Prof. R. John Aitken is currently Laureate Professor of Biological Sciences, Co-Director of the Priority Research Centre in Reproductive Science and Pro Vice Chancellor of the Faculty of Health and Medicine at the University of Newcastle, NSW. John Aitken’s research career began with a PhD in reproductive biology from the University of Cambridge under the supervision of RV Short. Following post-doctoral positions at the Institute of Animal Genetics, University of Edinburgh with Anne McLaren and the University of Bordeaux, he joined the World Health Organization in Geneva, where he managed two WHO task forces within the Human Reproduction Unit dealing with different aspects of fertility control. In 1977, he joined the Medical Research Council’s Reproductive Biology Unit, University of Edinburgh, to establish a research group in reproductive biology with clinical outreach into male infertility. In 1998 he moved to the University of Newcastle, NSW, as Chair of Biological Sciences and, later, Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Biotechnology and Development. He has an Honorary Professorship with the University of Edinburgh and has been elected a Fellow of the Society for Reproductive Biology, the Royal Society of Edinburgh, the Royal Society of New South Wales and the Australian Academy for Health and Medical Sciences. He is also a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science as well as President of the International Society of Andrology.
His area of specialization is reproductive biology with particular emphasis on the differentiation and function of spermatozoa and oocytes and the way in which these cells interact to generate a healthy embryo. He has published 10 books and over 519 research articles, which have received more than 29,000 citations generating an h-index of 89. In 2012 he was named as the New South Wales Scientist-of-the-Year.

Prof. Aris Antsaklis is the Chairman of the 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Athens, “Alexandra” Maternity Hospital. He has spent his entire career working in Athens University. He trained in Perinatal Medicine Prenatal Diagnosis and in Obstetrics and Gynecology Ultrasound, at University College Hospital in London and at Yale University. At the national level he is a founder member, an executive board member and President of several bodies in the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perinatal Medicine, Ultrasounds and Fetal Maternal Medicine. He is member of the Editorial Board of several Greek Medical Journals. At the International level he is Vice President and member of the Scientific Committee of the World Association of Perinatal Medicine, member of the Board of the International Society “The fetus as a patient”, member of the “Fetoscopy Working Group” since 1981, he served as President elect and president of the European Association of Perinatal Medicine (2002-2004). He is permanent member of the International Academy of Perinatal Medicine and Director of the Greek Branch of Ian Donald School for Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vice President of the Mediterranean Society of Ultrasound in Ob/Gyn and President of the South East Europe Society of Perinatal Medicine. Prof. Antsaklis is the author and co-author of 400 publications in several International and Hellenic peer reviewed journals in the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology and specifically on Prenatal Diagnosis, Perinatal Medicine, Fetal Diagnosis and treatment and ultrasound and has written 30 chapters in International and Greek Medical books.

Prof. Rod Baber is Clinical Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
at Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney and is Head of the Menopause and Menstrual disorders clinic at Royal North Shore Hospital.He is President of The International Menopause Society and a Past President of The Australasian Menopause Society. He is also Chair of The Medical Advisory Board of Family Planning NSW, Associate Editor of The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and a member of the Editorial Board of Climacteric, the Journal of the International Menopause Society.Rod is a regular presenter at National and International meetings, has contributed to several books and has a large number of peer reviewed publications to his creditIn 2013 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists recognized his contribution to the field of Obstetrics and Gynaecology with the award of The Distinguished Service Medal

Dr. F. Xavier Bosch conducts epidemiological research on cancers linked to infectious agents notably on cancer of the liver, of the cervix, of the skin, of the vagina, of the anus, of the penis and of the oral cavity. He has also carried on research studies on diet and colorectal cancer and led a program of implementation and methodological research in cancer registration.
These various research projects have been instrumental in demonstrating the causal role of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) in cervical cancer and on the opportunities for liver cancer prevention using Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) vaccines in rural Africa. Some of these studies have played a catalytic role for the initiation of the first vaccine trials for HBV and HPV and for the evaluation of HPV tests as screening tools. Dr. F. Xavier Bosch has worked in what is now called molecular epidemiology. His research work has been characterized by the integration of the latest biological assays to determine exposure to carcinogens with epidemiological field studies carried out in about 35 countries around the world, particularly in Spain, Latin America, Africa and Asia. The final goal of his research has been the application of the aetiological knowledge derived from it, to the primary prevention of cancer.

Jacqueline Boyle MBBS, MPH&TM, FRANZCOG, PhD
Jacqueline leads the Indigenous and Refugee Women’s Health research group at Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University. She is an obstetrician/gynaecologist and provides clinical services in women’s health both in Melbourne and in remote communities in the Northern Territory through the specialist outreach service. Jacqueline is the Chair of the Indigenous Women’s health committee at the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and a co-lead on the National Indigenous Women’s Health partnership on research and translation. Her research involves the generation of new knowledge with translation and implementation particularly in public health and health services, with a focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and refugee women.

Prof. Paula Briggs is a Consultant in Sexual and Reproductive Health for Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust. Paula qualified from Glasgow University in 1987. She trained as a GP before moving to Liverpool in 1993. She continued with both general practice and sexual health until recently. In the past couple of years has devoted herself to the delivery of sexual health care, research and education in the field of women’s health. She is the clinical lead for an integrated community sexual health service in Sefton and West Lancashire. She provides a Community Gynaecology Service for South Sefton CCG. She works as part of a team involving eight Consultant Gynaecologists, who support her community service. She leads the pregnancy advisory service for Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust. She has co-edited 2 books and co-written an undergraduate textbook in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. She is married with four children and enjoys running, reading and cooking.

