The theme for the joint annual conference is “Technologies and controversies in reproduction” featuring an exciting, cutting edge programme of high profile, scientific international and UK speakers, with a wide range of concurrent sessions focusing on specialist areas in fertility and reproductive biology guaranteed to excite, stimulate and motivate!

The event will also feature over 200 scientific poster presentations, a large trade exhibition and a packed networking programme providing an excellent opportunity to learn, network and exchange ideas.

 

Download the full conference programme here.

Thursday 3 January

08.15   Registration, refreshments, exhibition and poster viewing

 

Opening plenary session

09.35 – 09.40  Welcome – Karen Schnauffer, Programme Chair, Association of Clinical Embroyologists, UK

09.40 – 10.10  Transplanted uterus – the difficulties and how to overcome them – Gerasimos Tzortzatos, Medical Director of Stockholm IVF, Eugin Clinic, Stockholm, Sweden

10.10 – 10.40  Emerging technologies, in mitochondrial research relevant to animal and clinical human practice – Justin St John, Professor, Centre for Cancer Research, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Australia

10.40 – 11.10  Ethics of new technologies – Deborah Bowman, Professor of Bioethics, Clinical Ethics and Medical Law, St George’s, University of London, UK

11.10 – 11.20  Fertility Network UK update –Aileen Feeney, Chief Executive, Fertility Network, UK

11.20 – 12.20  Exhibition, refreshments and attended poster presentations viewing

Anne McLaren memorial lecture 

12.20 – 13.10  In Vitro Gametogenesis (IVG): Next generation IVF? – Evelyn Telfer, Personal Chair in Reproductive Biology, The University of Edinburgh, UK

13.10  Lunch, exhibition and poster viewing

14.10 – 15.40  Parallel short paper sessions 1

SP1A – ACE PRE-REG JEAN PURDY PRIZE – sponsored by CooperSurgical

  • The impact of sequential and single-step media systems on embryo and blastocyst development, utilisation rates and clinical outcomes in ART – Emily Hill, The Shropshire and Mid Wales Fertility Centre, UK
  • The effect of multinucleation on pregnancy rates – Christina Lappa-Manakou, Embryologist, Wales Fertility Institute, UK
  • Redefining blastocyst morphology to enhance efficacy of embryo selection and reduce inter- and intra-operator consistency – Thomas Mayne, Trainee Embryologist, Herts and Essex, UK
  • Differences in the timing of blastocyst development: Results from a prospective randomised comparative trial of human embryo culture media systems – Emma Gilmour, Trainee Embryologist, NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, UK
  • Can time lapse imaging help identify inner cell mass splitting and reduce the frequency of Monozygotic Twinning after single embryo transfers? – Karina Minto Sutherland, Trainee Embryologist, NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, UK
  • Does the thaw to transfer interval (TTI) affect the outcome of a frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycle? – George Woodhead, CARE Fertility Nottingham, UK

SP1B – BFS EARLY CAREER CLINICIAN & SCIENTIST PRIZE

  • ICSI vs IVF in poor responders: Does the method of insemination alter the outcome in the absence of a medically indicated reason for choice of insemination? An analysis of 1 071 043 cycles of ART – Prasanna Raj Supramaniam, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK
  • Going, gonad, gone: A comparison of the management of gonadal torsion between men and women –Alison Richardson, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, UK
  • The cytotoxic impact of repeated cisplatin exposure in vitro on markers of tissue health in ovine ovarian cortex – Hannah Newton, Clinical Research Fellow and Registrar in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, LICAMM, University of Leeds and Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust, UK
  • Direct effects of androgen on genes regulating cholesterol biosynthesis in human granulosa-lutein cells – Georgie Pool, MSc Student, Imperial College London, UK
  • Dysregulation of the Interleukin-17 pathway in women with unexplained infertility affects pregnancy outcome following assisted reproductive therapy – David Crosby, Clinical Research Fellow, Merrion Fertility Clinic and National Maternity Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
  • Monitoring follicle number and serum oestradiol during ovarian stimulation may provide false reassurance in GnRH -antagonist cycles in women at high risk of OHSS – Akanksha Sood, Department of Reproductive Medicine, St Mary’s Hospital, UK

