Désolé, cet article est seulement disponible en English, Español et 中文. Pour le confort de l’utilisateur, le contenu est affiché ci-dessous dans la langue par défaut du site. Vous pouvez cliquer l’un des liens pour changer la langue du site en une autre langue disponible.
Founders
Nuno Costa-Borges, PhDScientific directorDr. Nuno Costa-Borges is an embryologist that has been involved in both research and clinical practice for over 15 years. As a PhD fellow of the Portuguese national funding agency for science, Nuno spent several years developing strategies to improve the efficiency of animal cloning, having accomplished the first animals successfully cloned in Spain in 2009. After finishing his PhD at the University Autonomous of Barcelona, he joined the embryology team of IVI Barcelona, where he has worked as a clinical embryologist. Later on, he co-founded Embryotools, where he has been devoted on offering training and consulting services to the IVF community worldwide. Additionally, as scientific director of Embryotools, Nuno has also been committed to the development of new IVF techniques, such as, the flicking method for the biopsy of blastocysts or spindle transfer for mitochondrial replacement in oocytes and embryos. Nuno’s work has led to several peer-reviewed publications and he has been invited speaker in numerous international conferences and scientific meetings, as well as awarded with prestigious prizes and grants.
Gloria Calderón, PhDFormer PresidentDr. Gloria Calderón is a clinical embryologist who has been part of the team that managed to obtain the first pregnancies by IVF in Spain. With more than 30 years of experience in the field of assisted reproduction, Dr. Calderón is an international reference with extensive knowledge in clinical embryology, quality control and design of IVF laboratories. She has been the main internal scientific advisor for the IVI group between 2000 and 2013 (> 25,000 cycles / year) and is currently a guest lecturer in Master's programs at 6 Universities in Spain. Throughout her career she has provided consulting services throughout the world, and is frequently invited as speaker to the most important conferences of the sector in Europe, America, Asia, Africa and Middle East. She is the author of more than 200 publications and abstracts in international journals and conferences, including Human Reproduction, Fertility and Sterility, ESHRE, ASRM, etc. and a member of the Human Reproduction Medicine Review Committee. In addition, Dr. Calderón is part of the panel of reviewers of reputed scientific journals.
Nuno Costa-Borges, PhD
Scientific director
Dr. Nuno Costa-Borges is an embryologist that has been involved in both research and clinical practice for over 15 years. As a PhD fellow of the Portuguese national funding agency for science, Nuno spent several years developing strategies to improve the efficiency of animal cloning, having accomplished the first animals successfully cloned in Spain in 2009. After finishing his PhD at the University Autonomous of Barcelona, he joined the embryology team of IVI Barcelona, where he has worked as a clinical embryologist. Later on, he co-founded Embryotools, where he has been devoted on offering training and consulting services to the IVF community worldwide. Additionally, as scientific director of Embryotools, Nuno has also been committed to the development of new IVF techniques, such as, the flicking method for the biopsy of blastocysts or spindle transfer for mitochondrial replacement in oocytes and embryos. Nuno’s work has led to several peer-reviewed publications and he has been invited speaker in numerous international conferences and scientific meetings, as well as awarded with prestigious prizes and grants.
Gloria Calderón, PhD
Former President
Dr. Gloria Calderón is a clinical embryologist who has been part of the team that managed to obtain the first pregnancies by IVF in Spain. With more than 30 years of experience in the field of assisted reproduction, Dr. Calderón is an international reference with extensive knowledge in clinical embryology, quality control and design of IVF laboratories. She has been the main internal scientific advisor for the IVI group between 2000 and 2013 (> 25,000 cycles / year) and is currently a guest lecturer in Master's programs at 6 Universities in Spain. Throughout her career she has provided consulting services throughout the world, and is frequently invited as speaker to the most important conferences of the sector in Europe, America, Asia, Africa and Middle East. She is the author of more than 200 publications and abstracts in international journals and conferences, including Human Reproduction, Fertility and Sterility, ESHRE, ASRM, etc. and a member of the Human Reproduction Medicine Review Committee. In addition, Dr. Calderón is part of the panel of reviewers of reputed scientific journals.
