Category Archives: Embryology

Embryology

First Lady of DR Congo Meets Merck Foundation CEO to Mark Together the International Day of Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls – Outlook…

(Eds: Disclaimer: The following press release comes to you under an arrangement with Business Wire India. PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India&Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo Business Wire India DR Congo First Lady partners with Merck Foundation to build healthcare capacity, break infertility stigma and empower girls through education. Merck Foundation CEO underscored their long term commitment to the social and economic development of Democratic Republic of The Congo through their partnership with The First Lady and Ministry of Health.Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, underscored their long term commitment through starting their partnership with The First Lady of Democratic Republic of the Congo, H.E. Madam DENISE NYAKERU TSHISEKEDI. During the high level meeting held this week, Dr. RashaKelej, CEO of Merck Foundation, appointed The First Lady of Democratic Republic of the Congo as The Ambassador of Merck More Than a Mother to work closely with Merck Foundation to break the stigma of infertility, build healthcare capacity , and empower girls through education in the country. H.E. Madam DENISE NYAKERU TSHISEKEDI, The First Lady of Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ambassador of Merck More Than a Mother emphasized, I am very happy to partner with Merck Foundation and start their valuable programs in our country as their Ambassador. These programs will help us to transform our public health care sector and create a future shift to empower infertile and childless women through access to information, health and change of mindset as well as empower girls through education which is very close to my heart. Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and President, Merck More Than a Mother emphasized, I am very proud of our partnership with The First Lady Of Democratic Republic of the Congo and welcome her as the Ambassador of Merck More Than a Mother, and new member of Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative-MFFLI. With the outbreak of the global coronavirus pandemic, building healthcare capacity is of the highest importance, and through our partnership, we are planning to provide specialty training to equip the local doctors with the skills they need to improve access to equitable and quality healthcare solutions. Along with appointing The First Lady of Democratic Republic of the Congo as the Ambassador of Merck More Than A Mother, Merck Foundation also marked the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is one of the most widespread, persistent and devastating human rights violations, and on the occasion of International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, We must work together to eliminate violence against women and girls once and for all, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation.Merck Foundation has enrolled 32 doctors from Democratic Republic of the Congo to master course in Diabetes in French accredited by Diabetes UK as part of their Diabetes Blue Point Program to help the doctors prevent and manage the disease in their communities.Merck Foundation has also provided Fertility and Embryology training to 5 Doctors from Democratic Republic of the Congo with the aim to establish a strong platform of first Fertility specialists and Embryologists to assist infertile couples in the country as part of their historic campaign Merck More than a Mother.Merck Foundation has also enrolled 1 Oncologist from the Democratic Republic of the Congo as part of their Merck Oncology Fellowship Program to increase the limited number of oncologists in the country and plans to enroll more doctors after coronavirus lockdown is over. COVID-19 has severely affected the families of casual and daily workers. To aid this issue, Merck Foundation made a community donation to the casual workers and women to support poor families in Democratic Republic of the Congo as part of their coronavirus response program. We are also planning to support 20 girl students as part of Merck Foundation Educating Katty which aims to empower girls through education in Democratic Republic of the Congo. We are closely working with The First Lady on this new program with the aim to empower girls through education, added Dr. Rasha Kelej, One of the 100 Most Influential Africans (2019, 2020). Merck Foundation also announced 9 winners from Democratic Republic of the Congo for their Stay at Home Media Recognition Awards 2020 which been launched earlier this year in partnership with The First Lady of Democratic Republic of the Congo with the aim to build media capacity and raise awareness about Covid-19 pandemic. The Merck Foundation Stay At Home Media Recognition Awards winners from Democratic Republic of the Congo are:ONLINE CATEGORY WINNERS:FIRST Position: Cassien Tribunal Aungane - Radio Centrale & "Diplomacy & Development" (500 USD)And Mukanya Kafuata Andre Mbote Africa (500 USD)SECOND Position: Stphie Manza Mukinzi Alert Coronavirus (300 USD)PRINT CATEGORY WINNERS:FIRST Position: Mathy Musau Dinyika - Forum Des As (500 USD)MULTIMEDIA CATEGORY WINNERS:FIRST Position: Muemba Wa Muemba Donat Jua Magazine (500 USD)SECOND Position: Jessy Nzengu - Palmier Radio-Tlvision Communautaire (300 USD)THIRD Position: Kazadi Lukusa Nicolas - Radiotlvision Happy Day (200 USD)RADIO CATEGORY WINNERS:FIRST Position: Aly Bukasa Kabambi Radio Communautaire Butook (500 USD)SECOND Position: Jody Daniel Nkashama- Radio Okapi (300 USD)About Merck More Than a Mother campaignMerck More Than a Mother is a strong movement that aims to empower infertile women through access to information, education and change of mind-sets. This powerful campaign supports governments in defining policies to enhance access to regulated, safe, effective and equitable fertility care solutions. It defines interventions to break the stigma around infertile women and raises awareness about infertility prevention, management and male infertility. In partnership with African First Ladies, Ministries of Health, Information, Education & Gender, academia, policymakers, International fertility societies, media and art, the initiative also provides training for fertility specialists and embryologists to build and advance fertility care capacity in Africa and developing countries.With Merck More Than a Mother, we have initiated a cultural shift to de-stigmatize infertility at all levels: By improving awareness, training local experts in the fields of fertility care and media, building advocacy in cooperation with African First Ladies and women leaders and by supporting childless women in starting their own small businesses. Its all about giving every woman the respect and the help she deserves to live a fulfilling life, with or without a child.The Ambassadors of Merck More Than a Mother are: H.E. NEO JANE MASISI, The First Lady of Botswana

H.E. FATOUMATTA BAH-BARROW, The First Lady of The Gambia

H.E. MONICA GEINGOS, The First Lady of NamibiaH.E. ANGELINE NDAYISHIMIYE,The First Lady of Burundi

H.E. REBECCA AKUFO-ADDO, The First Lady of Ghana

H.E ASSATA ISSOUFOU MAHAMADOU, The First Lady of NigerH.E. BRIGITTE TOUADERA, The First Lady of Central African Republic

H.E. COND DJENE, The First Lady of Guinea Conakry

H.E. AISHA BUHARI, The First Lady of NigeriaH.E. HINDA DEBY ITNO, The First Lady of Chad

H.E. CLAR WEAH, The First Lady of Liberia

H.E FATIMA MAADA BIO, The First Lady of Sierra LeoneH.E. ANTOINETTE SASSOU-NGUESSO, The First Lady of Congo Brazzaville

H.E. MONICA CHAKWERA, The First Lady of Malawi

H.E. ESTHER LUNGU, The First Lady of ZambiaH.E. DENISE NYAKERU TSHISEKEDI, THE First Lady of Democratic Republic of Congo

H.E. ISAURA FERRO NYUSI, The First Lady of Mozambique

H.E. AUXILLIA MNANGAGWA, The First Lady of Zimbabwe Merck Foundation launched new innovative initiatives to sensitize local communities about infertility prevention, male infertility with the aim to break the stigma of infertility and empowering infertile women as part of Merck More than a Mother COMMUNITY AWARENESS CAMPAIGN, such as; Merck More than a Mother Media Recognition Awards and Health Media Training Merck More than a Mother Fashion Awards Merck More than a Mother Film Awards Local songs with local artists to address the cultural perception of infertility and how to change it Children storybook, localized for each country Click on icon below to Download Merck Foundation Apphttps://www.merck-foundation.com/MF_StoreRedirectionJoin the conversation on our social media platforms below and let your voice be heard Facebook: Merck FoundationTwitter: @MerckfoundationYouTube: MerckFoundationInstagram: Merck FoundationFlickr: Merck FoundationWebsite: http://www.merck-foundation.comAbout Merck Foundation The Merck Foundation, established in 2017, is the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, aims to improve the health and wellbeing of people and advance their lives through science and technology. Our efforts are primarily focused on improving access to quality & equitable healthcare solutions in underserved communities, building healthcare and scientific research capacity and empowering people in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) with a special focus on women and youth. All Merck Foundation press releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the Merck Foundation Website. Please visit http://www.merck-foundation.com to read more. To know more, reach out to our social media: Merck Foundation; Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Flickr. To View the Image Click on the Link Below:Dr. RashaKelej, CEO of Merck Foundation & President, Merck More Than a Mother during her meeting with H.E. Madam DENISE NYAKERU TSHISEKEDI, The First Lady of Democratic Republic of The Congo and Ambassador of Merck More Than a Mother. PWRPWR

Disclaimer :- This story has not been edited by Outlook staff and is auto-generated from news agency feeds. Source: PTI

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First Lady of DR Congo Meets Merck Foundation CEO to Mark Together the International Day of Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls - Outlook...

