Dr. Arav is a leading scientist in the field of cryobiology and reproduction. He founded Galcore ltd, IMT Ltd and Core Dynamics Ltd, all of these companies specialized in the fields of Cryiobiology and were based on Dr. Arav's patents.

Dr. Arav has received his Bachelor degree of Animal Science from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M) degree from the University of Bologna, Italy. His PhD degree in neuroscience physiology and biomedical engineering was a combined project of the University of Bologna and the University of California at Berkeley. Post doctorate was done at the Center for Biostabilization, University of California at Davis.

He has published his research in over 150 scientific papers, in peer-reviewed journals. Filed over 60 patents and is the recipient of many prizes for basic and applied research.

Ana graduated from the University del Valle in Colombia in 1988. She obtained her Master degree of Biological Sciences in Reproduction Biology at the University of Chile in 1994. She moved to Spain in 1995, when she joined the Instituto Valenciano de Infertilidad (IVI) and obtained a Master’s degree in Human Reproduction at the University of Valencia, Spain, in 1998. She completed her doctorate in 2008 when she received her PhD. degree from the University of Valencia. She has worked as an embryologist for more than 20 years and became interested in oocytes cryopreservation in the early 1990s, while completing her Master’s degree and doctoral thesis works on this subject. She is currently a senior embryologist at the IVI in Valencia, where she is the Director of the Cryobiology Unit in the IVF lab. She has published over 100 articles and book chapters, mostly on cryopreservation in IVF. Her teaching activities focus on directing the continuous training program in the vitrification of oocytes and embryos at the IVI learning center. She is a professor in the postgraduate master course in Human Reproduction at the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos and in the master course in Infertility- psychosocial aspects at ADEIT ascribed to the University of Valencia.

After his residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology in the University of Hacettepe, Dr Urman completed a 3-year fellowship program in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility in Vancouver, Canada. He returned to Hacettepe University in 1991 and participated in the foundation of one of the first IVF clinics in Turkey. He worked as an Associate Professor until 1996 in the same institution. Dr Urman resigned from the university in 1996 and founded the Assisted Reproduction Unit of the American Hospital of Istanbul, one of the biggest IVF centers in the country. His major areas of interest are clinical assisted reproduction, laparoscopic and hysteroscopic surgery, endometriosis and fibroid research. He has published extensively in these fields, having over 180 articles published in renowned international journals. He has written several book chapters and lectured in numerous national and international meetings. He is a reviewer for many international journals. He served as the president of the Turkish Society of Reproductive Medicine between 2007 and 2012. In 2011 he was appointed as a clinical faculty of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Koc University School of Medicine. He was the Department Head of the same department for 4 years. Dr. Bulent Urman has the highest H index among Turkish Gynecologists and was awarded as one of the 100 most influential physicians in the Turkey.

Claus Yding Andersen is Scientific Director of Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Denmark and Professor of Human Reproductive Physiology within the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen.

Professor Andersen was a member of the team that introduced IVF to Denmark in the mid-1980s and has during the last twenty years headed a national program of cryopreservation of human ovarian and testicular tissue. He is considered one of the pioneers in this field and continue to expand indications for the use of ovarian tissue cryopreservation in different clinical settings.

He has published more than 400 scientific papers. His current H-index is 73 (Google scholar) with more than 18.000 citations and he has made numerous international presentations and is currently chief editor on the Reproduction section in Frontiers in Endocrinology.

Professor Dror Meirow is the chair of the Morris Kahn Center for Fertility Preservation Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, at Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel. He is a Professor at the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Israel. Former President of the International Society of Fertility Preservation (ISFP).

Prof. Meirow received his M.D. from the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel. He then specialized and practiced as a senior physician in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Hadassah University Hospital. He conducted his basic research training at the Center for Reproduction Growth and Development with Prof. Roger Gosden at the University Leeds, UK. Since 2001, Prof Meirow founded the Clinical Center for Fertility Preservation and the Fertility Preservation Research Laboratory at Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer Israel.

Professor Meirow's basic and clinical research is focused on the effects of chemotherapy on reproduction, and modalities for fertility preservation especially on ovarian tissue harvesting for fertility preservation, and medications that can prevent chemotherapy-induced ovarian damage. Prof. Meirow reported in the New England Journal of Medicine the first case of IVF, pregnancy, and delivery of a healthy baby to result from transplantation of cryopreserved thawed ovarian tissue in a sterilized former cancer patient. Prof. Meirow's laboratory team published a pioneer study in Science Journal providing a new understanding of the "Burn-out" mechanisms involved in chemotherapy-induced ovarian damage, and testing a novel fertility-protecting agent.

