NGen Committee

Dr Srdjan Saso is a Gynaecological (Cancer) Surgeon at Imperial College NHS Trust and an Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Imperial College London. Dr Saso is a great believer in translational clinical and academic work and projects that have the potential for ‘cross-fertilisation’ between medical and non-medical specialties. His main academic and clinical interest lies in gynaecological surgery (cancer and non-cancer) and the diagnostic application of ultrasound, with a particular focus on fertility-sparing surgery and oncofertility in general. Hence, the management of gynaecological issues in women who have not started or completed their families.

His other main research themes focus on the growing influence of Artificial Intelligence (and technology in general) in gynaecology. He is currently a PI on a machine learning and ovarian cancer diagnosis project. In addition, he is co-Principal Investigator on a point-of-care ovarian cancer diagnostic tool project and a co-Investigator on a project developing biomaterials strategies for preventing endometrial fibrosis and promoting endometrial regeneration.

Country: United Kingdom

Field: Gynaecological Surgery and Oncology, Ultrasound Diagnostics

Specialties: Gynaecological Surgery, Gynaecological Cancers, Oncofertility, Fertility-sparing Surgery, IOTA, Ultrasound Diagnostics

Languages: English, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, Bulgarian, French

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. Tejal Amin is a Consultant Gynaecologist at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London, UK. Her main specialist interests include early pregnancy and gynaecological ultrasound (benign and malignant conditions), emergency/ambulatory gynaecology and complex benign gynaecological surgery. Dr. Amin completed a 3-year clinical research fellowship in advanced gynaecological ultrasound with Prof. Davor Jurkovic, and was awarded an MD (Res). Her thesis was entitled “Ultrasound studies of the uterine venous circulation” and reported unique findings such as pelvic vein thrombosis and establishing diagnostic criteria for pelvic venous diameters. She has been involved in novel research in the areas of intrauterine adhesions, ectopic pregnancy and endometrial cancer.

Dr. Amin is a passionate advocate for the importance of high-quality ultrasound in early pregnancy/ gynaecological care and improving access to “hands-on” ultrasound training. She regularly lectures on the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists ultrasound courses as well as organising in-house training at her base hospital. Dr. Amin continues to be actively involved in clinical research and is currently co-Principal Investigator on a project investigating intra-uterine factors for recurrent miscarriage.

Country: United Kingdom

Field: Gynaecological ultrasound, early pregnancy, gynaecological surgery, ultrasound education

Specialties: Early pregnancy imaging and management; Gynaecological imaging; 3D imaging; Intra-operative use of ultrasound; Ambulatory gynaecology; Minimally invasive gynaecology

Languages: English

Dr Mohammed Ezzet Charfi, Surgical Oncologist Joliot Curie Institute, Dakar, Senegal. He carried out his medical studies at the Faculty of Medicine of Sfax, Tunisia, 2013. In 2014, he travelled to Senegal to specialize in oncological surgery at the Faculty of Medicine of Dakar and train under Professor Dem, completing his specialization in 2019. He currently works as a senior Surgeon the Joliot Curie Institute in Dakar and helps to provide training for surgical oncology students on the Senegal Oncology programme. He is the coordinator for scientific studies in the Joliot Curie Institute. He main clinical and academic interests are in gynecological and breast oncology, as well as the application of new technologies to improve the care of cancer patients in Africa.

Dr Daniele Di Mascio is currently Research Fellow (RTD-B) and consultant at the Department of Maternal and Child Health and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy. His clinical and research interests are focused on Maternal-Fetal Medicine and particularly on fetal brain, fetal growth restriction and twin pregnancies. In 2019 he worked as a Research Fellow at the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine of the Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia (USA) supervised by Dr Vincenzo Berghella. During the ISUOG World Congress 2019, he received the Young Investigator Award - Obstetrics for a multicenter study on the role of prenatal MRI in fetuses with isolated ventriculomegaly at neurosonography and in ISUOG World Congress 2022 he gave the Stuart Campbell Lecture on COVID-19 and pregnancy outcomes. He is currently member of the ISUOG Next Generation Committee and Accreditation & Certification Sub-Committee.

Country: Italy

Field: Obstetrics; Maternal-Fetal Medicine; Prenatal Imaging

Specialties: fetal brain; fetal growth restriction; multiple pregnancy

Languages: English; Spanish; Italian

Dr Federica Fontanella is a trainee and postdoctoral researcher at the University Medical Center of Groningen in the Netherlands. She graduated with the highest honors, cum laude, from La Sapienza University in Rome. In 2015, she moved to the Netherlands to conduct a multicenter research project centered on the antenatal management of Lower Urinary tract Obstructions, which ultimately led to the completion of her PhD thesis. Her primary academic focus lies in fetal medicine, with a particular interest in fetal therapy and the integration of artificial intelligence into the field of ultrasound. Federica has published in high-ranking peer-reviewed journals and has contributed as an author to various international books.

Currently, she is the principal investigator of diverse ongoing research projects centered on fetal urinary tract anomalies and the use of artificial intelligence for the clinical assessment of ultrasound images. Her overarching objective is to ensure the highest level of care to women and fully explore the diagnostic potential offered by ultrasound imaging. 

