Scientific Programme

THURSDAY, November 1, 2018
15:00-18:15 Basic course in prenatal diagnosis
Course Director – Yuval Yaron
Preregistration needed
15:30-18:30 Free Industry Sponsored Course
15:00-15:30  Coffee Break
15:30-16:15 Basic Genetic principles for the non-geneticists
Brynn Levy,
USA
 16:15-16:20 Q&A
16:20-17:05 Introduction to Genetic technologies
Vincenzo Cirigliano, Spain
17:05-17:10 Q&A
17:10-18:10 Bioinformatics for the clinician
Yuval Yaron, Israel
 18:10-18:15 Q&A
 18:30 Welcome reception
FRIDAY, November 2, 2018
 08:30-10:05 Session 1: Aging & the origin of aneuploidy
Chairs: Alexandra Benachi, 
France, Simon Fishel, UK and Yuval Yaron, Israel
08:30-08:35 Welcome note
08:35-09:05 Origins of aneuploidy in oocytes
Agata Zielinska, Germany
09:05-09:35 Regulation of cohesin during oogenesis
Mary Herbert, UK
09:35-10:05 Telomeres and genomic instability in preimplantation embryos
David Keefe, USA
10:05-10:30 Coffee Break and Poster Viewing
10:30-12:00 Session 2: Molecular advances in Prenatal Diagnosis
Chairs: Zvi Appelman, Israel and Vincenzo Cirigliano, Spain
10:30-11:00 Modern approach to laboratory prenatal workup of congenital anomalies
Brynn Levy, USA
11:00-11:30 Update on the use of exome sequencing for the diagnosis of fetal abnormalities
Lyn Chitty, UK
11:30-12:00 Whole exome sequencing for recurrent pregnancy loss (RPLs)
Evica Rajcan-Separovic, Canada
 12:00-13:30 Industry-sponsored symposium
 13:30-14:00 Lunch Break 
14:10-16:00 Session 3: Non-invasive prenatal testing and diagnosis (NIPT/NIPD)
Chairs: Lyn Chitty, UK and Florencia Petracchi, Argentina
14:00-14:30 Non-invasive prenatal testing
Vincenzo Cirigliano, Spain
14:30-15:00 Clinical utility and issues with 24chromosome NIPT
Tony Gordon, UK
15:00-15:30 Non-invasive multi-gene sequencing screen
Christine Eng, USA
15:30-16:00 Trophoblast retrieval and isolation from cervix (TRIC)
Randy Armant, USA
16:00-16:30 Coffee Break & Poster Viewing
16:30-18:00 Session 4: Are we ready for genome editing in human embryos FOR CLINICAL PURPOSES?
Moderator: Alan Handyside, UK
16:30-17:15 For
Gerald Schatten, USA
17:15-18:00 Against
Joyce Harper, UK
SATURDAY, November 3, 2018
 08:30-10:30 Session 5: Preconception Screening and PGD
Chairs: Robert Anderson, USA and Dagan Wells, UK
08:30-09:00 Preconception screening of gamete donors
Julio Martin, Spain
09:00-09:30 PGD for mitochondrial DNA disorder: feasibility and concerns
Julie Steffann, France
09:30-10:00 ESTEEM vs. STAR – an inside look into recent trials for PGS
Andreas Schmutzler, Germany
10:00-10:30 Genetic backdrop to cleavage embryo anomalies
Christian Ottolini, UK
 10:30-11:00 Coffee Break and Poster Viewing
 11:00-13:00 Session 6: Introduction to preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) A.K.A. PGS
Chairs: Ariel Hourvitz, Israel and Andreas Schmutzler, Germany
11:00-11:30 Why is PGT-A important?
Alan Handyside, UK
11:30-12:00 Clinical benefits of PGT-A for all patients
Robert Anderson, USA
12:00-12:30 Understanding the performance of different PGS platforms
Dagan Wells, UK
12:30-13:00 Mosaicism in PGT-A – is it a red herring?
Nathan Treff, USA
 13:00-14:00 Lunch Break
 14:00-16:00 Session 7: The future of preimplantation genetic testing (PGT)
Chairs: Gheona Altarescu, Israel and Julie Steffann, France
14:00-14:30 The use of cell free DNA for detection of embryonic aneuploidy
Santiago Munne, USA
14:30-15:00 Expanded preimplantation genetic testing (ePGT)
Nathan Treff, USA
15:00-15:30 The demise of PGS (PGT-A) in Hungary and its effect on patient care
Attila Vereczkey, Hungary
15:30-16:00 Time lapse: A glimpse into pre-historic genomics
Darren Griffin, UK
 16:00-16:30 Coffee Break & Poster Viewing
16:30-18:15 Session 8: Genetics of human implantation and early pregnancy
Chairs: Simon Fishel, UK and Yuval Yaron, Israel
16:30-17:00 Update on endometrial receptivity analysis (ERA)
Carlos Simón, Spain
17:00-17:30 The genetics of early embryo development
Marta Shahbazi, UK
17:30-18:00 Early implantation and miscarriage – genetic perspective
Siobhan Quenby, UK
18:00-18:15 Closing remarks
Yuval Yaron, Israel