The Nominations Committee ensures that all ISUOG appointments, including of ISUOG Trustees, Officers & Committee Chairs, are made with integrity. It ensures that anyone who is put forward for election to any leadership position is of the right caliber and expertise to serve in the post. At the forefront of the appointments process is a demonstrated commitment to the vision and mission of the Society and consideration of the particular skills required for the roles in mind.
Committee Chair
Finance & Risk Committee, UOG Editorial Board
Prof. Fabricio da Silva Costa (MD, PhD, FRANZCOG, DDU, COGU, Diploma in Fetal Medicine, FMF-London, UK) 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, Prof. Costa moved to Australia and worked at the Royal Women’s Hospital (University of Melbourne Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology) for 7 years, where he became Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Melbourne.
Later, he was the Medical Director of Monash Ultrasound for Women, Adj. Associate Professor at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University and Head of Perinatal Services at the Monash Medical Centre in Melbourne before relocating back to Brazil in mid-2018 as the Head of the Ultrasound Service, Dapartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ribeirao Preoto, Medical School, University of Sao Paulo. Currently, he is the Acting Director, Maternal Fetal Medicine Unit, Gold Coast University Hospital and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
Prof. 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). He also supervises trainees and post-graduate students on ultrasound in gynaecology.”
Country: Australia
Field: Obstetrics and Reproduction
Specialities: Fetal Anomaly Screening T1 & T2; Aneuploidy; Fetal Anomalies; Maternal and Fetal Doppler; Fetal Growth Restriction; Preeclampsia; Preterm Delivery; 1st trimester screening including NIPT and Pre-Eclampsia; Ultrasound in reproduction
Languages: English, Portuguese
Committee Members
Executive Committee, Nominations Committee, 3D Special Interest Group
Reem S. Abu-Rustum, MD, FACOG, FACS, FAIUM, RDMS
Professor & Director of Ultrasound Services, Education and Research at the University of Florida
Prof. Reem S. Abu-Rustum obtained her medical degree and completed her residency training in obstetrics & gynecology at the University of Florida (USA). She is a fellow of the American Congress of Obstetrics & Gynecology, the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine and the American College of Surgeons. She is certified by the Fetal Medicine Foundation in first and second trimester ultrasound.
Currently, Reem is Professor and Director of Ultrasound Services, Education and Research in the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Florida. Within ISUOG she is President, Past-Chair of the Basic Training Sub Committee and past Ambassador to Lebanon and Outreach in the Middle East. She is a board member-at-large of the Fetal Heart Society and a member of their Membership Committee.
Reem was a board member of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine and Co-Chair of their Annual Convention Committee. She is the past Vice-Chair of the Society of Maternal Fetal Medicine Patient Education Committee and was a member of their Education and Global Health Committees. She was Co-Founder and President of SANA Medical NGO dedicated to obstetrical care within an outreach setting in Lebanon. She is the recipient of numerous awards and accolades and has received the Presidential Award of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine, the Clinical Excellence Award from the College of Medicine Council at the University of Florida, the CREOG National Award for Excellence in Resident Education and is a member of the Society of Teaching Scholars at the University of Florida College of Medicine. She has a special interest in the first trimester fetus and the fetal heart, ultrasound education and global outreach. She has served on two ISUOG outreach missions to Sudan and has authored the text "A Practical Guide to 3D Ultrasound".
Notable publications:
- Abu-Rustum RS, Smith E, Szlachetka K, Zarudskaya O. A Practical Approach to Incorporating the Detailed First Trimester Ultrasound Examination into Clinical Practice. J Ultrasound Med. https://doi.org/10.1002/jum.70044
- Abu-Rustum RS, Pierre K, Dyrda M, Smith E, Abchee N, Bilardo CM. Developmental Changes of the Coronary Sinus Between the First and Second Trimesters: A Pilot Study. J Ultrasound Med. 2024 Nov;43(11):2163-2168. doi: 10.1002/jum.16547. Epub 2024 Aug 8. PMID: 39115155.
- Abu-Rustum, RS, Berwick, M, Heft, J. Successful Implementation of the AIUM Standardized Four-Year Residency Ultrasound Curriculum in Obstetrics and Gynecology: Lessons Learned and Way Forward. J Ultrasound Med. 2024 Jun;43(6):1109-1119. doi: 10.1002/jum.16439. Epub 2024 Mar 3. PMID: 38433458.
- Smith E, Pierre K, Acevedo A, Egerman R, Rajderkar D, Abu-Rustum RS. First-trimester cavum veli interpositi: prevalence and natural history. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2024 Apr;63(4):502-506. doi: 10.1002/uog.27523. PMID: 37902788.
- Abu-Rustum RS, Ziade MF. The 3 sweep approach for fetal anatomic assessment in the outreach setting. Journal of Fetal Medicine 2017; 4(1): 25-30.
- Abu-Rustum RS. A Practical Guide to 3D Ultrasound. First Edition. CRC Press. 9 Dec 2014.
- Abu-Rustum RS, Ziade MF, Abu-Rustum SE. Reference values for the right and left fetal choroid plexus at 11-13 weeks: an early sign of ‘developmental’ laterality? J. Ultrasound Med 2013; 32: 1623-1629.
- Abu-Rustum RS, Ziade MF, Abu-Rustum SE. Defining the spatial relationships between 8 anatomic planes in the 11+6 – 13+6 week fetus. Prenatal Diagnosis 2012; 32: 875-882.