Professor Evelyn Telfer holds a chair in Reproductive Biology at the University of Edinburgh and heads a research group in Ovarian Development within the Institute of Cell Biology and Genes and Development Group (CDBS). Her group has a particular interest in developing in vitro models to support oocyte development from immature stages in domestic species and human. Evelyn’s group has developed a culture system that supports in vitro growth of human and bovine primordial follicles to the Metaphase II stage. They are now using these models to study the potential of female germ line stem cells isolated from adult ovaries in a range of species.

Evelyn has published widely in this area and is a regular invited speaker at International meetings, she has several international collaborations and her research is funded by the Medical Research Council U.K. and The Wellcome Trust. Her group has won several awards at international meetings and in 2019 she received the distinguished scientist award from the Society of Reproduction and Fertility and delivered the Anne McLaren memorial lecture at the U.K. Joint Fertility Societies meeting. Evelyn also has an interest in the Public understanding of science and she contributes to workshops and delivers lectures at science festivals and other public forums.

Dr. Glenn L. Schattman is an Associate Professor at The Ronald O. Perelman and Claudia Cohen Center for Reproductive Medicine (CRM) of Weill Cornell Medical College. He earned his undergraduate degree from St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York, his medical degree from the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, and completed his residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at The George Washington University Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Dr. Schattman completed his training with a fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the Center for Reproductive Medicine at Weill Cornell and joined the Center’s faculty in 1993.

Dr. Schattman’s current work is focused on fertility preservation for cancer patients, both before and after treatment. Quality of life in cancer survivors includes the ability to have a family. He was a founding member of the Alliance for Fertility Preservation and now serves as its Chairman. Education and access to fertility preservation information and services are a critical part of the organization’s mission. He is also involved in research on ovarian tissue cryopreservation and improving tissue re-vascularization to reduce the stress and follicle loss associated with transplantation.

Teaching and mentoring medical students, residents, and fellows is also a large part of Dr. Schattman’s role at Weill Cornell. In addition to receiving a “Best Doctor” award, he has been honored for his teaching with the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics Excellence in Teaching Award and the Best Teacher Award at New York Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical Center.

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Among his key contributions, development and performance of first successful orthotopic (Oktay & Karlikaya, NEJM 2000) and heterotopic (Oktay et al JAMA 2001 and Oktay et al Lancet 2004) ovarian transplantation procedures with cryopreserved tissue, development of tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitor supplemented ovarian stimulation protocols for breast cancer patients (Oktay et al, Journal of Clinical Oncology 2005), development of random start protocols (Oktay et al Fertil Steril 2008 and Sonmezer…Oktay Fertil Steril 2011), discovery of the impact of BRCA mutations on ovarian reserve (Oktay et al Journal of Clinical Oncology 2010) and aging (Titus…Oktay, Science Translational Medicine 2013) and development and performance of first successful robot assisted ovarian transplantation techniques (Oktay et al, Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2016). He is also the founder and first president of Fertility Preservation Special Interest Group at American Society of Reproductive Medicine and co-chair of Fertility Preservation Guidelines Committee at the American Society of Clinical Oncology since 2005.

Marie-Madeleine Dolmans is head of the Gynecology Research Laboratory at the Université Catholique de Louvain in Brussels since 2012, and “Chef de Clinique associé” at the Cliniques Universitaires Saint Luc, Brussels, Belgium. She works part time in research and part time in clinics. She has been invited speaker at many international fertility congresses, including ESHRE, COGI, ESGE and the European Congress of Endocrinology. She is vice president of the International Society for Fertility Preservation, serves on the editorial board of Fertility and Sterility and the Journal of Assisted Reproduction, and is a reviewer for other international scientific journals. Her extensive publication work covers fertility aspects of ovarian tissue cryopreservation, fibroids and endometriosis.