SP1C – ENHANCING OUR PRACTICE THROUGH EDUCATION AND PATIENT EXPECTATIONS
*BFS NURSE PRIZE

  • *Fertility nursing education and career progression framework – Francesca Steyn, The Centre for Reproductive and Genetic Health, UK 
  • *Meeting the learning needs of Health Care Assistants within a fertility setting – Katie Best, Gateshead Fertility Unit, UK
  • *Complexities of managing a donor sperm programme in 2018 – Denise Kerslake, Jessop Fertility, UK
  • Managing a patient’s expectations of miscarriage following assisted conception – Susie Jacob, Leeds Fertility, UK
  • 2018 Study of 485 adult donor-conceived people – Wendy Kramer, Director, Donor Sibling Registry, USA
  • Understanding attitudes towards female genital mutilation and cutting among women (FGMC) attending antenatal clinic – Bola Grace, University College London, UK

SP1D – SRF PhD STUDENT PRIZE

  • Exosomes for mammalian sperm cells: Assessing the impact of this novel delivery tool for future clinical applications –Teresa Vilanova, PhD Student, Nuffield Department of Women’s and Reproductive Health, UK
  • Mechanism of egg activation during fertilisation: Identifying sperm & egg factors, their role in egg activation and development – Roshan Sahu, DPhil Candidate, University of Oxford, UK
  • Gonadal tissue concentrations of phthalates perturb early follicle development in mouse ovarian explant cultures – Morné E Van Der Mescht, PhD Student, University of Nottingham, UK
  • Rapamycin reduces the adverse impact of PTEN inhibition on DNA damage response without preventing increased follicle growth activation – Mila Maidarti, MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, Queens Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, UK
  • Mouse embryos are susceptible to cohesion fatigue – Adélaïde Allais, PhD Student, CRCHUM, Université de Montréal, Canada
  • The presence of trophoblast spheroids alters Toll-like receptor 5 activation in endometrial cells in an in vitro model –Qijing Wang, PhD, Academic Unit of Reproductive and Developmental Medicine, University of Sheffield, UK

15.40  Exhibition, refreshments and poster viewing

16.10 – 16.15  Demo zone – CooperSurgical

16.25 – 17.55  Update session 1

U1A CRYOPRESERVATION

  • Freeze all strategy for all? Are we running before we can walk? – Ying Cheong, Professor of Reproductive Medicine within Medicine, University of Southampton, UK
  • Whole ovary cryopreservation: Tales from sheep – Juan Hernandez-Medrano, Assistant Professor in Reproductive Physiology, University of Nottingham, UK
  • Sex selection in ART babies – deliberate choice or natural bias? – Siladitya Bhattcharya, Head of the School of Medicine, Cardiff University, UK

U1B OVARIAN STIMULATION

  • Impact of cancer treatment on future fertility – Richard Anderson, Elsie Inglis Professor of Clinical Reproductive Science, The University of Edinburgh, UK,
  • The impact of late follicular elevated progesterone in ART – Annalisa Racca, University Hospital Brussels, Belgium
  • Poor ovarian reserve: What to do about nothing? – F Broekmans, Professor of Reproductive Medicine, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Netherlands

U1C PUBERTY SEASONALITY

  • Nutritional and metabolic influences on puberty – Graeme Martin, Professor, University of Western Australia, Australia
  • Kisspeptin signalling in reproduction: An update – Bill Colledge, Professor of Reproductive Physiology, University of Cambridge, UK
  • Novel neuroendocrine pathways and mechanisms for the control of puberty – Manuel Tena Sempere, Professor of Physiology, Cordoba University, Spain

U1D ULTRASOUND

  • Pattern recognition of pelvic pathology – Tom Bourne, Adjunct Professor, Department of Surgery & Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, UK
  • Early pregnancy – practical advice on diagnosis of miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy and the management of PULs – Emma Kirk, Consultant Gynaecologist and Obstetrician, Imperial College London, UK
  • Antral follicle counts – Nick Raine-Fenning, Clinical Director, Nurture Fertility, UK

 

17.55 – 18.55  Welcome reception in the exhibition

18.30 – 19.15  Sponsor symposium – The Ferring Debate: Quality or quantity?

