Overview

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."

Prof. Alexandros Sotiriadis is a consultant in Obstetrics and Gynecology – Maternal and Fetal Medicine in the Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Hippokrateio Hospital and a full Professor at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. His special interests include prenatal diagnosis and genomics, maternal and fetal complications and Evidence-Based Medicine. Alex completed a PhD in Medicine on recurrent pregnancy loss and was trained in Fetal Medicine under Prof. Kypros Nicolaides.

Alex is the director of a Master Degree Program in Applied Prenatal Diagnosis at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. He is currently the Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology and served as a member in the ISUOG Clinical Standards Committee and the EFSUMB Publication Committee. He is also President Elect of the Hellenic Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Country: Greece

Field: Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Imaging, Evidence-Based Medicine

Specialties: fetal growth restriction, Doppler, maternal complication in pregnancy, fetal anomalies and genomics, evidence-based medicine

Languages: English, Greek, German

Reem S. Abu-Rustum, MD, FACOG, FACS, FAIUM, RDMS

Professor & Director of Ultrasound Services, Education and Research at the University of Florida

Prof. Reem S. Abu-Rustum obtained her medical degree and completed her residency training in obstetrics & gynecology at the University of Florida (USA). She is a fellow of the American Congress of Obstetrics & Gynecology, the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine and the American College of Surgeons. She is certified by the Fetal Medicine Foundation in first and second trimester ultrasound.

Currently, Reem is Professor and Director of Ultrasound Services, Education and Research in the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Florida. Within ISUOG she is President, Past-Chair of the Basic Training Sub Committee and past Ambassador to Lebanon and Outreach in the Middle East. She is a board member-at-large of the Fetal Heart Society and a member of their Membership Committee.

Reem was a board member of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine and Co-Chair of their Annual Convention Committee. She is the past Vice-Chair of the Society of Maternal Fetal Medicine Patient Education Committee and was a member of their Education and Global Health Committees. She was Co-Founder and President of SANA Medical NGO dedicated to obstetrical care within an outreach setting in Lebanon. She is the recipient of numerous awards and accolades and has received the Presidential Award of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine, the Clinical Excellence Award from the College of Medicine Council at the University of Florida and the CREOG National Award for Excellence in Resident Education. She has a special interest in the first trimester fetus and the fetal heart, ultrasound education and global outreach. She has served on two ISUOG outreach missions to Sudan and has authored the text "A Practical Guide to 3D Ultrasound".

Notable publications:

• Abu-Rustum RS, Pierre K, Dyrda M, Smith E, Abchee N, Bilardo CM. Developmental Changes of the Coronary Sinus Between the First and Second Trimesters: A Pilot Study. J Ultrasound Med. 2024 Nov;43(11):2163-2168. doi: 10.1002/jum.16547. Epub 2024 Aug 8. PMID: 39115155.

• Abu-Rustum, RS, Berwick, M, Heft, J. Successful Implementation of the AIUM Standardized Four-Year Residency Ultrasound Curriculum in Obstetrics and Gynecology: Lessons Learned and Way Forward. J Ultrasound Med. 2024 Jun;43(6):1109-1119. doi: 10.1002/jum.16439. Epub 2024 Mar 3. PMID: 38433458.

• Smith E, Pierre K, Acevedo A, Egerman R, Rajderkar D, Abu-Rustum RS. First-trimester cavum veli interpositi: prevalence and natural history. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2024 Apr;63(4):502-506. doi: 10.1002/uog.27523. PMID: 37902788.

• Abu-Rustum RS, Ziade MF. The 3 sweep approach for fetal anatomic assessment in the outreach setting. Journal of Fetal Medicine 2017; 4(1): 25-30.

• Abu-Rustum RS. A Practical Guide to 3D Ultrasound. First Edition. CRC Press. 9 Dec 2014.

• Abu-Rustum RS, Ziade MF, Abu-Rustum SE. Reference values for the right and left fetal choroid plexus at 11-13 weeks: an early sign of ‘developmental’ laterality? J. Ultrasound Med 2013; 32: 1623-1629.

• Abu-Rustum RS, Ziade MF, Abu-Rustum SE. Defining the spatial relationships between 8 anatomic planes in the 11+6 – 13+6 week fetus. Prenatal Diagnosis 2012; 32: 875-882.

• Abu-Rustum RS, Ziade MF, Abu-Rustum SE. Learning curve and factors influencing the feasibility of performing fetal echocardiography at the time of the first trimester scan. J. Ultrasound Med 2011; 30: 695-700.

Country: USA

Field: Obstetrics 

Specialties: Fetal anomaly screening 1st trimester and 2nd trimester; aneuploidy screening; fetal heart; 3D & 4D ultrasound; basic training; the first trimester fetus; ultrasound in medical education.  

Languages: English, Arabic, Italian

Dr Carol B. Benson is Professor of Radiology at Harvard Medical School and was Chief of the Division of Ultrasound and Co-Director of High-Risk Obstetrical Ultrasound at Brigham and Women's Hospital until July 2020. She is a radiologist who specializes in ultrasound. Her clinical and research work spans topics in diagnostic ultrasound and Doppler, with special focus on obstetrical and gynecologic ultrasound and fetal interventions. She is a charter member of ISUOG and active in other national and international radiology and ultrasound societies. She is an elected fellow in the American College of Radiology, the Society of Radiologists in Ultrasound, and the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.

Carol played a key role in establishing the inter-disciplinary fetal cardiac intervention program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital. The team has performed more than 200 aortic balloon valvuloplasty in fetuses with critical aortic stenosis developing hypoplastic left heart and more than 50 other cardiac interventions including valvuloplasty for pulmonic atresia. In addition, she and her maternal-fetal medicine and neurointerventional radiology colleagues developed a technique for in utero embolization of vein of Galen malformation. Their team performed the first successful embolization procedure in North America in March 2023.

Country: USA   

Field: Radiology, Ultrasound

Specialties: Obstetrical and gynecologic ultrasound, Fetal interventions

Languages: English

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

Dr Federico Prefumo, MD, PhD, is a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynecologist at the University Hospital of Brescia, Italy. Dr Prefumo has previously worked at the Giannina Gaslini Institute in Genova, Italy and in the Fetal Medicine Unit at St. George's Hospital, London, UK. His main interests are in the field of high-risk obstetrics, maternal-fetal medicine, fetal therapy and prenatal diagnosis. He has also worked on endometriosis and gynecological imaging. Dr Prefumo is an Editor of BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. For the years 2011-2012 and 2015-2017, he has been elected Vice-President of the Italian Society for Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology (SIEOG).

Country: Italy

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; ultrasound on the labour ward

Languages: English; French; Italian

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

Prof. Smith is Professor and Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Cambridge, UK. His clinical training took place in Glasgow and he subsequently received three doctoral degrees from there (MD, PhD and DSc). Prof. Smith was awarded two Wellcome Trust clinical research training fellowships based in Glasgow University and Cornell University, USA. He was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Science in 2010 and is clinically active as a Consultant in Maternal-Fetal Medicine at the Rosie Hospital, Cambridge.

Prof. Smith’s research aims to identify novel approaches to prevent adverse outcomes relating to complications of pregnancy, such as pre-eclampsia, fetal growth restriction and preterm birth. A major focus is the outcome of stillbirth, the single major cause of death of the infant in the
perinatal period.