Overview

Prof. dr. C.M. (Katia) Bilardo is Professor Emeritus in Fetal Medicine at the AmsterdamUMC and UMCG Groningen  

Caterina (Katia) M. Bilardo was born in Savigliano (Piedmont), Italy. After completing cum laude in 1983 the medical studies and the specialization in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Turin, she trained as Fellow in Prenatal Diagnosis and Fetal Medicine (1985- 1989) at King’s College Hospital, London, where she worked under the supervision of Prof. S. Campbell and Prof. K. N. Nicolaides.

Since 1989 she has relocated to the Netherlands where she has worked as Consultant and Head of the Prenatal Diagnosis Department at the Academic Medical Center Amsterdam (1992-2010). From 2010 to 2017 she has worked as Head of the Fetal Medicine Department at the University Medical Center Groningen where, in 2011, she has been appointed Professor in Fetal Medicine. Since October 2017 she has moved with the same position to the Amsterdam UMC, location VU Medical Center in Amsterdam, where she has also been appointed as Professor in Obstetrics, Gynecology and Fetal Medicine. In the Netherlands she has been President of the Dutch Working Party for Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology and has been of the Committee Prenatal Screening of the National Health Council.

Since 2007 she is in the Editorial Board of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology, where since 2024 she is Editor. She has been Board member of the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology (2009-2025), covering the roles Chair of the Education Committee (2013-2017), President (2018-2020) and Chair of the Honours committee (2020-2022). Since 2025 she is chair of Every Little Heart Matters oversight committee.   

She has published over 250 peer-reviewed articles and supervised numerous PhD students. In 2021 she was bestowed the Stuart Campbell award for Education.

Field: Obstetrics

Country: The Netherlands

Dr Monique Haak is a fetal specialist at the Department of Obstetrics at Leiden University Medical Center, focusing on diagnostic imaging in pregnancies with fetal malformations. Her special interest is in fetal cardiac defects, fetal therapy and multiple pregnancies. She is the leader of research projects on developments in fetal echocardiography, fetal therapy and screening in pregnancy. Monique has published over 100 peer reviewed papers and has taught various ultrasonography courses. She was project leader in the founding of the National Ultrasonography Course for residents in training, which is ow an e-learning course (www.echocursus.net), and organised the first fetal echocardiography course in the Netherlands, which has now been running for 11 years.

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.  

Prof. Asma Khalil is a Professor of Fetal Medicine. She is the Obstetric Lead at the National Maternity and Perinatal Audit (NMPA). She gained her MD at the University of London in 2008.   

Prof. Asma Khalil has published more than 500 peer-reviewed papers, and many published review articles and chapters. She was awarded many research prizes, both at national and international meetings. She was awarded the 2021 FIGO Women's Awards: Recognising Female Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Her research interests include twin pregnancy, congenital infections, fetal growth restriction and hypertensive disorders in pregnancy.  

She had a fellowship with the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE).  committed to the implementation of clinical guidelines in practice. She is the Lead author of the ISUOG guideline on the role of ultrasound in twins and congenital infections. She also led the guideline team developing the FIGO guideline on twin pregnancies. She was a member of the NICE Guideline Committee updating the Twin and Multiple Pregnancy guidance.  

Dr. Roberto Romero is Chief of the Pregnancy Research Branch (PRB) of NICHD/NIH and a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at George Washington University and the University of Michigan. The Pregnancy Research Branch is devoted to the study of pregnancy and its complications through integrated clinical, translational, and basic research. Dr. Romero’s research has focused on the mechanisms, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of the great obstetrical syndromes, including spontaneous preterm birth, preeclampsia, fetal growth restriction, fetal death, and inflammatory disorders of pregnancy, such as clinical chorioamnionitis. His work integrates maternal–fetal medicine , neonatology, placental pathology, epidemiology, immunology, microbiology, and  advanced imaging.

Dr. Romero is the author of more than 1,300 peer-reviewed publications and is among the most highly cited physician–scientists in medicine, with an H-index of 203 and more than 191,000 citations, including over 68,000 since 2020. He ranks among the top 0.01% of scientists across multiple fields worldwide. He is a recipient of the Ian Donald Gold Medal Award by ISUOG and his work has shaped clinical practice and professional guidelines. He serves as Editor-in-Chief for Obstetrics of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and chairs major national and international scientific meetings. His contributions have been recognized with numerous national and international honors, including membership in the National Academy of Medicine, multiple lifetime achievement awards, and 18 honorary doctorates or professorships from universities worldwide. He will speak about the parallels between atherosis (a unique lesion of the spiral arteries) and atherosclerosis. This work has been recently published and provides a link between complications of pregnancy and long-term cardiovascular disease in women.