Prof. Julia Brotherton
A/Prof Brotherton is the Medical Director of the National HPV Vaccination Program Register and a public health physician with training in vaccine preventable disease surveillance and epidemiology. She is a medical graduate from the University of Newcastle, NSW, has a Master’s degree in Public Health and a Doctorate of Philosophy from the University of Sydney, and holds a Fellowship in Public Health Medicine. She is an Honorary Principal Fellow at the School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne. For the past ten years Julia has been involved in research and policy development informing the implementation and evaluation of HPV vaccination programs in Australia. She has been a lead investigator in Australian research which has demonstrated the world’s first evidence of dramatic declines in both HPV infections and pre-cancerous cervical lesions in young women post- vaccination. She has over 115 publications and is passionate about using public health data to undertake policy-relevant research.

Prof. Fabricio Costa graduated in Medicine in 1995. He was awarded a PhD in 2001 from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, for Doppler studies in the prediction of pre-eclampsia. In 2009, Dr Costa moved to Australia as a Clinical/Research Postdoctoral Fellow in fetal medicine and ultrasound in obstetrics and gynaecology at the Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne.
Currently he is a Clinical Associate Professor at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne and Medical Director of Monash Ultrasound for Women. Also, he is a member of the Australasian Society for Ultrasound in Medicine (ASUM) Council and an Ambassador of the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology (ISUOG) to Australasia and South America
Dr Costa’s clinical and research interests focus on the use of ultrasound in maternal-fetal medicine, especially pre-eclampsia, fetal growth restriction and preterm labour. In addition, he has special interest in first trimester screening, including non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT).

Cyndi Darnell is one of Australia’s leading sex therapists and educators, spearheading progressive and inclusive sex education workshops and seminars for adults that deeply change people’s lives.
She is also a writer, recently published in the Journal of Sex Education and media commentator in Australia, whose opinion is frequently sought for TV, radio and print including The Project, ABC Radio, The Age, Sydney Morning Herald, Cosmopolitan and much more. Cyndi has also been a featured guest on popular U.S. podcasts Sex Out Loud with Tristan Taormino and Sex Nerd Sandra.
Her latest project The Atlas of Erotic Anatomy and Arousal; a 5 part educational video series was released in July 2015 with the intention of making knowledge of the human body sexy, relevant and meaningful.
She counsels individuals & couples, runs workshops and seminars on sex and the human condition, offers mentoring to budding sex therapists, medical professionals and sex educators, and offers insight into the quandaries of the erotic to transform fear into freedom.

Dr. Sonia Davison

Professional experience – Research
2013-current time
Senior Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Adjunct appointment
Women’s Health Research Program,
Monash University

2011-2012
Senior Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Women’s Health Research Program,
Monash University

2007 – 2010
NH&MRC Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Women’s Health Research Program,
Monash University

2002 – 2006
PhD “A cross sectional study of androgens in women: relationships with age,
wellbeing and sexual function”
Monash University (PhD awarded 30th November 2006)

Education

Secondary
Mentone Girls’ Grammar School
1983 – 1988
Dux – Class of 1988

Tertiary
University of Melbourne
1989 – 1994
M.B., B.S. (Medicine Final Year – H2A 77%)

Postgraduate
Fellow, Royal Australasian College of Physicians
2002
Fellowship admission

Doctoral studies
Monash University, PhD awarded
November 2006

Prof. Salim Daya received his medical training at the Manchester University Medical School. He completed post graduate training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Toronto, Canada, a fellowship in reproductive endocrinology and infertility and graduate studies in reproductive immunology at McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.
Currently, Dr. Daya is an infertility specialist at Newlife Fertility Centre in Missisauga, Ontario, Canada. He is a retired professor from the departments of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at McMaster University. His research interests are in recurrent early pregnancy loss, infertility, in vitro fertilization, and evidence based reproductive medicine. He is a member of the Cochrane Collaboration and is editor of Evidence Based Obstetrics and Gynecology.
He is a member of many national and international societies.

Prof. Gus Dekker (MD PhD FDCOG FRANZCOG) is Senior Clinical Academic, Women’s and Children’s Division Lyell McEwin Hospital, Northern Campus University of Adelaide. Gus received his medical training via the University of Leiden, followed by 3 years training in internal medicine (The Hague), and O&G specialist training via the Erasmus University Rotterdam, where he also finished his Academic PhD Thesis Erasmus entitled ‘Prediction and Prevention of Pregnancy-Induced Hypertensive Disorders. A Clinical and Pathophysiologic Study’; this thesis also included the world’s first prospective RCT on low-dose Aspirin in the prevention of preeclampsia.
After 10 years as Associate Professor in Maternal – Fetal Medicine at the Free University in Amsterdam, Gus migrated to Adelaide as the new chair in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, at the University of Adelaide. His areas of specific interest include the genetics and immunology of preeclampsia, prediction and prevention of preeclampsia, prediction and management of preterm labour and the role of genetic and acquired thrombophilic disorders in the causation of adverse pregnancy outcome and cerebral palsy.
His clinical work involves maternal-fetal medicine and obstetric medicine. As an extension of his thrombophilia research, Gus has broadened his research into the area of recurrent pregnancy loss. During this career as clinical researcher Gus has been successful in translating relevant progress made by basic reproductive scientists into clinical pathogenetic concepts and therapeutic and preventative strategies that really changed clinical obstetrics, as is also evidenced by numerous publications in peer-reviewed international journals.

Prof. Ricardo Palma-Dias is an obstetrician-gynaecologist with special interest in prenatal diagnosis & Fetal Medicine. He is currently Clinical Associate Professor at the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, University of Melbourne, the Director of Ultrasound Services at the Royal Women’s Hospital and a clinical researcher in the Department of Maternal-Fetal Medicine Pregnancy Research Centre. He is a member of the Victorian Fetal Therapy Service & Chairman of the Nuchal Translucency Ultrasound Education & Monitoring Program Steering Committee. His main areas of interest & research involvement are first trimester screening, the role of MRI in prenatal diagnosis & complex multiple pregnancies.