18.00 – 19.00  SRF EARLY CAREERS SESSION 

The different career pathways within academia. 

Transferable skills and your CV
Presenting with confidence and the importance of networking
Early Career Developmental Workshop introduction

Michelle Johnson & Rebecca Sumner, Hartpury University, Gloucester, UK

19.00 – 20.00  SRF POST DOCTORAL PRIZE

  • Last-minute K-fibre establishment underpins age-related chromosome segregation errors in mouse oocytes – Aleksandar Mihajlovic, Postdoctoral Fellow, CRCHUM, Université De Montréal, Canada
  • Spontaneous failure of mouse oocytes to reach metaphase II during maturation is overcome by inhibiting the spindle assembly checkpoint protein Mps1 –Jessica Sanders, Research Fellow, University of Southampton, UK
  • Expression of the secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) in bovine ovarian tissue and its potential role in cell migration associated with follicle and corpus luteum (CL) ‘turnover’ – Moafaq Samir, University of Wasit, Iraq
  • The metabolic and developmental impact of murine embryo culture in a novel microfluidic device – Paul McKeegan, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Reproduction and Early Development, LICAMM, University of Leeds, UK

Friday 4 January

07.45  Registration, refreshments, exhibition and poster viewing


08.00 – 08.50  Merck symposia
08.00 – 08.50  SRF Exchange Lectures 
                          SSR/SRF Exchange lecture 2017 – Christopher Geyer, Associate Professor, Dept of Anatomy and Cell Biology, East Carolina University, USA
                         SRB 2018 David Healy New Investigator lecture:  Characterisation of lipoxygenase – lipid peroxidation pathway in human spermatozoa – Jessica Walters, University of Newcastle, Australia

PLENARY SESSION 2

09.00 – 09.30  Technology platforms for female gametogenesis from traditional and non-traditional cell sources – Jonathan Tilly, University Distinguished Professor and Chair Department of Biology, Northeastern University, USA

09.30 – 10.00  Fertility preservation in prepubertal boys – Rod Mitchell, Research Group Leader and Honorary Consultant Paediatric Endocrinologist, MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, The University of Edinburgh, UK

10.00 – 10.30  What synthetic embryos can tell us about the control of gene expression in embryogenesis – Berna Sozen, Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Cambridge, UK 

The Howard Jacobs lecture

11.30 – 12.20  Current and future decisions and related technologies in clinical IVF – Catherine Racowsky, Professor of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductive Biology, Harvard University, USA

12.20 – 13.20  SOCIETY AGMs

BFS AGM
ACE AGM – Including presentations of ACE Certificates and STP
SRF AGM – Including presentation of the SRF Marshall Medal 2018 – Rex Scaramuzzi

13.20  Lunch, Exhibition and poster presentations viewing

14.20  Parallel short paper sessions 2 – 5 sessions with short oral presentations

ACE POST REG PRIZE (inc Australian SIRT exchange prize) – part sponsored by CooperSurgical

