Invited Faculty - ASPIRE 2025

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Bruno Lunenfeld Lecture

Joop Laven

Short CV Professor Joop S.E. Laven

Professor of Reproductive Medicine, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam The Netherlands.

Professor Joop S.E. Laven is professor in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and a subspecialist Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. He is a member of ESHRE, ASRM, the Endocrine Society, the Society for Reproductive Investigation (SRI) and the Royal Dutch College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. He is the past president of the Dutch Society of Reproductive Medicine. He is also the current president of the Androgen Excess PCOS society.

For many years he had a particular interest in the management of polycystic ovary syndrome covering the full spectrum from the effects of the syndrome during adolescence and adult life on the menstrual cycle, fertility, body weight and long-term health risks. More recently he focussed on the genetic basis of reproductive ageing and was involved in Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) exploring the genetic basis of PCOS, premature ovarian insufficiency, menarche and menopause.

Clinical work focuses on women’s health in particular reproductive endocrinology and menopause as well as on infertility treatment and ART and pregnancy outcome in infertile couples especially women with PCOS. He is the person Responsible for the Rotterdam Erasmus MC Reproductive Medicine Unit, which performs approximately 2400 IVF cycles per year. Works as a full-time clinician and is currently head of the Division of Reproductive Medicine of the department of OBGYN at Erasmus MC in Rotterdam.

He has published over 400 peer-reviewed papers and several reviews as well as chapters in books, and has delivered over 300 lectures to international scientific audiences. He was a member of the editorial board of Human Reproduction Update, Human Reproduction and is currently associate editor of the Journal of the Endocrine Society.

Currently he is living together with Annemarie Rietveld, he is the proud father of 4 sons. In his rare free private hours you might see him fly-fishing or biking or just being lazy on Sunday mornings listening to Van Morrison.

Keynote Speakers

Chong Yap Seng

Denny Sakkas

Denny Sakkas PhD has been involved in the field of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) since the early 1980s, having gained his Ph. D. under the supervision of Prof. Alan Trounson at Monash University, in one of the leading Reproductive Research Units in the world. During this period, he was responsible for disseminating a number of innovations to laboratories around the world, which are used in routine IVF today. Included in this, was training many groups to perform micromanipulation and the initiation of blastocyst culture. He has subsequently headed his own Research Laboratories and been the Scientific/Laboratory Director of IVF units in Europe and the USA. He has also aided numerous groups in establishing their own IVF units around the world.

Dr. Sakkas has extensive experience in clinical IVF and reproductive research publishing more than 240 papers in the field of fertilization, early embryo development and male infertility. His papers have been cited over 23,000 times and his H-Index is >80 placing him in the highest group in the field of IVF. He has been involved in novel research, which has improved laboratory practice and our understanding in areas of sperm DNA through to noninvasive methods of assessing embryos. He has also trained many PhD, Masters and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility fellows. He is internationally recognized and is a sought after speaker presenting frequently at both ASRM and ESHRE and organizing numerous international conferences.

Dr. Sakkas has been extensively funded in his research career and continues to work on innovations in the area of human and animal reproduction. He now currently serves as the Chief Scientific Officer of Boston IVF and IVIRMA North America. He is also an Associate Professor at the Yale University School of Medicine.

Elizabeth S. Ginsburg

Dr Ginsburg completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology and fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School. She is currently the President- Elect of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), and has held several positions within the ASRM in the past including president of the society for assisted reproductive technologies (SART). She is the past Medical Director of the in vitro fertilization program at Brigham & Women’s Hospital, and is the reproductive endocrinology and infertility fellowship program director there. Her clinical and research interests have focused on in vitro fertilization outcomes and complications, and fertility preservation for cancer patients.

Jose Polo

Karin Hammarberg

Karin Hammarberg RN BSc PhD

Karin is a Registered Nurse with 20 years’ experience as clinical coordinator of IVF programs. She completed a PhD in 2006 is now Senior Research Fellow at Monash University and Senior Research Officer at the Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority in Melbourne, Australia. Karin’s main research interests are fertility and preconception health promotion; the psychosocial aspects of infertility and infertility treatment; health and development of children born as a result of assisted conception; infertility care in resource-constrained settings, and women’s health in midlife.

