Overview

Dr Simon Meagher is consultant sonologist at the Perinatal department, Mercy Hospital for Women, Melbourne. He also serves as Medical Director of Monash Ultrasound for Women where he oversees a team of 50 sonologists, sonographers, genetic counsellors, phlebotomists and administrative staff in delivering a tertiary level ultrasound service across south east Melbourne. Dr Meagher has dedicated 30  years of his term as Medical Director, teaching and lecturing in obstetric and gynaecological ultrasound both locally and overseas. He has delivered over 800 lectures, across 17 countries, and 43 cities worldwide. In 2015, he was awarded ‘Sonologist of The Year’ by the Australian society of Ultrasound in medicine (ASUM) in recognition  of his teaching skills and his commitment to  hands on training within the hospital setting at the Mercy Hospital for Women and for  his commitment and contributions to ASUM.

His interest in clinical research has focussed on early pregnancy screening and diagnosis he has published over 100  articles in peer review journals, including 15 articles  in the last 3 years focusing on first trimester  pregnancy screening and diagnosis. Dr Meagher has described five original sonographic fetal markers during the first and second trimesters of pregnancy. He is now focusing his interest on aneuploidy and embryo development from  seven to 10 weeks as we approach the dawn of a new era of genetic screening via free fetal DNA analysis.  

Dr Meagher has taken on multiple leadership positions - early in his career as the Chair of the Standards of Practice Committee at ASUM, examiner and executive board member for the ASUM Diploma of diagnostic ultrasound and later as council member of ASUM. Thereafter he served as Chairman of the Victoria Obstetric Sonologists group and on several  ISUOG Sub-Committees  at the  International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetric and Gynaecological Ultrasound.

Country: Australia

Field: Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Specialties: Prenatal Diagnosis. First and Second Trimester Fetal anomaly screening. Aneuploidy screening and diagnosis. NIPT and prenatal Exome sequencing. Maternal and Fetal Doppler Ultrasound. Invasive Prenatal Procedures.  Ultrasound and Infertility. Tubal Patency Testing. 

Languages: English

A/Prof Lisa Hui is an obstetrician with subspecialist qualifications in maternal fetal medicine. She completed her clinical training in obstetrics and gynaecology in Sydney and performed her PhD research at the Mother Infant Research Institute in Boston before moving to Melbourne in 2013. She has clinical appointments at the Mercy Hospital for Women, Heidelberg, and The Northern Hosptial, Epping, and is Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Melbourne. In 2016 she was awarded an NHMRC Early Career Fellowship and a Sylvia Charles Viertel Clinical investigatorship. She is a member of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) Women's Health Committee, RANZCOG

Maternal Fetal Medicine subcommittee, and the Victorian Consultative Committee on Obstetric and Paediatric Morbidity and Mortality, Stillbirth subcommittee. She also serves in senior editorial roles with the scientific journals Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Prenatal Diagnosis

Prof. Jon Hyett trained in obstetrics and gynecology and sub-specialised in maternal and fetal medicine in the UK. He is currently Joint Head of the Discipline of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Neonataology at the University of Sydney. He is involved nationally with the Nuchal Translucency Accreditation Program of RANZCR / RANZCOG and internationally with the obstetric ultrasound accreditation programs run by the Fetal Medicine Foundation, UK and ISUOG. Jon is also involved in the Scientific Committee, which oversees the production and development of the scientific program for the ISUOG World Congress.

Country: Australia

Field: Obstetrics

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

Language: English

George received his initial Fellowship in Paediatrics in South Africa in 1997, and holds specialist Fellowships in general paediatrics and in clinical genetics from Australia. He is a member of Genetics in the North East (GeNE) clinical network that incorporates genetic services at the Austin Hospital, the Mercy Hospital and the Northern Hospital. He also has appointments at the Royal Women’s Hospital, the Victorian Clinical Genetic Service and co-leads the neurogenetics clinic at the Royal Children’s Hospital.

His major research interest is in genetic conditions affecting the development of the fetal brain, particularly the corpus callosum. He brings his extensive clinical and academic expertise in prenatal genetics to our fetal neurology and general fetal medicine clinics. With his unique skill set spanning fetal and paediatric medicine, he is able to provide continuity of care for couples that are expecting a baby with a significant neurogenetic condition, accompanying their journey through pregnancy, the newborn period and providing long term follow up of their child's development.