- Abu-Rustum RS, Ziade MF, Abu-Rustum SE. Learning curve and factors influencing the feasibility of performing fetal echocardiography at the time of the first trimester scan. J. Ultrasound Med 2011; 30: 695-700.
Country: USA
Field: Obstetrics
Specialties: Fetal anomaly screening 1st trimester and 2nd trimester; aneuploidy screening; fetal heart; 3D & 4D ultrasound; basic training; the first trimester fetus; ultrasound in medical education.
Languages: English, Arabic, Italian
Ms Sarah M. Cohen is a sonographer and research epidemiologist, presently working at the Research Lab of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Hadassah Hebrew University Hospital, Mt. Scopus campus in Jerusalem, Israel. Prior to training in OB/Gyn sonography, Sarah earned a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and worked as an English writer and editor in the public charitable sphere. Later she completed a Master’s degree in Public Health with a specialization in clinical epidemiology. Since joining the team at Hadassah-Mt. Scopus, she applies this hybrid education and experience to research epidemiology in ultrasound and prenatal diagnosis as well as other facets of obstetrics and gynecology, writing and editing hundreds of research and review articles and many book chapters for medical publications, and preparing didactic materials, in particular PowerPoint presentations, posters, and informations leaflets for scientific and lay audiences. She served on the Patient Information Task Force of ISUOG 2018-2025, and as its interim chair, 2024-2025. In 2025 Sarah joined the Nominations Committee of ISUOG. Since 2022 Sarah has served as the Assistant Specialty Chief Editor of Frontiers in Medicine / Obstetrics and Gynecology Section.
Country: Israel
Field: Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Epidemiology in the OB/Gyn space.
Specialties: OB/Gyn ultrasound, research epidemiology, scientific writing and editing, and preparation of didactic materials for professional and lay audiences.
Languages: English and Hebrew
Executive Committee, Finance & Risk Committee, Nominations Committee, Scientific Comittee, China Task Force, UOG Editorial Board
Professor Liona Poon is an Academic Subspecialist in Maternal Fetal Medicine, devoted in improving maternal and fetal health. She has had a prolific research output throughout her clinical and research posts, including over 130 peer-reviewed publications in high impact international journals. In the last 10 years she has focused her research on establishing a programme for effective early prediction and prevention of preeclampsia, a major cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. With her success in developing a first-trimester prediction model for preeclampsia using maternal risk factors, ultrasound, blood pressure and biochemical markers, and on Aspirin prophylaxis against preeclampsia, her goal in the next 10 years is to improve obstetric care worldwide, through clinical research and education.
Notable Publications:
Aspire trial: incidence of preterm preeclampsia in patients fulfulling ACOG and NICE criteria according to risk by the FMF algorithm. Poon LC, Rolnik DL, Tan MY, Delgado JL, Tsokaki T, Akolekar R, Singh M, Andrade W, Efeturk T, Jani JC, Plasencia W, Papaioannou G, Blazquez AR, Carbone IF, Wright D, Nikolaides KH.
Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2018 Jan 30. doi: 10.1002/uog.19019 [Epub ahead of print]
Aspirin versus Placebo in Pregnancies at High Risk of Preterm Preeclampsia. Rolnik DL, Wright D, Poon LC, O'Gorman N, Syngelaki A, de Paco Matallana C, Akolekar R, Cicero S, Janga D, Singh M, Molina FS, Persico N, Jani JC, Plasencia W, Papaioannou G, Tennebaum Gavish K, Meiri H, Gizurarson S, Maclagan K, Nicolaides K.H.
New England Journal Medicine 2017, 2017 Jun 28. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1704559. [Epub ahead of print]
Country: China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Field: Obstetrics
Specialties: Fetal anomaly screening 1st trimester and 2nd trimester; fetal biometry and wellbeing; fetal anomalies screening; aneuploidy screening; fetal anomalies; fetal growth restriction; maternal and fetal Doppler; multiple pregnancy; preeclampsia; preterm delivery; fetal growth; detection of fetal and neonatal growth abnormalities; ultrasound on the labour ward
Languages: English; Chinese (Mandarin); Chinese (Cantonese)
Nominations Committee member
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 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
Prof. Angela Ranzini 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 past Chair of the Education Committee and was the Project Lead for the Rwanda Outreach program and a member of the Sudan Outreach program. She has been involved in many Committees and Task Forces of ISUOG.
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
Clinical Standards Committee, Nominations Committee, UOG Editor
Prof. Alexandros Sotiriadis is a consultant in Obstetrics and Gynecology – Maternal and Fetal Medicine in the Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Hippokrateio Hospital and a full Professor at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. His special interests include prenatal diagnosis and genomics, maternal and fetal complications and Evidence-Based Medicine. Alex completed a PhD in Medicine on recurrent pregnancy loss and was trained in Fetal Medicine under Prof. Kypros Nicolaides.
Alex is the director of a Master Degree Program in Applied Prenatal Diagnosis at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. He is currently the Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology and served as a member in the ISUOG Clinical Standards Committee and the EFSUMB Publication Committee. He is also President Elect of the Hellenic Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Country: Greece
Field: Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Imaging, Evidence-Based Medicine
Specialties: fetal growth restriction, Doppler, maternal complication in pregnancy, fetal anomalies and genomics, evidence-based medicine
Languages: English, Greek, German
Secretariat Liaison
VOL / PBP