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Barry Behr, PhD, HCLD
Director
IVF/ART Laboratories
Stanford University School of Medicine
Palo Alto, CA and
Huntington Reproductive Centers, CA |
Dr. Behr is a nationally and internationally renowned clinical and scientific leader advancing research in human reproduction. He currently serves as Associate Director of the Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (REI) Laboratory at Stanford University. As a world-renown scientist and lecturer, Dr. Behr is highly sought after to chair scientific programs and conferences. He is a chairperson of the Midwest Reproductive Symposium, served as Program Chairman of the Pacific Coast Reproductive Society for the 2007 Annual Meeting, and currently co-chairs the Human Embryonic Stem Cell Advisory Committee at Stanford University.
Dr. Behr is widely recognized for his research in embryo culture technology and embryo maternal interaction. He developed a culture medium for embryo culture to the blastocyst stage, which has improved pregnancy rates and implantation rates, and has reduced the risk of multiple gestations in IVF. More recently, his research is focusing on human embryonic stem cells and somatic cell nuclear transfer. He has published over 50 peer-reviewed publications, and has authored over 120 abstracts. |
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Angeline N. Beltsos, M.D.
Medical Director
IVF Chicago, River North
Fertility Centers of Illinois
Chicago, IL |
| Dr. Beltsos is Medical Director of IVF Chicago - River North Program and one of the managing partners of Fertility Centers of Illinois (FCI). She is double board-certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (REI). She completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Loyola University, followed by a fellowship in REI at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Dr. Beltsos also serves as Clinical Assistant Professor and Educational REI Division Director for the Obstetrics and Gynecology residency programs of Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Lutheran General Hospital, and St. Joseph's Hospital Chicago. As the FCI Clinical Research Divisional Director, Dr. Beltsos participates in a number of research projects and scientific publications. She has received numerous awards in teaching and has been honored as ‘top doctor' from Castle Connelly for several years. She speaks nationally and locally on many topics of REI and is a chairperson of the Midwest Reproductive Symposium. |
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William G. Kearns, MD
Director
Shady Grove Center for Preimplantation Genetics
Rockville, MD |
Dr. Kearns earned his doctorate at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia and then completed fellowship training in medical genetics at the renowned McKusick-Nathan's Institute for Genetic Medicine of The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Upon completion of his fellowship training, Dr. Kearns joined the faculty at Hopkins and established their first laboratory of molecular cytogenetics. He also collaborated with other Hopkins investigators to develop experimental strategies to detect genetic abnormalities in single cells; and he had a significant role in the development of gene therapy protocols for diseases such as cystic fibrosis and adenosine deaminase deficiency. Dr. Kearns' laboratory was the first to report a high frequency of aneuploid sperm in men with male factor infertility.
Today, Dr. Kearns is Director of the Shady Grove Center for Preimplantation Genetics. He is known worldwide as an expert and innovator in the field of preimplantation genetics, and the Shady Grove Center is recognized for its research and the development of tactics to improve the clinical application of preimplantation genetics. Dr. Kearns is a member of the American Society of Human Genetics, the European Society of Human Genetics, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, the PGD International Society, and the International Cytogenetics and Genome Society. He is a Chairperson of the Midwest Reproductive Symposium and a program co-chair for the 2010 Pacific Coast Reproductive Society Annual Meeting. Dr. Kearns is an international lecturer on preimplantation genetics, has numerous publications in peer reviewed journals, and has applied for and received grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and numerous other funding agencies. |
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 About our Executive Director:
Judith Rosen Farrar, PhD has been in healthcare communications for over 30 years, with extensive experience in academia, the pharmaceutical industry, and as a consultant. Dr. Farrar has been instrumental in the development and rollout of numerous cutting-edge programs for health care professionals, patients, and managed care decision-makers, including editorial oversight and direction for national health care initiatives, such as:
• Pediatric Asthma: Promoting Best Practice, A Guide for Managing Asthma in Children (an initiative of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology and the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
• The Allergy Report: Guidelines for Raising the Standard of Care for Patients with Allergic Disorders (an initiative of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, working with more than 20 other medical organizations)
As the past Interim Director of the Center for Bioterrorism and All-hazards Preparedness at Nova Southeastern University College of Health Professions (Fort Lauderdale, FL), Dr. Farrar directed teams of public health professionals and first responders in developing problem-based online and on-site multi-level all-hazards training. She also currently serves as the Editor-in-Chief of LifeSciences Press, a full disclosure publications agency (www.lifesciencespress.com). |
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