The Ian Donald Gold Medal is awarded once a year to an individual who has made a significant scientific contribution to the advancement of diagnostic ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology and who has changed the way ultrasound is practiced through research or innovation.
ISUOG World Congress Chair 2019
Prof. Dr. med. Kurt Hecher is a highly experienced doctor specializing in obstetrics and gynecology. With over 43 years of experience and an impressive number of 263 scientific publications, he is recognized as a leading expert in his field. He works at the Department of Obstetrics and Prenatal Medicine at the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf in Germany.
Dr. Hecher's career highlights include obtaining a doctorate in medicine from the University of Graz, specializing in obstetrics and gynecology, and receiving additional specialization in perinatal medicine from the General Medical Council in Germany. He has also held various consultant positions and professor positions in prestigious institutions, such as the Harris Birthright Research Centre for Fetal Medicine at King's College in London and the Barmbek Hospital of Hamburg.
Dr. Hecher's research focus includes fetal growth restriction, perinatal medicine, and the effects of prenatal maternal anxiety. His extensive knowledge and expertise make him a valuable asset in providing high-quality care to his patients. His dedication to advancing the field of obstetrics and gynecology is evident through his numerous awards and his role as the president of the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Overall, Prof. Dr. med. Kurt Hecher's vast experience, specialization in obstetrics and gynecology, and dedication to research make him an exceptional doctor. His work at the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf ensures that patients receive the highest level of care and expertise available.
Ian Donald Gold Medal Sub-Committee Chair
Ahmet Baschat MB BCh, FACOG, is director of the Center for Fetal Therapy and professor in the Johns Hopkins Medicine Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Dr. Baschat received his undergraduate and medical degrees from The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. He earned his doctorate in medicine from the University of Lübeck, where he also completed a residency in obstetrics and gynecology. After completing additional residencies at Newton-Wellesley Hospital and at University of Maryland Medical Center, and a fellowship in maternal-fetal medicine at UMMC, he went on to develop its Center for Advanced Fetal Care, and was professor and director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and the Section of Fetal Therapy at the University of Maryland, before joining Johns Hopkins in 2014. His areas of clinical expertise include prenatal diagnosis and therapy of a wide range of fetal conditions, including twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) including TAPS, SIUGR and TRAP, as well as other complications of monochorionic twin pregnancies.
Eduard Gratacós is the director of BCNatal (Clínic and Sant Joan de Déu Hospitals in Barcelona), professor at the University of Barcelona, and the Head of research groups in Fetal Medicine at FRCB-IDIBAPS and CIBERER. He was previously the Head of Maternal-Fetal Medicine Department (Hospital Clínic 2005-12) and the Head of Fetal Medicine Units (Hospital Vall d'Hebron in Barcelona 2001-05). As a researcher (Google Scholar h-index 96), he has published +600 articles in scientific journals with +31,500 citations. He has been the PI of +60 national and international projects, with funding of 30M € over 15 years. Dr. Gratacós has supervised +40 doctoral thesis and has trained +400 doctors.
Professor Davor Jurkovic is a professor of gynaecology and director of the gynaecology diagnostic and outpatient treatment unit at University College Hospital, London. He is an internationally recognised expert in gynaecological and early pregnancy ultrasound. He has published extensively on these topics and has edited five books. He has helped to develop and run the RCOG training programmes in gynaecological ultrasound, acute gynaecology and early pregnancy. He is also a founding member of the educational charity Focus on Gynaecology. In 2020 he was awarded Ian Donald Gold Medal by the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology for his contribution to the advancement of diagnostic ultrasound through research and innovation.
Country: UK
Specialties: Gynaecology and Gynaecology diagnostic and treatment unit and Early pregnancy unit
Languages: English; Croatian
Major research interest: Obstetric and Gynecologic Ultrasound
More than 250 scientific publications
Invited speaker at more than 100 scientific meetings since 2005
Teacher at more than 100 national and international courses
Course organizer of more than 40 postgraduate courses in ultrasound
Editor of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology 2005 – 2011
Honorary officer of numerous scientific associations and committees
One of the founders of the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) and International
Endometrial Tumor Analysis (IETA) collaborations
Fellow ad eundum of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (UK)
Honorary Fellow of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) 2022
Received the Ian Donald Gold Medal 2019. The Ian Donald Gold Medal is awarded once a year to an individual who has made outstanding scientific contribution to the advancement of diagnostic ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology and who has changed the way ultrasound is practiced through research or innovation.
Dr Romero is the Chief of the Perinatology Research Branch of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, housed in the State of Michigan. After receiving his undergraduate degree, he obtained his Doctor of Medicine degree (magna cum laude) from the University del Zulia in Maracaibo, Venezuela, and completed his residency in obstetrics and gynecology and fellowship in maternal-fetal medicine at Yale University. He then joined the faculty at Yale University, becoming associate professor in only 4 years. In 1992, he was appointed Chief of the Perinatology Research Branch at the National Institutes of Health.
Dr Romero is extraordinarily well known both in the United States and internationally for his work on prenatal diagnosis of congenital anomalies, as well as his revolutionary work on infection and prematurity. He has published several books, including the outstanding and acclaimed Prenatal Diagnosis of Congenital Anomalies. He has published more than 300 original articles, the majority having brought our scientific community a long way forward in understanding the mechanisms by which infection leads to premature labor and delivery. Recently, he pioneered the concept of the “fetal inflammatory response syndrome,” suggesting that fetal inflammation is linked to the onset of premature labor and that the multisystemic involvement in this condition can lead to fetal injury such as brain damage, which predisposes to the subsequent development of cerebral palsy. Many of Dr Romero's papers have been published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Furthermore, he has served for many years as a reviewer for our Journal and is among the most frequently suggested reviewers by authors submitting new manuscripts to us.
For his accomplishments and contributions, Dr Romero has received many awards, including the President's Achievement Award from the Society for Gynecologic Investigation and Research Excellence Awards from the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine. He has been invited as visiting professor at prestigious universities worldwide and has, for many years, shared with visiting research fellows from around the world his knowledge and thirst for understanding through basic and clinical research.
