This joint mission by ISUOG and FMF is dedicated to addressing the needs of healthcare professionals from low-resource countries and serving as an inclusive platform for knowledge exchange, skill enhancement, and improved healthcare outcomes in regions facing resource challenges. Renowned speakers from the field will contribute their expertise, further enriching the event's impact. Read more about these speakers below.
Course chairs:
Professor Tom Bourne
ISUOG President 2020 - 2022, Virtual World Congress Technical Congress Chair 2020 and 2021, 2022 World Congress Co-Chair, Executive Committee, Finance & Risk Committee, Nominations Committee
Professor Tom Bourne was ISUOG President between 2020 and 2022 and is curently Chair in Gynaecology at Imperial College London, Hon Consultant Gynaecologist at Queen Charlottes and Chelsea hospital and Visiting Professor at KU Leuven in Belgium. He is an authority on managing early pregnancy complications, emergency gynaecology and gynaecological ultrasonography. He trained in ultrasound at Kings College Hospital in London. He subsequently worked at the University of Göteborg, Sweden as Medical Research Council visiting scientist, Hamar in Norway, and Leuven in Belgium. He was appointed senior lecturer and consultant gynaecologist at St George's University Hospital London before moving to Imperial College. He has edited seven books and published over 400 papers. He sits on the management committee of the Tommy’s National Centre for Miscarriage Research. He is medical advisor and trustee of the patient group, the Ectopic Pregnancy Trust. He is immediate Past-President of the UK Association of Early Pregnancy Units. He is co-founder and CEO of the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) group and sits on the steering committees of several large multicentre international trials. He is founder member of the RCOG task force on “supporting our doctors”. He is honorary fellow of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine, honorary member of the Australasian Society for Ultrasound in Medicine and honorary member of the Brazilian and Hungarian Ultrasound Societies.
His principal research interest is diagnostics in early pregnancy and gynaecology including the IOTA, IETA, IDEA and MUSA studies, microbiome, metabolomics, novel biomarkers, and AI. His interests include the psychology of pregnancy loss and physician welfare including studies with the BMA and RCOG.
Country: UK
Language: English
Field: Gynaecology
Specialties: Early Pregnancy Care, Emergency Gynaecology, Ultrasound in Oncology, Gynaecological Ultrasonography, Physician Wellbeing
Selected Notable Publications:
Sporadic miscarriage: evidence to provide effective care. Coomarasamy A, Gallos ID, Papadopoulou A, Dhillon-Smith RK, Al-Memar M, Brewin J, Christiansen OB, Stephenson MD, Oladapo OT, Wijeyaratne CN, Small R, Bennett PR, Regan L, Goddijn M, Devall AJ, Bourne T, Brosens JJ, Quenby S.
Lancet. 2021 May 1;397(10285):1668-1674. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00683-8. Epub 2021 Apr 27.
Van Calster B, Valentin L, Froyman W, Landolfo C, Ceusters J, Testa AC, Wynants L, Sladkevicius P, Van Holsbeke C, Domali E, Fruscio R, Epstein E, Franchi D, Kudla MJ, Chiappa V, Alcazar JL, Leone FPG, Buonomo F, Coccia ME, Guerriero S, Deo N, Jokubkiene L, Savelli L, Fischerová D, Czekierdowski A, Kaijser J, Coosemans A, Scambia G, Vergote I, Bourne T, Timmerman D.
BMJ. 2020 Jul 30;370:m2614. doi: 10.1136/bmj.m2614.
Farren J, Jalmbrant M, Falconieri N, Mitchell-Jones N, Bobdiwala S, Al-Memar M, Tapp S, Van Calster B, Wynants L, Timmerman D, Bourne T.
Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2020 Apr; 222(4):367.e1-367.e22. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2019.10.102.
Froyman W, Landolfo C, De Cock B, Wynants L, Sladkevicius P, Testa AC, Van Holsbeke C, Domali E, Fruscio R, Epstein E, Dos Santos Bernardo MJ, Franchi D, Kudla MJ, Chiappa V, Alcazar JL, Leone FPG, Buonomo F, Hochberg L, Coccia ME, Guerriero S, Deo N, Jokubkiene L, Kaijser J, Coosemans A, Vergote I, Verbakel JY, Bourne T, Van Calster B, Valentin L, Timmerman D.
Lancet Oncol. 2019 Mar; 20(3): 448-458. doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(18)30837-4.
Defining safe criteria to diagnose miscarriage: prospective observational multicentre study. Preisler J, Kopeika J, Ismail L, Vathanan V, Farren J, Abdallah Y, Battacharjee P, Van Holsbeke C, Bottomley C, Gould D, Johnson S, Stalder C, Van Calster B, Hamilton J, Timmerman D, Bourne T.
