Overview

Vincenzo Berghella is originally from Pescara, Italy, where he moved after high school to attend Manhattanville College, New York, USA. He did medical school at Thomas Jefferson University (TJU), in Philadelphia; Ob-Gyn Residency at New York Downtown Hospital in Manhattan, New York City, and Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM) Fellowship at TJU, in Philadelphia, where he remained and is now Director of the MFM Division and Fellowship Program.

Vincenzo Berghella (VB) has authored over 350 peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts, is the editor or co-editor of medical textbooks such as ‘Obstetric Evidence Based Guidelines’ (in 3rd edition), ‘Maternal Fetal Evidence Based Guidelines’ (in 3rd edition), ‘Evidence Based Labor and Delivery’, ‘Obstetrics: normal and abnormal pregnancies’, and ‘Operative Obstetrics.’ He is also the author of over 40 other books (see www.amazon.com). VB has been a member and leader (chairman) of several Committees of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG), is an Oral Examiner for the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG) for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, is a Past-President of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM), and is a Board member of the SMFM Foundation. He is Associate Editor for the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (AJOG), Editor in chief of AJOG MFM (Founding Editor), Editor for the Journal of Maternal Fetal and Neonatal Medicine, and Associate Editor for the Cochrane Review. He works as a clinician (50% of the time) at TJU, educator, and clinical researcher. His research interests are in high-risk pregnancy, in particular, but not limited to prediction and prevention of preterm birth, and management of labor and delivery.
 

Prof. Dr Rabih Chaoui, was born and schooled in Beirut, Lebanon. His medical studies and specialisation in obstetrics and gynecology were undertaken at the Charité Medical School, Humboldt University, in Berlin, Germany. Between 2001 and 2004, he was professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Charité University Hospital, Berlin and since 2004 he has worked at the Center of Prenatal Diagnosis and Human Genetics in Berlin. An ISUOG member since 1994, he has been a Board member from 2003 to 2013, including two terms as Chair of the Education Committee, and received the Stuart Campbell Award for Education in 2018.

Prof. Dr Chaoui has written three books on fetal ultrasound and more than 250 papers and monographies. Since 1986, his major interest has been in fetal ultrasound to include fetal heart, fetal 3D, first trimester ultrasound, ultrasound in genetic diseases and high-resolution ultrasound.

I have spent my entire research career investigating cytomegalovirus (CMV). My training is in medical virology and I have committed considerable time to developing new laboratory assays and defining their performance in populations of humans. This led me to apply those methods to evaluate antiviral drugs and prototype vaccines against CMV in randomised controlled trials.

In performing this work I have mentored a series of trainees who have gone on to independent careers of their own in virology.

I consider my four most influential publications to be:

Emery VC, Cope AV, Bowen EF, Gor D, Griffiths PD.  The dynamics of human cytomegalovirus replication in vivo.  Journal of Experimental Medicine (1999), 190,177-182.

Emery VC, Sabin CA, Cope AV, Gor D, Hassan-Walker AF, Griffiths PD.  Application of viral load to identify patients who develop cytomegalovirus disease after transplantation. Lancet (2000),355,2032-2036.

Griffiths PD, McLean A, Emery VC.  Encouraging prospects for immunisation against primary cytomegalovirus.  Vaccine (2001), 19, 1356-1362.

Griffiths PD, Stanton A, McCarrell E, Smith C, Osman M, Harber M, Davenport A, Jones G, Wheeler DC, O’Beirne J, Thorburn D, Patch D, Atkinson CE, Pichon S, Sweny P, Lanzman M, Woodford E, Rothwell E, Old N, Kinyanjui R, Haque T, Atabani S, Luck S, Prideaux S, Milne RSB, Emery VC, Burroughs AK. Cytomegalovirus glycoprotein-B vaccine with MF59 adjuvant in transplant recipients: a phase 2 randomised placebo-controlled trial. Lancet (2011), 377:1256-63.

