Peter Bauer
Germany
Peter Bauer
Prof. Peter Bauer, M.D. is member of the executive board of CENTOGENE GmbH, Rostock (Germany) where he has continuously broadened the portfolio and increased the efficiency in diagnostic processes through implementation of high-throughput Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS). Besides large screening projects, where thousands of samples receive limited genotyping and biomarker profiling, he designed and implemented the diagnostic Whole Genome Sequencing workflow at CENTOGENE becoming the first European diagnostic provider in rare diseases. Since 2017, as Chief Scientific Officer, he focused on bioinformatics integration of genomics, transcriptomics, and peptidomics for rare diseases and somatic cancer analysis. Moreover, he developed a strategy for patient-derived cellular models including inducible pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which are used to model rare disease (“study-in-a-dish”), enhance early biomarker identification, and help to validate potential compounds in preclinical settings. More recently, he developed dried-blood spot-based RNA sequencing for research and diagnostic cases and strengthened the Biodatabank with disease insight tools including a new platform approach for identification of modifier genes in rare diseases.
From 2001 to 2015, he has headed Molecular Genetics and the Core Facility for Applied Transcriptomics and Genomics, Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, Tübingen. In diagnostics, he has established a broad portfolio of technologies and tests within the Institute focusing on neurodegenerative diseases, genetics of intellectual disability and cardiogenetics. The diagnostic laboratory uses all current molecular technologies including PCR / Sanger sequencing, MLPA, real-time PCR, SNP array diagnostics, and next-generation sequencing making the Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics a highly visible academic supplier of cutting edge molecular genetic testing. He still holds a teaching and research position at the Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics in Tübingen. From 2016 to 2021, he was holding a teaching position at the University Hospital in Tübingen, since September 2022, he joined the University Medicine Rostock with teaching in human genetics and clinical services for patients with rare tumor syndromes.
His research focus lies on the genomic analysis and diagnostics of neurodegenerative diseases, where he has authored more than 250 peer-reviewed publications. He is partner in several European networks dealing with the implementation of NGS in clinical practice (EMQN, TECHGENE, ad-hoc commission for genetic testing of the German Society of Human Genetics). Furthermore, he is committed to Next-Generation-Sequencing diagnostics and developing NGS guidelines. He has broad experience in Next-Generation-Sequencing application both in research and diagnostics.
Art Beaudet
USA
Art Beaudet
Beaudet received his M.D. from Yale, did pediatric residency at Johns Hopkins, and was a research associate at the NIH before joining Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) in 1971 where he remained until 2020. Beaudet has made diverse contributions in the field of mammalian genetics including discovery of uniparental disomy in humans, identifying the Angelman syndrome gene, and publishing over 400 original research articles. Beaudet is a well-known editor of the Metabolic and Molecular Bases of Inherited Disease textbook for the 6th through 8th editions; he has served on many editorial boards and national review panels. He was President of the American Society of Human Genetics in 1998 and was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 1995 and to the National Academy of Sciences in 2011. Beaudet is currently the founder and CEO of Luna Genetics, which is focused on launching cell-based noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) as a new form of genetic prenatal diagnosis.
Toni Borrell
Catalunya
Toni Borrell
Dr. Antoni Borrell’s interest is in the field of Fetal Medicine, particularly Prenatal Diagnosis and Screening of congenital anomalies, Fetal Ultrasound and Reproductive Genetics. An area of expertise is the ultrasound recognition of fetal syndromes, another is in prenatal genetic diagnosis and screening. He is Senior Consultant in Fetal Medicine at Hospital Clinic Barcelona, director of the prenatal diagnosis programme, and Associated Professor of the University of Barcelona. He has published extensively in the fields of interest. He is member of numerous scientific societies, and at present, he is the Chair of the First Trimester Quality Control Committee and advisor of the Catalan Health Department, and President of the Fetoscopy Working Group.
Martine De Rycke
Belgium
Martine De Rycke
Martine De Rycke was trained as a bio-engineer at the VUB, Brussels with a PhD in molecular biology (1992). She has been working in PGT diagnostics since 1998 at the Centre for Medical Genetics, University Hospital Brussels. At present, she is a member of the Special Advisory Group GENQA for EQA for PGT; she has been involved in the ESHRE PGT consortium (as steering committee member, as chair, as past-chair, as special advisor from 2022 onwards) and she is the current chair of the PGT working group of the Belgian Society for Human Genetics. Her research interest is on the epigenetic safety of ART.
Tony Gordon
UK
Tony Gordon
Dr Gordon is a PhD molecular cytogeneticist with over 20yrs experience in molecular diagnostics. After working at the Institute of Cancer Research (UK_ in the ‘90’s he moved to a number of companies in the diagnostics field, firstly Eurofins (MWG Biotech) then Tecan before joining BlueGnome in 2006.
In 2008 Dr Gordon started the 24sure (PGTA/SR) and Karyomapping (PGTM) tests within BlueGnome. Subsequently the vast majority of global PGT-A then became performed using 24sure/VeriSeq PGT-A and in 2012 BlueGnome was sold to Illumina.
After briefly working for Illumina, in 2013 Dr Gordon joined Genesis Genetics, a leading global company for PGT-M/SR and PGT-A where he was the Managing Director for the five Genesis Genetics USA laboratories, plus Laboratory Director for the two Genesis Genetics UK laboratories. In April 2016 Genesis Genetics laboratories were sold to Cooper Surgical (USA).
Dr Gordon is currently at CooperGenomics, part of Cooper Fertility and Genomics Solutions, where he is the Director of Clinical Operations (UK labs) and the Global Vice President for Business Development. Dr Gordon continues to work in the PGT field, publishing scientific papers, conducting scientific trials (STAR RCT) working to bring scientific developments and innovation to the PGT field.
