Overview

Prof. Nikos Vrachnis is an Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Athens Medical School, Attiko University Hospital in Athens, and Chair of the ISUOG Validation Task Force. Currently, he serves as President of the Hellenic Authority for Medically Assisted Reproduction. He is also a Visiting Reader in Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine at St George’s University Hospital, NHS Foundation Trust, London.
 

Nikos has written or edited 15 books, has more than 150 scientific publications and has been awarded four times for his research work.  He has a special interest in medical education, simulation and training, preterm labour, Down’s syndrome, fetal anomalies and 3D/4D ultrasound. Has run more than 100 practical courses in Greece and Cyprus, including Obstetric and Gynecologic Ultrasound courses, as well as courses in Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Presently serves as President of the Hellenic Society of Obstetric and Gynecologic Emergency.

Within the ISUOG he is a member of the Educational Committee, of the Basic Training Task Force and of the Patient Leaflets task force.

Notable publications
Soluble Fas and Fas-ligand levels in mid-trimester amniotic fluid and their associations with severe small for gestational age fetuses: a prospective observational study.
Vrachnis N, Dalainas I, Papoutsis D, Samoli E, Rizos D, Iliodromiti Z, Siristatidis C, Tsikouras P, Creatsas G, Botsis D. J Reprod Immunol. 2013 Jun;98(1-2):39-44

The fetus that is small for gestational age.
Vrachnis N, Botsis D, Iliodromiti Z. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2006 Dec;1092:304-9

Elevated mid-trimester amniotic fluid ADAM-8 concentrations as a potential risk factor for preterm delivery.
Vrachnis N, Malamitsi-Puchner A, Samoli E, Botsis D, Iliodromiti Z, Baka S, Hassiakos D, Creatsas G. J Soc Gynecol Investig. 2006 Apr;13(3):186-90.

Resistin in mid-trimester amniotic fluid in trisomy 21.
Vrachnis N, Gkogkas L, Iliodromiti S, Grigoriadis C, Samoli E, Iliodromiti Z, Pangalos C, Pappa KI, Drakoulis N, Creatsas G, Botsis D. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2013 Nov;26(16):1576-80

Three-dimensional ultrasound and three-dimensional power Doppler improve the preoperative evaluation of complex benign ovarian lesions.
Vrachnis N, Sifakis S, Samoli E, Kappou D, Pavlakis K, Iliodromiti Z, Botsis D. Clin Exp Obstet Gynecol. 2012;39(4):474-8.

Hospital visiting in obstetrics and gynecology: a tool for the advancement of training.
Creatsas G, Vrachnis N. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2006 Dec;95(3):298-301

Placental growth factor (PlGF): a key to optimizing fetal growth.
Vrachnis N, Kalampokas E, Sifakis S, Vitoratos N, Kalampokas T, Botsis D, Iliodromiti Z. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2013 Jul;26(10):995-1002.

Doppler assessment of the intrauterine growth-restricted fetus.
Botsis D, Vrachnis N, Christodoulakos G. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2006 Dec;1092:297-303

Country: Greece

Field: Obstetrics, Gynecology, Fetal-Maternal Medicine

Specialties: Preterm labour, Down’s syndrome, fetal anomalies, and 3D/4D ultrasound

Languages: Greek, English

Dr Nikolaos Antonakopoulos graduated from the Athens University Medical School and received the Greek GMC Licence. He currently works as an Academic Fellow in the University of Athens and privately as Obstetrician and Gynecologist in Athens. He also teaches in the Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics (ALSO) Greek Course, the Advanced Life Support in Gynecology (ALSG) Course, the ISUOG BT Greek Course, the RCOG BPS Greek Course and in two MSc programs of Athens University Medical School, “Research in Female Reproduction” and “High Risk Pregnancy”.

He has many publications in peer-reviewed journals and works as a reviewer of international journals, collaborating with ISUOG for VISUOG chapters and presenting at national and international meetings. He has completed Ob/Gyn basic training in 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of University of Athens and was awarded the Ob/Gyn Specialization Title in 2014.

He trained in Gynecologic and Obstetric Ultrasound at the Evgenideio Hospital of the University of Athens (Chair: Professor Nikolaos Vrachnis), and specialized in Fetal Medicine at FMU St George’s University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London (Chair: Professor Basky Thilaganathan). He has received two MSc titles in “High Risk Pregnancy” (2013) and in “Reproductive Medicine” (2014) and a PhD (2019) from Athens University Medical School.