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Özgur Öktem was born in 1971 He earned his MD degree from Erciyes University School of Medicine in 1996, and finished his residency training in 2001 at the department of obstetrics and gynecology, Marmara University School of Medicine. Later, he continued his academic carrier in the USA where he completed postdoctoral fellowship in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at the Center for Reproductive Medicine and Infertility of Weill Medical College of Cornell University in New York between 2003-2005. After completing his fellowship program, Dr. Oktem attended as a postdoc in the developmental and molecular cancer biology programs of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York between 2005-2008. He worked as attending staff and associate professor at American Hospital women’s health center assisted reproduction unit between 2008-2013.He is currently a full time professor of obstetrics and gynecology and assisted reproduction unit at Koc University Hospital and School of Medicine. Dr Oktem is also the founder and co- director of reproductive medicine master of science and reproductive medicine PhD programs in the Graduate School of Health Sciences at Koc University where he is mentoring Turkish and international students from different countries. He received several national and international awards including the President’s Distinguished Prize by the American Society of Gynecologic Investigations (SGI) in 2008, the American Society of Reproductive Medicine prize paper awards in 2013, 2015 and 2016, Turkish Society of Reproductive Medicine award in 2014 and Koc University Outstanding Faculty award in 2015 Sedat Simavi Foundation Health Science Award 2018 His clinical and research areas of interest include infertility, assisted reproduction techniques, preservation of fertility in cancer patients (oocyte/embryo freezing and ovarian tissue cryopreservation), molecular mechanisms of oocyte death post-chemotherapy, corpus luteum biology and luteal phase defect, endoscopic surgery (laparoscopy/hysteroscopy), premature menopause, polycystic ovarian syndrome.

Trained in Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Edinburgh, with a WHO Research Fellow post then Subspecialty training in Reproductive Medicine with David Baird. After a year in UC San Diego he returned to the MRC Human Reproductive Sciences Unit in 1998 with a Consultant post in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. Subsequently appointed to Chair of Clinical Reproductive Science at the University in 2005: over subsequent years established a group investigating female reproductive lifespan, with laboratory and clinical aspects particularly related to the adverse effects of cancer treatment on fertility. He has also conducted clinical studies developing our understanding of the novel neuropeptides kisspeptin and neurokinin B in human reproductive function in men and women. He is past Coordinator of the ESHRE Special Interest Group in Fertility Preservation, and is a member of the HFEA Scientific and Clinical Advances Advisory Committee and the ESHRE Executive Committee.

Dr. Herman Tournaye is full and chairman of the department of Gynecology-Fertility in the university hospital of The Dutch-speaking Brussels Free University (Vrije Universiteit Brussel - VUB) where he graduated in 1986 as a medical doctor. After his training as a gynecologist in 1991, he joined the Centre for Reproductive Medicine Brussels where he became clinical and scientific director in 2011. In 1994 he obtained a phD in medical sciences at the VUB. Apart from reproductive medicine, he has a special interest in reproductive andrology. In 2000 he started the research group BITE (biology of the testis) at the VUB focussing on the reproductive potential of testicular stem cells. He has authored over 400 peer-reviewed papers, including >50 as a first and >80 as a last author (Web of Science h-index of 60). At the medical faculty he teaches developmental biology/embryology and reproductive medicine. He is coordinator of the international training centres of the European Board and College for Obstetrics and Gynecology (EBCOG) and the European Academy for Andrology (EAA), both associated to his university hospital.

Xavier Santamaria M.D, Ph.D. is a specialist obstetrician and gynecologist in Reproductive Medicine working as a clinician at IVI Valencia from 2010 to 2012 and IVI Barcelona from 2012 to 2020. He was Head of Equipo IVI International Department Area from 2012 until July 2016.

He has lately focused his work on the field of biomedical research research to investigate in the Asherman’s Sydrome at Igenomix besides his research projects in Endometriosis and Liquid Biopsy as Biomedical Investigator in Gynecology at the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute. With his team he is developing an new therapeutic approach to treat Asherman Syndrome and he has obtained for the first time the Orphan Drug Designation of the EMA (European Medicines Agency) and FDA (Food and Drug Administration) for stem cell therapy in this pathology.

On graduation as Medical Doctor in 2003, he was board certified in obstetrics and gynecology at the Hospital del Mar (Barcelona) in 2008 and completed a Doctoral Degree at the Universitat Autònoma of Barcelona in 2013. While preparing his PhD, he obtained a post-graduate fellowship on Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Yale University (2008-2010) at Dr Hugh Taylor’s Lab.

Among his large post-graduate training, he performed Laparoscopic Surgery Fellowship under the supervision of Professor Querleu at the Institute Claudius Regaud - Toulouse (France) and he has recently has obtained the ESHRE Reproductive Surgery Certificate. He also improved his research skills at The Frontiers in Reproduction Course at the Marine Biological Laboratory - Woods Hole (USA) in 2008.