Prof. Peter Ebeling AO is Head, Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University. He was inaugural Director of the Australian Institute of Musculoskeletal Science (AIMSS). In 2015, he was made an Officer of the General Division of the Order of Australia for distinguished service in the field of bone health.
Research interests include musculoskeletal health and diseases; public health aspects of vitamin D, including effects on muscle function, bone and diabetes; post-transplantation osteoporosis; and osteoporosis in men. Professor Ebeling was Associate Editor of Journal of Bone and Mineral Research from 2008-2012. He currently serves on the Editorial Board of Osteoporosis International and is Editor of Clinical Endocrinology (Oxf) and Editor-in-Chief of Bone Reports. He is Medical Director of Osteoporosis Australia; Board Member, International Osteoporosis Foundation; Past-President, Endocrine Society of Australia; Past-President of the Australian and New Zealand Bone and Mineral Society; and Past-Councillor, American Society of Bone and Mineral Research, only the third Australian to be elected. He was on the NHMRC Academy from 2009-2014 and NHMRC Research Committee from 2015-2018. He has over 240 peer-reviewed publications, including in the New England Journal of Medicine, PNAS (USA) and Science. He also teaches and mentors medical students, and supervises a number of Research Higher Degree students, and advanced physician trainees in Endocrinology.

Prof. Dan Farin is a perinatologist at Mount Sinai Hospital and Professor within the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, University of Toronto, Canada. He has just stepped down
from being the head of the Maternal Fetal Medicine Division in the University of Toronto. Professor Farine received his Medical Degree at Tel-Aviv University and completed his residency in Obstetrics and
Gynaecology in Toronto in 1986. He finished his fellowship in Maternal/Fetal Medicine at Columbia University, New York in 1988 following which he was appointed as a staff perinatologist at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. He became the Head of
Maternal Fetal Medicine of that unit in 1990 and the Head of Obstetrics in that hospital in 1992.
Professor Farine is widely published with more than 120 peer reviewed papers of which 9 received a
research award. These included two SPO best paper awards, several best poster awards as well as
awards from the Society for Gynecologic Investigation and the Society of Obstetricians and
Gynaecologists of Canada. He is a co-editor of a textbook on malignancies in pregnancy and author
of 12 book chapters, 19 non-refereed publications, and over 160 abstracts.
Professor Farine had several different appointments in the area of medical education. The last was
heading the Maternal Fetal Medicine fellowship program at the University of Toronto. He has
received 6 awards for his teaching capabilities. He has also been invited to over 100 national and
international presentations.

Prof. David Gardner did his undergraduate and postgraduate training at the University of York in the UK in the laboratory of Professor Henry Leese. He then spent time as a Fellow at Harvard Medical School with Professor John Biggers, before moving to Monash University in the late 1980’s to work with Professor Alan Trounson. At Monash David worked on methods for the successful culture and diagnosis of human embryos. In 1997 he moved back to the USA where he became the Scientific Director of the Colorado Centre for Reproductive Medicine, established a large research team and was an adjunct Professor at Colorado State University. In 2007 David returned to Australia to take up the position of Chair of Zoology at the University of Melbourne and in 2008 became Head of Department. In 2015 he took a research position in the newly formed School of BioSciences.David has been a pioneer of human blastocyst culture, embryo diagnosis and vitrification; his work not only resulting in significant improvements in human infertility treatment, but also facilitating the isolation of the world’s first human embryonic stem cells. His current research is focussed on the analysis of gamete, embryo and stem cell function, and how external factors such as diet, the environment and culture conditions affect subsequent fetal development and offspring health. His group continues to work on the development of biomarkers and the optimisation of culture conditions. David has published over 250 scientific papers and chapters, and edited 12 books on embryology and Human IVF.

Prof. Suzanne Garland is an internationally recognized clinical microbiologist and sexual health physician, with expertise in infectious diseases as they pertain to reproductive health and the neonate. I currently lead an HPV vaccine effectiveness trial (VACCINE) in Australia which will be informative globally. I have a keen interest in probiotics in neonates and led the world’s largest RCT the results of which have changed neonatal practice globally. I have also embraced new technologies utilizing e-health as novel recruitment methods as well is interventions in a young female health initiative (YFHI). I am a regular Advisor to WHO, largely in the area of sexually transmitted infection diagnosis, for prophylactic HPV vaccines, as well as international standards for HPV DNA assays. I have published extensively in more than 460 peer-reviewed journals, as well as being invited to deliver plenary presentations at national and international meetings. I am the Inaugural and Past President of the newly formed society, AOGIN (Asian Oceania Research Organization on Genital Infection and Neoplasia).

Prof. Dorota Gertig is a public health physician and has been the Medical Director of the Victorian Cervical Cytology Registry since 2006. Professor Gertig is a respected leader in cancer screening and is a member of several key national and state committee on cervical screening. Professor Gertig has a strong commitment to providing policy relevant data to stakeholders and translational public health research. The primary focus of her current work is the on policy relevant research on cervical cancer control and HPV vaccine impact as well as improving participation in cancer screening. She has also been an invited presenter at WHO workshops on comprehensive cervical cancer control in the WPRO region.

Dr. Norbert Gleicher graduated from Tel Aviv University Sackler School of Medicine in Israel. After completion of his residency training and fellowship in reproductive immunology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, he held various medical and administrative positions at some of the best hospitals and universities in the US. In 1981, Dr. Gleicher founded the Center for Human Reproduction (CHR), where he is currently Medical Director and Chief Scientist.
Dr. Gleicher has published hundreds of peer-reviewed scientific papers, abstracts and book chapters, as well as edited textbooks and served as editor for many specialty journals. His editorial roles have included founding Editor-in-Chief for the American Journal of Reproductive Immunology (AJRI) and the Journal of In Vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer (renamed Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics in 1992).
In 2009, he was invited to give the prestigious Patrick Steptoe Memorial Lecture to the British Fertility Society, in recognition of his lifelong contribution to the advancements in reproductive endocrinology and infertility. A popular speaker at worldwide conferences, Dr. Gleicher travels extensively while maintaining his role in clinical patient care and research at CHR.
.

