The First Qatar International Reproductive Medicine Congress

Until 2020, Walid Maalouf was an active academic within the School of Medicine (University of Nottingham) as Lecturer in Embryology and Course Director of the MMedSci course in Assisted Reproductive Technologies, publishing multiple articles, and supervising a number of PhD and MSc students.

Walid currently holds the role of Advanced Scientific and Clinical Support advisor within the Vitrolife group, with strong connections with industry leaders in the field of human assisted reproduction. Concurrently, he recently graduated with an MBA in executive senior leadership and co-edited a textbook entitled ‘Mastering Clinical Embryology’.

IVF Laboratory Director
Erasme Hospital, Brussels, Belgium

Dr. Necati Findikli holds a B.S. and M.Sc. in Molecular Biology & Genetics and a Ph.D. in Bioengineering, specializing in cell and tissue cryopreservation. His career in assisted reproductive technologies (ART) began in 2000, and he has since served as both Laboratory Director and Scientific Director at several esteemed private and hospital-based ART clinics. He currently serves as the IVF Laboratory Director at Erasme Hospital in Brussels, Belgium.

Dr. Findikli has authored over 100 publications in internationally peer-reviewed journals, conference proceedings, and books. He is an ESHRE-certified Senior Clinical Embryologist (SCE), with research interests spanning gamete and embryo cryopreservation, reproductive genetics, and digital transformation in reproductive medicine.

An active member of several national and international scientific societies, including the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), Dr. Findikli is the past President and a current board member of the Turkish Clinical Embryology Society and the Turkish Society of Fertility Preservation (TSFP).

Senior Embryologist / Laboratory Coordinator / SOP Developer

International IVF Units Standardization – Normalization /

Interpersonal Skills for International IVF Units Lab Staff

/Lecturer / Trainer

He is a renowned consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist based in London. He is an internationally recognised expert in infertility management and assisted conception, as well as in the conservative management of uterine fibroids. Dr Khalaf qualified in Egypt at the highly regarded Assiut University. He completed his MD in Birmingham.

Professor Yacoub Khalaf sees patients at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital, where he is the head of fertility services and is the director of the Assisted Conception Unit (ACU) and centre for pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). He is chair of the Scientific and Clinical Advances Advisory Committee at HFEA and a member of the board of directors of the International Society for IVF. He is a professor of reproductive medicine and surgery at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital and King’s College London.

He is an advisor to the National Institute for Health Care & Clinical Excellence (NICE) and is the principal investigator of several NIHR-funded research grants, as well as several randomised controlled trials. He’s published on various aspects of assisted conception, reproductive medicine, and surgery, in major journals including the Lancet, NEJM, Nature, BMJ and Nature Cell Biology.

Professor Khalaf also has national and international experience in research degrees, supervision and assessment. He’s been an invited speaker on fertility and assisted reproduction for numerous conferences worldwide. He has also appeared on national television on channels such as the ITV, BBC, and Channel 4. He is the past chair of the RCOG national clinical studies group in reproductive medicine and surgery. He’s also an ex-member of the RCOG research committee and was previously an associate editor of the RBM online journal.

He is a reputed Fertility Specialist in Spain.
Dr. Aurell has an experience of 22 years as a fertility specialist.
Dr. Aurell’s areas of interest include assisted reproduction, IVF-ICSI, assisted hatching, Artificial insemination with donor material (IAD).
Dr. Aurell graduated from the Autonomous University of Barcelona.
He underwent specialized training in Reproductive medicine from Hammersmith Hospital, London.
Currently, he is the IVF LAB Director at Teknon Hospital, Barcelona.

Contribution to Medical Science
Dr. Aurell is a highly skilled and specialized Fertility specialist in Spain.
He has published various articles in many reputed national and international journals.
He has participated in different projects, conferences and sessions.
He is a member of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), Spanish Association of Fertility (SEF), Spanish Association of Gynaecology and Obstetrics.

Qualification
1999–2007: Specialist in Gynaecology, Obstetrics and Reproductive

Past Experiences:
Medicine at the Dexeus University Institute, Barcelona.

Head of the Obstetrics team.

Head of the IVF team.

Delivery room Coordinator.

Dexeus International Coordinator.

She is Catena work in the Division of Gynaecological Oncology of the Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli – IRCCS in Rome, and she is, currently, one of the referents of the Digital Hysteroscopic Clinic “CLASS Hysteroscopy Center”.

Dr. Catena is member of the Advisory Board of the European Society of Gynecological Endoscopy (ESGE) and she has contributed to the spreading of the Gynaecological Endoscopic Surgical Education and Assessment (GESEA) program within the European Society of Gynaecological Endoscopy (ESGE).