Dr Gordon is also a UK State Registered Clinical scientist (HCPC) and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology (FRSB).
Avner Hershlag
USA
Avner Hershlag
Dr. Hershlag is a Reproductive Endocrinologist at Island Fertility.
He is a Visiting Professor at Stony Brook School of Medicine.
He is also Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine at the Hofstra/Zucker School of Medicine.
He also serves as the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Modern Fertility.
Dr. Hershlag served as the Chief of Northwell Fertility between 2011-2018. He was also the Program Director of the Fellowship Program in Reproductive Endocrinology, which he had established.
Dr. Hershlag is double board-certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and in Reproductive Endocrinology.
He has cared for patients for more than 30 years and established successful programs at Northwell Health, including: Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT), Egg Freezing, Fertility Preservation for cancer patients and Donor Eggs (“Third Party Reproduction).
Dr. Hershlag completed his undergraduate and graduate education training in his native country, Israel, and graduated from the Hadassah Medical School in Jerusalem. Following three years of a General Surgery residency at Hadassah, Dr. Hershlag moved to the United States in 1984. Here, he completed his Ob-Gyn residency at the George Washington University Medical Center and a fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology at Yale University School of Medicine.
His research has recently focused on the impact of genetics on infertility, as well as fertility preservation and prevention of cancer through genetic screening and PGT. He is also invested in access to fertility care and the ethics of reproductive technologies.
Dr. Hershlag frequently participates in international conferences. Most recently he has organized and co-chaired the SARG meeting in Tel Aviv, Israel (virtual in 2020) and chaired a course in preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) at the CoGen meeting Paris, France (virtual in 2020.)
He is a past member of the board of directors of RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association. Dr. Hershlag is the author of over 75 peer-reviewed papers, over 30 book chapters, and a novel entitled, Misconception. He is the recipient of several awards including Castle Connolly’s Top Doctors over the past several years and the ASRM 2019 Star Award.
Svetlana Madjunkova
Canada
Svetlana Madjunkova
Dr Svetlana Madjunkova is Director of Reproductive Genetics Department at CReATe Fertility Centre and director of the CReATe Reproductive Genetics laboratory, Toronto, Canada and adjunct faculty with Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Temetry Faculty of Medicine, at University of Toronto. She holds an MD degree with honors and MSc and PhD in reproductive genetics. She also has completed fellowships in advanced prenatal diagnosis and reproductive toxicology at Mount Sinai and SickKids Hospitals in Toronto. She has been dedicated actively working in the field of reproductive genetics for more than 15 years.
Her laboratory is uniquely positioned to provide advanced clinical preimplantation; fertility related genetic testing and translate research and new genomic technologies into clinical tests. Dr Madjunkova and her team developed PGT-SR test for couples with balanced rearrangements and are leading the clinical adaptation of non-invasive PGT testing. Her research team works on projects aimed at improving embryo selection, preimplantation testing and further research in reproductive failure and improving outcomes in ARTs. Her interest is in the development of novel technologies for non-invasive and comprehensive multi-omic assessment of embryos and fetuses and well as in the parental genetic and epigenetic contribution to developing embryo, fetus and offspring. She is leading a collaborative effort to study the effects of mosaicism on early embryo development and short- and long-term consequences on child development.
She has published over 50 peer reviewed papers, over 100 scientific communications and frequent speaker at National and International meetings. Dr Madjunkova is a recipient of many awards and fellowships and recognized for her educative work.
Dr Madjunkova is co-directing Reproductive Genetics course for the Master of Health Sciences program in Clinical Embryology with the Department of LMP and is actively involved in reproductive genetics training for Genetic counselling students from MSc program at University of Toronto, supervising graduate, postgraduate students and REI fellows.
Dr Madjunkova is a member of the Board of Directors of Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society and Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis International Society.
Christian Ottolini
UK
Christian Ottolini
Nathan Treff
USA
Nathan Treff
Dr. Treff received his PhD in Biochemistry from Washington State University in 2003 and performed postdoctoral fellowships in embryonic stem cell biology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2004 and reproductive genetics at EMD Serono in 2005. He previously served as a Research Director at RMA of New Jersey for over 10 years. He is currently Board Certified (ABB) in Molecular Diagnostics as a High Complexity Laboratory Director, a cofounder and the CSO and Clinical Laboratory Director of Genomic Prediction, and an Associate Professor at Rutgers University. He also serves as a Senior Editor of Fertility and Sterility Science and JARG, has published over 100 peer reviewed papers in reproductive genetics, and has received 7 awards from the ASRM. His research on PGT has been reported on by the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Forbes, and the Economist, among other media outlets.
Neeta Vora
USA
Neeta Vora
Dr. Vora is triple boarded in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal Fetal Medicine, and Clinical Genetics. She completed her residency and fellowship at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, MA, and joined UNC OB-GYN’s Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine in 2012. She is now an associate professor and serves as the Director of Reproductive Genetics at UNC.
Dr. Vora has authored more than 50 articles on prenatal genetics, ranging from cell free DNA to whole exome and genome sequencing. She has a K23 from the NICHD to study use of new genomic technologies in obstetrics and an R21 to study novel genes critical to human brain development in a zebrafish model. She is a co-investigator on a multicenter prenatal whole genome sequencing grant.
Eini Westenius
Sweden
Eini Westenius
Eini Westenius, M.D. is a doctoral (PhD) student in the Rare Diseases research group in the Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery at Karolinska Institutet and a resident in the Department of Clinical Genetics at Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden.
She was born in Finland and studied Medicine at the University of Eastern Finland. She later moved on to Stockholm and started working within clinical genetics. She has recently started in the research field and her research work focuses on developing new genomic tools in prenatal diagnosis.