Prof. Andrew Edwin Grulich
EDUCATION
1998 PhD, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW.
1995 Fellow of the Australian Faculty of Public Health Medicine, Royal Australasian College of Physicians.
1990 MSc (Epid), London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK.
1986 MBBS, Adelaide University, South Australia.

CURRENT RESEARCH INTERESTS
Cancer, immune deficiency and infection: Cancer in people with HIV and AIDS in Australia and other immune deficient states.
HIV prevention research, policy and practice: biomedical and behavioural prevention of HIV.

RESEARCH AND OTHER GRANTS
I have been a Chief Investigator on research grants totalling $A25million, and have been Chief investigator A on research grants totalling over $A7 million. I am a NHMRC Principal Research Fellow.

EVIDENCE OF RECOGNITION IN HIV POLICY AND RESEARCH
I have been on the editorial boards of the following international journals;
Journal of HIV Medicine (2005-2009);
AIDS(2003-10),
Sexual Health (2003-present);
Leukaemia and Lymphoma (2005-2009)

Other recent Research appointments
Queensland Institute of Medical Research Appointments Committee;
Chair, Higher Degree Committee, Kirby Institute, UNSW;
Member, NHMRC Public Health Discipline panel (2010-2011)
Member, Implementation Committee for the NSW HIV Strategy
Elected member, Governing Council, International AIDS Society
Chair, Expert technical advisory group on new HIV prevention targets,
President, Australasian Society for HIV Medicine (2001-2003)
Chair, NSW Health HIV Health Promotion Committee (2001-2013)
Track C (Prevention Sciences) Local Track Chair, International AIDS conference, Melbourne 2014

Prof. Martha Hickey
EDUCATION/TRAINING
University of Manchester BA 06/1981 Psychology
University of Manchester MS 06/1987 Clinical Psychology
University of Bristol MBBS 09/1990 Clinical medicine
University of Bristol PHD 1996 Reproductive Endocrinology
University of Sydney Postdoctoral Fellow 1996 Fellow in Reproductive Medicine
RCOG Fellow 1998 OBGYN Fellowship
RANZCOG Fellow 2002 Australasian Fellowship in OBGYN
POSITIONS AND EMPLOYMENT
2006 – 2010 Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Western Australia, Perth
2008 – 2011 Adjunct Professor of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT
2010 – Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne
2012 – Adjunct Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne
2013 – Head of Department, University of Melbourne, Melbourne
2013 – 2013 Visiting Professor, Harvard University and Dana-Farber Cancer Centre, Boston, MA
Other Experience and Professional Memberships
2002 – Biomedical Specialist Panel and Scientific Review Panel, World Health Organisation Human Reproduction Program, Geneva
2012 – Head, Gynaecology Research Centre, Royal Women’s Hospital, Australia

Dr. Karla Hutt obtained her PhD from the Australian National University in 2006, where her studies focussed on the establishment and maintenance of the primordial follicle pool during ovarian development. She then undertook her postdoctoral studies at the University of Kansas Medical Center (USA), where she investigated the impact of environmental toxicants on oocyte and embryo quality. In 2008 she returned to Australia and now leads the Ovarian Biology Laboratory at Monash University. Since her return she has developed a research program that investigates the role of DNA repair and apoptosis in determining oocyte number and quality, with the aim of i) improving women’s health and fertility during maternal aging and ii) developing new therapeutic strategies to protect female fertility during anti-cancer therapy.

Prof. Jon Hyett is Head of High Risk Obstetrics and a Staff Specialist in Obstetrics and Maternal and Fetal Medicine at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney. He trained in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and subspecialised in Maternal and Fetal Medicine in the UK.
Jon is a clinical professor and member of the Discipline of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Neonatology at the University of Sydney. His primary research interests are predictive modelling of adverse pregnancy outcome, first trimester prenatal diagnosis, improving fetal and maternal outcomes in the later part of the third trimester and the management of twin pregnancies.
Jon is involved with obstetric ultrasound accreditation programs run by RANZCOG and the Fetal Medicine Foundation (UK). He is a board member of ISUOG and is involved in the development of the ISUOG outreach program – providing ultrasound education to developing communities. Jon is an Associate Editor of Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy and a member of the editorial board of Prenatal Diagnosis.

