Find out more about the regional experts building the scientific program.
Symposium Advisory Group members
Executive Committee, Nominations Committee, China Sub-Committee, 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)
Dr. Mary Menuro Acda is an active consultant at Calamba Medical Center, HealthServ Los Baños Medical Center, Pamana Medical Center, and St. John the Baptist Medical Center, all based in Laguna, Philippines. Her special interests include management of high-risk pregnancy conditions and antenatal diagnosis of fetal conditions through use of obstetric ultrasound.
Mary completed her residency training in obstetrics and gynecology in 2017 and her fellowship training in maternal-fetal medicine in 2019 and at the University of the Philippines College of Medicine – Philippine General Hospital, and is currently a diplomate of the Philippine Obstetrical and Gynecological Society (Foundation), Inc. (POGS). She also has papers presented and published both locally and internationally, one of which describes the use of high-dose cytarabine in two cases of maternal acute myeloid leukemia diagnosed in the second trimester.
She is also one of the ten recipients of the Gawad Felicisimo T. San Luis Namumukod-Tanging Kabataan ng Laguna (Outstanding Youth of Laguna Awards) for 2006.
Country: Philippines
Field: Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Obstetric Ultrasound
Specialties: High-risk pregnancy; targeted imaging for fetal anomalies; fetal biometry and well-being; maternal and fetal Doppler studies; fetal interventional procedures; first trimester imaging
Languages: English; Filipino
Nominations Committee
Prof. Jon Hyett trained in obstetrics and gynecology and sub-specialised in maternal and fetal medicine in the UK. He is currently Joint Head of the Discipline of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Neonataology at the University of Sydney. He is involved nationally with the Nuchal Translucency Accreditation Program of RANZCR / RANZCOG and internationally with the obstetric ultrasound accreditation programs run by the Fetal Medicine Foundation, UK and ISUOG. Jon is also involved in the Scientific Committee, which oversees the production and development of the scientific program for the ISUOG World Congress.
Country: Australia
Field: Obstetrics
Specialties: Fetal anomaly screening T1 & T2; fetal biometry and wellbeing; aneuploidies; fetal anomalies; fetal heart; fetal brain; fetal growth restriction; maternal and fetal Doppler; fetal interventional procedures; multiple pregnancy; preeclampsia; preterm delivery; genetics
Language: English
Prof. Mamoru Tanaka is a Professor at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. He is also President of the Japanese Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology (JSUOG) and Trustee of the Japan Society of Perinatal and Neonatal Medicine and the Society for Reproductive Medicine as well as the Japan Society of Gestational Hypertension and the Japan Human Cell Society. Prof Tanaka is also a Councillor of the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Japan Society of Ultrasonics in Medicine, the Japan Society of Gestational Diabetes and the Japan Society of Reproductive Endocrinology.
Notable Publications:
Endo T, Ochiai D, Tanaka M. Right aortic arch with an aberrant left subclavian artery: sonographic features by HDlive Flow Imaging. // Cardiol Young. 2020 Jun;30(6):892-893
Akiba Y, Miyakoshi K, Ochiai D, Kawaida M, Matsumoto T, Tanaka M. Umbilical cord hemangioma: Sonographic features by HDlive Flow. // Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod. Biol. 2018 Feb;221:195-196
Ikenoue S, Miyakoshi K, Ishii T, Sato Y, Otani T, Akiba Y, Kasuga Y, Ochiai D, Matsumoto T, Ichihashi Y, Matsuzaki Y, Tachikawa K, Michigami T, Nishimura G, Ikeda K, Hosegawa T, Tanaka M. Discordant fetal phenotype of hypophosphatasia in two siblings. // Am J Med Genet A.2018 Jan;176(1):171-174
Country: Japan
Field: Obstetrics
Languages: Japanese, English
Country: The Philippines
Field: Obstetrics and Gynecology
"Considered as the leading medical and academic institution in the Philippines , St. Luke's Medical Center - Global City, Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology provided the first ISUOG Approved course in the Philippines - an interactive and comprehensive entitled “4th International Congress, Advances &Innovations in OBGYN, A Global Perspective” ( February 11-13, 2015). This course had 301 delegates and brought in 224 new members to ISUOG. I'm honored by this new appointment- as one of the ISUOG Ambassadors to the Philippines and would like to thank ISUOG for their appreciation of our achievements and for this exciting yet challenging role. I'm looking forward to participate and provide significant contributions in the fulfillment of the Vision and Mission of ISUOG . We will gladly appreciate support for continuing medical education- through updates, research and workshops for the OBGYN specialists/ sub-specialists in our country which will further provide good clinical outcomes for the benefit of our patients."