Monash Ultrasound For Women genetic counselling department is lead by Dr Melody Menezes (BSc(Hons), GDipGenetCouns, PhD, MHGSA). Melody received her Doctorate of Philosophy in Medicine in 2011, studying fetal development and medicine, and genetic counselling.

Melody’s studies at The University of Melbourne also included her Graduate Diploma in Genetic Counselling (2007). Her undergraduate study at The University of Guelph Ontario, Canada saw her achieve Honours, majoring in molecular biology and genetics (2005).

Melody has held a position as Post-doctoral Research Officer at both the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute (Genetics Education and Health Research department) and the Victorian Clinical Genetics Service (Genetic Health Research). She has worked as Associate Genetic

Counsellor at the Royal Women’s Hospital, Melbourne and is in her 6th year as lecturer at The University of Melbourne, educating both undergraduates and masters students.

Melody’s role as an educator extends to national and international conferences and she has several publications in medical and counselling journals.

Of special interest to Melody is ethics in medicine, and prenatal screening and testing.

 Dr Jayshree Ramkrishna MD,FRANZCOG,DDU,COGU.

Dr Jay Ramkrishna is an obstetrician and gynaecologist with subspecialist qualifications in O and G ultrasound.

She completed her subspeciality training in ultrasound at the Women’s Hospital in Melbourne and Monash Medical Centre. She has previously worked as a consultant in the Fetal management unit at the Women’s hospital in Melbourne as well has provided tertiary ultrasound services to both Eastern and Peninsula health services.

Jay is currently deputy medical director at Monash ultrasound for women in Melbourne which offers a full range of tertiary gynaecology and obstetrics ultrasound services.

With over 15 years’ experience in ultrasound, she now enjoys teaching ultrasound and is a subspecialty examiner for RANZCOG and ASUM.

Her areas of interest include early pregnancy ultrasound, 1st trimester problems, NIPT and advanced gynaecological ultrasound and has published in these areas.

A/Prof. Daniel Rolnik is a consultant in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Monash Medical Centre and a senior lecturer at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. He is originally from Brazil and, after his training in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Sao Paulo and his MSc degree, he moved to the United Kingdom to undergo subspecialty training and do his PhD at King’s College Hospital / Fetal Medicine Foundation under the supervision of Prof. Kypros Nicolaides. Daniel coordinated the ASPRE trial on the prediction and prevention of preterm pre-eclampsia with aspirin, and has since moved to Australia, where he conducts research on prenatal diagnosis and prediction and prevention of pregnancy complications.

Daniel is also currently doing a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree in Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Harvard University (USA), and is an Editor of the Perinatal Journal.

Country: Australia / Brazil

Field: Obstetrics, Imaging, Fetal Medicine

Specialties: Cell-free DNA screening,

Languages: English, Portuguese, Spanish and Hebrew.

Dr Fred Ushakov is a highly experienced fetal medicine professional with unique expertise in practical implications of ultrasound. He has more than 25 years of international practice within the world's leading institutions. His main research interest is diagnosis of anomalies at 11-13 weeks, which includes early fetal echocardiography and neurosonography, along with detection of spina bifida, other serious anomalies and genetic syndromes during the first trimester of pregnancy. 

He has exceptional knowledge in development and implementation of advanced interactive ultrasound courses with a solid track record in organisation of practical-oriented training in fetal echo, 3D/4D scan, neurosonography, and courses about facial, abdominal, renal, skeletal and other anomalies.

Notable publications:

Ushakov, F., Fernandez, M., Lesmes Heredia, C. and Pandya, P. (2014), OP06.08: “Crash sign”: displacement and deformation of mesencephalon against occipital bone in the diagnosis of spina bifida at 11–13 weeks. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol, 44: 80.

Loureiro, T., Ushakov, F., Montenegro, N., Gielchinsky, Y. and Nicolaides, K. H. (2012), Cerebral ventricular system in fetuses with open spina bifida at 11–13 weeks' gestation. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol, 39: 620–624.

Country: United Kingdom

Field: Obstetrics; Fetal Medicine

Specialties: Fetal anomaly screening 1st trimester and 2nd trimester; fetal biometry and wellbeing; fetal anomalies screening; aneuploidy screening; fetal anomalies; fetal heart; fetal growth restriction; maternal and fetal Doppler; 3D & 4D ultrasound; basic training; early pregnancy; 11-13 weeks echocardiography; neurosonography; anomalies  

Languages: English; Russian; Hebrew