Justin John,
EDUCATION
1997 – 1998: PhD Student in the Department of Medicine, University of Birmingham. Passed PhD in January 1999 (awarded July 1999). Project Title: The role of mitochondria in male fertility. Transferred from the University of Sheffield due to relocation of supervisor.
1995 – 1997: PhD Student in the University Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Jessop Hospital for Women, Leavygreave Road, Sheffield, S3 7RE. Project Title: The role of mitochondria in male fertility. Successfully passed prerequisite MPhil transfer to PhD (April 1997).
1991 – 1995: Student of Physiology at the University of Sheffield. Completed the ‘Foundation Year’ in basic sciences in June 1992 – qualifying year prior to degree course. Graduated with a BSc (Hons) Degree, Class 2 (i) in Physiology in June 1995. Awarded ‘Special Prize’.
1983 – 1985: Student at University of Ulster studying Linguistics and Politics (specialising in teaching English as a Foreign Language).
1972 – 1978: University College School, London. Advanced Level: Government and Political Studies. Ordinary Levels: English Language, English Literature, Mathematics, French, History, Geography, Economic and Public Affairs. Language Spoken: Fluent English and German (conversation, written and technical).
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2009 – current Professor and Centre Head, Centre for Genetic Diseases, MIMR-PHI Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
2007 – 2009 Professor of Reproductive Biology, Clinical Sciences Research Institute, Warwick Medical School, The University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.
Responsibilities included: research; undergraduate (Reproductive Biology and Development Biology to science and medical students) and postgraduate teaching and supervision (PhD and MPhil).
2000 – 2007 Lecturer in Mitochondrial and Reproductive Genetics, Division of Medical Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Responsibilities included: research; undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and supervision; and Divisional co-ordination of graduate studies (PhD, MD, MPhil and MSc).
2000 – 2001 Sabbatical and Mellon Fellow: 27 February 2000 – 13 January 2001: This sabbatical was undertaken at Professor Gerald Schatten’s Laboratory, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon, USA. Focus of the research was to investigate the segregation, transmission and inheritance of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) following assisted reproductive techniques including cloning in non-human primates. The outcomes of the cloning and mtDNA segregation data were published in Genetics (2004; 167:897-905).
1998 – 2000 Research Fellow in the Assisted Conception Unit, Birmingham Women’s Hospital and Department of Medicine, University of Birmingham, UK (joint appointment). Projects included: transmission of mitochondrial DNA; the role of mitochondrial DNA deletions in infertility; the role of mitochondria in sperm function and apoptosis. Supervised postgraduate and undergraduate project students. Taught Reproductive Biology to 2nd Year MBChB students.
1997 – 1998 Research Assistant in the Assisted Conception Unit, Birmingham Women’s Hospital. Projects included: the role of mitochondrial DNA deletions in infertility; transmission of mitochondrial DNA; screening of the Y- chromosome for DAZ repeats. Role of free radicals in sperm function.
1985 – 1997 Previous Employment as a Language Teacher: Prior to and throughout my undergraduate and postgraduate training to become a scientist, I was employed at the University of Sheffield, several Language schools and in industry (Ford Motor Company, Germany and IBM, Germany) as a freelance language teacher. My responsibilities included directing various courses, course design and assessment.

Professor Gab Kovacs AM.
Reproductive Gynaecologist, Subspecialist in Reproductive Endocrinology and infertility.
International Medical Director Monash IVF.
Professor of O & G Monash University
Senior Medical Officer Sonoa Health
35 years experience in IVF, Ovulation Induction, Male subfertility, Donor Insemination and Microsurgery
Honorary Consultant to Family Planning Victoria.
Authored/co-authored more than 160 articles, and edited/co-edited eleven textbooks (seven for Cambridge University Press). Also authored/co authored five books for the public.
Past President of Family Planning Australia and The Fertility Society of Australia, Past Chair of IVF Directors’ Group, and Councillor RANZCOG 1995 to 2001.
AWARDS:
Awarded the G. Edgar Prize, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, 1977.
Awarded “Young Scientist Award”, Asia & Oceania Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 1991.
Honorary Member, Hungarian Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 1996.
Verres Award, Hungarian Society of Endoscopy 2000.
President’s Award, Family Planning Australia 2000.
Life Member, Family Planning Victoria 2001.
Member of The International Academy of Human Reproduction 2002
Member of the Order of Australia 2004. “For services to medicine in the fields of gynaecology, obstetrics, family planning and in in-vitro fertilisation
through research, specialist clinical services and education, and the community”.
Reproductive Health Award 2004. Inaugural award by Reproductive Health Foundation of Hungary.
Honorary Life Member, International Federation of Fertility Societies (IFFS) 2007
Honorary Life Member, The Fertility Society of Australia, 2007
Prince Henry’s Institute Fellow, 2009
Monash University, Distinguished Alumni Award 2011
Golden Key Society, Honorary Member 2012
Distinguished Service Medal, The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists 2012

Prof. Masashige Kuwayama is a president of a private ART research center, Repro-Support Medical Research Center in Japan, and also general academic & technical supervisor of the world largest IVF center doing 27,000 cycles per year with 65 embryologists & 13 scientists studying vitrification, nuclear transfer (GV transfer, rejuvenescence of defective oocytes from old women), oo- and spermato- genesis, ES and ips cells studies, etc. And I supervise 58 IVF centers in 12 countries.
I obtained the calves after vitrification of IVF blastocysts (1991), MII oocytes (1992) first in the world. He was also the first to succeed in establishing vitrification technique of porcine pre-hatching blastocysts and oocytes (1997, 1998). I developed an efficient vitrification method (Cryotop/Cryotec method) for human oocytes (1999) and embryos (2000), and established the actual first human oocytes bank and obtained the first vitrification baby in Japan (2002) and USA (2003). We have vitrified so far more than 2,000,000 human oocytes and embryos in our and related centers. My Cryotop/Cryotec methods are now used in >1200 clinics in 55 countries.

Prof. David de Kretser is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, the Australian Academy of Science and the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.
He obtained his Doctorate of Medicine from Monash University in 1969, his research focusing on the structure and function of the human testis. Prior to studying at Monash he received Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degrees from the University of Melbourne.
During his career Professor de Kretser has made a significant contribution to the field of male fertility. His research into reproductive biology, infertility and endocrinology has resulted in more than 430 papers in national and international peer-reviewed journals and mroe than 155 chapters in learned texts. Professor de Kretser was the founding director of the Monash Institute of Reproduction and Development, now known as the Monash Institute of Medical Research, serving from 1991 to 2005.
He was a professor of anatomy in Monash University’s Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences from 1978 to 2005 and the faculty’s associate dean for biotechnology development from 2002 to 2006. In 2000, Professor de Kretser founded Andrology Australia, a successful educational program in male reproductive health. In 2003, he was named a Sir John Monash Distinguished Professor.
Made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2001, Professor de Kretser also received the Centenary Medal in 2003 and a Companion of the Order of Australia in 2006. On an international level, he won the US Endocrine Society’s Robert H Williams Distinguished Leadership Award in 2004 and the American Society of Andrology’s Distinguished Andrologist Award in 2003.
He assumed office as the 28th Governor of Victoria in April 2006, a position he held until April 2011.