Embryology

Introduction to the Global Scientist Interdisciplinary Forum job with Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) | 302819 – The Chronicle…

Global Scientist Interdisciplinary Forum of Southern Universityof Science and Technology (SUSTech) is animportant forum for SUSTech to recruit excellent talents. It isaimed to provide a platform for domestic and overseas scholars toexchange thoughts and conduct academic communication, promotedisciplinary crossing and academic innovation, and jointly build aworld-class university and develop academic disciplines.SUSTech is striving to build itself into a top researchuniversity with distinctive strength and uniqueness both in Chinaand the rest of the world through recruiting and trainingworld-class talents and vigorous efforts in pursing excellence. TheSchool of Medicine will provide recruited applicants with globallycompetitive remunerations, first-class research laboratories andplatforms, and excellent living facilities for themselves and theirfamilies.

Introduction to the School of Medicine ofSUSTech

The School of Medicine of SUSTech was founded in 2018.Based in Shenzhen, it is positioned as an internationalizedhigh-level research school of medicine featuring the integration ofmedicine with sciences, engineering, and humanities. Itsmission is to train and foster leading medical talents who willpossess ethical integrity, professional competence andinternational vision.

Taking the advantage of strong science and engineeringdisciplines of SUSTech, the School of Medicine will establish asystem of new medicine to achieve interdisciplinary developmentbetween medicine and engineering, the humanities and sciences, withclinical medicine as the core focus. Through such integration ofmedicine with engineering, sciences and the humanities and bydrawing on the experience of medical education models both in Chinaand abroad, the School of Medicine is striving to build itself intoa base for cultivating world-class medical talents withmultidisciplinary capabilities to meet the strategic demands forhealth development at the municipal, provincial and nationallevels.

The School of Medicine has an internationally competitiveleadership team. Mingzhao Xing, M.D., Ph. D., the foundingDean of the School of Medicine of SUSTech, is a tenured Professorof Medicine (LOA) of the Johns Hopkins University School ofMedicine and an elected member of the Association of AmericanPhysicians, who joined SUSTech full time for his leadership role atthe School of Medicine. He is an internationally renownedphysician-scientist and American Board-certified clinical expert inendocrinology and thyroid medicine. Under the leadership ofDean Xing, the School of Medicine has in short time built a strongleadership team and a unique and efficient administrativeorganizational structure. Professor Xiao Guozhi, a formertenured professor at Rush University in Chicago, serves as theAssociate Dean in charge of scientific research and graduatestudies and Professor Zhang Wenyong, a USA-trained M.D., Ph.D andAmerican Board-certified pathologist, serves as the Associate Deanin charge of undergraduate education. Seven basicadministrative units have been established in the Medical School,now in their full functional operation, including the Deansoffice, the office of human resource, the office of teachingaffairs, the office of scientific research, the office of studentsaffairs, the office of graduate student affairs, and the office offinancial affairs. The School of Medicine has a total of 148employees (including visiting scholars).

The 2019 Global Scientist Interdisciplinary Forum of SUSTechattracted more than 80 outstanding talents from both China andabroad. More are expected to come this year. In the last 1-2years the School of Medicine has built a strong faculty, currentlywith 31 core tenured or tenure-track members (including some toarrive). These include one academician of the Chinese Academy ofSciences and five chair professors. There are additional 12 facultymembers on the research track at the Research Assistant/AssociateProfessor levels. Among these faculty members there are 40person-times of outstanding academic talent honor titles at thenational, provincial and municipal levels. There arecurrently 11 postdoctoral fellows, with an expected rapid growth inthe near future. All members in the individual facultymembers research team in the School of Medicine has a master orhigher education degree.

The School of Medicine has established eight departments,including Department of Medical Neurosciences, Department ofPharmacology, Department of Biochemistry, Department of Human CellBiology and Genetics, Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology,Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Department ofPathology, and Department of Oncology. Additionally, theDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology is currently indevelopment. It also has two specially designated scientificresearch platforms the Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory forCell Microenvironment and Disease Research and the SUSTech PainMedicine Center.

The School of Medicine currently has two core undergraduateeducation programs--clinical medicine and biomedicine, with severalmore to be developed in the next few years. The SUSTech also has astrategic plan to collaborate with King's College London (UK) inbuilding a joined international medical education program or joinedmedical school. The School presently enrolls graduatestudents for master and doctoral degrees in biology and iscurrently in the process of applying for accreditation for offeringmaster and doctoral degrees in clinical medicine.

Benefited from the excellent resources in Guangdong Province andShenzhen Municipality as well as SUSTech, the School of Medicinehas, in its relatively short history, achieved remarkablescientific accomplishments. By October 2020, it has published140 scientific papers and has been awarded 46 government-sponsoredresearch grants of a total monetary value of 40.6374 millionYuan. The School has organized 98 major academicseminars.

The School of Medicine has ten hospitals with direct affiliationor with a collaboration relationship. These include threedirectly affiliated hospitals the First Affiliated Hospital ofSUSTech (Shenzhen Peoples Hospital), the Second AffiliatedHospital of SUSTech (The Third Peoples Hospital of Shenzhen), andthe Third Affiliated Hospital of SUSTech (formerly XiliHospital). The main tertiary hospital of the School ofMedicine its own in adjacency with the campus of the School ofMedicine is currently under designing and its construction willstart soon. There is one jointly-funded collaborative hospital(SUSTech Yantian Hospital) and five teaching hospitals (theShenzhen Cancer Hospital of the Chinese Academy of MedicalSciences, the Shenzhen Kangning Psychiatry Hospital, the ShenzhenChildrens Hospital, the Shenzhen Hospital of Peking University,and the Shenzhen Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital).

The core moral value of the School of Medicine includescivility, team spirit, cooperation, harmony, respect, inclusivenessand mutual help to form a unique cultural atmosphere. The Schoolpromotes diverse cultural pursuits and supports and organizes avariety of cultural activities among students and employees. Thispositive cultural atmosphere is seen in the student dormitories,class rooms, laboratories, conference rooms, offices and everywherein the School of Medicine. The School of Medicine is dedicated tocreating a learning and working atmosphere commensurate with thecore humanity value of medical science.

The School of Medicine at SUSTech will strive towards the goalof building itself into a world-class school of medicine, fosteringgenerations of motivated, responsible and capable physicianscientists who are both outstanding research scientists and skilledclinicians. This is to generate and provide outstandingleaders in clinical medicine and biomedicine to the GuangdongHongKongMacao Greater Bay Area, the country of China, and theworld.

1. Forum Schedule

Date of Main online Forum: January 9,2021 (Saturday)

9 a.m. Beijing Time, Main forum live9 p.m. Beijing Time, Mainforum replay

Date of Sub-forum Presentation: January 10-17, 2021

2. Recruiting Categories

3. Application Materials and Methods

1) Application materials

Resume

Cover letter

Representative papers (published in the previous 5 years),representative work

Honors and awards

Research proposal

How to apply

Please submit all your application materials to the Mailbox ofHuman Resources Office of School of Medicine(hr-med@sustech.edu.cn) and entitledSUSTech Global Scientist Interdisciplinary ForumApplication-School of Medicine-OutstandingFaculty/Young Faculty/Post-doctoralTalents(choose one from the three) for evaluation. Wewill evaluate your application and send out invitations as soon aspossible. Please send materials at your earliest convenience sincethe registration is limited.