  • A systematic literature review to determine whether “eggs that have failed to fertilise by normal IVF or ICSI are not re-inseminated by any means” is in the best interest of patients – Cristina Hickman, Imperial College London, UK
  • Managing expectations of patients with a single oocyte collected – a retrospective analysis of outcome – Caroline Rossiter, Senior Embryologist, CARE Fertility, UK
  • Pre-vitrification expansion stage does not appear to influence the FET outcome – Kyriaki Andreou, Clinical Embryologist, The Hull IVF Unit, UK
  • An early chronotype in women is associated with IVF pregnancy –Geraldine Hartshorne, Professor, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, & Scientific Director, Centre for Reproductive Medicine, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, UK
  • Day of embryo biopsy and genetic diagnosis: Is there a link? –Hayley Fisher-Stamp, IVI London, UK
  • The development and use of a laboratory prognostic tool for IVF patient success – Catherine Wass, Senior Clinical Embryologist, Gateshead Fertility Unit, UK

REPRODUCTION JOURNAL PRIZE & SSR/SRF PRIZE LECTURES 2018

  • Isolation of human testicular cells and co-culture with embryonic stem cells – Constance John, University of California, San Francisco, USA
  • SSR/SRF Exchange 2018: Understanding how the Aurora kinases regulate meiosis to make a good egg – Karen Schindler, Associate Professor, Department of Genetics, Rutgers University, New Jersey, USA
  • SSR/SRF Exchange New Investigator:  Understanding the role of endometrial hypoxia to improve management of heavy menstrual bleeding – Jackie Maybin, Senior Research Fellow/Honorary Consultant Gynaecologist, MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, UK

OFFSPRING

  • BFS Australian exchange lecture 2017: Health of adults conceived following in vitro fertilisation (IVF) – Jane Halliday, Group Leader, Principal Research Fellow, Public Health Genetics, The Royal Children’s Hospital, Australia
  • The impact of paternal low protein diet and methyl-donor supplementation on fetal growth and placental development –Hannah L Morgan, Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Nottingham, UK
  • Zinc supplementation during in vitro culture of bovine growing oocytes – Rodrigo Barros, University of Milan, Italy
  • On-chip mouse embryo culture: evaluation of effects of uterine cells-conditioned media on embryo development and gene expression – Vanessa Mancini, PhD Student, University of Leeds, UK
  • Placental endocrin-e malfunction induces reproductive defects in murine offspring postnatally – Sijia Yao, Medicine Student, Imperial College London, UK

ANDROLOGY (Inc Iwan Lewis-Jones Prize)

  • Protective effects of omega-3 fatty acids on cyclophosphamide induced fertility alterations – Emmanuel Nnamonu, Federal College of Education, Enugu State, Nigeria    
  • Trace element profiles in canine and human semen: Evidence that dietary intake of micronutrients may influence semen composition and sperm function? – Richard Lea, Nottingham University Hospital, UK
  • Structural modification of pentoxifylline improves sperm motility and fertilisation rate and developmental competence of embryos – Sandhya Kumari MV, Lecturer, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Mangalore, India   
  • Defining the impact of paternal diet on testicular morphology and apoptosis – Adam Watkins, Assistant Professor of Reproductive Biology, University of Nottingham, UK
  • The case for semen sampling as a simple, non-invasive surrogate for prostate health screening – David Miller, University of Leeds, UK

MATERNAL FACTORS

  • Acute maternal high fat diet during pre-implantation alone affects adult offspring hepatic expression of metabolic and epigenetic markers – Tom Fleming, Emeritus Professor of Developmental Biology, University of Southampton, UK
  • The risk of ‘de novo’ poor ovarian response during repeat IVF: Results of an externally validated prediction model based on more than 4,000 women – Athanasios Papathanasiou, Regional Lead Clinician, Bourn Hall Clinic, UK
  • Duration of ovarian stimulation does not affect the chances of live birth in couples undergoing IVF: An analysis of 8624 treatment cycles –Islam Gamaleldin, Academic Clinical Lecturer in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Bristol Centre for Reproductive Medicine (BCRM) and University of Bristol, UK
  • Discriminative capacity of 1H-MRS spectrum binning for preterm delivery-associated Lactobacilli-dominated vaginal microbiota –Steven Reynolds, Research Fellow, University of Sheffield, UK
  • The effects of maternal hyperandrogenaemia on infant growth in infants born to mothers with PCOS – Audrey Davar, Clinical research Associate, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, UK
  • Characterisation of vaginal cytokine expression during IVF: A cohort study – Shahriar Mowla, PhD Student, Imperial College London, UK