Robert D. Langer, MD, MPH, is the Associate Dean for Clinical and Translational Research, a Professor of Family Medicine (Las Vegas) at the University of Nevada School of Medicine, and a Research Professor of Allied Health Sciences at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He is a family physician, a specialist in preventive medicine, and an epidemiologist with more than 25 years of experience in studies of cardiovascular disease, postmenopsausl hormone therapy, breast cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer, osteoporosis, cognitive function and dementia. An author of more than 180 manuscripts in the peer-reviewed literature, he has served as a principal investigator on more than 30 national and international clinical trials and observational studies. He was the Principal Investigator for the University of California Vanguard Clinical Center in the Women’s Health Initiative, served as Chairman of the National Investigators Committee early in the study, and then served as Chairman of the Observational Study Committee for the remainder of the primary study period. He is currently the Principal Investigator of a large 5 year grant from the U.S. National Institutes of Health focused on developing clinical and translational research capacity at 13 universities across 7 states in the Mountain West region of the United States.
Dr. Langer graduated from the University of Illinois School of Medicine in Chicago in 1978, and completed an internship in Family Medicine at Overlook Hospital, an affiliate of the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. After several years in private practice during which he developed one of the first commercially successful electronic health records, Dr. Langer completed a residency in Preventive Medicine at the University of California at San Diego in 1988, concurrently obtaining a Masters in Public Health in Epidemiology. Upon completion of those programs he joined the faculty of the University of California, San Diego Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, achieving the rank of Professor in 2000. From 2005 to 2008 he served as Director of the Outcomes Research Institute for the Geisinger Health System in central Penssylvania, following which he founded the Jackson Hole Center for Preventive Medicine in Jackson, Wyoming. He joined the University of Nevada School of Medicine as Associate Dean for Clinical and Translational Research in 2012, simultaneously accepting an appointment as Research Professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Dr. Langer is a Diplomate of the American Board of Preventive Medicine, and a Fellow of the American College of Preventive Medicine, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the American Heart Association Scientific Councils, as well as a member of the American Society for Preventive Cardiology.

Bruce Mann is professor of Surgery at the University of Melbourne and Director of The Breast Service at the Royal Melbourne and Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne. He is on the council of Breast SurgANZ, the Scientific Advisory Committee of the ANZ Breast Cancer Trials Group and is past president of the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia. He has been involved in many clinical trials and much clinical and translational research regarding breast cancer, with his main research interest being tailoring treatment to the disease and the patient.

Dr. Kate McIlwaine graduated from Monash University in 1999 with honours and subsequently undertook her Obstetrics & Gynaecology training through Monash Medical Centre and Box Hill Hospital. She was awarded the Gold Medal for Outstanding Achievement in the RANZCOG Clinical Membership Examination in 2005. Kate went on to complete an Advanced Laparoscopy Fellowship at the Mercy Hospital for Women in 2009. She now holds a public appointment as a Consultant Gynaecologist on the Endosurgery Unit at the Mercy Hospital for Women in Heidelberg. Kate is actively involved in clinical research and has presented papers both nationally and internationally. She is currently studying her Masters of Reproductive Medicine through the University of New South Wales.
Current Clinical Appointments: VMO Gynaecologist, Endosurgery Unit Mercy Hospital for Women; VMO Gynaecologist, Epworth Health; VMO Gynaecologist, St Vincent’s Private Hospital, Fitzroy; VMO Gynaecologist, Mitcham Private Hospital; VMO Gynaecologist, Geelong Private Hospital and Locum IVF Clinician, Monash IVF Geelong

Kathy McNamee is the Medical Director of Planning Victoria. She co-authors “Contraception: an Australian clinical practice handbook” and is an adjunct lecturer in the department of obstetrics and gynaecology at Monash University.

Prof. Ben Willem Mol is Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Adelaide, South Australia. He is focused on the organisation of multi-centric evaluative research in Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Fertility. The research is focused mainly upon everyday practices. As a Professor, Mol considers his most important task to be the stimulation and innovation of evaluative research in Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductive Medicine. His professional adage is ‘A day without randomisation is a day without progress.’Mol studied Medicine at the University of Amsterdam. From 1993 to 1997, he worked in the department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the AMC. In 1999 he obtained his doctorate with honours at the Faculty of Medicine of the UvA with his dissertation entitled Evaluating the effectiveness of diagnostic tests: tubal subfertility and ectopic pregnancy. Between 1997 and 2003 he was trained as a Gynaecologist at the Máxima Medical Centre (Máxima Medisch Centrum, MMC) in Veldhoven, the University Medical Centre (Universitair Medisch Centrum) in Utrecht and the Tweesteden Hospital (Tweestedenziekenhuis) in Tilburg. Since 2002, Mol has been a Senior Researcher in the department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the AMC. From 2003 to 2007, he worked as a Gynaecologist-Perinatologist at the MMC in Veldhoven. Mol is chairman of the Guideline Commission (commissie Richtlijnen) and member of the Scholarship Commission (commissie Wetenschap) of the Dutch Association for Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Nederlandse Vereniging voor Obstetrie en Gynaecologie, NVOG).As of 2014, Mol has been appointed as a professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Adelaide.
Mol has co-authored > 600 peer reviewed publications, of which some have been published in high-impact journals such as NEJM (3), Lancet (7), JAMA (2), PlosMedicine (1) and BMJ (9). His Hirsh index is 42.

Dr. Henry Murray
CMFM, FRANZCOG, MRCOG, DDU, MBChB, DM, B Med Sci.
Director of Obstetrics and Clinical Head Maternity and Gynaecology John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle Australia
Examiner RANZCOG MFM, MRANZCOG
Research interests – fetal ECG, Fetal heart rate control, fetal lactate, illicit drugs in pregnancy
Membership of FIGO CTG guideline committee, AOFOG MFM committee
Publications in Fetal ECG, Illicit drug use in pregnancy,
Prostaglandin use in pregnancy, The term breech, Hypertensive disease in pregnancy, Hep C in pregnancy, Sickle cell disease in pregnancy, PPH prophylaxis, Significance of meconium liquor at term

Prof. Ernest Ng is a Clinical Professor at Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, The University of Hong Kong. My main research interests are assisted reproduction technology, assessment of ovarian reserve, the use of three-dimensional ultrasound, acupuncture in reproduction medicine, stem cells and psychological care in assisted reproduction. I have published over 260 papers in refereed journals.I am a regular reviewer of journals including Lancet, Human Reproduction, Fertility & Sterility, Reproductive BioMedicine Online, Reproductive Biology & Endocrinology, European Journal of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductive Biology, Hong Kong Medical Journal and Journal of Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology. I serve as an editor of European Journal of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductive Biology, PLOS ONE, Journal of Ovarian Research and Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica.