Application due date:

December 31, 2020

Successful applicants will receive the invitation before January5, 2021.

4.ContactInformation

Miss. Wang

Tel: +86-755-88018031

Email: hr-med@sustech.edu.cn

5. Qualifications and Benefits

Outstanding Faculty (Chair Professor /Professor)

1.Requirements

Candidate of national-level talent programstenured professor orassociate professor of overseas well-known universities or researchinstitutions, leading talent with internationally recognizedachievements.

2.Support Policies

Research fundswill be discuss case by case.

Group support: At least 1 PhD student per year andunlimited numbers of post-doctoral fellows in support.Self-determination of hiring research assistant professors (RAPs)with competitive research funding support for RAPs.

Lab space about 150 square meters per person.

3.Remuneration

Salary: Globally competitive salary; Preferential policy ofindividual income tax, income tax of qualified high-level talentswill be compensated by local government to a maximum of 15% (taxfree).

Insurances: Shenzhens highest level of retirement insurance,medical insurance, unemployment insurance, industrial injuryinsurance, maternity insurance and housing provident funds. Specialhigh-level health insurance is negotiable.

4.Benefits

Housing and subsidies: Temporary on-campus apartments providedor subsidies to support off-campus rental housing. No less than CNY4.5 million living and housing subsidies (tax free) for scholars ofnational-level talent programs. An extra yearly subsidy of CNY500,000 will be awarded to scholars within Pearl River TalentsPlan (longest duration 5 years).

Other benefits: Permanent residence or resident visa service forscholars and family (spouse and children); Service of childrenseducation in SUSTech affiliated preschool, primary school andmiddle school; Spouses employment service.

Young Faculty (Associate / Assistantprofessor)

1. Requirements

Under the age of 40.

Doctoral degree obtained from internationally renowneduniversities and institutes; or Ph.D. degrees from Chineseuniversities and more than 36 months of overseas work experience,with a formal teaching or research position in famous overseasuniversities and research institutes.

2.SupportPolicies

Research funds: Up to CNY 12 million / 6 million in researchstart-up funding is provided by local government and the universitywithin 5 years.

Group support: At least 1 PhD student per year and unlimitednumbers of post-doctoral fellows in support. Self-determination ofhiring research assistant professors (RAPs) with competitiveresearch fund support for RAPs.

Lab space of approx. 150 square meters per person.

3.Remuneration

Salary: Globally competitive salary; Preferential policy ofindividual income tax, income tax of qualified high-level talentswill be compensated by local government to a maximum of 15% (taxfree).

Insurances: Shenzhens highest level of retirement insurance,medical insurance, unemployment insurance, industrial injuryinsurance, maternity insurance and housing provident funds. Specialhigh-level health insurance is negotiable.

4.Benefits

Housing and subsidies: Temporary on-campus apartments providedor subsidies to support off-campus rental housing. No less than CNY2.75 million living and housing subsidies (tax free) for scholarsof national-level talent programs. An extra yearly subsidy of CNY500,000 will be awarded to scholars within Pearl River TalentsPlan (longest duration 5 years).

Other benefits: Permanent residence or resident visa service forscholars and family (spouse and children); Service of childrenseducation in SUSTech affiliated preschool, primary school andmiddle school; Spouses employment service.

Post-doctoral Talents

1.Requirements

Under the age of 35

No more than 3 years of obtaining doctoral degree withdemonstrable academic and scientific research excellence.

2.Remuneration

Salary: Pre-tax annual salary not less than CNY 335,000(including provincial and municipal subsidies); For PresidentOutstanding Post-doctors, pre-tax annual salary not less than507,000 CNY (including provincial and municipal subsidies).

Insurances: Shenzhens highest level of retirementinsurance.

3.Benefits

Housing and subsidies: Temporary on-campus apartments providedor subsidies to support off-campus rental housing. No lessthan CNY 1.6 million living and housing subsidies (tax free) forscholars who meet the requirements of high-level talents inShenzhen.

Other benefits: Permanent residence or resident visa service forscholars and family (spouse and children); Service of childrenseducation in SUSTech affiliated preschool, primary school andmiddle school.

Welcome all eligible scholars at home and abroad to apply andattend

Read the original:
Introduction to the Global Scientist Interdisciplinary Forum job with Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) | 302819 - The Chronicle...

Embryology

Merck Foundation CEO and DR Congo First Lady mark the International day of ‘Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls’ after appointing her as…

DR Congo First Lady partners with Merck Foundation (http://www.Merck-Foundation.com) to build healthcare capacity, break infertility stigma and empower girls through education; Merck Foundation CEO underscored their long term commitment to the social and economic development of Democratic Republic of The Congo through their partnership with The First Lady and Ministry of Health.

Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, underscored their long term commitment through starting their partnership with The First Lady of Democratic Republic of the Congo, H.E. Madam DENISE NYAKERU TSHISEKEDI.

During the high level meeting held this week, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation, appointed The First Lady of Democratic Republic of the Congo as The Ambassador of Merck More Than a Mother to work closely with Merck Foundation to break the stigma of infertility , build healthcare capacity , and empower girls through education in the country.

H.E. Madam DENISE NYAKERU TSHISEKEDI, The First Lady of Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ambassador of Merck More Than a Mother emphasized, I am very happy to partner with Merck Foundation and start their valuable programs in our country as their Ambassador. These programs will help us to transform our public health care sector and create a future shift to empower infertile and childless women through access to information, health and change of mindset as well as empower girls through education which is very close to my heart.

Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and President, Merck More Than a Mother emphasized, I am very proud of our partnership with The First Lady Of Democratic Republic of the Congo and welcome her as the Ambassador of Merck More Than a Mother, and new member of Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative-MFFLI. With the outbreak of the global coronavirus pandemic, building healthcare capacity is of the highest importance, and through our partnership, we are planning to provide specialty training to equip the local doctors with the skills they need to improve access to equitable and quality healthcare solutions.

Along with appointing The First Lady of Democratic Republic of the Congo as the Ambassador of Merck More Than A Mother, Merck Foundation also marked the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is one of the most widespread, persistent and devastating human rights violations, and on the occasion of International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, We must work together to eliminate violence against women and girls once and for all Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation.

Merck Foundation has enrolled 32 doctors from Democratic Republic of the Congo to master course in Diabetes in French accredited by Diabetes UK as part of their Diabetes Blue Point Program to help the doctors prevent and manage the disease in their communities.

Merck Foundation has also provided Fertility and Embryology training to 5 Doctors from Democratic Republic of the Congo with the aim to establish a strong platform of first Fertility specialists and Embryologists to assist infertile couples in the country as part of their historic campaign Merck More than a Mother.

Merck Foundation has also enrolled 1 Oncologist from the Democratic Republic of the Congo as part of their Merck Oncology Fellowship Program to increase the limited number of oncologists in the country and plans to enroll more doctors after coronavirus lockdown is over.

COVID-19 has severely affected the families of casual and daily workers. To aid this issue, Merck Foundation made a community donation to the casual workers and women to support poor families in Democratic Republic of the Congo as part of their coronavirus response program.

We are also planning to support 20 girl students as part of Merck Foundation Educating Katty which aims to empower girls through education in Democratic Republic of the Congo. We are closely working with The First Lady on this new program with the aim to empower girls through education, added Dr. Rasha Kelej, One of the 100 Most Influential Africans (2019, 2020).

Merck Foundation also announced 9 winners from Democratic Republic of the Congo for their Stay at Home Media Recognition Awards 2020 which been launched earlier this year in partnership with The First Lady of Democratic Republic of the Congo with the aim to build media capacity and raise awareness about Covid-19 pandemic.

