Course Description: The availability of a range of laboratory techniques and ovarian stimulation protocols to approach infertility may allow treatment personalization in each couple. The criteria that such personalization can be based on include: the history of infertility in the couple, laboratory data and instrumental examinations findings. Genetics is expected to provide a considerable contribution in defining the 'infertility profile' of the couple as a basis for treatment personalization. In this online course Manuela Simoni offers a state of the art overview of genetic markers of ovarian response. She introduced the topic, reviewing the methodology of genetic association study and describing the influences of FSH’s and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) receptors’ genetic polymorphisms on reproductive function physiology. Polymorphisms of FSH receptors, anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) and AMH receptors and 5,10-methylene-tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) as markers of response to ovarian stimulation are then reviewed in depth providing updates on data published and proposing future lines of research. This course is based on a presententation given by Manuela Simoni at New Frontiers in Fertility, held in Lisbon, Portugal on February 13-14, 2009

Course Accreditation: This course is not CME-accredited.

Course Description: Although ART has extended widely in a few nations in the developed world, in most countries access to cycles is limited by several factors, particularly financial. If one looks at low resource economies the picture is bleak. Not only is access to ART even more restricted, but there are a number of structural constraints that further limit the introduction of assisted reproduction in national health care systems. In recent years there has been a growing awareness of the need to provide basic reproductive health care as part of an overall health care policy and this has been incorporated into international objectives including those of the World Health Organization. In this course Ian Cooke analyses the current global picture of IVF with special emphasis on the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals.

Course Accreditation: This course is not CME-accredited.

Course Description: In recent years the possible beneficial role of LH supplementation has received increasing attention. This course, starting from the role of LH in the spontaneous cycle, will analyze the major issues related to the implementation of LH supplementation in ART, from patient selection and doses to the time of administration. In reviewing some of the most important studies available on these topics, this course will provide the available data useful to plan ART cycles including LH supplementation. It will also place a particular focus on the best way to select cases that may benefit from this approach.

Course Accreditation: This course is not CME-accredited.

Course Description: Participants in this online course will be able to acquire a greater knowledge on usefulness and outcome of techniques used for embryo cryopreservation, procedures employed in IVF for fertility preservation in oncology patients and results of embryo cryoreplacement. Case descriptions in order to provide practical information on management of fertility preservation in oncology patients complete the course.

Course Accreditation: This course is not CME-accredited.

Course Description: At the end of the course the participant will have a greater knowledge on the history of in vitro embryo culture and embryo transfer, properties of the first embryo culture media and why they worked, the "2-cell block" and media that overcame in vitro blocks to embryo development, functions of components of successful cleavage-stage embryo culture media, osmolarity, media based on mimicking oviductal fluid and current media for culturing human cleavage-stage embryos.

Course Accreditation: This course is not CME-accredited.