Michael Permezel is a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Melbourne, based at the Mercy Hospital for Women. Research interests preterm birth, gestational diabetes mellitus and perinatal outcome at term. President of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists since 2012.

Associate Prof. Rebecca Robker is an NHMRC Career Development Fellow at the University of Adelaide. Rebecca was awarded her PhD from Baylor College of Medicine, Houston Texas; her thesis research identified multiple genes that are essential for ovarian function and female fertility. In 2003 Rebecca re-located to the University of Adelaide and is a Research Leader within The Robinson Research Institute. Her lab is currently focused on identifying essential molecular pathways in the ovary that regulate ovulation, and as well as determining the mechanisms by which maternal obesity impacts oocyte quality and transmission of metabolic disease to offspring.

Dr. Luk Rombauts was awarded a PhD in 1993 from the University of Leuven, Belgium, and completed his general O&G training in 1996. He relocated to Australia in 1999 and successfully completed his subspecialty training in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility in 2001. He was appointed as Monash IVF Research Director in 2001. He was the Clinical Director of Monash IVF between 2003-2008 and a Monash IVF Company Board Member between 2010-2012.
He is currently Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Monash University. He has published over 100 papers in peer-reviewed journals and his main research interests include endometriosis and embryo implantation. He is an associate editor for Human Reproduction.
Associate Prof Rombauts is Vice-President of the Fertility Society of Australia. He is a Board Member of the World Endometriosis Society and is the editor of the World Endometriosis Society’s electronic Journal. In 2011 he was appointed to the World Endometriosis Research Foundation Board of Trustees.

Dr. Fergus Scott is a graduate of Monash University and specialized in Obstetrics and Gynaecology (O&G). Subspecialisation was in Maternal Fetal Medicine and then in O&G Ultrasound. Fergus became a partner in Sydney Ultrasound for Women in 1996 and is a staff specialist at the Royal Hospital for Women and senior lecturer at the University of New South Wales. He is currently on the COGU subcommittee and is the chair of written examinations for the COGU subspecialty. Fergus is a past-president of the Australasian Society of Ultrasound in Medicine and was on the WFUMB council. Areas of interest include growth restriction, invasive and non-invasive prenatal testing, 3/4D imaging and first trimester screening for structural anomalies.

Prof. Andres Sheehan

EDUCATION
St Mary’s Hospital Medical School
1980-1985
MB BS

Royal College of Obstetrics & Gynaecology
2003
FRCOG

Imperial College
1997
MD

Current Positions, Committees membership/chair
Chair NIHR CCRN National specialty Group; Reproductive Health and Childbirth (2010 to July 2015)
Deputy Director R and D, GSTT (2011 to date)
Divisional and regional CRN Lead South London (2014 to date).
Chair and trustee to APEC (Action against pre-eclampsia) Charity.
Trustee and Director, Maternity Worldwide International Charity.
Member WHO: Preterm Birth Guideline Development Group 2014/15
Member Steering Group for NIHR Preterm Birth Priority Setting partnership: James Lind Alliance (2013/15)
Member of Advisory Board of DABLeducation (Blood Pressure Devices).
Member of BP advisory Board Medaval BP measurement assessment
Reviewer HTA commissioning workstream (NICE recommended topic: pre-eclampsia)
Advisor to CMO annual report (Prenatal screening) 2015.
Founder and member parkrun research board. 2013 to date.
PI CLAHRC Maternity theme, project 1: Risk stratification and continuity of care for women at risk of preterm birth
Representative on British Standards Institute (BSI) for BP monitoring
International Standardisation Organisation (ISO) BP monitoring committee.
Organiser of “Which” report on BP monitors, and ongoing advisor (2015)
TSC Chair for RESPITE, OBS2 and GOT IT.
TSC member for STAMP
Data monitoring Committee DMEC: INFANT and SALVO.
European, Australian and American fFN advisory board (2010-15)
External examiner (2014/15) Barcelona Univercity.
Honorary Member of the Obstetric Anaesthetic Association (2010)
Editor; Journal Obstetrics, Gynecology and Neonataology, Faculty of 1000 medicine
Member of GONET (Global Obstetric Network)

Dr. Penny Sheehan is a Royal Women’s Hospital Staff Obstetrician, head of both a general Maternity Unit and the Preterm Labour Clinic and Senior Clinical Research Fellow in the Pregnancy Research Centre. She undertakes both clinical and basic science research projects.

Sven Skouby,
Professor in Gynecological Endocrinology, University of Copenhagen and at the University of Southern Denmark
Director of the Endocrinological and Reproductive Unit
Dep. Ob/Gyn. Herlev Hospital, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen.
Postdoctoral residency in Diabetology, Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine.
Founding member of the European Society of Contraception and Reproductive Haealth (ESC) in 1988
President 2000-2004
President of the Scandinavian Menopause Society 1990-2002
President of the European Menopause and Andropause Society (EMAS).1994-2000
Board member of the International Menopause Society (IMS). 2004-2010
During the last 20 years organizer and chairman for a number of national and international congresses, workshops and consensus meetings on reproductive health care in general and sex steroid and metabolism in particular. President of the First Global Congress of the ESC. Former member of the European Committee for Proprietary Medicinal Products (CPMP) expert advice group on Health Concerns in Relation to Sex Steroids.
Member of FIGO Expert Advisory Panel on Contraception and Menopause. Former Chairman of the gynecological guidelines Committee of the Danish Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Coordinating Professor at the Institute Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Mediacal Science, University of Copenhagen
Official examiner or supervisor for more than 30 Ph. d theses and from numerous bachelor projects
On a continuous basis reviewer on a series of European and International Journals
Special research interests:
Gynecological endocrinology and reproductive medicine. Especially translational medicine in relation to the molecular impact of sex steroids on metabolism and vascular function based upon clinical and experimental studies. Appr. 150 articles in peer reviewed journals and more than 575 lectures during international scientific meetings.