Co-Founder of CéBB (Centre d’échographie Boulogne-Billancourt) and Centre SFFERe (Spécialiste Fœtus, Femme Enceinte et Reproduction). Part timer in the Fetal surgery center, Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital, Paris, France.

Dr Gihad E. Chalouhi  MD, PhD is an Obstetrics and Gynecology specialist. He worked for 8 years with Prof. Yves Ville Y and Prof. Laurent Salomon in Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital, Paris and is subspecialized in in prenatal diagnosis, fetal medicine, fetoscopy and fetal surgery with more than 300 performed fetoscopies. He is specialized in fetal imaging and obtained his PhD in fetal functional MRI in Paris Descartes University and INSERM unit U970. He is a member of the CNGOF (French National College of obstetrics and Gynecology), the LSOG (Lebanese Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology) and the CFEF (French College of Fetal Ultrasound).

He is a pioneer in the implementation of simulation in obstetrical and gynecological ultrasound education, and remains actively involved in this integration. He is an active member of ISUOG's Basic Training Task Force, and leader of the Simulation Work Group. For the last five years he has worked as part of ISUOG's Clinical Standards Committee for the establishment of ISUOG’s Guidelines.

He is the co-founder and President of SimECHOle, the school for ultrasound training and education using simulators in Paris, France.

Notable Publications: Dr Chalouhi has co-authored more than 70 scientific publications in internationally renowned journals and more then 10 chapters.

Use of simulators for the assessment of trainees' competence: trendy toys or valuable instruments?
Tolsgaard MG, Chalouhi GE. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2018  Apr 17. doi: 10.1002/uog.19071. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 29667240.

"Fake it until they make it": Practical obstetrical and gynecological ultrasound education nowadays in France.
Chalouhi GE, Gueneuc A, Levaillant JM, Ville Y. Gynecol Obstet Fertil Senol. 2017 Nov;45(11):579-581. doi: 10.1016/j.gofs.2017.09.008. Epub 2017 Nov 3. French. PubMed PMID: 29108903.

Evaluation of trainees' ability to perform obstetrical ultrasound using simulation: challenges and opportunities.
Chalouhi GE, Bernardi V, Gueneuc A, Houssin I, Stirnemann JJ, Ville Y. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2016 Apr;214(4):525.e1-525.e8. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2015.10.932. Epub 2015 Nov 10. PubMed PMID: 26546849.

Ultrasound simulators in obstetrics and gynecology: state of the art.
Chalouhi GE, Bernardi V, Ville Y. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2015 Sep;46(3):255-63. doi: 10.1002/uog.14707. PubMed PMID: 25346451.

Country: Lebanon and France

Field: Obstetrics/Gynecology/Fetal medicine and surgery

Specialties: Fetal anomaly screening 1st trimester and 2nd trimester; fetal biometry and wellbeing; fetal anomalies screening; aneuploidy screening; fetal anomalies; fetal heart; fetal growth restriction; maternal and fetal Doppler; fetal interventional procedure; multiple pregnancy; early pregnancy; fetal growth; education in Ob-Gyn ultrasound; fetal MRI and functional MRI; fetal surgery.

Languages: French; English; Arabic

Prof. Mohamed Kamal Etman trained in obstetrics and gynecology at Ain Shams University, and subspecialized in fetal medicine. At present, Prof Kamal is consultant in fetal medicine and high risk obstetric care. Currently, he is an Associate Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Fetal Medicine at Faculty of Medicine, Fayoum University. Previously he was a consultant In Maternal Fetal Medicine Unit at Ain Shams University Hospital, where he is committed to the implementation of clinical guidelines in the unit's practice. He is also a Founder and Chair of  of Egyptian Fetal Medicine Foundation. Prof Kamal obtained his medical degree and underwent his residency training at Ain Shams University. He is a visiting Fellow in Obstetrics and Gynecology Ultrasound and Fetal Echo in Radiology Department at Sidney Kimmel Hospital, Thomas Jefferson University, PA, USA. He has run the ISUOG endorsed Fetal Medicine and OBGYN Ultrasound workshops since 2017 and trained hundreds of healthcare practitioners in Egypt and MENA region. Through his ISUOG membership, he has delivered several ISUOG approved courses attracting hundreds of doctors in MENA region to be ISUOG members. He has been an organiser and Chair of ISUOG's 16th International Symposium in Cairo, Egypt.

Notable Publications:

Endometrial Evaluation by Transvaginal Ultrasonography Saline Infusion Sonohysterography, Hysteroscopy versus Endometrial Office Biopsy in Perimenopausal Bleeding: A Comparative Study. Mohamed Kamal, Almandouh H. Bosilah, OJOG. Vol.10 No. 8. August 24, 2020.