ISUOG Trustee (2013-2019), 2018 ISUOG World Congress Chair, Outreach Committee
Prof. George SH Yeo is a Fetal Medicine specialist at the KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH), Singapore. He graduated in Medicine at the University of Singapore in 1975, became a Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, London, in 1996 and a Fellow of College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Singapore in 2004. He led the development of Maternal Fetal Medicine subspecialty in KKH and has been the Head of Obstetric Ultrasound and Prenatal Diagnosis since 1993. He established the screening of beta Thalassaemia and the combined First Trimester Screening in Singapore.
Prof. Yeo is also a Professor of OBGYN at the Duke-NUS School of Medicine and Associate Clinical Professor at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine. He is head of the Maternal Fetal Section of the College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists, Singapore. He has more than 160 papers in indexed journals and speaks regularly to schools as well as national and international conferences. He also has a RG Score of 39.30 and Google Scholar citations of 5535.
Country: Singapore
Field: Obstetrics
Specialties: Fetal Anomaly screening 1st trimester; Fetal Anomaly screening 2nd trimester; Fetal biometry and wellbeing; Aneuploidies; Fetal heart; Fetal growth restriction; Multiple pregnancy; 3D and 4D ultrasound
Languages: English; Chinese (Mandarin)
Department Chief, Dept. Obs/Gyn, Yun-Lin Branch, National Taiwan University Hospital
Head of labor ward, Dept. Obs/Gyn, Yun-Lin Branch, National Taiwan University Hospital.
Vice Secretary General, 2017 WFUMB
Assistant Professor in Dept. Obs/Gyn, National Taiwan University
Notable publications:
Antenatal depiction of the fetal ear with three-dimensional ultrasonography, Shih JC, Shyu MK, Lee CN, Wu CH, Lin GJ, Hsieh FJ., Obstet Gynecol 1998 Apr;91(4):500-5.
Role of three-dimensional power Doppler in the antenatal diagnosis of placenta accreta: comparison with gray-scale and color Doppler techniques, Shih JC, Palacios Jaraquemada JM, Su YN, Shyu MK, Lin CH, Lin SY, Lee CN. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2009 Feb;33(2):193-203.
Country/Region/Territory: Taiwain
Field: Obstetrics
Specialties: Fetal heart, fetal anomalies screening, fetal anomalies, 3D/4D ultrasound, abnormally invasive placenta; placenta accreta, cesarean scar pregnancy
Languages: Mandarin, English
Dr Nguyen Ha T is the Head of the Imaging Diagnostic Department, Tu Du Maternal Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam for nearly 20 Years. Tu Du Hospital, the leading referral Fetal-Maternal Hospital in Vietnam, is responsible for 70,000 deliveries and thousands of fetal abnormalities a year. Dr Ha is also the Vice President of the Vietnamese Society of Ultrasound in Medicine, which has strong ties to and collaboration accitivites with ISUOG. As a pioneer in the first trimester screening and diagnosis of chromosomal abnormality, managing fetal structural abnormalities and high-risk pregnancy, Dr. Ha has contributed to building up the standard prenatal care in Vietnam as well as trained thousands of Vietnamese doctors in OBGYN Ultrasound and fetal medicine.
Country: Vietnam
Field: Diagnostic Imaging in OBGYN, Fetal Medicine
Specialties: Routine fetal anomaly screening in first and second trimester, management of high-risk pregnancy, fetal growth restriction, multiple pregnancy, preeclampsia, preterm delivery, fetal brain MRI.
Languages: Vietnamese, English
Prof. Hye-Sung Won is currently the chairperson of Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at University of Ulsan College of Medicine and Asan Medical Center. She is a director of Fetal Treatment Center in Asan Medical Center. Her special interests are Prenatal Diagnosis of fetal structural anomalies, Fetal Cardiology, Twins, Fetal Surgery and Fetal Interventional Procedures. She established the first Fetal Treatment Center in South Korea, which has been leading the diagnosis and treatment of fetal structural anomaly.
Professor Won is the President of the Korean Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology (KSUOG) and the Chair of Fetal Assessment and Management Committee at Korean Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Professor Won, as the leader in maternal fetal medicine on Korean society, promotes research and education in ultrasound and is actively involved in supporting and connecting many other institutions together.
Hye-Sung Won is also a leading clinician of the largest Fetal Treatment Center in Korea and there making clinical and academic progresses of fetal diagnosis and therapy possible to develop further both nationally and internationally. She is exceptional in making diagnoses for cardiac abnormality including rare diseases, which is a very important part of perinatal counselling and management. She is the first clinician to do balloon aortic valvuloplasty for a fetus with severe aortic valve stenosis at 29 weeks of gestation in Korea. Moreover, she is specialized in prenatal diagnosis for various fetal disease and fetal therapy including shunt operation, fetal transfusion, radiofrequency ablation and fetoscopic laser surgery. She made over 500 cases of shunt operation for fetal pleural effusion, ascites, and lower urinary tract obstruction since 1999. She had done more than 200 cases of fetoscopic laser surgery for twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, and the results showed high survival rate.