The Merck Foundation Stay At Home Media Recognition Awards winners from Democratic Republic of the Congo are:

ONLINE CATEGORY WINNERS:

FIRST Position:

SECOND Position:

PRINT CATEGORY WINNERS:

FIRST Position:

MULTIMEDIA CATEGORY WINNERS:

FIRST Position:

SECOND Position:

THIRD Position:

RADIO CATEGORY WINNERS:

FIRST Position:

SECOND Position:

Jody Daniel Nkashama- Radio Okapi (300 USD)

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Merck Foundation.

Download MorePhotos:https://we.tl/t-vNf34WHxDg

Join the conversation on our social media platforms below and let your voice be heard:Facebook:bit.ly/2MmUl3pTwitter:bit.ly/2NDqHLRYouTube:bit.ly/318obQeInstagram:bit.ly/2MtCKsuFlicker:bit.ly/2P7AICNWebsite:Merck-Foundation.comDownload Merck Foundation App:https://bit.ly/3q03rYH

About Merck Foundation:The Merck Foundation (Merck-Foundation.com), established in 2017, is the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, aims to improve the health and wellbeing of people and advance their lives through science and technology. Our efforts are primarily focused on improving access to quality & equitable healthcare solutions in underserved communities, building healthcare and scientific research capacity and empowering people in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) with a special focus on women and youth. All Merck Foundation press releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the Merck Foundation Website. Please visit http://www.merck-foundation.com to read more. To know more, reach out to our social media:Merck Foundation, (Merck-Foundation.com)Facebook(bit.ly/2MmUl3p),Twitter(bit.ly/2NDqHLR), Instagram(bit.ly/2MtCKsu), YouTube(bit.ly/318obQe) andFlicker(bit.ly/2P7AICN).

About Merck More Than a Mother campaign:Merck More Than a Mother is a strong movement that aims to empower infertile women through access to information, education and change of mind-sets. This powerful campaign supports governments in defining policies to enhance access to regulated, safe, effective and equitable fertility care solutions. It defines interventions to break the stigma around infertile women and raises awareness about infertility prevention, management and male infertility. In partnership with African First Ladies, Ministries of Health, Information, Education & Gender, academia, policymakers, International fertility societies, media and art, the initiative also provides training for fertility specialists and embryologists to build and advance fertility care capacity in Africa and developing countries.

With Merck More Than a Mother, we have initiated a cultural shift to de-stigmatize infertility at all levels: By improving awareness, training local experts in the fields of fertility care and media, building advocacy in cooperation with African First Ladies and women leaders and by supporting childless women in starting their own small businesses. Its all about giving every woman the respect and the help she deserves to live a fulfilling life, with or without a child.

The Ambassadors of Merck More Than a Mother are:

H.E. NEO JANE MASISI, The First Lady of Botswana

H.E. FATOUMATTA BAH-BARROW, The First Lady of The Gambia

H.E. MONICA GEINGOS, The First Lady of Namibia

H.E. ANGELINE NDAYISHIMIYE,

The First Lady of Burundi

H.E. REBECCA AKUFO-ADDO, The First Lady of Ghana

H.E ASSATA ISSOUFOU MAHAMADOU, The First Lady of Niger

H.E. BRIGITTE TOUADERA, The First Lady of Central African Republic

H.E. COND DJENE, The First Lady of Guinea Conakry

H.E. AISHA BUHARI, The First Lady of Nigeria

H.E. HINDA DEBY ITNO, The First Lady of Chad

H.E. CLAR WEAH, The First Lady of Liberia

H.E FATIMA MAADA BIO, The First Lady of Sierra Leone

H.E. ANTOINETTE SASSOU-NGUESSO, The First Lady of Congo Brazzaville

H.E. MONICA CHAKWERA, The First Lady of Malawi

H.E. ESTHER LUNGU, The First Lady of Zambia

H.E. DENISE NYAKERU TSHISEKEDI, THE First Lady of Democratic Republic of Congo

H.E. ISAURA FERRO NYUSI, The First Lady of Mozambique

H.E. AUXILLIA MNANGAGWA, The First Lady of Zimbabwe

Merck Foundation launched new innovative initiatives to sensitize local communities about infertility prevention, male infertility with the aim to break the stigma of infertility and empowering infertile women as part of Merck More than a Mother COMMUNITY AWARENESS CAMPAIGN, such as;

Merck More than a Mother Media Recognition Awards and Health Media Training

Merck More than a Mother Fashion Awards

Merck More than a Mother Film Awards

Local songs with local artists to address the cultural perception of infertility and how to change it

Children storybook, localized for each country

Africanews provides content from APO Group as a service to its readers, but does not edit the articles it publishes.

Go here to see the original:
Merck Foundation CEO and DR Congo First Lady mark the International day of 'Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls' after appointing her as...

Embryology

Tales of pain for couples unable to have children – The Standard

Like for all newlywed couples, life was supposed to follow a certain pattern for Mary when she got married. Get married, enjoy honey moon, get pregnant and enjoy family life. But that was not the case.

I never thought that I would need another woman to carry my child. I thought I was fertile because I come from a lineage of fertile women. But in 2013 I used another womans womb to bring my child into this world, she says.

Mary (not her real name), now 42 years old, recalls how infertility almost ended her marriage a year into the union when they realised there was a problem.

People started talking. Relatives were asking whether I was a real woman. Mary recalls.

I wondered what the definition of a real woman was. For a while, we blocked our ears from the mean comments but two years in, we started looking for answers, she adds.

Heartless in-laws

Mary says they spent a lot of money on in vitro fertilisation (IVF), which was not successful. Before they settled on surrogacy, some relatives had already found a second wife for her husband.

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I was depressed. I had everything I ever wanted: a husband, a well-paying job, a beautiful house, but I couldnt make my husband a father, she says in tears.

It broke my heart when I learnt that my dear in-laws were looking for a replacement for me without even giving me a chance to conceive. But I am happy that my husband stood by me.

In 2013, three years into the marriage, Mary and her husband opted for a surrogate.It was a difficult decision. I felt like I wasnt woman enough. But I went for counseling and the process was easier. We finally found a surrogate, sorted out the finances, and she carried our child. We were in touch with her throughout the pregnancy, Mary narrates.

Although there are couples who prefer not knowing their surrogates, the couple chose to be involved. After the delivery we were in touch for a few weeks, after which she opted to end the communication for personal reasons.

Mary, however, says if shed consulted a specialist a year into her marriage, she could have prevented a lot of heartache.

Dr Wanyoike Gichuhi, a consultant obstetrician/gynaecologist and fertility specialist, says a couple that lives together, not on any birth control method and having regular sexual intercourse, who are not able to conceive within a year of marriage, should seek medical help.

He explains that once certain tests are done, they will determine if the challenge is with the woman or the man or both partners.

Fertility tests for a woman involve hormonal tests such as antimllerian hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinising hormone and oestrogen, and pelvic ultrasound and x-ray, Dr Wanyoike explains.

Semen analysis

For men, semen analysis is done to examine its quality among other factors. If indeed there is a problem, assisted reproduction is recommended.

During IVF, the ovaries are stimulated with fertility medicines to produce multiple ova (eggs). The mature eggs are retrieved from the ovaries in an operating theatre and fertilised with the sperms in the laboratory. The embryos are cultured in an incubator where they develop, before being transferred back to the womb, explains Dr Gichuhi.

Data from the Nairobi Fertility Clinic shows that IVF success rates are about 40 per cent in women below the age of 35 years but, as women go beyond the age of 41, they have less than 5 per cent success rates.

The success of IVF depends on many factors, but the age of the woman is the most important factor if she is using her own eggs.

Kenya is lagging behind on legislative framework governing the practise of fertility.