Five-dimensional long bones biometry for estimation of femur length and fetal weight at term compared to two-dimensional ultrasound: a pilot study. Laban M, Alanwar AA, Etman MK, Elsokkary MS, Elkotb AM, Hasanien AS, Khalaf Allah AE, Noah NMJ, Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2017 Jul 27:1-7

Endometrial Volume Measured by VOCAL Compared to Office Hysteroscopy for Diagnosis of Endometrial Polyps in Premenopausal Women with Abnormal Uterine Bleeding. Mohamed Laban, Sherif H. Hussain, Alaa S. Hassanin, Waleed M. Khalaf, Mohamed K. Etman, Mohammed S. E. Elsafty, Ahmed M. Bahaa Eldin, Ahmad S. Hasanien, Noha A. Sakna, Mohammed Taema, Mohammed H. Mostafa, and Marwa M. Eisa, Obstetrics and Gynecology International, Volume 2016 (2016), Article ID 3561324

Country: Egypt

Field: Obstetrics, Gynecology, Fetal Medicine

Specialties: Fetal anomaly screening first and second trimester, fetal biometry and wellbeing, fetal anomalies screening, aneuploidy screening, fetal anomalies, fetal heart, fetal growth restriction, maternal and fetal doppler, multiple pregnancy, 3D/4D ultrasound, gynecological ultrasound, early pregnancy, preterm delivery; fetal growth; detection of fetal and neonatal growth abnormalities

Languages: Arabic, English

Maya Al-Memar is a Consultant Gynaecologist at Imperial College NHS Healthcare Trust, with specialist clinical interests in complex benign gynaecology, acute diagnostic services including early pregnancy and acute gynaecology, rapid access for suspected gynaecological cancer, and paediatric & adolescent gynaecology. She completed her training in Obstetrics and Gynaecology in North-West London including specialty training at Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital, and St Mary’s Hospital. Having worked in the largest gynaecology & reproductive medicine service in London at Imperial, she has experience in managing complex patients. Her focus is to provide the best possible care for women using high quality diagnostics ultrasound skills to streamline care. She graduated from Imperial College School of Medicine with first class honours in 2007, where she also completed her PhD and is now an honorary clinical lecturer. She is widely published in peer-reviewed journals. She currently has on-going research projects in the fields of early pregnancy, miscarriage, ovarian cysts and use of ultrasound to improve diagnosis of ovarian masses.

Country: UK

Field: Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Specialties: Early pregnancy and gynaecology imaging, adnexal masses, paediatric and adolescent gynaecology

Languages: English, Arabic

Dr. Sabr (MD, MHSC, MMEd) completed his Fellowship training in Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Fetal Echocardiography at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.

He is a perinatal epidemiologist with a Master’s degree in Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Editor in Chief, Saudi Journal of Women’s Health. He has been published in several peer-review journals related to Maternal and Fetal Medicine.

Dr. Sabr has participated in many local and international conferences as invited speaker. He regularly directs ISUOG Approved Basic and Advanced ultrasound workshops in Saudi Arabia. He has a passion for training and simulation in Ultrasound use in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Notable roles: Professor and Consultant in Maternal-Fetal Medicine at the King Saud University. Associate member of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of British Columbia. Chair on the Scientific Board for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Fellowship, the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties. Director at the Ian Donald School of Ultrasound. Associate Director in the Research and Skill Enhancement Unit, Postgraduate Medical Education Centre, King Saud University.

Dr Savvas Argyridis is a Consultant Obstetrician Gynaecologist at the Archbishop Makarios III Hospital in Nicosia Cyprus, and Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Nicosia Medical School. He specialized in Obstetrics and Gynaecology ultrasound with a special research interest in intrauterine growth restriction diagnosis, PCOS, endometriosis and gynaecological oncology disease staging ultrasound. He has organized several national courses on sonographic diagnosis of the above conditions and participated in several national and international congresses on the same topics.

Prof. Boris Tutschek is an ISUOG Board Member, a fetal medicine and gynecology ultrasound specialist in Zürich, Switzerland, as well as a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Düsseldorf University in Germany. His expertise includes fetal maternal medicine, fetal cardiology, teaching and training obstetrics and gynecology as well as new technologies. He is an active member of several ISUOG Working Groups. 

Country: Switzerland

Field: Gynecology/Obstetrics

Specialties: Fetal anomaly screening T1 and T2; fetal anomalies; fetal heart; fetal brain; maternal and fetal Doppler; ultrasound on the labour ward; 3D & 4D ultrasound; gynecological ultrasound

Languages: English; German