Country: Republic of Korea (South Korea)
Field: Obstetrics, Maternal-Fetal-Medicine
Specialties: Prenatal diagnosis; Fetal anomalies; Fetal cardiology; Fetal therapy; Fetal interventional procedures
Languages: Korean, English
Regional Advisory Group members
Executive Committee, Nominations Committee, China Sub-Committee, 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)
Prof. Ritsuko Kimata Pooh was born in Osaka, Japan in 1960. She graduated from Law Department of Keio University, Tokyo, and thereafter graduated from the Medical School of Tokushima University with social, legal and ethical viewpoints. After her graduation from medical school in 1990, she has dedicated most of her time to clinical research and investigation in fetal medicine and perinatology. She has especially introduced the most sophisticated fetal neuroimaging from 1996 by using transvaginal sonography, three dimensional ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging. She established CRIFM clinical research institute of fetal medicine in Osaka in 2007. Her recent study of medullary vein development and neuronal migration disorder of fetal brain are worthy of note, and she received the Alfred Alfred Kratochwil Award at the ISUOG Congress in 2011, Lifetime achievement award in WCPM (World Congress in Perinatal Medicine) in 2015, and Sir William Liley medal in International Congress on Fetus as a Patient in 2016. Her remarkable research on fetal brain has been internationally approved by perinatologists as well as neurologists and neurosurgeons. She published more than 70 original scientific papers 150 review articles and the books; An Atlas of Fetal Central Nervous System, Diagnosis and Management in 2003, Fetal Neurology in 2009, Atlas of Advanced Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology in 2015.
Her early detection of fetal abnormalities in ‘Sonoembryology’ can be described as art of science in the uterus. Furthermore, she has been establishing a new field of Sonogenetics, combining detailed sonogram with cytogenetics and molecular genetics from 2009 and performing quite a number of invasive genetic procedures including more than 1,500s CVS and 300 amniocenteses per year. In the era of prenatal diagnoses with advanced molecular genetics and maternal serum with cfDNA, she has emphasized the importance of observing fetuses by ultrasound. She established the clinical genetic laboratory (Ritz Medical Clinical Lab.) in Osaka with the aim of ultimate sonogenetics in 2011. She has truly been one of the international executives in research as well as education in a field of perinatology.
Notable publications:
Ritsuko K. Pooh, Kohei Shiota, Asim Kurjak. Imaging of the human embryo with magnetic resonance imaging microscopy and high-resolution transvaginal 3-dimensional sonography: human embryology in the 21st century. AJOG. 2011;204(1):77-9
POOH RK. Sonoembryology by 3D HDlive silhouette ultrasound - what is added by the "see-through fashion"? Journal of Perinatal Medicine. Mar 2016; 44(2): 139-48.
Country: Japan
Field: Obstetrics
Specialties: Fetal anomaly screening 1st trimester and 2nd trimester, aneuploidy screening, fetal anomalies screening, fetal anomalies, 3D/4D ultrasound, early pregnancy, genetics, fetal brain (fetal neurology)
Languages: Japanese, English
Country: China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Field: Obstetrics
Specialties: Fetal anomaly screening T1 & T2; aneuploidies; fetal growth restriction; fetal interventional procedures; multiple pregnancy; 3D & 4D ultrasound
Languages: English; Chinese
"It is my pleasure and honour to be an ISUOG Ambassador. In line with ISUOG’s strategy, I will continue supporting O&G ultrasound education activities in China to improve the standard and safety of local ultrasound practice, and thus women’s health. I have so far supported through co-Chairing the 10th International Symposium in Beijing, attracting more than 400 local delegates and running Approved courses in the area to bring ISUOG’s teaching to professionals in China. Furthermore, with the joint effort of my colleagues I translated some of ISUOG’s practice guidelines into Chinese to further support the dissemination of best practice in the field."
Dr Prathima Radhakrishnan is the Director of Bangalore Fetal Medicine Centre (BFMC) and FGi Fetal Care Units (FFCU), the latter being a chain of clinics caring for the fetus across the city and nearby towns which perform highly specialised Obstetric scans and procedures. She is the first Indian to get Diploma in Fetal Medicine from Fetal Medicine Foundation, UK in February 2011. She is also the first to perform Therapeutic Fetoscopic Laser for complicated monochorionic twin pregnancy in the country. Dr Prathima’s passion for the fetus has made BFMC one of the leading centres for tertiary level fetal care and a premiere education and training centre for doctors desiring to specialise in Fetal Medicine and Genetics in India. BFMC is in the frontline of original research work, having presented several papers in regional, national, and international conferences. In addition, research papers from BFMC have been published in leading national and international journals. She has over 50 research publications, articles, guideline publications and chapters to her credit. Dr Prathima is an FMF accredited trainer & examiner for the Nuchal Translucency scan, Anomaly scan, Doppler, and invasive procedures certification in India. In addition to training several doctors onsite in fetal medicine and obstetric imaging, Dr Prathima has trained several doctors across the country and abroad with her structured online courses in Obstetric imaging. Her research interests includes screening for aneuploidies, preeclampsia, growth restriction, complications of multiple pregnancies, and fetal effects of maternal diabetes.