15.50  Exhibition, refreshments and poster presentations viewing

16.10 Demo zone – CooperSurgical

16.30 – 18.00  Update session 2

U2A INNOVATIONS IN MALE FERTILITY

  • Testicular organoids formation by the Three-Layer Gradient System (3-LGS) – Joao Pedro Alves-Lopes, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
  • Personal genetic testing and the end of donor anonymity – Debbie Kennett, Honorary Research Associate, University College London, UK
  • Individual sperm freezing – Chris Barratt, Professor, Reproductive Medicine Group, University of Dundee, UK (Invited)

U2B PREIMPLANTATION EMBRYO

  • Culture media transparency – Arne Sunde, Professor, Fertility Clinic, St. Olav’s University Hospital in Trondheim, Norway
  • The first language: secreted MicroRNAs – Alireza Fazeli, Professor, University of Sheffield, UK & Tartu University, Estonia
  • The mosaic embryo – Greg Fitzharris, Editor, Reproduction Journal, Montreal, Canada

U2C REPRODUCTIVE SENESCENCE

  • Menopause: New perspectives and paradigms – Joop Laven, Head of the Division Reproductive Medicine, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands
  • Going out with a bang – absence of reproductive senescence in eusocial naked mole-rats? – Chris Faulkes, Reader in Evolutionary Ecology, Queen Mary University of London, UK
  • Adaptive post-reproductive life in the killer whale – Darren Croft, Professor of Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, UK

U2D SERVICE DELIVERY AND LEADERSHIP

  • Nurse leadership – Helen Kendrew, Matron, Bath Fertility, UK
  • The Senior Infertility Nurse Group: Together we can make a difference – Debbie Evans, Director of Clinical Services, Herts &  Essex, UK
  • HFEA update: Training and PR leadership roles/ code of practice – Nick Jones, Director of Compliance and Information, Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, UK

19.30  Social: Conference Dinner – ICC Hall

Saturday 5 January

08.45 Registration, refreshments, exhibition and poster viewing

 

PLENARY SESSION 3

09.00 – 09.30   The artificial womb – John Aplin, Professor of Reproductive Biomedicine, University of Manchester, UK

09.30 – 10.20   Transgenerational epigenetic effects of folic acid – Erica Watson, Lecturer in Reproductive Biology, University of Cambridge, UK

BOB EDWARDS MEMORIAL LECTURE

11.30 – 12.20 From animal IVF to the beginning of human clinical embryology: Problems, solutions and controversies – Barry Bavister, former Reproductive Biologist, New Orleans, USA

10.50 Exhibition and refreshments

11.30 – 12.30     PARALLEL SHORT PAPER SESSION 3  

SP3A – FERTILITY PRESERVATION

  • The effect of the chemotherapy agent Paclitaxel on the germline stem cell niche of the human immature testis – Melissa Durgahshree Tharmalingam, MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, UK
  • Fertility preservation provision for female cancer patients in England – Ung Lim Teo, Specialist Registrar, Kingston Hospital, UK
  • The use of VEGF in tissue culture to enhance the vascularisation of cryopreserved ovarian tissue for use in ovarian tissue transplantation – Hayley Jackson, Medical Student, University College of London, UK

SP3B – THE EMBRYO

  • The quality of the overall cohort of embryos at day 3 is more predictive of success than quantity – Linda Farahani, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, UK
  • Day-6 vitrified blastocysts have similar birth outcomes to day-5 blastocysts but there is a tendency to higher birthweight and birth centile for gestational age in the day-6 cohort – Marco Gaudoin, GCRM, UK
  • In vivo fertilisation: A more natural approach to IVF – Marcos Ferrando, IVI Bilbao, Spain
  • Pioneering invasive cell types of in vitro implanting human embryos revealed by combined morphologic and gene expression analysis – Peter Ruane, University of Manchester, UK