General management
David Raga
CFO
Laboratory staff
Enric Mestres, PhDEmbryologistLaboratory director
Mònica Acacio, MScEmbryologistHead of Vet Center and Research coordinator
Alba CasalsEmbryologistLaboratory coordinator
Andrea VillamarEmbryologistCo-Head of QC Center
Queralt Matia, MScEmbryologistHead of Products Center
Carolina Castelló, BScEmbryologistDirecteur de la formation
Albert Martínez, MScEmbryologistCo-head of QC Center
Aina Franco, MScEmbryologistLydia Romera, MScEmbryologistPau SolerTraineeSonia Gago, MScEmbryologistPhD Student
Carlota GutiérrezVeterinary
Enric Mestres, PhD
Embryologist
Laboratory director
Mònica Acacio, MSc
Embryologist
Head of Vet Center and Research coordinator
Alba Casals
Embryologist
Laboratory coordinator
Andrea Villamar
Embryologist
Co-Head of QC Center
Queralt Matia, MSc
Embryologist
Head of Products Center
Carolina Castelló, BSc
Embryologist
Directeur de la formation
Albert Martínez, MSc
Embryologist
Co-head of QC Center
Aina Franco, MSc
Embryologist
Lydia Romera, MSc
Embryologist
Pau Soler
Trainee
Sonia Gago, MSc
Embryologist
PhD Student
Carlota Gutiérrez
Veterinary
Administration
Lara Pérez
Head of Administration
Maria Campos
Operations Manager
Karen Mitma
Office Manager
Carles Ortega Ragull
Software developer
External scientific advisors
Dagan Wells, PhDScientific AdvisorDagan Wells has been actively involved in preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and the study of human gametes and embryos for over two decades, conducting his first PGD cases in 1992. He spent several years developing novel PGD tests at University College London, accomplishing the first comprehensive chromosome analysis of cells from human embryos in 1998, using a combination of whole genome amplification and comparative genomic hybridisation (CGH). In 1999 Dagan moved to the United States and joined Reprogenetics, one of the world’s largest providers of PGD services. In 2003 he initiated Reprogenetics’ highly successful single gene PGD program, testing embryos for numerous serious inherited conditions. Dagan later joined the faculty of Yale University Medical School, where he spent four years running a research laboratory, before returning to the UK in late 2007. His research group is now located in the Nuffield Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Oxford. Dagan’s work has led to the publication of more than 120 peer-review publications and book chapters and has been recognized with the award of numerous prizes and grants. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists and currently serves on the Editorial Boards of several international journals. Dagan also directs Reprogenetics-UK, an independent laboratory offering state-of-the-art PGD services to IVF clinics throughout the UK and internationally.Klaus Rink, PhDScientific AdvisorGerman physicist, specialized in experimental physics, fluent in English and French. He is renowned for research and development of laser products for medical applications in the fields of in vitro fertilization, tissue welding and the treatment of kidney stones. In 2000 he co-founded OCTAX Microscience GmbH in Germany. OCTAX develops and manufactures IVF medical equipment, ranging from therapeutic to diagnostics appliances. OCTAX is reputed worldwide for producing the most reliable and accurate laser equipment, researched and developed by Dr. Rink since 1992.
Scientific achievements:
/1st birth after laser assisted hatching (1.48 μm)
/1st birth after laser assisted blastomere biopsy and PGD
/1st birth after laser assisted polar body biopsy
/1st birth after laser assisted immobilization of spermatozoa
/1st pregnancy after laser assisted zona drilling for ICSI
/1st pregnancy after laser assisted removal of necrotic blastomeres from cryopreserved embryosGabriel CléricoVeterinaryXavier Santamaria, M.D., PhDScientific Medical AdvisorBoard Ob/Gyn specialist in Reproductive Medicine. He obtained a post-graduate fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Yale University (USA) and completed his Ph.D. at the Universitat Autònoma Barcelona (Spain). Dr. Santamaria war the Director of the International Department at the IVI between 2012 and 2016. In 2016, he joined Dr. Simon's Research group as a Senior Principal Investigator, where he has developed his research related to Asherman's Syndrome.
His mail clinical and scientific interest is in understanding the regenerative capacity of the human endometrium and developing strategies to regenerate the endometrium to improve embryo implantation.
His group was the first to complete a trial using human bone marrow stem cells to treat Asherman's syndrome and endometrial atrophy (PMDI:27005892) demonstrating this approach's feasibility in treating endometrial pathologies. As a result, CD133+ cells have been designed as the first Orphan Drug (ODD) by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the field of gynecological research. Dr. Santamaria has also participated as an inventor in 7 different patent applications, and is a co-founder and scientific director of 4 different start-up companies.
He has published 27 papers in peer-reviewed journals (H-index of 15) and 12 book chapters. He has been an invited speaker at more than 70 international conferences and was awarded the prize for Best Oral Presentation for Young Investigators at the Society of Ginecological Investigation Meeting in 2009. He has directed one doctoral thesis.