Prof. Mauricio Herrera is an OB/GYN with a particular speciality in maternal fetal medicine, fetal cardiology and fetal neurology. Prof. Herrera began his work in MFM and prenatal diagnosis in 2000. In the same year, he created the Maternal Fetal Unit of Colsanitas Clinic in Bogota, Colombia. He is also responsible for begining the first recognised fellowship program in MFM at the University of Rosary School of Medicine in Colombia.

Currently, he is the Director of the Fellowship program in MFM, Fetal Cardiology and Fetal Neurology at the Sanitas University and University of the Rosary. As Director of the fellowship program, he is responsible for research and education in the unit and for all courses and online education offered by Sanitas University.

He is currently ISUOG's Ambassador to Colombia and Latin America at large.

You can follow him on Twitter at @mherreram

Country: Colombia

Field: Obstetrics

Specialties: Fetal anomaly screening T1 & T2; fetal anomalies; fetal heart; fetal brain; fetal growth restriction; multiple pregnancy; preeclampsia; preterm delivery; fetal neurology; fetal CNS

Languages: English; Spanish

"Through my ISUOG membership I have delivered 14 ISUOG Approved courses in Latin America, since 2006, attracting around 300 delegates to each course and taking great care to share with the quality educational opportunities that the Society provides. I was also pleased to organise ISUOG’s 9th International Symposium in Colombia, attracting 550 delegates from the regions and introducing them to ISUOG. Since then I have also contributed to translating ISUOG’s guidelines, helping to extend the reach of the Society into my region."

Country: Germany

Field: Obstetrics; Prenatal Medicine

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; early pregnancy; first trimester screening

Languages: English; German

Country: UK

Specialties: Sub-specialist interests include fetal and paediatric neuroradiology.

Prof. Asma Khalil is a Professor of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine at St George’s University Hospital (University of London). She is a subspecialist in Maternal and Fetal Medicine, specialising in scanning women and babies with complications in pregnancy. She is the lead for the Multiple Pregnancy service at St George’s Hospital, the referral unit for the South West London region, but also cares for women with low risk pregnancies.

Prof. Khalil gained her MD at the University of London in 2009 following two years’ research into pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure in pregnancy). She also has a Masters degree in Epidemiology from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and an MRC scholarship. She has published more than 45 peer reviewed research papers in medical journals, and many review articles and book chapters. She has been awarded many research prizes, at both national and international meetings.

Her research interests include hypertensive disease in pregnancy, multiple pregnancy, and other complications of pregnancy.

You can follow her on twitter @ProfAsmaKhalil

Notable publications: She has published more than 45 peer reviewed research papers in medical journals, and many review articles and book chapters. Read more.

Country: UK

Field: Obstetrics; Fetal Medicine

Specialties: Fetal anomaly screening T1 & T2; fetal biometry and wellbeing; aneuploidies; fetal anomalies; fetal growth restriction; maternal and fetal Doppler; multiple pregnancy; preeclampsia; prenatal diagnosis; fetal therapy; interventional procedures during pregnancy.

Languages: English; Arabic

"I am committed to supporting ISUOG’s membership growth and providing educational opportunities in underrepresented regions of the world. I have contributed to the Society’s scientific program, speaking at their Intensive education courses and even running two Approved courses of my own, which have become popular in their own right. One of these courses takes place in Egypt, the other in the UK, where there is a shortage in opportunities for basic training in the field. Through these initiatives I have introduced more than 70 new members to the Society in the last year alone and strive to continue delivering ISUOG’s resources in areas where there is most in need."

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. Laurent Salomon is a senior consultant in the Department of Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine at Necker-Enfants-Malades Hospital and full professor at Paris Descartes University. His special interests are imaging technologies including MRI, Twins, Fetal surgery, Statistics, Teaching processes and Quality control. Laurent completed a PhD in Physics with distinction (Paris XI Sud, Science University – Orsay), applied to Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the placenta.  He also completed a MSc in Medical Statistic with distinction at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).