She is chair of the ESGE Special Interest Group (SIG) in “Hysteroscopy” and member of the ESGE SIG (Special Interest Group) in “Innovation in Surgery”.

Dr. Catena is the Chief Mentor of the European Certification Center in Gynaecological Endoscopic Surgery of the Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli – IRCCS in Rome and she is one of the Head Instructors for the European Academy of Gynecological Surgery.

Dr. Abu Al-Ghar has published more than 200 scientific papers in many prestigious scientific journals locally and internationally.

He also participated in writing several scientific books in the field of infertility treatment.

He is a member of many international and local scientific societies and the founder of the Middle East Fertility Society and its first president.

He received the State Award for Scientific Excellence in 1999 and the State Award of Appreciation in Medical Sciences in 2016.

MBBCh (Hons), MD, MFFP, FRCOG, FACOG

He is a renowned international expert in infertility and IVF,
with over 30 years’ experience at the cutting-edge of the field, and over 130 publications including 11 textbooks, 19 chapters and numerous original papers.
A Senior Consultant in Reproductive Medicine & Surgery, a Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists (FRCOG), a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists (FACOG) and a Doctor-of-Medicine (MD) degree holder from Birmingham University, UK.

Delivered over 1000 lectures in international conferences and workshops in the UK, USA, Canada, Japan, China, Belgium, Sweden, France, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkey, Spain, Lebanon, Syria, Kuwait, and the UAE.
Worked in the UK for 20 years where he was the Clinical Director of Gynaecology and Assisted Conception at the Birmingham Women’s University Hospital and a member of various working groups at the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority (HFEA).
Currently, he is the Clinical Director of the Jordan Hospital Fertility Center in Amman, Jordan

New York Stony Brook. Following an OB/GYN residency at Albert Einstein College of Medicine he did his fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the University of Cincinnati.
He also has an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
Dr. Robins is currently the CEO of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.

Prior to joining the ASRM, Dr. Robins has served as a faculty member at the University of Cincinnati, Brown University and Northwestern University, where he served as Chief of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, and as Director of International Medicine. After leaving Northwestern, Dr. Robins was the Global Health Officer and Attending Physician at Vios Fertility Institute.

In addition to his work in clinical care, Dr. Robins has been a prolific and well-funded researcher with numerous publications and grants.
Dr. Robins has long been a member of ASRM and the Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, where he served as Education Committee Chair and Secretary Treasurer.
He has been an Editorial Board member for Fertility and Sterility and a Board Examiner for the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Professor of Reproductive Science
Reproductive Health

In 1992 I joined the PGD team at the Hammersmith Hospital performing clinical biopsies and FISH diagnosis as well as undertaking research into chromosome abnormalities of human embryos.

In 1993 I started a joint project with the Hammersmith Hospital and University College London. In 1996 I designed (with Professor Joy Delahanty and Professor Charles Rodeck) the first of my MSc programmes at UCL that I direct (Prenatal Genetics and Fetal Medicine) and in 2002 I developed a second MSc programme (Reproductive Science and Womens’ Health).

My current roles include being Professor of Reproductive Science, head of the Reproductive Science and Society group, founder of Global Women Connected and Director of the Embryology and PGD Academy.

I have had many senior roles in ESHRE, including co-founder of the ESHRE PGD Consortium. I also have had several roles in the HFEA including chair of the Horizon Scanning Group.

Currently I am co-founder and past chair of the International Reproductive Health Education Collaboration.

Co-founder and co-lead of In Tune, the UK menopause education and support programme.

Co-founder of Swim Her, a research team investigating cold water swimming and women’s health.

FACS, HCLD/TS(ABB), MD
Executive Chair, Women’s Services | Division Chief, Reproductive Medicine
Years of Experience: 25

Dr. Johnny Awwad has 25 years of experience as a Fertility Consultant. After completing a fellowship training in Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility at the Massachusetts General Hospital – Harvard Medical School, he joined the American University of Beirut Medical Center where he set the foundations for In Vitro Fertilization and Minimally Invasive Surgery. He then received his certification in Embryology and Andrology from the American Board of Bioanalysis as a high complexity laboratory director (HCLD).
Dr. Awwad is a Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology and founding Head of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility at the American University of Beirut Medical Center. He is also the founder of the Cryopreservation and Pre-Implantation Genetic programs at the same institution.

Dr. Awwad has a reputation of providing individualized care to couples in a compassionate manner. In addition to his clinical expertise, he is an invited speaker to many international scientific meetings and is the author of more than 110 publications. He has been past President of the Middle East Fertility Society and has recently received the STAR Award at the American Society of Reproductive Medicine.