Developed countries like the UK have elaborate and comprehensive regulatory authorities. In the UK, where I trained, there is the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority which is responsible for ensuring that the fertility clinic and research centre comply with the law and ethics, Dr Gichuchi explains.

Kenyas Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Bill introduced in the National Assembly by Suba North Constituency Member of Parliament, Millie Adhiambo, is still a long way from becoming law to regulate the practise.

The MP acknowledges that women disproportionately bear the brunt of the stigma when a couple is unable to conceive, yet, she says, science has shown that men also have fertility challenges.

I am childless, and I am not shy about it, but I didnt know the extent of this problem, she says.

I realised that even in Parliament there are several other people who have gotten their children through an assisted reproductive technology but because of the stigma around this, they cannot talk about it publicly, she says.Odhiambo explains that a support group of women with fertility challenges approached her to introduce the Bill in Parliament to protect affected couples from exploitation and stigma.

A couple without a child is stigmatised, with different communities having names for such men and women. Part of the reason for introducing this Bill is to create awareness on this sensitive issue and let people know that you do not have to have a child if you do not want to, and if you are facing challenges, know that there are alternatives.

Modern day surrogacy

She refers to the Bible where a couple who could not have children would get a woman to conceive with the man, an earlier form of surrogacy. Modern day surrogacy is a bit different with IVF playing the crucial role in conception.

Vanessa, 30, decided to be a surrogate for a close relative after they failed to conceive through IVF.

Vanessa decided to help them after having that conversation with a friend two years earlier.

My relatives marriage was on the verge of collapse because of six years of childlessness. I wanted to help, and being their surrogate was the only way I could. They cried when I told them I wanted to be their surrogate. It was a very emotional moment, she recalls.

Vanessa says her relatives and friends were shocked when she told them she was doing it for free. However, she admits that it was a challenge because she had a 1-year-old daughter that she had to stop breastfeeding. I had to stop breastfeeding my baby. It was hard for me, I felt like I was failing my child. But I had chosen to help my relative. The nurses encouraged me on.

Vanessa explains that placing the embryo into her uterus (implantation) was not scary. The transfer was quick and painless, and she did not require medication or anaesthesia.

She was advised to be on bed rest for two weeks, after which she went back to the hospital to confirm the viability of the pregnancy. It was positive.

Prior to the implantation, Vanessas relative decided to also try IVF at the same time one last time, and to their surprise, it was a double blessing that she was also able to carry her pregnancy at the same time.

Vanessa explains that the hardest moment was when she was discharged and had to take the baby to the parents.

My sister came for me and we took the baby to her parents. When we reached their home, I didnt alight from the taxi, I really cried, Vanessa intimates.

But I pulled myself together because I knew this was expected.

Slowly with time, she has adjusted to the reality that the new baby was not hers.

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Tales of pain for couples unable to have children - The Standard

Embryology

Prioritising IVF treatment in the post COVID 19 era: a predictive modelling study based on UK national data – DocWire News

Hum Reprod. 2020 Nov 23:deaa339. doi: 10.1093/humrep/deaa339. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

STUDY QUESTION: Can we use prediction modelling to estimate the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID 19) related delay in starting IVF or ICSI in different groups of women?

SUMMARY ANSWER: Yes, using a combination of three different models we can predict the impact of delaying access to treatment by 6 and 12 months on the probability of conception leading to live birth in women of different age groups with different categories of infertility.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Increased age and duration of infertility can prejudice the chances of success following IVF, but couples with unexplained infertility have a chance of conceiving naturally without treatment whilst waiting for IVF. The worldwide suspension of IVF could lead to worse outcomes in couples awaiting treatment, but it is unclear to what extent this could affect individual couples based on age and cause of infertility.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: A population based cohort study based on national data from all licensed clinics in the UK obtained from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority Register. Linked data from 9589 women who underwent their first IVF or ICSI treatment in 2017 and consented to the use of their data for research were used to predict livebirth numbers.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: Three prediction models were used to estimate the chances of livebirth associated with immediate treatment versus a delay of 6 and 12 months in couples about to embark on IVF or ICSI.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: We estimated that a 6-month delay would reduce livebirths by 0.4%, 2.4%, 5.7%, 9.5% and 11.8% in women aged <30, 30-35, 36-37, 38-39 and 40-42 years, respectively, while corresponding values associated with a delay of 12 months were 0.9%, 4.9%, 11.9%, 18.8% and 22.4%, respectively. In women with known causes of infertility, worst case (best case) predicted chances of livebirth after a delay of 6 months in women aged <30, 30-35, 36-37, 38-39 and 40-42 years varied between 31.6% (35.0%), 29.0% (31.6%), 23.1% (25.2%), 17.2% (19.4%) and 10.3% (12.3%) for tubal infertility and 34.3% (39.2%), 31.6% (35.3%) 25.2%(28.5%) 18.3% (21.3%), and 11.3% (14.1%) for male factor infertility. The corresponding values in those treated immediately were 31.7%, 29.8%, 24.5%, 19.0% and 11.7% for tubal factor and 34.4%, 32.4%, 26.7%, 20.2% and 12.8% in male factor infertility. In women with unexplained infertility the predicted chances of livebirth after a delay of 6 months followed by one complete IVF cycle were 41.0%, 36.6%, 29.4%, 22.4% and 15.1% in women aged <30, 30-35, 36-37, 38-39 and 40-42 years, respectively, compared to 34.9%, 32.5%, 26.9%, 20.7% and 13.2% in similar groups of women treated without any delay. The additional waiting period, which provided more time for spontaneous conception, was predicted to increase the relative number of babies born by 17.5%, 12.6%, 9.1%, 8.4% and 13.8%, in women aged <30, 30-35, 36-37, 38-39 and 40-42 years, respectively. A 12-month delay showed a similar pattern in all subgroups.

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: Major sources of uncertainty include the use of prediction models generated in different populations and the need for a number of assumptions. Although the models are validated and the bases for the assumptions are robust, it is impossible to eliminate the possibility of imprecision in our predictions. Therefore, our predicted live birth rates need to be validated in prospective studies to confirm their accuracy.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: A delay in starting IVF reduces success rates in all couples. For the first time, we have shown that while this results in fewer babies in older women and those with a known cause of infertility, it has a less detrimental effect on couples with unexplained infertility, some of whom conceive naturally whilst waiting for treatment. Post COVID 19, clinics planning a phased return to normal clinical services should prioritise older women and those with a known cause of infertility.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): No external funding was received for this study. B.W.M. is supported by an NHMRC Practitioner Fellowship (GNT1082548) and reports consultancy work for ObsEva, Merck, Merck KGaA, Guerbet and iGenomics. SB is Editor-in-Chief of Human Reproduction Open. None of the other authors declare any conflicts of interest.

PMID:33226080 | DOI:10.1093/humrep/deaa339

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Prioritising IVF treatment in the post COVID 19 era: a predictive modelling study based on UK national data - DocWire News

Embryology

Future Visioning the Role of CRISPR Gene Editing: Navigating Law and Ethics to Regenerate Health and Cure Disease – IPWatchdog.com

Despite the projected growth in market applications and abundant investment capital, there is a danger that legal and ethical concerns related to genetic research could put the brakes on gene editing technologies and product programs emanating therefrom.

As society adjusts to a new world of social distance and remote everything, rapid advancements in the digital, physical, and biological spheres are accelerating fundamental changes to the way we live, work, and relate to one another. What Klaus Schwab prophesized in his 2015 book, The Fourth Industrial Revolution, is playing out before our very eyes. Quantum computing power, a network architecture that is moving function closer to the edge of our interconnected devices, bandwidth speeds of 5G and beyond, natural language processing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning are all working together to accelerate innovation in fundamental ways. Given the global pandemic, in the biological sphere, government industrial policy drives the public sector to work hand-in-glove with private industry and academia to develop new therapies and vaccines to treat and prevent COVID-19 and other lethal diseases. This post will envision the future of gene editing technologies and the legal and ethical challenges that could imperil their mission of saving lives.