Ying Cheong

Name: Professor Ying Cheong

Position/Occupation: Professor in Reproductive Medicine, University of Southampton

University / Hospital / Association: University of Southampton; Complete Fertility Centre Southampton

Biography: Ying is a Subspecialist in Reproductive Medicine and Surgery and the Professor of Reproductive Medicine. She is the Medical Director of Complete Fertility Centre Southampton, UK. Ying’s research is on the endometrium and its environment for implantation and works across discipline with the School of Electronics and Computer Science, University of Southampton in the development of medical devices. She holds several NIHR and commercial grants and is an experience clinical trialist. She is currently ESHRE Special Interest Group Coordinator for Reproductive Endocrinology and Editor to several journals. Ying is active in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching.

Zi-Jiang Chen

Zi-Jiang Chen, M.D., Ph.D
Institute of Women, Children and Reproductive Health
Shandong University
Jinan, China
E-mail: chenzijiang@vip.163.com ; zjchen59@sdu.edu.cn

Chair and Professor of Center for Reproductive Medicine and Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, China. President of Institute of Women, Children and Reproductive Health, and Director of the National Research Center for ART and Reproductive Genetics, China. The Chief Expert of National Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, China.

Professor Chen is an academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences. She works as a leading clinical researcher and physician in reproductive medicine, focusing on infertility, as well as reproductive health and birth defects. She has led a series of RCTs in assisted reproduction field and made numerous transformative and original findings. She has published more than 300 peer-reviewed articles as the corresponding author in journals including N Engl J Med, Lancet, JAMA, Nature, Cell, Science, Nat Med, Nat Genet, PNAS, etc. She has presented in many international conferences, including those organized by the IFFS, ASPIRE, ESPE, ASRM and ESHRE. She is currently the Envoy to International Organizations of the International Federation of Fertility Societies (IFFS).

Speakers

Angela Aguilar

Professor 3, University Scientist 1 and Dona V. Tytana Professorial Chair Holdrr (2023to2024) Howard and Conchita Redmon Professorial Chair Holder (2017 to 2019)
Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of the Philippines College of Medicine
Local: Past President, Philippine Society for Reproductive Medicine, (2021), Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology Society of the Philippines ( 2020) and and Philippine Society for Gynecologic Endoscopy (2015-2016)
International: Treasurer and Board Member, Asia Oceania Society of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology;Co-Chair, Special Interest Group for Endometrios of Asia Pacific Initiative on Reproduction (ASPIRE), Member of the Advocacy Committee of the International Federation of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology; and Board Member of the Asian Society of Endometriosis and Adenomyosis Current Member of the Clinical and Scientific Studies Special Interest Group, Past International Board Memberand Member, Accreditation Committee, Asia Pacific Association for Gynecologic Endoscopy and Minimally Invasive Surgery (2015-2016)
Education: Doctor of Medicine (7 year Intarmed Curriculum), University of the Philippines with Associate in Arts Degree, Bachelor of Science in Basic Medical Sciences, and Rotating Internship; Master’s Degree in Business Administration (Health), Ateneo Professional Schools, Rockwell Center, Makati City ; Master of Science (MSc) in Reproduction and Development, with Merit University of Bristol, United Kingdom with clinical attachment at the Bristol Center for Reproductive Medicine.
Residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital

Arthur Chang

Professor Arthur Chang

Tiencheng Arthur Chang, PhD, HCLD, ELD, CC, is Professor of OB/GYN at the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA, and Director of Clinical ART Laboratories at UT Health Reproductive Health & Fertility Center and US DoD’s Brooke Army Medical Center. Prof. Chang received his bachelor’s degree from National Taiwan University, Taiwan, MS and PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA. He is board certified as High-complexity Clinical Laboratory Director (HCLD), Embryology Laboratory Director (ELD), and Clinical Consultant (CC) by American Board of Bioanalysis (ABB).

