Education Committee

Prof. Angela Ranzini is a Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at The MetroHealth System in Cleveland, Ohio, USA and full professor of Reproductive Biology at Case Western Reserve University. Her special interests include anomaly identification, prediction of prematurity, Twins, Teaching processes and Quality control. Angela completed her MD at Medical College of Virginia (VCU), her Ob/Gyn residency at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, NY and her Fellowship in Maternal Fetal Medicine at Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA. 

Angela is the Director of the Fetal Diagnostic Center at the MetroHealth System and the  Program Director for the Maternal Fetal Medicine Fellowship at the MetroHealth/Case Western Reserve University joint fellowship with University Hospitals. She is a Fellow member of AIUM and is a  reviewer for Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine. She is currently the Chair of the Education Committee, the Project Lead for the Rwanda Outreach program and serves as the VISUOG Abdomen section editor. She has been involved in many Committees and Task Forces of ISUOG.

Country: USA

Field: Obstetrics; Imaging; Fetal Medicine

Specialties: Fetal anomaly screening; fetal biometry and wellbeing; aneuploidies; fetal anomalies; fetal growth restriction; maternal and fetal Doppler; multiple pregnancy

Languages: English

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

Dr Alain Gagnon is a Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UBC. He practices maternal-fetal medicine and is currently a Senior Medical Director for the Ambulatory Programs at BC Women's. He performed the first laser surgery for TTTS in Canada.

Notable Publications:

Audibert F, Gagnon A + SOGC Genetics Committee. “Prenatal Screening for and Diagnosis of Aneuploidy in Twin Pregnancies.” J Obstet Gynaecol Can 2011;33(7):754-767.

Gagnon A and the SOGC Genetics Committee.  “Evaluation of Prenatally Diagnosed Structural Congenital Anomalies”.  J Obstet Gynaecol Can 2009;31(9):875-881.

Country: Canada

Field: Obstetrics

Specialties: Fetal anomaly screening T2; fetal biometry and wellbeing; aneuploidies; fetal anomalies; fetal interventional procedures; multiple pregnancy; genetics

Languages: French; English

A/Professor Meagher is an obstetrician gynaecologist at the Mercy Hospital for Women, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology University of Melbourne.  He commenced his ultrasound training in 1991 and has been in full time ultrasound practice after obtaining  RANZCOG subspecialty certification in obstetric and gynaecological ultrasound (COGU) in 1995. He also serves as Medical Director of  Monash IVF / Monash Ultrasound for Women where he oversees a team of 50 sonologists, sonographers, genetic counsellors, phlebotomists, and administrative staff delivering a tertiary level ultrasound service across south east Melbourne. 

ISUOG appointments:
◦ ISUOG Ambassador to Asia and Pacific region
◦ ISUOG International faculty of speakers 
◦ ISUOG Joint Head of Courses committee
◦ ISUOG Online education committee
◦ ISUOG VISUOG committee 

A/Prof Meagher immersed himself in education over the years and has delivered over 700 lectures, across 20 countries, and 46 cities worldwide.  In 2015 he was awarded ‘Sonologist of the year’ by the Australian Society of Ultrasound in Medicine (ASUM)  in recognition of his commitment to  teaching  both locally and across the Asia pacific region

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