh Doshi + Julius Hreinsson
 
14:00-14:30
In vitro maturation: Is it ready for mainstream?
Johan Smitz
14:30-15:00
Is there a future for aneuploidy screening?
Alan Handyside
15:00-15:30
The challenge of vitrifying oocytes
Ana Cobo & Peter Nagy
15:30-16:00
16:00-16:30
COFFEE
 
16:30-17:30
Free communications
Chair: Aidita James + Alan Handyside
Selected from abstract submissions: 4 x 15 min.
 
17:30-18:30
Alpha General Assembly
 
20:00
Gala Dinner
 

  

Sunday - April 29th
08:00-10:00
Main topic VII: Can we make IVF safer?
Chair: Lisa Cowan + Ursula Eichenlaub - Ritter
 
08:00-08:30
Periconceptional environment and fetal programming
Adam Watkins
08:30-09:00
Natural cycle and minimal stimulation: cost versus benefit
Bart Fauser
09:00-09:30
Should we only be performing frozen embryo transfers?
Anja Pinborg
09:30-10:00
Risks in IVF: what should we tell couples?
Arne Sunde
10:00-10:30
COFFEE
 
10:30-12:00
Main topic VIII: Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in IVF.
Chair: David Mortimer
 
10:30-12:00
What makes a difference in the IVF lab? KISS your KPIs (Keep It Simple Stupid!)
 
6 – 10 recognized Clinical Embryologists to give a brief response on a list of 15-25 practical questions including:
(i) incubators - how many, type, door openings, reduced oxygen, etc. (ii) staff numbers and mix (iii) cleaning and air quality (iv) lab design and much, much more…….
Kersti Lundin
Arne Sunde
Peter Nagy
Barry Behr
Pierre Vanderzwalmen
Markus Montag
Basak Balaban
Thomas Ebner
12:00-12:40
Keynote lecture:
"Back to the Future: a very condensed history of IVF and a glance at the future"
Jacques Cohen
12:40-13:00
Closing remarks
Alan Thornhill