Notable publications:
Radhakrishnan P, Venkataravanappa S, Acharya V, Sahana R, Shettikeri A: Prediction of Fetal Anemia in Subsequent Transfusions: Is There a Need to Change the Threshold of the Peak Systolic Velocity of the Middle Cerebral Artery? Fetal Diagn Ther 2020; 47:491-496. doi: 10.1159/000505398
Radhakrishnan P, Phadtare S Fetal Therapy in India. Textbook for Neonatologists, in press, 2020
Shettikeri A, Acharya V, V S, Sahana R, Radhakrishnan P: Outcome of Pregnancies Diagnosed with TRAP Sequence Prenatally: A Single-Centre Experience. Fetal Diagn Ther 2019. doi: 10.1159/000503389
Kaul A, Radhakrishnan P. Performance of Common Down Syndrome Screening Methods Used in India with Construction of an Indian Nomogram for Nuchal Translucency/Crown-Rump Length Measurements in 14,337 Subjects. J Obstet Gynaecol India. 2019;69(Suppl 2):142-146. doi:10.1007/s13224-018-1196-3
Sharma, A., Tayal, T., BH, N., Radhakrishnan, P. and Kaul, A. (2013), Nasal bone length: the long and short of it. Evaluation of the reference values for the fetal nasal bone length at 16 to 25 weeks of gestational age in an Indian population. Prenat Diagn, 33: 800-803. doi:10.1002/pd.4114
Narayani BH, Radhakrishnan P. Mid-second trimester measurement of nasal bone length in the Indian population. J Obstet Gynaecol India. 2013; 63:2013–63. doi: 10.1007/s13224-012-0335-5.
Country: India
Field: Obstetrics imaging; Fetal Medicine
Specialties: Early screening and diagnosis of fetal anomalies; fetal cardiac screening and diagnosis of anomalies; fetal growth restriction; multiple pregnancies; preeclampsia; maternal diabetes; prenatal diagnosis; fetal therapy
Languages: English
Dr. Ashok Khurana commenced his medical studies at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India in 1975, and, after completing his MBBS went on to do a post graduate (MD) degree in Radiology which he completed in 1984. During this period he had the unique experience of establishing the ultrasound services at this premier institution under the guidance of Prof. Sneh Bhargava who is widely regarded as the “guru” of contemporary medical imaging in India. It was during this time that he also had the opportunity to train at the ultrasound department of the Herlev Hospital in Denmark under the tutelage of Prof. Hans Henrik Holm, a pioneer in ultrasound technology and its medical applications. Armed with this experience he went on to establish a private medical facility in New Delhi, with the vision of providing world class ultrasound services. Read more.
Country: India
Field: Fetal Medicine, Obstetrics & Gynecology
Specialties: Color Doppler, 3D and 4D ultrasound, ultrasound guided surgical procedures, transrectal scans, transvaginal scans.
"In a country where more mothers and newborns die than anywhere else in the world, there has been an increasing need to incorporate quality ultrasound in antenatal care. It has been heartening to s ee the change in the way ultrasound scans are now carried out in many parts of my country. ISUOG’s education has played a major role in this. I have drawn hugely on the name and academic content of ISUOG to run major ISUOG events in New Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kochi and Mumbai as well as smaller, personalised courses. This has included professing ultrasound guidelines, projecting guidelines for the appropriate use of Doppler studies and spreading awareness of ISUOG's online academic content. Future direction includes taking the mission of ISUOG to the remotest areas, increasing awareness of the utility of ISUOG educational material in gynecological ultrasound, and increasing the visibility of the White Journal."
Country: The Philippines
Field: Obstetrics and Gynecology
"Our ultrasound unit is within the Manila Central University- Filemon D Tanchoco College of Medicine and Hospital premises. We have been in operation for 23 years and have graduated about 400 medical specialists who trained for 1 year and passed our local PSUOG's examinations but they stay mostly in the big cities and towns.
Last year, we held our 1st ISUOG-sponsored ultrasound course in OB-GYN with 574 joining the Core Membership (~10% of 2015 ISUOG members) and we plan to have another ISUOG-sponsored course in Cebu 2016. We need ISUOG to maintain a high level of current information and new procedures for our members. Another project where ISUOG can help is to help us to bring basic ultrasound technology to the periphery where basic health services are needed."