SP3C – SPERM

  • Rapid ‘switching’ of human sperm motility – Cosmas Achikanu, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Nigeria  
  •  [Ca2+]i oscillations regulate behaviour of free-swimming human sperm – Stephen Publicover, University of Birmingham, UK
  • The intracellular actions of trequinsin improves sperm cell hyperactivation and viscous medium penetration – Rachel C McBrinn, PhD Candidate, Abertay University, UK
  • The presence of spermatozoa alters the physical characteristics and microRNA content of extracellular vesicles secreted by porcine oviductal epithelial cells in vitro – Lisa Thurston, Lecturer, Royal Veterinary College, UK

SP3D – EMERGING REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGY AND APPLICATIONS

  • Programming prostaglandin and oxytocin receptor signalling in the human uterus: mechanisms and applications – Abigail Walker, Imperial College London, UK
  • Isolation of putative human oogonial stem cells by a NANOG SmartFlare RNA detection probe and fluorescence-activated cell sorting – Yvonne Clarkson, The University of Edinburgh, UK
  • Fucosylation of immunoglobulin G in the peripartum period is associated with the subsequent development of endometritis in dairy cattle – Erin Williams, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, UK

SP3E – PREGNANCY OUTCOMES

  • Fertility treatment with donor eggs: The influence of legal and technological evolutions on patients’ behaviour – Mona Rahmati, Consultant in Reproductive Medicine, London Women’s Clinic, UK
  • UK surrogacy law – what does the future hold? – Eleri Williams, Solicitor, Hempsons, UK
  • Vitamin D and assisted reproductive treatment outcome: A systematic review and meta-analysis– Justin Chu, University of Birmingham, Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, UK
  • Is a woman’s chronological or ‘ovarian’ age more important in determining perinatal outcome after ART? – Alison Richardson, Leeds Fertility, UK

13.30 – 15.00     Update session 3

U3A FERTILITY SOCIETIES SESSION

  • DNA fragmentation: Another red herring? – Jackson Kirkman Brown, Reader in Human Reproductive Biology, University of Birmingham, UK
  • This house believes ICSI should be used in all treatment cycles irrespective of sperm quality
    Chair: Raj Mathur, Consultant and Clinical Lead for Reproductive Medicine, Manchester Foundation Trust
    Against: Siladitya Bhattacharya, Head of the School of Medicine, Cardiff University, UK
    For: Speaker TBC

U3B OBESITY IN REPRODUCTION

  • Novel insights into the development and treatment of obesity in polycystic ovary syndrome – Colin Duncan, Chair, Society for Reproduction and Fertility, UK
  • Translational insights into polycystic ovary syndrome using a non-human primate model – David Abbott, Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of Wisconsin, USA
  • Novel mechanisms for the influence of male obesity on fertility and post-natal health – John Schjenken, ARC Research Associate, Robinson Research Institute and Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Australia

PSYCHOSOCIAL ASPECTS OF FERTILITY

  • TTC and pre-conception care – what about the men? – Francesca Steyn, Nurse Manager CRGH, UK
  • Families created through identity-release egg donation: What do we know so far? – Susan Imrie, Centre for Family Research, University of Cambridge, UK
  • Transgender fertility and conception – Ruth Peace, Sally Hines and Francis Ray White, Leeds University School of Sociology and Social Policy, UK

U3C FINAL PLENARY SESSION

15.10 – 15.40 The weird and wonderful: gestational anecdotes from the wild – William ‘Twink” Allen, Sharjah Equine Hospital, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

15.40 – 16.00  Prize Giving

16.00  Closing remarks – Colin Duncan, Chair, Society for Reproduction and Fertility, UK

Close of conference