Consultant Obstetrics and Gynecology, Consultant Reproductive Health
Group Medical Director, ART Fertility Clinics

Prof. Dr. Human M. Fatemi, MD (Magna Cum Laude), is the distinguished Group Medical Director of ART Fertility Clinics in the UAE and India.
With a PhD in Reproductive Medicine and Surgery, he has earned acclaim from the European Society of Human Reproduction as well as the European Board and College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

As a Clinical Professor at the University of Brussels and visiting professor at multiple esteemed institutions globally, his expertise spans across the fields of Gynecology, Surgery and Reproductive Endocrinology.

With over 200+ peer-reviewed publications, a citation report of 4,000 and an H-Index of 35, he is an esteemed journal reviewer and associate editor.

His profound contributions to the field of Reproductive Medicine and Gynaecology include over 300 international conference presentations as well as numerous prestigious grants and awards.

He speaks Dutch, English, Faris (Persian), French and German.

MEDICAL DIRECTOR & FOUNDER OF FERTICLINIC Group

Dr. Elsamawal El Hakim currently holds the position of a Consultant, Reproductive Medicine & Infertility at FertiClinic Fertilization Center.
He received his academic qualifications from the UK, including a CCST in reproductive medicine, FRCOG from the Royal College in London, and a master’s degree from the University of Bristol.

He completed his PhD degree in obstetrics and gynecology from the University of Khartoum in 2002, and a diploma in reproductive health from the University of Liverpool and Imperial College in London in 2001.

Dr. Elsamawal is the first to obtain a master’s degree in Reproductive Medicine and Embryo Growth from the British University of Bristol in 2003, and he obtained a degree of excellence in all subjects.

He also received the Gordon Stewart Distinguished Award in 2003. He obtained the British Fellowship in Obstetrics and Gynecology in 2004 AD, then the Fellowship of the Royal College of Reproductive Medicine and IVF as one of the very few who obtained this degree in the Middle East.

He has many studies, research and scientific papers published in many European and international journals.
He has given a number of lectures in distinguished scientific symposiums and conferences, and his research is focused on the areas of immunity and ovulation stock.

After two years of undergraduate training at the Semmelweis University in Budapest I studied medicine at the Freie Universität Berlin and briefly at the University of California San Francisco. In 1998 I received my MD from Berlin.
I began my residency in obstetrics and gynaecology at the Charité Berlin in 1996 and received my full registration in 2003.
During this time and again afterwards I spent a total of five years as a postdoctoral fellow jointly at Children’s Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital Harvard Medical School in Boston.
Under the guidance of Judah Folkman I began working on angiogenesis and antiangiogenic therapy first in various cancer models and later in endometriosis.

In late 2005 I joined the Nuffield Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Oxford first as a Clinical Fellow and then as a Clinical Lecturer and Subspecialist Trainee in Reproductive Medicine and Surgery. In 2009 I became a Senior Lecturer in Reproductive Medicine and a Honorary Consultant Gynaecologist at the Women’s Centre of the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. In 2013 I became Associate Professor and in 2023 I was appointed as Professor of Reproductive Sciences.

I am the Chairperson of the Guideline Development Group of the ESHRE (European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology) Guideline for the Management of Women with Endometriosis.

I am also a member of the current NICE Guideline Committee for Endometriosis.

Together with Prof Krina Zondervan I co-direct the Endometriosis CaRe Centre in Oxford which we founded in 2013. Our focus is to improve the genetic and molecular understanding of gynaecological conditions including endometriosis, adenomyosis, PCOS, and uterine fibroids and their associated clinical signs and symptoms.

Clinically, I am the Lead for the Endometriosis, Pelvic Pain, Infertility and Adolescent Gynaecology Services at the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust where I regularly treat patients in clinic and in the operating theatre. Together with my NHS colleagues, I am part of the Children and Young Adult Tissue Preservation Team helping patients with cancer and some benign diseases to preserve their fertility for the future.

Dr. Brannigan is a Professor and Vice Chair of Clinical Urology in the Department of Urology at Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine with a clinical and research focus on male reproductive medicine and surgery.
He obtained undergraduate and medical degrees from Northwestern University. After completing residency training in Urology at Northwestern, he entered a fellowship in Male Reproductive Medicine and Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine.
He returned to join the faculty at Northwestern in 1999 where he is a Professor and Director of the Andrology Fellowship. Over half of his prior fellows now hold faculty positions at academic medical centers. Within Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, he serves as the Assistant Director of Student Affairs in the Augusta Webster Office of Medical Education.