Prof. Chang’s clinical and research interests include IVF, embryology, implantation, 3D and extended embryo culture, artificial embryo, PGT, ART laboratory management and business models, as well as nonhuman primate model for reproductive medicine. He has served on numerous leadership and committee positions worldwide, including American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM: Board, committee chairs), Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART: Board, committee chairs), Society of Reproductive Biologists and Technologists (SRBT: President, Board, committee chairs), American Association of Bioanalysts – College of Reproductive Biology (AAB-CRB: President, Board, committee chairs), Asia Pacific Initiative on Reproduction (ASPIRE: Board, SIG co-chair), Taiwanese Society for Reproductive Medicine (TSRM), and Society for the Study of Reproduction (SSR). He is associate editor for Journal of Assisted Reproduction & Genetics (JARG), section editor for Reproductive Biology & Endocrinology (RB&E), accreditation inspector for College of American Pathologists (CAP), off-site director for ART and CLIA laboratories, and consultant to governments and the industry. He has received 2 ASRM Service Milestone Awards and 8 times ASRM Star Award for his research and professional service contributions.

Chiaki Shirai

She is a family sociologist and professor at the National Shizuoka University in Japan.

She has conducted qualitative research on parent-child relationships without genetic linkage, including egg donation and adoption in Japan and other Asian countries. In addition, she has other interests in the area of family formation and reproduction, including pregnancy and childbirth, childbearing customs, prenatal testing, disability, abortion and sexual diversity in Asia.

Chii-Ruey Tzeng

Chin Hui-Lin

Designations:

Consultant, Division of Genetics and Metabolism, Department of Paediatrics, Khoo Teck Puat – National University Children’s Medical Institute, National University Hospital
Consultant, NUWoC Children’s Clinic, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital
Assistant Professor, Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore

Qualifications:
MBBS (S’pore), MMed (Paeds) (S’pore), MRCPCH (UK), MCI, FAMS

Specialties/Sub-specialties:
Paediatric Medicine

Clinical Disciplines/Programmes:
Paediatric Genetics & Metabolism (Inherited Conditions)

Christopher Ho

PROF DR CHRISTOPHER HO CHEE KONG
MD, MS, MRCSEd, MBU (Cert), MFSTEd, FAMM, FICS (USA), FRCS (Urol)(Glasg), FECSM, FRCSEd, FACS
Consultant Urologist, Oriental Melaka Straits Medical Centre
Adjunct Professor, School of Medicine, Taylor’s University

Prof. Dr. Christopher Ho Chee Kong is an Adjunct Professor in the School of Medicine, Taylor’s University and Consultant Urologist at Oriental Melaka Straits Medical Centre. He was previously Professor of Surgery and Urology at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).

He is a member of the International Consultation of Urological Diseases (ICUD), the Vice President for the Malaysian Society of Andrology and the Study of the Aging Male (MSASAM), Senior Vice President of the College of Surgeons Malaysia, Vice Chair of the International Society for Sexual Medicine Communications Committee, Committee Member of the Asian Society of Men’s Health and Andrology (AMSHA) and also a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (FRCSEd), and Glasgow FRCS (Urol)(Glasg), European Committee of Sexual Medicine (FECSM), International College of Surgeons (FICS), European Committee of Sexual Medicine (FECSM), American College of Surgeons (FACS) and Academy of Medicine Malaysia (FAMM).

He is also a Member of the Faculty of Surgical Trainers Edinburgh (MFSTEd), Société Internationale d’Urologie (SIU), Examiner for the Membership of the Royal College of Surgeon (MRCS) exam, tutor for the Edinburgh Surgical Sciences Qualification (ESSQ), Director of Andrology Special Interest Group for the Malaysian Urology Association.

He has published widely with 155 publications in peer reviewed journals as well as 7 book publications on issues in Men’s Health. He also sits in the Editorial Board of 10 journals (including the Investigative and Clinical Urology journal, SIU journal) and is a reviewer for 24 journals.