There are thousands of diseases occurring in humans, animals, and plants caused by aberrant DNA sequences. Traditional small molecule and biologic therapies have only had minimal success in treating many of these diseases because they mitigate symptoms while failing to address the underlying genetic causes. While human understanding of genetic diseases has increased tremendously since the mapping of the human genome in the late 1990s, our ability to treat them effectively has been limited by our historical inability to alter genetic sequences.

The science of gene editing was born in the 1990s, as scientists developed tools such as zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs) and TALE nucleases (TALENs) to study the genome and attempt to alter sequences that caused disease. While these systems were an essential first step to demonstrate the potential of gene editing, their development was challenging in practice due to the complexity of engineering protein-DNA interactions.

Then, in 2011, Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier, a French professor of microbiology, genetics, and biochemistry, and Jennifer Doudna, an American professor of biochemistry, pioneered a revolutionary new gene-editing technology called CRISPR/Cas9. Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) and Cas9 stands for CRISPR-associated protein 9. In 2020, the revolutionary work of Drs. Charpentier and Doudna developing CRISPR/Cas9 were recognized with the Nobel Prize for Chemistry. The technology was also the source of a long-running and high-profile patent battle between two groups of scientsists.

CRISPR/Cas9 for gene editing came about from a naturally occurring viral defense mechanism in bacteria. The system is cheaper and easier to use than previous technologies. It delivers the Cas9 nuclease complexed with a synthetic guide RNA (gRNA) into a cell, cutting the cells genome at the desired location, allowing existing genes to be removed and new ones added to a living organisms genome. The technique is essential in biotechnology and medicine as it provides for the genomes to be edited in vivo with extremely high precision, efficiently, and with comparative ease. It can create new drugs, agricultural products, and genetically modified organisms or control pathogens and pests. More possibilities include the treatment of inherited genetic diseases and diseases arising from somatic mutations such as cancer. However, its use in human germline genetic modification is highly controversial.

The following diagram from CRISPR Therapeutics AG, a Swiss company, illustrates how it functions:

In the 1990s, nanotechnology and gene editing were necessary plot points for science fiction films. In 2020, developments like nano-sensors and CRISPR gene editing technology have moved these technologies directly into the mainstream, opening a new frontier of novel market applications. According to The Business Research Company, the global CRISPR technology market reached a value of nearly $700 million in 2019, is expected to more than double in 2020, and reach $6.7 billion by 2030. Market applications target all forms of life, from animals to plants to humans.

Gene editings primary market applications are for the treatment of genetically-defined diseases. CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing promises to enable the engineering of genomes of cell-based therapies and make them safer and available to a broader group of patients. Cell therapies have already begun to make a meaningful impact on specific diseases, and gene editing helps to accelerate that progress across diverse disease areas, including oncology and diabetes.

In the area of human therapy, millions of people worldwide suffer from genetic conditions. Gene-editing technologies like CRISPR-Cas9 have introduced a way to address the cause of debilitating illnesses like cystic fibrosis and create better interventions and therapies. They also have promising market applications for agriculture, food safety, supply, and distribution. For example, grocery retailers are even looking at how gene editing could impact the products they sell. Scientists have created gene-edited crops like non-browning mushrooms and mildew-resistant grapes experiments that are part of an effort to prevent spoilage, which could ultimately change the way food is sold.

Despite the inability to travel and conduct face-to-face meetings, attend industry conferences or conduct business other than remotely or with social distance, the investment markets for venture, growth, and private equity capital, as well as corporate R&D budgets, have remained buoyant through 2020 to date. Indeed, the third quarter of 2020 was the second strongest quarter ever for VC-backed companies, with 88 companies raising rounds worth $100 million or more according to the latest PwC/Moneytree report. Healthcare startups raised over $8 billion in the quarter in the United States alone. Gene-editing company Mammouth Biosciences raised a $45 million round of Series B capital in the second quarter of 2020. CRISPR Therapeutics AG raised more in the public markets in primary and secondary capital.

Bayer, Humboldt Fund and Leaps are co-leading a $65 million Series A round for Metagenomi, a biotech startup launched by UC Berkeley scientists. Metagenomi, which will be run by Berkeleys Brian Thomas, is developing a toolbox of CRISPR- and non-CRISPR-based gene-editing systems beyond the Cas9 protein. The goal is to apply machine learning to search through the genomes of these microorganisms, finding new nucleases that can be used in gene therapies. Other investors in the Series A include Sozo Ventures, Agent Capital, InCube Ventures and HOF Capital. Given the focus on new therapies and vaccines to treat the novel coronavirus, we expect continued wind in the sails for gene-editing companies, particularly those with strong product portfolios that leverage the technology.

Despite the projected growth in market applications and abundant investment capital, there is a danger that legal and ethical concerns related to genetic research could put the brakes on gene-editing technologies and product programs emanating therefrom. The possibility of off-target effects, lack of informed consent for germline therapy, and other ethical concerns could cause government regulators to put a stop on important research and development required to cure disease and regenerate human health.

Gene-editing companies can only make money by developing products that involve editing the human genome. The clinical and commercial success of these product candidates depends on public acceptance of gene-editing therapies for the treatment of human diseases. Public attitudes could be influenced by claims that gene editing is unsafe, unethical, or immoral. Consequently, products created through gene editing may not gain the acceptance of the government, the public, or the medical community. Adverse public reaction to gene therapy, in general, could result in greater government regulation and stricter labeling requirements of gene-editing products. Stakeholders in government, third-party payors, the medical community, and private industry must work to create standards that are both safe and comply with prevailing ethical norms.

The most significant danger to growth in gene-editing technologies lies in ethical concerns about their application to human embryos or the human germline. In 2016, a group of scientists edited the genome of human embryos to modify the gene for hemoglobin beta, the gene in which a mutation occurs in patients with the inherited blood disorder beta thalassemia. Although conducted in non-viable embryos, it shocked the public that scientists could be experimenting with human eggs, sperm, and embryos to alter human life at creation. Then, in 2018, a biophysics researcher in China created the first human genetically edited babies, twin girls, causing public outcry (and triggering government sanctioning of the researcher). In response, the World Health Organization established a committee to advise on the creation of standards for gene editing oversight and governance standards on a global basis.

Some influential non-governmental agencies have called for a moratorium on gene editing, particularly as applied to altering the creation or editing of human life. Other have set forth guidelines on how to use gene-editing technologies in therapeutic applications. In the United States, the National Institute of Health has stated that it will not fund gene-editing studies in human embryos. A U.S. statute called The Dickey-Wicker Amendment prohibits the use of federal funds for research projects that would create or destroy human life. Laws in the United Kingdom prohibit genetically modified embryos from being implanted into women. Still, embryos can be altered in research labs under license from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.

Regulations must keep pace with the change that CRISPR-Cas9 has brought to research labs worldwide. Developing international guidelines could be a step towards establishing cohesive national frameworks. The U.S. National Academy of Sciences recommended seven principles for the governance of human genome editing, including promoting well-being, transparency, due care, responsible science, respect for persons, fairness, and transnational co-operation. In the United Kingdom, a non-governmental organization formed in 1991 called The Nuffield Council has proposed two principles for the ethical acceptability of genome editing in the context of reproduction. First, the intervention intends to secure the welfare of the individual born due to such technology. Second, social justice and solidarity principles are upheld, and the intervention should not result in an intensifying of social divides or marginalizing of disadvantaged groups in society. In 2016, in application of the same, the Crick Institute in London was approved to use CRISPR-Cas9 in human embryos to study early development. In response to a cacophony of conflicting national frameworks, the International Summit on Human Gene Editing was formed in 2015 by NGOs in the United States, the United Kingdom and China, and is working to harmonize regulations global from both the ethical and safety perspectives. As CRISPR co-inventor Jennifer Doudna has written in a now infamous editorial in SCIENCE, stakeholders must engage in thoughtfully crafting regulations of the technology without stifling it.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to rely more on new technologies to keep us healthy, adapt to working from home, and more. The pandemic makes us more reliant on innovative digital, biological, and physical solutions. It has created a united sense of urgency among the public and private industry (together with government and academia) to be more creative about using technology to regenerate health. With continued advances in computing power, network architecture, communications bandwidths, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and gene editing, society will undoubtedly find more cures for debilitating disease and succeed in regenerating human health. As science advances, it inevitably intersects with legal and ethical norms, both for individuals and civil society, and there are new externalities to consider. Legal and ethical norms will adapt, rebalancing the interests of each. The fourth industrial revolution is accelerating, and hopefully towards curing disease.