Dr. Santamaría was awarded with the Prize as Best Oral Presentation for Young Investigators at the Society of Gynecological Investigation Meeting (2009), CajaMadrid Post Graduate Grant (2008), Burroughs Wellcome Fund (2008) and has raised fundings for research from CDTI (Centro Desarrollo Tecnico Industrial) . He is main author of more than 20 articles in the international journals, 11 chapters in books and invited speaker in more than 80 international conferences and he is currently member of the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) and of the Spanish Fertility Society (SEF).

Dr. Yoni Baert obtained his PhD in Medical Sciences at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Brussels, Belgium) with a thesis on male fertility preservation and published several papers in Q1 reproduction and tissue engineering journals. Since 2016, he has been working as a postdoctoral fellow for the Scientific Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) with a focus on exploring advanced 3D culture systems to model the testis. He was a visiting scientist at the Karolinska Institute (Stockholm, Sweden) and Monash University (Melbourne, Australia) and held the position of President of the Network for Young Researchers in Andrology until 2019.

Basak Balaban obtained her Bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Ankara,Turkey, She had her reproductive biology and clinical embryology training in Ankara, Turkey followed by education in Brussel Free University Infertility Center and The Schoysman Infertility Manegement Foundation , Brussels, Belgium. She’s the IVF Lab. Director in the American Hospital of Istanbul, Turkey since 1996, and the scientific advisor of the IVF laboratory in Koc University Hospital since 2016. She has contributed extensively to the field of clinical embryology with international publications, book chapters and invited lectures with her major interest areas being on embryo selection, in-vitro culture techniques, cryopreservation, and blastocyst culture. She had been the chair of the Alpha society- Scientists in Reproductive Medicine for two terms from 2008 to 2012. After being a member of ESHRE CNR (Committee for National Representatives) for 2 terms, she’s elected as an executive board member of ESHRE since 2015. She’s one of the founding members, past- chair for 2 terms and currently a board member of the Turkish Society of Clinical Embryologists (KED). She’s also in the executive board of TSRM (Turkish Society of Reproductive Medicine) society.

Dr. Sinan Ozkavukcu was born in Ankara, Turkey in 1976. He studied medicine in Ankara University School of Medicine and was graduated in year 2000. He received medical specialist degree from Ankara University School of Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology with the thesis subject of "Effects of cryopreservation on sperm parameters and ultrastructural morphology of human spermatozoa". He worked as postdoc researcher at Sperm Physiology Laboratory, in Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yale University under supervision of Dr. Gabor Huszar. He continued his research fellowship at Division of Reproductive Medicine & Institute for Fertility Preservation, New York Medical College with Dr. Kutluk Oktay. Dr. Ozkavukcu is currently working as the Director of Embryology Laboratory in Center for Assisted Reproduction, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ankara University School of Medicine. His main research topics include regulation of spermatogenesis, fertility preservation and folliculogenesis.

Born in Silivri in 1973, Dr. Necati FINDIKLI completed his undergraduate education in Molecular Biology & Genetics at Boğaziçi University and his master's degree in Bioengineering at Bilkent University in the same field. He started his professional career as a Research Scientist in Institute of Cancer Research, London. In 2000, he moved into the field of reproductive medicine and started to work in Memorial Hospital IVF & Genetics Centre as Clinical Embryologist & R&D Laboratory Director. Between 2006 and 2012, he worked as IVF Laboratory Director as well as Scientific Consultant in several prestigious hospitals and foreign healthcare institutions. He joined Bahçeci Health Group in 2012 as the director of IVF laboratories. He has been working as Scientific Director in the same organization since 2016. Dr. Findikli has more than 30 articles and 10 book chapters in the field of reproductive medicine & genetics. His special interests include gamete and embryo cryopreservation, reproductive genetics, reproductive system stem cells, digitalization as well as application of artificial intelligence in IVF.

He currently serves as the Secretary General in the Turkish Society of Fertility Preservation (URSAK; TSFP). Necati FINDIKLI is also a founding member and current President of the Turkish Society of Clinical Embryology (KED). He is an active member in several international societies including European Society of Human reproduction & Embryology (ESHRE), American Society of Reproductive medicine (ASRM). Dr. Findikli is also a lecturer at the Biomedical Engineering Department of Beykent University, Turkey.