Prof. Simon Fishel

UK

Simon Fishel is the Founder and President of the CARE Fertility Group, following 18 years as its CEO. He has worked in the field of Assisted Reproduction Technology/Assisted Conception for over 30 years and was part of the original pioneering IVF team with Steptoe and Edwards that produced the World first IVF ("Test tube") baby. Simon has published over 200 academic papers, four books in the IVF field, established numerous clinics worldwide and was the first to introduce IVF to China in the 1980's as part of a WHO initiative. His research career began at the University of Cambridge, where he worked for several years with Professor Robert Edwards prior to the birth of Louise Brown, in 1978. During this time Dr Fishel was the first to demonstrate that the embryo 'communicates' with its environment; and, later, was the first to publish on the synthesis and secretion of HCG by the human embryo. In 1978 he was appointed a Fellow of Churchill College, Cambridge, became a Cambridge University Lecturer and was awarded the prestigious Beit Memorial Fellowship. In 1980 he became Deputy Scientific Director at the world's first "test tube baby clinic", working with Robert Edwards and Patrick Steptoe until 1985 when he moved to Nottingham. During the mid to late 1980's Simon was responsible for developing techniques for micromanipulation in ART, leading to the first published birth with sperm microinjection, in 1990; a technology that was the forerunner to what is now the well-established ICSI technique. Professor Fishel is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology and an internationally acclaimed IVF scientist; having received many honorary awards from countries such as Japan, Austria, Italy, South Africa and the US, amongst others. In 1992 he founded the World first degree course in IVF and ART, and he has advised several international Government committees reviewing policy and legislation on IVF, including advisors to the Vatican. He was awarded a Personal Professorial Chair in Human Reproduction at the University of Nottingham before establishing the CARE Fertility Group in 1997. More recently Simon has been instrumental in driving the first real time array CGH program in IVF that resulted in the first successful use of egg or embryo chromosome evaluation in 2009, which is now used worldwide, and more recently CAREmaps – the pioneering breakthrough involving time-lapse imaging algorithms. Simon is on the board and reviewer for several international journals, a Patron of numerous organizations, held several advisory roles for the HFEA, and in 2009 was honoured by Liverpool John Moores University with their highest award of 'University Fellow' for "outstanding contribution to science and to humanity".

Prof. Milton Leong

China

Prof. Milton Ka Hong Leong was brought up in Hong Kong, finished his basic school years, and then went to attend McGill University in Montreal Canada. He did Honours Biochemistry as an undergraduate, and then Medical School. Further postgraduate training in Obstetrics and Gynecology followed, and he obtained his specialists degree in 1974. He then went to London on a McLaughlin Fellowship granted by the Canadian Royal College where he studied under Professors Richard Beard and Stuart Campbell. Returning to Montreal, he joined the McGill University Department as academic staff, and was active in teaching and also headed the High Risk Obstetric Unit.
In 1979 Prof. Leong returned to Hong Kong and engaged in private practice. Seeing a need at that time, he started to concentrate in the study and treatment of Infertility. He set up the IVF Centre at the Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital, a private hospital, in joint venture form, and with his partner Dr Clement Leung, they built it up to be one of the most successful IVF clinics in Asia and the world. He "made" and delivered the first IVF baby in Hong Kong in 1985,and in the last 20 years had researched, published, and taught the art and science of infertility and the assisted reproductive techniques.
Prof. Leong is a member of the various reproductive medicine societies, and various international committees. He lecture widely, and still plays an active academic role, and remains to be an Adjunct Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology in McGill University. His current interest is how to provide the optimal treatment for infertile patients using a patient orientated, more holistic approach.