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Future Visioning the Role of CRISPR Gene Editing: Navigating Law and Ethics to Regenerate Health and Cure Disease - IPWatchdog.com

Embryology

Embryology: Understanding the science and the scientists behind a successful IVF procedure – The Times of India Blog

In the success rates of IVFs or any assisted reproduction procedure, the role of Embryologists is often underrated. Most of the people are unaware of their very presence behind their journey towards achieving parenthood. Despite this ignorance, we should not overlook the fact that these embryologists are essentially scientists, who play a crucial role in the successful conception of babies through advanced assisted reproductive technologies.

An embryologist is nothing short of a scientist, who helps to create viable embryos to either be used in IVF treatment or while embryo freezing. The responsibilities of embryologist involve prudently managing and maintaining the genetic fabric used in creating embryos. They also take care of the development of the embryos closely. This requires deep understanding of the science behind nurturing eggs, sperm and embryos outside human body clinical methods and technological backup to ensure success rates. With the rising incidents of infertility globally approximately 1 in 7 of reproductive age being diagnosed as infertile the role of embryologist has also been intensified over the years. Globally, every year over five million ART babies are born through ART treatment.

If we talk about India, the IVF industry is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 28 per cent, and is assumed to be around USD 775 million (Rs 495 crore) by 2022.

Comprehending the role of embryologist

Before learning about embryologist, its imperative to understand the whole IVF process. It starts from extracting the eggs, retrieving sperm sample, and then fertilizing them manually by injecting sperm into an egg in the laboratory on a dish. The embryo is then transferred into the uterus. After the retrieval of eggs, the eggs are handed over to a team of highly trained embryologists that perform these procedures in a sophisticated and well-controlled environment

Embryologists are the experts of Clinical Embryology, a branch of biology concerned with the study of fertilization of eggs and development of embryos. They are the scientists who help to create embryos outside the womb using sperms and eggs.

Future of embryologists

As more and more couples are now going for IVF when they are unable to conceive naturally, it shows there is an increase in the demand for ART treatments. This also indicates that there will be a demand for trained embryologists. The surplus of embryologist demand will also call for the requirement of intense knowledge in application of emerging technologies in the near future as technology is no doubt ruling the IVF industry.

An embryologist can be employed by assisted reproductive clinics in government as well as private hospitals. Gradually, one can also be given more responsible positions as Lab manager or Lab director. But embryologist is such a job which needs rigorous training in laboratory skills, management and be updated about the latest technologies. Seeing the trend, many educational institutions have introduced embryology courses in their module. One can also join these institutes after completion of their course as faculty of embryologist.

DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author's own.

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Embryology: Understanding the science and the scientists behind a successful IVF procedure - The Times of India Blog

Embryology

How the IVF lab influences the chance of implantation after embryo transfer – ESHRE

A well attended online Campus meeting in November considered implantation from clinical, embryological and endometrial perspectives, but also focused on the day-to-day working of the IVF lab.

An online Campus meeting in November, with more than 250 remotely registered, reviewed the latest on successful and failed implantation from the perspectives of the meetings three organising SIGs (Embryology, Stem Cells and Implantation & Early Pregnancy). But what was also high on the meetings agenda were the effects which everyday laboratory practices might have on the fate of the embryo after transfer.

Barcelona embryologist Gemma Arroyo noted chromosomal testing and culture conditions as prominent factors but also added quality management systems, lab design and location, ambient conditions (lighting, air quality), biosecurity and culture equipment as important in the optimisation of embryo viability. For example, air conditioning, she said, should have air recycling at least 15 times per hour, with control of circulating particles and air pressure.(1) Similarly, she advised that oxygen concentrations during incubation would affect outcome, noting a Cochrane review supporting embryo culture with low oxygen concentrations for improved success rates in IVF and ICSI.(2) However, a recent study in which oxygen levels were reduced from 5% (low) to 2% (ultra low) found no added benefit.(3) Similarly, fluctuations in pH concentrations have been evident in blastulation rate reduction and alterations in gene expression (raised pH) and in fetal weight (lower pH).

While the introduction of time-lapse systems has allowed labs to maintain consistent and controlled culture environments, no such consistency is yet evident in the culture media single-step or sequential - behind the huge global shift to blastocyst transfer. Arroyo described several studies meta-analyses and RCTs reflecting inconsistent comparative results in blastulation and outcome. For example, a systematic review performed by ESHREs SIG Embryology co-ordinator Ioannis Sfontouris and colleagues found insufficient evidence to identify either one as superior, despite the practical advantages of single-step and higher blastocyst formation rates.(4) Similarly, Ubaldis group in Rome found no differences in cumulative delivery rates between the two approaches.(5)

While acknowledging the no-touch stability which time-lapse systems provide, Arroyo nevertheless recommended that their routine adoption should remain an experimental strategy. She noted that no single morphokinetic parameter has so far been consistently shown to predict implantation - indeed, with considerable disagreement over which parameters are even useful, normal or abnormal. This echoed the conclusions of ESHREs recent recommendations on time-lapse, that a clear clinical benefit of its use, an increase in IVF success rates, remains to be proven.(6) However, as the recommendations also noted, hopes of an outcome advantage are not lost.

So, as Ioannis Sfontouris asked of the lab, are we better than nature? Well, nature is certainly not perfect, as Johannes Ott emphasised before his presentation on routine office hysteroscopy before IVF. Citing a recent meta-analysis, he reported that reproductive failure is more common than success, and that embryo quality is implicated in many of these failures.(7) So is embryo culture, and notably extended culture, responsible for compromising embryo quality, asked Sfontouris. He reviewed the pros and cons of embryo transfer from day 1 to day 7 and concluded that, despite the potential for extended culture to trigger epigenetic changes, blastocyst transfer is associated with a higher pregnancy and live birth in the fresh cycle (though similar rates in cumulative cycles), a shorter time to pregnancy, and a more pronounced benefit in good-prognosis patients (while poor prognosis patients may benefit from cleavage-stage transfer.

Abha Maheshwari from the Aberdeen Fertility Centre in Scotland also found a distinction between the effect of ovarian stimulation in the fresh and frozen cycle, indicating that supraphysiological estrogen doses may affect implantation via the uterus. Describing ovarian stimulation as the most important thing in ART, and recognising the shift in defined success from pregnancy per cycle to cumulative healthy delivery, she urged the need of a very delicate balance between generating an adequate number of eggs while not impairing uterine receptivity.