Laurent is an associate director of a Master Degree in Prenatal Diagnosis and Fetal Medicine at Paris Descartes University. He is on the Editorial Board of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology and involved in many committees and task forces of ISUOG. Laurent also serves on a regular basis as an expert for the National Agency for Biomedicine, French Health Authority and National Security Agency in Health Products, as well as for international research projects. 

Country: France

Field: Obstetrics; Imaging; Fetal Medicine

Specialties: Fetal anomaly screening T1 & T2; fetal biometry and wellbeing; aneuploidies; fetal anomalies; fetal growth restriction; maternal and fetal Doppler; fetal interventional procedures; multiple pregnancy

Languages: English; French

Emeritus professor Obstetrics and former head of department Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Neonatology and former vice-dean of medical faculty, University Medical Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands. Member and past chair FIGO Committee Safe Motherhood Newborn Health. Former chair of the Dutch Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and former president of the European Association of Perinatal Medicine. Honorary Fellow of the Flemish, South African, Royal (British; fellow ad eudem) and Romanian Colleges of O&G and of the German Perinatal Society. Awarded the Maternity price of the European Association of Perinatal Medicine in 2016. Awarded the title ‘’Officer in the Order of Oranje-Nassau’’ by the Queen of the Netherlands.

Research interests: fetal (neurological) development, fetal monitoring, fetal growth restriction, corticosteroids and preterm birth, diabetes and pregnancy, Cesarean sections. Over 470 PubMed articles, which have been cited more than 31.000 times according to Google Scholar (Hirsch Index 86); supervisor of 73 completed PhD projects.

Country: The Netherlands

Field: Obstetrics and Gynecology

Specialties: Obstretrics; Perinatology

Marianne Leruez-Ville is a MD specialized in Clinical Virology and holds a PHD in Virology.  She is a consultant and at the head of the Virology laboratory of Necker-Hospital for sick children in Paris, France. She is the director of the congenital CMV laboratory within the French National Reference Center for Herpes Viruses and she belongs to a research group focusing on fetal abnormalities and their treatment (EA 7328, Imagine Institute, University of Paris).  Her main research interest is clinical virology in relation to congenital CMV infection. 

Professor Yves Ville is Professor and Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine at Necker-Enfants-Malades Hospital at the Paris Descartes University. He is the Chair and lead clinician in the largest fetal medicine and therapy unit in France. He has pursued a platform of work that has allowed clinical and academic progress of the subspecialty of fetal medicine, both nationally and internationally.

Country: France

Field: Obstetrics; Fetal Medicine

Specialties: Fetal anomaly screening T1; fetal anomalies; fetal brain; fetal growth restriction; fetal interventional procedures; multiple pregnancy; preterm delivery; genetics

Languages: English; French

Pat O’Brien is a Consultant in Obstetrics & Gynaecology at University College London Hospitals (UCLH) and Vice President for membership of the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists. He is President Elect of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at the Royal Society of Medicine. At UCLH he spent time as Divisional Clinical Director for Women’s Health and Governance Lead.

An RCOG Council member since 2014, he has sat on a wide range of committees and working parties at the RCOG and Department of Health, and is a media spokesperson for the RCOG. He has been chair of the International Section of the Institute for Women’s Health in London, and chair of the Clinical Research Hubs Network Portfolio Board, UCLH. He has until recently been chair of the Medical Advisory Committee at the Portland Hospital and chair of the Women’s Health Division of HCA in the UK. He is a patron of the charity SafeHands for Mothers which works to promote women’s health in low-income countries. He lectures widely, both nationally and internationally, and is an ad hoc medical advisor for various TV shows and film.

Pat qualified as a doctor in Ireland, but his postgraduate training in obstetrics and gynaecology was in London. In the NHS, he specialises in Maternal Medicine, ‘high risk’ obstetrics and Caesarean section, but his private practice embraces all types of birth, from pool to Caesarean.