Country: Netherlands

Field: Obstetrics; Ultrasound; Fetal Medicine

Specialties: Fetal anomalies; fetal genitourinary tract; fetal interventions; fetal imaging

Languages: English, Dutch, Italian

Dr. Mathew Leonardi is an advanced gynecologic surgeon and sonologist in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Hamilton Health Sciences and assistant professor at McMaster University. His special interests are imaging technologies including transvaginal ultrasound, endometriosis, advanced gynecologic surgery, innovation in diagnosis, and research. Mathew is completing a PhD in Medicine (University of Sydney, Australia), focusing on the utility of ultrasound in the diagnosis and management of endometriosis. He completed his MD and residency at the University of Toronto and fellowship at the University of Sydney.

Mathew is an early career researcher, co-supervisor of a fellowship in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery, and appointee in the Medical Sciences department at McMaster University. He is on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology and an Associate Editor for Reproduction & Fertility. He is involved in with the VISUOG Gynecology endeavour. Mathew is committee member of EndoAct Canada and contributing the latest clinical practice guidelines on endometriosis in Canada. He is leading a research program locally and contributing to international research studies.

Country: Canada

Field: Gynecology; Imaging; Surgery

Specialties: Endometriosis; adenomyosis; intracavitary pathology; ovarian masses; intra-abdominal adhesions; advanced gynecologic surgery; transvaginal ultrasound; transrectal ultrasound

Languages: English

Dr. Long Nguyen-Hoang is a well-trained Vietnamese maternal-fetal specialist. He completed a comprehensive three-year Fetal Medicine training program at the Harris Birthright Research Centre, King's College Hospital, the United Kingdom. Under the guidance of Professor Kypros Nicolaides, he gained extensive expertise in fetal medicine and received a Diploma in Fetal Medicine from the Fetal Medicine Foundation. Currently, Dr. Long is completing a PhD in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR. His research focuses on the prediction and prevention of preeclampsia, under the supervision of Professor Liona Poon. His research aims to improve the understanding of preeclampsia and develop strategies for its early identification and management. Dr. Long's experience extends beyond clinical research. He has been involved in managing multi-center studies and clinical trials in collaboration with institutions across Asia and internationally. Furthermore, he has collaborated with the International Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology (FIGO) to establish a FIGO best practice advice on the impact of complicated pregnancies on long-term cardiovascular health. He has also developed an innovative FIGO Pregnancy Passport. Dr. Long has also taken an active role in organizing regional and national conferences in the field of maternal-fetal medicine and ultrasound in OBGYN. Additionally, he was an organizing member of the first ISUOG-approved course in Vietnam. Dr. Long and his team have made commendable efforts to deliver valuable resources from ISUOG to Vietnamese society.

Country: Vietnam

Field: Obstetrics, Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Ultrasound

Specialties: Early screening and intervention for pregnancy complications, aneuploidy screening, Cell-free DNA screening, Fetal ultrasound.

Languages: Vietnamese, English

Dr. Raigam J. Martinez-Portilla is a Full Researcher in the Department of Clinical Research of the National Institute of Perinatology of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. His special interests are clinical research regarding preeclampsia, fetal growth restriction, fetal surgery, evidence-based medicine, and prediction models. Raigam completed his Fetal Medicine training at the University of Barcelona under the supervision of Francesc Figueras, and his MSc in Evidence-Based Healthcare at the University of Oxford. Raigam is currently in his last year of the PhD in Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Hospital Clinic – University of Barcelona also under the supervision of Francesc Figueras.

Raigam is the lead researcher of the Mexican Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the founder of the Iberoamerican Research Network in Obstetrics, Gynecology and Translational Medicine. He is the leading fetal surgeon of the health services of Mexico City and the Private Children’s Hospital also in Mexico City. Raigam is part of the N-Gen committee of ISUOG and a scientific reviewer of the AJOG, UOG, FTD, Plos One, and other relevant journals.

Country: Mexico

Field: Obstetrics; Imaging; Fetal Medicine

Specialties: Evidence-Based Medicine, Fetal Surgery, Fetal Growth Restriction, Preeclampsia.

Languages: English; Spanish

Abstract:

Comorbidities and social determinants in pregnant women with COVID-19 infection: Analysis of 11031 pregnancies including 138 deaths (OC10.04) Presenter R. J. Martinez-Portilla, Spain. See the abstract being presented at 1:39PM on 16th October.

Prof Daniel Rolnik completed his Obstetrics and Gynaecology training and was awarded a Master’s degree at the University of São Paulo, Brazil.  

He then went on to work with Professor Kypros Nicolaides at King’s College Hospital and Fetal Medicine Foundation in London, and undertook the Diploma in Fetal Medicine and his PhD. Daniel led the ASPRE trial, a large-scale randomised trial investigating the role of low-dose aspirin in preventing preeclampsia in the context of a large first-trimester screening program. He has published over 175 peer-reviewed scientific papers. 

Daniel currently works as a Consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Director of the Perinatal Care Centre at Monash Health and is an Associate Professor at Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. 

He was recently awarded a Master of Public Health degree in Epidemiology at Harvard University, USA, and received The Australian 2023 Top O&G Researcher award.