Associate Prof. Kate Stern is the Head of the Endocrine and Metabolic Service at the Royal Women’s Hospital, Melbourne and Head of Clinical Research at Melbourne IVF. She is a fertility specialist, gynaecologist and reproductive endocrinologist.
Kate established and coordinates the Fertility Preservation Service at MIVF and RWH. She set up the Fertility Society of Australia Special Interest Group for medical fertility preservation and also led the COSA group which created the web-based National Fertility Preservation Guidance which gives health providers and patients access to information and resources regarding fertility preservation.

Dr. Mark Teoh is a subspecialist in Obstetric and Gynaecological Ultrasound.
He currently holds an appointment as consultant to the Fetal Diagnostic Unit at Southern Health Monash Medical Centre and he has a special interest in Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy and management of complicated multiple pregancies.
Dr Teoh is a founding member of the Victorian Fetal Therapy Service where he is actively involved in fetal interventions and managing high-­‐risk pregnancies.
He is also involved in an ongoing research project in animal models of invasive fetal therapies.

Prof. Julia Unterscheider
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION
1995 – 2002
Doctor medicinae universae (MD) Medizinische Fakultät, Karl-Franzens Universität Graz, Austria
Honours obtained in Medicine, Surgery, Paediatrics, Obstetrics &
Gynaecology, Neurology, Psychiatry, ENT, Ophthalmology,
Public Health, Pathology, Pharmacology, Microbiology,
Psychology, Histology & Embryology, Physiology, ChemistryPOSTGRADUATE QUALIFICATIONS
January 2016
Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists (FRANZCOG), deemed substantially comparable, 6 months oversight completed November 2015, awaiting board review and admission (anticipated in January 2016)

17 November 2014 Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) Thesis title: ‘Intrauterine Fetal Growth Restriction – New Insights into Prenatal Detection, Definition, Surveillance and Delivery’ (Viva voce passed with minor corrections on 3 July 2014)

CURRENT APPOINTMENT

August 2014
Fellow in Maternal Fetal Medicine, Royal Women’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia

Having completed specialist training in Ireland and my PhD thesis entitled ‘Intrauterine Fetal Growth Restriction – New Insights into Prenatal Detection, Definition, Surveillance and Delivery’ in July 2014, I am currently employed as Fellow in Maternal Fetal Medicine at the Royal Women’s Hospital Melbourne. Emphasis of my clinical commitment is on obstetrical and gynecological ultrasound, fetal medicine and prenatal diagnosis, high risk antenatal care and labor ward. Academically, I am involved in teaching medical students, medical and midwifery staff. I am the study site principal investigator for the multicenter STRIDER trial investigating the role of sildenafil treatment in early and severe fetal growth restriction. I have enrolled in formal ultrasound training with the Australasian Society for Ultrasound in Medicine (ASUM) in August 2014. In May 2015, my specialist training in Obstetrics and Gynecology was assessed by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists which deemed my training substantially comparable giving me a 6 months period of oversight which will be completed in November 2015. I will commence a full time staff specialist appointment in February 2016 at the Royal Women’s Hospital, Melbourne.

Associate Prof. Beverley Vollenhoven is a Reproductive Endocrinologist and Infertility specialist. She is Head of Gynaecology at Monash Health, Deputy Head of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Monash University and a clinician at Monash IVF.
She has a sub-specialty qualification in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (CREI) with her areas of clinical interest being infertility, polycystic ovarian syndrome, eating disorders, paediatric and adolescent gynaecology and menopause. She also has a clinical and research interest in the cause and treatment of uterine fibroids (leiomyomas).
Associate Professor Vollenhoven’s other research interests are infertility, particularly IVF, ovulation and ovulation disorders such as PCOS, Turner’s Syndrome and menopause.
She has more than 100 publications in both journals and books. She is the Head of the Contraceptive Counselling Clinic at Monash Health and has an appointment as a Reproductive Endocrinologist at the Menopause Clinics at the Monash Medical Centre. She has previously been a Chairperson of the Victorian Regional Committee of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and is a member of the Examinations Committee.
She is currently an examiner for both the specialist and sub specialist exams. She is a senior examiner for the Australian Medical Council. She is on the Advisory Committee for Prescription Medicines (a subcommittee of the Therapeutic Goods Administration) and is a member of 11 national and international societies.

Ms Melanie Walls is a senior clinical and research embryologist at the Fertility Specialists of Western Australia, co-ordinating the laboratory aspects of their in vitro maturation (IVM) programme. After completing her undergraduate degree, she began her Doctorate with the University of Western Australia’s School of Women’s and Infants Health. Her research interests and publications include oocyte maturation, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), fertility preservation and time-lapse incubation (embryo morphokinetics). Her primary research area focuses on IVM, including how oocyte and embryo development differ between IVM and traditional in vitro fertilisation, particularly in women diagnosed with PCOS. She is a communication committee member of the NHMRC centre for Research Excellence in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and was a finalist in the 2015 Western Australian Premier’s Science Awards. Her research and commitment to IVM treatment now extends to the field of fertility preservation, particularly in cases of a cancer diagnosis in young patients. Melanie is passionate about bringing awareness to PCOS and teaching new scientists and clinicians in the ART field, about IVM treatment.