1. Mortimer D, Cohen J, Mortimer ST, et al. Cairo consensus on the IVF laboratory environment and air quality: report of an expert meeting. Reprod Biomed Online 2018; 36: 658-674. doi:10.1016/j.rbmo.2018.02.005.2. Bontekoe S, Mantikou E, van Wely M, et al. Low oxygen concentrations for embryo culture in assisted reproductive technologies. Cochrane Database Syst Re 2012; CD008950. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD008950.pub2.3. De Munck D, Janssens R, Segers I, et al. Influence of ultra-low oxygen (2%) tension on in-vitro human embryo development. Hum Reprod 2019; 34: 228-234. doi:10.1093/humrep/dey370.4. Sfontouris IA, Martins WP, Nastri CO, et al. Blastocyst culture using single versus sequential media in clinical IVF: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Assist Reprod Genet 2016; 33: 12611272. doi:10.1007/s10815-016-0774-5.5. Cimadomo D, Scarica C, Maggiulli R, et al. Continuous embryo culture elicits higher blastulation but similar cumulative delivery rates than sequential: a large prospective study. J Assist Reprod Genet 2018; 35: 1329-1338. doi:10.1007/s10815-018-1195-4.6. ESHRE working group on time-lapse technology. Good practice recommendations for the use of time-lapse technology. Hum Reprod Open 2020; 2: doi.org/10.1093/hropen/hoaa0086. Craciunas L, Gallos I, Chu J, et al. Conventional and modern markers of endometrial receptivity: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Hum Reprod Update 2019; 25: 202-223. doi:10.1093/humupd/dmy044.

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How the IVF lab influences the chance of implantation after embryo transfer - ESHRE

Embryology

Inception Fertility Expands EMR Partnership with PracticeHwy | Texas | tylerpaper.com – Tyler Morning Telegraph

HOUSTON, Nov. 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --In its latest effort to enhance the patient experience, Inception Fertility (Inception), a family of comprehensive fertility practices and companies, announces today it has expanded its strategic partnership with PracticeHwy's electronic medical record (EMR) system, eIVF. The EMR system will be available to every practice within the Inception family of fertility providers nationwide including The Prelude Network (Prelude) and Pathways Fertility (Pathways). Prelude is the clinic network of Inception and is the fastest-growing network of fertility clinics in the country. Pathways provides couples and individuals the chance to build their families through affordable care backed by the latest technologies in assisted reproductive medicine.

The partnership delivers on Inception's mission to better streamline fertility care and combine it with its approach to provide compassionate, individualized fertility treatment that utilizes the latest science. "As the nation's largest provider of fertility services, we are excited to expand our collaboration with eIVF and continue our efforts in strengthening how we streamline patient care," says TJ Farnsworth, CEO and Founder of Inception. "By providing enhanced interoperability throughout the entire Prelude Network and Pathways Fertility, we elevate our commitment to delivering best-in-class standards in patient outcomes and experience."

In addition to Prelude and Pathways, Inception's growing network of national organizations includes MyEggBank, one of the largest frozen donor egg banks in North America; andBundl Fertility (Bundl), a multi-cycle fertility service bundling company.

"We are excited to leverage the experience, strength, and national reach of our Inception partnership as we continue to enhance eIVF's suite of offerings," says Jawid Rahimi, Chief Executive Officer at PracticeHwy. "With over 50% of cycles in the US managed on eIVF, we have the most evolved capabilities in the market and are proud to offer Inception practices a solution to maximize operational efficiency and patient care."

A pioneer in the fertility industry, eIVF has been utilized in over one million cycles at practices throughout the world and continues to trailblaze a path of innovation. Its robust approach to practice management includes streamlined scheduling tools, an intelligent fertility-based billing platform that drives financial outcomes as well as the patient experience, and the most comprehensive Embryology and Andrology solution available. This platform also offers revolutionary lab management and electronic witnessing system, and its powerful research portal provides 24/7 access to built-in strategic KPI reports to drive better results.

For Inception, it was crucial to find a partner that would be able to support their continued trajectory of growth. "With an ever-growing enterprise, it is important to not only find a partner to handle the needs of our 70 providers, but to also provide scalability as we continue to grow the Inception network," says Farnsworth.

About PracticeHwyPracticeHwy is an international leader in healthcare software that serves approximately 130 practices and clinics worldwide. In 2002, they launched eIVF, one of the first electronic medical record (EMR) platforms focused on Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (REI) practices. Since then, eIVF has been utilized on over a million cycles. Known for its pursuit of excellence in the fertility industry, PracticeHwy.com has seen trajectory growth throughout the years by continuously developing new software solutions that support all aspects of a fertility clinic's operations. http://www.eivf.org

About Inception Fertility Inception Fertility (Inception) is a family of fertility brands committed to helping patients build their own families. Built by patients for patients, Inception's purpose is to achieve the highest bar in experience, science and medicine to enhance each patient's experience and achieve better outcomes.

Through its growing family of national organizations which includesThe Prelude Network, the fastest-growing network of fertility clinics and largest provider of comprehensive fertility services in the U.S.;Pathways Fertility, clinics that provide affordable, individualized and high quality care;MyEggBank, one of the largest frozen donor egg banks in North America; andBundl Fertility (Bundl), a multi-cycle fertility service bundling program Inception is working to deliver on its promise to push the envelope of what is possible for exceeding patient expectations.

Media Contact:Mia HumphreysKrupp KommunicationsMHumphreys@kruppnyc.com239-297-6592

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Inception Fertility Expands EMR Partnership with PracticeHwy | Texas | tylerpaper.com - Tyler Morning Telegraph

Embryology

Relationship status does not affect outcome of cumulative donor insemination treatments – BioNews

16 November 2020

A 13-year study of almost 9000 donor insemination treatments in 3333 consecutive patients at the London Women's Clinic, underlines the latest conclusions of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA).

The HFEA has reported that fertility treatment in same-sex female couples and single women is a dramatically increasing trend reflecting changing social attitudes and new family formations, also described by Professor Susan Golombok in her recent book We Are Family. Indeed, by the end of our study period December 2016 single, lesbian and female partners from heterosexual relationships comprised 45 percent, 43 percent and 12 percent respectively of our total patient population.

The HFEA data for 2018 showed that donor insemination resulted in an overall live birth rate per treatment cycle of 13 percent, with the lowest per-cycle rate found in single women. This, said the HFEA, was largely explained by patient age: single patients had an average age of 38 years, thus older than women in same-sex (33 years) and heterosexual relationships (34 years).

Our data similarly showed an age-related decline in success rates: from 12.5 percent per cycle in under 35s to 5.4 percent and below in the over 40s. Additionally, unlike the HFEA, we demonstrated the advantageous effects on outcome of cumulative treatments. We assessed our cumulative live birth rates (LBRs) in two ways: as a 'crude' rate over continuing cycles and as an 'expected' rate calculated to correct the analysis for the statistical effect of dropouts.

Again, crude cumulative LBRs declined with advancing patient age, from 29 percent in the under 35 group to 12 percent in the 40-42 years group. And similarly, while the calculation for expected cumulative LBRs revealed even higher rates, they still declined with age, from 66 percent in the under 35 group to 28 percent in the 40-42 year group. However, while the data just reported by the HFEA in their single-cycle results showed a lower LBR among single female patients, we found no difference in our cumulative success rates between the three treatment groups (same-sex and heterosexual couples and single women).

Over the 13 years of our study, overall dropout rates per cycle varied between 28 percent and 50 percent, and were even higher when plotted for age-specific cumulative dropout rate curves. The results thus show, first, that continued intrauterine insemination (IUI) treatments in these patient populations can yield results much higher than those reported by the HFEA for single cycles, and second, that dropout over time will have a significant negative effect on overall outcome: with each additional cycle number there are fewer and fewer patients who continue.

The other important result from our follow-up was that in both the crude and expected cumulative calculations, a plateau in success rates was reached after approximately six cycles in young women and three in older women. Thus, while persistence in treatment may well generate real benefits, additional benefits were not evident in more than six cycles. This supports the NICE advice of offering six IUI cycles as an initial course of treatment, but not a further six to those who have not conceived.

However, our real-life experience also challenges the HFEA recommendation that IUI is only a first-line option for women in same-sex relationships and not recommended for couples with unexplained infertility, mild endometriosis or mild male factor infertility. Our results were comparable over 13 years in all patient groups. The factors affecting outcome in our series were patient age, cumulative treatments and ovarian stimulation ahead of IUI, but not relationship status as reflected, albeit controversially, in the NICE guidance.

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Relationship status does not affect outcome of cumulative donor insemination treatments - BioNews