Dagan Wells, PhD
Scientific Advisor
Dagan Wells has been actively involved in preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and the study of human gametes and embryos for over two decades, conducting his first PGD cases in 1992. He spent several years developing novel PGD tests at University College London, accomplishing the first comprehensive chromosome analysis of cells from human embryos in 1998, using a combination of whole genome amplification and comparative genomic hybridisation (CGH). In 1999 Dagan moved to the United States and joined Reprogenetics, one of the world’s largest providers of PGD services. In 2003 he initiated Reprogenetics’ highly successful single gene PGD program, testing embryos for numerous serious inherited conditions. Dagan later joined the faculty of Yale University Medical School, where he spent four years running a research laboratory, before returning to the UK in late 2007. His research group is now located in the Nuffield Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Oxford. Dagan’s work has led to the publication of more than 120 peer-review publications and book chapters and has been recognized with the award of numerous prizes and grants. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists and currently serves on the Editorial Boards of several international journals. Dagan also directs Reprogenetics-UK, an independent laboratory offering state-of-the-art PGD services to IVF clinics throughout the UK and internationally.
Klaus Rink, PhD
Scientific Advisor
German physicist, specialized in experimental physics, fluent in English and French. He is renowned for research and development of laser products for medical applications in the fields of in vitro fertilization, tissue welding and the treatment of kidney stones. In 2000 he co-founded OCTAX Microscience GmbH in Germany. OCTAX develops and manufactures IVF medical equipment, ranging from therapeutic to diagnostics appliances. OCTAX is reputed worldwide for producing the most reliable and accurate laser equipment, researched and developed by Dr. Rink since 1992.
Scientific achievements:
/1st birth after laser assisted hatching (1.48 μm)
/1st birth after laser assisted blastomere biopsy and PGD
/1st birth after laser assisted polar body biopsy
/1st birth after laser assisted immobilization of spermatozoa
/1st pregnancy after laser assisted zona drilling for ICSI
/1st pregnancy after laser assisted removal of necrotic blastomeres from cryopreserved embryos
Gabriel Clérico
Veterinary
Xavier Santamaria, M.D., PhD
Scientific Medical Advisor
Board Ob/Gyn specialist in Reproductive Medicine. He obtained a post-graduate fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Yale University (USA) and completed his Ph.D. at the Universitat Autònoma Barcelona (Spain). Dr. Santamaria war the Director of the International Department at the IVI between 2012 and 2016. In 2016, he joined Dr. Simon's Research group as a Senior Principal Investigator, where he has developed his research related to Asherman's Syndrome.
His mail clinical and scientific interest is in understanding the regenerative capacity of the human endometrium and developing strategies to regenerate the endometrium to improve embryo implantation.
His group was the first to complete a trial using human bone marrow stem cells to treat Asherman's syndrome and endometrial atrophy (PMDI:27005892) demonstrating this approach's feasibility in treating endometrial pathologies. As a result, CD133+ cells have been designed as the first Orphan Drug (ODD) by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the field of gynecological research. Dr. Santamaria has also participated as an inventor in 7 different patent applications, and is a co-founder and scientific director of 4 different start-up companies.
He has published 27 papers in peer-reviewed journals (H-index of 15) and 12 book chapters. He has been an invited speaker at more than 70 international conferences and was awarded the prize for Best Oral Presentation for Young Investigators at the Society of Ginecological Investigation Meeting in 2009. He has directed one doctoral thesis.
Business Advisor
Søren Leth Ankerstjerne, MBA
Business Development Advisor
Former COO for Unisense FertilITech A/S and strategic Advisor for Esco Medical, Søren Leth Ankerstjerne has joined Embryotools as an advisor within business development. Søren will also support Embryotools partners and customers with knowledge of the rapid changes within the technology field of IVF and provide guidance for clinics which are considering investments into Time lapse systems, bench top incubators and workstations.
As former COO of Unisense FertiliTech A/S, Søren was part of the successfully market introduction of the EmbryoScope Time-lapse System and the great change process which the company went through, going from a small research company in Denmark, to a globally known IVF supplier in more than 30 Countries.
Before his duties in Unisense FertiliTech A/S, Søren was the Sales & Supply Chain Director in one of Europe’s largest IT infrastructure companies and a board member of several Danish and European companies.
Søren got his Executive Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Aarhus and Officer in the Danish Armed Force. His expertise varies from designing and implementing global strategies for Medical devices and services, to strategic sourcing and supply chain management.
Søren have received several honors for his work. In the year 2000, he received the “Honorary Prize” from the Danish Officer Association. In 2007, Mr. Ankerstjerne was selected to “Berlingske Business”, list of the 100 most promising business talents in Denmark below 35 years. Søren have participated in a numerous of acquisitions and been actively involved in 3 exit processes. He is a member of the Danish Management Society, (VL-grupperne). Besides being a strategic advisor for MedTech companies Søren is involved as a partner in a emerging technology company.
Søren is looking forward to supporting Embryotools and finds the idea and concept very promising and a “perfect match for the future needs of an IVF clinic and their suppliers”.