BMJ. 2015 Sep 23; 351:h4579. doi: 10.1136/bmj.h4579.
Evaluating the risk of ovarian cancer before surgery using the ADNEX model to differentiate between benign, borderline, early and advanced stage invasive, and secondary metastatic tumours: prospective multicentre diagnostic studies. Van Calster B, Van Hoorde K, Valentin L, Testa AC, Fischerova D, Van Holsbeke C, Savelli L, Franchi D, Epstein E, Kaijser J, Van Belle V, Czekierdowski A, Guerriero S, Fruscio R, Lanzani C, Scala F, Bourne T, Timmerman D; International Ovarian Tumour Analysis Group.
BMJ. 2014 Oct 15;349:g5920. doi: 10.1136/bmj.g5920.
Diagnostic criteria for nonviable pregnancy early in the first trimester. Doubilet PM, Benson CB, Bourne T, Blaivas M; Society of Radiologists in Ultrasound Multispecialty Panel on Early First Trimester Diagnosis of Miscarriage and Exclusion of a Viable Intrauterine Pregnancy, Barnhart KT, Benacerraf BR, Brown DL, Filly RA, Fox JC, Goldstein SR, Kendall JL, Lyons EA, Porter MB, Pretorius DH, Timor-Tritsch IE.
N Engl J Med. 2013 Oct 10; 369(15): 1443-51. doi: 10.1056/NEJMra1302417.
Limitations of current definitions of miscarriage using mean gestational sac diameter and crown-rump length measurements: a multicenter observational study. Abdallah Y, Daemen A, Kirk E, Pexsters A, Naji O, Stalder C, Gould D, Ahmed S, Guha S, Syed S, Bottomley C, Timmerman D, Bourne T.
Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2011 Nov; 38(5): 497-502. doi: 10.1002/uog.10109.
He is President of the UK Association of Early Pregnancy Units (AEPU), Trustee of the Ectopic Pregnancy Trust and on the steering committee of the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) trial.
Executive Committee, Finance & Risk Committee, Nominations Committee, 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)
Faculty:
Executive Committee, Finance & Risk 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 and the CREOG National Award for Excellence in Resident Education. 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, 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
Consultant in Maternal Fetal Medicine, Hospital das Clínicas, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
Dr Conrado Coutinho is currently a senior consultant in Maternal Fetal Medicine in the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at Clinics Hospital, University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto, Brazil. His special interests are related to the use of ultrasound during pregnancy for prediction, prevention and diagnosis of fetal and placental anomalies and the great obstetrics syndromes. Conrado completed MSc and PhD degrees in Tocogynecology (Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo) and a post-doctoral fellowship in Fetal Medicine in St. George’s University Hospital, London, UK.
Conrado is currently involved in various academic and associative activities. He is currently a postgraduate supervisor at the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, President of the perinatology committee at the Brazilian Federation of ObGyn (FEBRASGO), associate editor of RBGO Gynecology and Obstetrics and member of ISUOG Educational Courses Subcommittee (2022-2024 e 2024-2027). He was also appointed as a member of ISUOG Clinical Standards Committee (2024-2027).
Dr Chaemsaithong is a clinical lecturer in the Maternal Fetal Medicine Division, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand. She completed her Obstetrics and Gynaecology training and Maternal Fetal Medicine specialization in Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand. After her training, she pursued research training in the Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) in National Institute of Health (NIH/NICHD) in Detroit, the United States. Dr Chaemsaithong was an Associate Professor in Wayne State University. Her major research areas are in the biomarker discovery of the diseases associated with great obstetrical syndromes (GOS) such as preterm labor, preeclampsia, or fetal growth restriction. In addition, she is also interested in elucidation of pathophysiology of diseases associated of GOS such as the identification of intra-amniotic infection/inflammation in spontaneous preterm labor or clinical chorioamnionitis. Dr Chaemsaithong pursued her research interest by completing her PhD and post-doctoral fellowship from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, the CUHK, under the supervision of Professor Liona Poon. Her main area is about first-trimester prediction models for preterm preeclampsia in an Asian population. Currently, she has more than 130 peer-reviewed publications and her H-index is about 46.