Academic Focus

Dr. Brannigan has been actively involved in the leadership of many national organizations and societies.
He is a Past President of the Society for Male Reproduction and Urology (SMRU) and also a Past President of the Society for the Study of Male Reproduction (SSMR).
He has served on the Examination Committee for the American Board of Urology, the Core Curriculum Committee for the American Urological Association, and the Board of Directors for the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.
He is an Editorial Editor for the journal Fertility and Sterility, a former Assistant Editor for The Journal of Urology, and an ad hoc reviewer for numerous other peer-reviewed journals.

Clinical Focus

Dr. Brannigan’s clinical concentration is male reproductive medicine and surgery.
His surgical interests include performing: microsurgical vasectomy reversal; microsurgical varicocelectomy; micro-TESE for sperm extraction; and vasectomy.
He treats hypogonadism (low testosterone) in males, including hypogonadism associated with aging and congenital causes such as Klinefelter’s syndrome.
His primary research focuses on fertility preservation (oncofertility) in adolescent and adult male patients with cancer.

MD, MA, FRCOG, FRCS(C), HCLD, FACOG, FACS

Botros Rizk is Medical Director, Elite IVF in Houston, Texas and former Professor and Head of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and Medical and Scientific Director of USA In vitro fertilization and assisted reproduction at the University of South Alabama for 25 years from 1993 to 2019.

Dr. Rizk currently leads Elite IVF, Houston, Texas a premier assisted reproductive technology center in Texas.

Dr. Rizk is past President of the Middle East Fertility Society. He currently serves as distinguished Adjunct Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Cairo University, Egypt and served as Distinguished adjunct Professor of Reproductive Medicine at King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Dr. Rizk is distinguished Adjunct Scientific Director of IVF Michigan Rochester Hills.
Dr. Rizk is the scientific and Lab Director of the Columbus Center for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. Dr. Rizk was visiting professor in the Cleveland Clinic reproductive medicine course.

Mentored by Nobel Laureate Professor Robert Edwards, recipient of the Nobel prize in Medicine for achieving the first successful In Vitro fertilization in the world, Dr. Rizk started his career in Reproductive Medicine in London and Cambridge in the era of the legends where most of the current scientific developments and medical protocols were invented.
He joined the prestigious University of Cambridge for three years from 1990 to 1993 as Clinical Lecturer and Senior Registrar.

Dr. Rizk is board certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologist in England, as well as, the American Board of Bioanalysts in Embryology and Andrology.

Dr. Rizk’s clinical and research interests have focused on ovarian stimulation including the development of the long agonist protocol which became the standard for two decades of IVF.
He is internationally considered a leading authority on ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome and made original contributions to the pathophysiology and prevention of the syndrome.
Dr. Rizk authored a book solely dedicated to ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome that is considered the standard reference for OHSS.
Dr. Rizk is an authority on endometriosis; its novel medical management and robotic surgery.
Dr. Rizk is the principal investigator for tens of clinical trials for the FDA over the last three decades.

Professor Rizk edited and authored twenty eight medical textbooks and more than four hundred manuscripts embracing different aspects of infertility and assisted reproduction, as well as, ultrasonography and robotic surgery.
Dr. Rizk is one of the early members of European Society for Human Reproduction and a founding member of Middle East Fertility Society.

Prof. Feki MD-PhD specializes in OBGYN, reproductive medicine, and gynaecological surgery.

At Geneva University Hospitals, he led the Stem Cell Lab, deriving the first hESc cell line and iPSC in Switzerland.

He taught at the Fribourg and the Geneva Faculties of Medicine since respectively 2013 and 2006.

He held executive roles in, EBCOG, ESHRE chair-elect and associate member of the French Academy of Surgery.
He has published over 200 scientific articles.

Fertility Specialist
Medical Scientific Coordinator, Genera Rome
GeneraLife Centers for Reproductive Medicine, Rome, Italy

Alberto Vaiarelli is a gynaecologist fertility specialist.
He is Medical Scientific Coordinator at Genera Rome – GeneraLife Centers for Reproductive Medicine.

During his training, he completed a clinical observership at Yale University and was a clinical fellow at CRG of UZ in Brussels.

He obtained a Ph.D. and Post-doctor Fellow in Reproductive Endocrinology at the University of Messina.
He obtained two Master in Reproductive Medicine, Andrology and Assisted Reproductive Technology.

He is author and co-author of more than 68 original research papers and reviews published on peer-reviewed journals (indexed in PubMed with more than 1400 citations and an h-index of 24 in ISI Web of Science) and authored many chapters on national and international textbooks.

In 2018, he achieved the national certification as Associate Professor and in 2021 as Full Professor in Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

He is internationally recognized for his expertise in Reproductive Medicine as evidenced by invitations to speak at national and international scientific meetings (more than 100).

His scientific work is primarily focused on the management of poor prognosis patients and on the improvement of efficacy and efficiency in IVF.