Country: Thailand
Field: Obstetrics, Maternal Fetal Medicine
Specialties: Preterm labor, Intraamniotic infection/inflammation, Chorioamnionitis, Preeclampsia, Hypertensive disorder in pregnancy, Fetal growth restriction
Languages: Thai, English
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
Dr Ehigha Enabudoso obtained his medical degree and had his residency training at the University of Benin and the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria respectively. He had his training in Fetal Medicine and OBGYN Ultrasound at the Tygerberg Academic Hospital, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa. He is a fellow of the West African College of Surgeons and the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria. He is an examiner and a member of the Faculty Board of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria. He has certifications from the Fetal Medicine Foundation in various aspects of Fetal Ultrasound and Obstetric Doppler Ultrasound.
Through the Fetal Diagnostic and Ultrasound Center in Nigeria and collaborating with other organizations, Dr Enabudoso has run the ISUOG endorsed Fetal Medicine and OBGYN Ultrasound workshop since 2014. This has trained hundreds of healthcare practitioners in and around West Africa and has also facilitated livestreaming of many ISUOG courses in Nigeria. He has also been involved in the HealthyMagination Mother and Child Initiative (HMCI) of the GE Healthcare and USAID as master trainer to train Community Midwives on limited basic ultrasound scan for healthcare service in rural Nigeria.
His more recent research area is in advancing ultrasound in LMICs. He is presently working on tools for competence assessment in basic ultrasound. Two recent related publications include:
- Enabudoso E, Adams OH. An international standard fetal ultrasound training programme organized in a low resource setting: The ISUOG‑Benin City experience. Trop J Obstet Gynaecol. 2016: 33(3); 292-296
- Ehigha Enabudoso, Osikhueme H Adams. Organizing an international-standard obstetric ultrasound training program in a low-resource setting. IJGO. 2017: 136(1); 102-104.
Dr Enabudoso has been involved in various medical outreach programmes mainly in West Africa. He works presently as Lecturer and Honorary Consultant in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the University of Benin and the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria. He worked recently too as Associate Clinical Professor, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, USA in the World Bank collaborative programme at the Liberia-Japanese Friendship Hospital, Monrovia-Liberia (2019). He hopes to use his interest, passion and experience to assist in furthering the growth and scope of the ISUOG outreach programme in LMICs.
Country: Nigeria
Field: Obstetrics
Specialties: Fetal ultrasound, Obstetric Dopplers; Ultrasound education.
Language: English
Full Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University Hospital of Parma where he is the Chairman of the Unit.
Prof Tullio Ghi was born in Italy in 1973. Following the studies at the Medical School of the University of Bologna, he completed his residence in Ob-Gyn at the S.Orsola Hospital of Bologna. From 2000 until 2001 he was at King’s College Hospital for a fellowship in Fetal Medicine. He has a phD in fetal Medicine at the University of Milan (2002-2005). From 2003 to 2014 he served as consultant of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University Hospital of Bologna. Since 2014 he is based at the Department of Medicine and Surgery of the University of Parma, where he has been appointed as Full Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Director of the Residency School in Obstetrics and Gynecology and President of the Midwifery School. He is the Head of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University Hospital of Parma.
His main field of research is on obstetrics, ultrasound in labor and prenatal diagnosis of congenital anomalies. He has published more than 250 articles and several books. He is member of the Scientific Committee of the International Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
He is in the board of the Italian Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology and is the past president of the Italian Society of Preeclampsia.
In 2019 he has founded the ISLANDS group (International Society of Labor and Delivery Sonography).
He is the president elected of the Midwifery School and the Director of the Residency School of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the University of Parma.
Dr Enrique Gil-Guevara is a senior consultant in the Department of Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine at Instituto Nacional Materno Perinatal in Lima and an associate professor at San Marcos University.
His special interests are imaging technologies, fetal health, twins, fetal therapy, teaching processes and public health in Obstetrics. Enrique completed a MSc in Medical Sciences with distinction at the University of San Martin de Porres in Lima, Peru. He completed an international fellowship in Fetal Surgery at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, USA; and also obtained the Diploma in Fetal Medicine in London, UK, after three years of direct training with Professor Kypros Nicolaides.
Enrique is the director of the Peruvian Institute of Fetal Medicine, the main institution in the field in the Peruvian private setting. He is recognized as one of the main researchers in Fetal Medicine in the country by CONCYTEC (Peruvian public institution devoted to science and technology) and he has also been awarded the Diploma of Honor by the Parliament of Peru in recognition for his work as the main pioneer in Fetal Surgery in the country.
Country: Peru
Field: Obstetrics; Imaging; Fetal Medicine; Fetal Surgery
Specialties: Fetal anomaly screening; Fetal biometry and wellbeing; Aneuploidies; Fetal anomalies; Fetal growth restriction; Maternal and fetal Doppler; Multiple pregnancy; Fetal surgery
Languages: English; Spanish
Patient Information Task Force
More speakers will be confirmed in due course.