Scientific Programme Committee

Welcome from the SPC Chair

The scientific programme for FIGO Montréal 2027 is designed to challenge and inspire—reflecting the breadth of women’s health across clinical practice, research and policy.

Under the theme of Driving innovation, equity and excellence in women's health, we will address critical issues such as pain, anaemia and obesity.

Delegates can look forward to bold keynotes, hands-on workshops, and discussion-led sessions—created to spark ideas, encourage debate, and deliver practical insight across specialties and career stages.

This is more than a programme; it is a platform for exchange. I invite you to take part—through participation, discussion and submissions—and help shape the future of women’s health

Professor Ranee Thakar

Scientific Programme Committee Chair

Meet the Scientific Programme Committee

Please click on each image to view the biography of the Scientific Programme Committee member.

Ranee Thakar

SPC Chair

Ranee Thakar

SPC Chair

Professor. Ranee Thakar is a Consultant Obstetrician and Urogynaecologist at Croydon University Hospital and an Honorary Senior Lecturer at St George’s University of London. She served as President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) from December 2022 to 2025, making history as the first woman of colour and only the third female President in the College’s 96-year history. She was recently appointed an Honorary Professor of Women’s Health by the University of Liverpool.

Throughout her career, Prof. Thakar has held leadership roles at local, regional, national, and international levels. She has led the Perinatal Pelvic Health Project and Urogynaecology network for South-West London, fostering multi-disciplinary collaboration among healthcare professionals. As President of the International Urogynecological Association (IUGA) (2019-2020), she played a pivotal role in advancing urogynaecological care worldwide and was awarded the Distinguished Service Award in 2022.

Her commitment to global health is evident from her tenure as RCOG Senior Vice President for Global Health (2019-2022). Under her leadership, the College secured funding for the Essential Gynaecology Skills programme in Bangladesh. It led the Making Abortion Safe programme, which promotes safe abortion and contraception in five sub-Saharan countries.

Prof. Thakar is also a champion for racial equity within obstetrics and gynaecology. She has spearheaded initiatives, including an e-learning module on tackling racism, a toolkit on differential attainment, and a coaching programme to develop race equity champions. She actively raises awareness of maternal health disparities through conferences and fundraising efforts.

A globally recognised expert on obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASI), Prof Thakar was the clinical lead on a landmark RCOG-RCM national project that achieved a 20% reduction in OASI rates across 16 maternity units. She has authored 145 original articles, 50 review articles, and 37 book chapters, edited three textbooks, and has an h-index of 66

Ranee speaks internationally on women’s health, women’s health rights, and tackling racial equity. She is considered the voice of women’s health both in the UK and globally and is often featured in national and international media.

As a significantly accomplished gynaecological surgeon, Ranee is focussed on teaching skills in this highly complex area to the next generation of surgeons, leading a UK-wide project to improve surgical training for the benefit of women.

Stephen Rulisa

Past Chair

Stephen Rulisa

Past Chair

Professor of Obstetrics and gynecology with over 20 years of experience in Research, administration and Academic Medicine, presently an Obstetrician gynecologist with PhD in public health focusing on infectious diseases and Maternal health. With vast experience in epidemiology, public health especially reproductive health, health systems strengthening, and health policy.

Held leadership positions both in academic; as Dean of school of Medicine and Pharmacy at University of Rwanda and in clinical; head of department of obstetrics and gynecology at University of Rwanda covering teaching hospitals in Rwanda, and Head of Department of Obstetrics and gynecology at University teaching hospital of Kigali.

Founded and chaired the department of education and research at University Teaching hospital of Kigali.

Presently serving as a Clinician and National chair of Maternal, Perinatal & Child death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) committee responsible for monitoring, evaluation and mitigating maternal and perinatal mortality in Rwanda.

Founding fellow of East Central and Southern African College of obstetricians and gynecologists (ECSACOG) and currently serving as chair of Education, Scientific and Research responsible for Education and training in the Region.

Member of East African Community Health Research Commission (EAHRC) - Expert Working Group on Research and Capacity Development.

Has made significant contributions to peer-review journals through, with over 120 peer reviewed publications as well as serving as an associate editor and board member for BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, PLOS one, Current Obstetrics & Gynecology Reports, and Rwanda Medical Journal.

Have significant experience in international collaborations such as Serving on several advisory committees on maternal health, antimalarial treatment groups, Scientific Committee Director for African Association of obstetrician gynaecologist (AFOG) and currently chairing Scientific committee for International Federation of Obstetrician gynecologists (FIGO).

Liona Poon

Maternal Fetal Medicine Stream Leader and Deputy Chair

Liona Poon

Maternal Fetal Medicine Stream Leader and Deputy Chair

Professor Liona Poon is Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and an Academic Subspecialist in Maternal-Fetal Medicine at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China, and a Visiting Professor at the Department of Women and Children’s Health, King’s College London, UK. She also holds Visiting Professorships at several universities worldwide.

Internationally recognised for her contributions to maternal and fetal health, Professor Poon has an extensive research portfolio comprising over 300 peer‑reviewed publications in high‑impact journals, with an H‑index of 74. For more than two decades, her research has focused on the early prediction and prevention of preeclampsia, a leading cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality globally.

Her pioneering work includes the development of a first‑trimester prediction model that integrates maternal risk factors, ultrasound assessment, blood pressure measurements, and biochemical markers, as well as establishing aspirin prophylaxis as an effective preventive strategy. This body of work has fundamentally shaped international screening protocols and clinical practice.

Beyond obstetrics, Professor Poon’s vision is to transform women’s health globally through rigorous clinical research, education, and advocacy, ensuring that early screening and prevention are embedded as standard practice across the continuum of care. She remains deeply committed to improving outcomes for women and their babies, driving innovation that informs policy and advances clinical practice worldwide.

Fionnuala McAuliffe

Clinical Obstetrics Stream Leader

Fionnuala McAuliffe

Clinical Obstetrics Stream Leader

Fionnuala McAuliffe is a Full Academic Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at National Maternity Hospital Dublin, Head of Women’s and Child’s Health at University College Dublin (UCD), Ireland. She is Director of the UCD Perinatal Research Centre, a multidisciplinary research centre aiming to improve outcome for mother and baby though clinically relevant pregnancy research. She is a maternal and fetal medicine specialist and Director of the MFM training programme at National Maternity Hospital, Ireland and lead clinician for maternal medicine services.

She is FIGO(International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics) Division Director for Maternal and Newborn Health. She is Past Chair of FIGO committee on Impact of Pregnancy on Long- term Health and is a FIGO executive council member. She is also EBCOG executive member and Chair of EBCOG Committee of Training and Assessment.

She has received over euro 50 million as CoPi/PI. has over 500 peer reviewed publications including national and international pregnancy care guidelines and has supervised over 20 higher research degrees.

Megan Wasson

Gynaecology Stream Leader

Megan Wasson

Gynaecology Stream Leader

Megan Wasson, DO is Chair of the Department of Medical and Surgical Gynecology at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. She is a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science and was awarded the Outstanding Emerging Educator Award in 2020. She completed her fellowship in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. Her clinical interests include endometriosis, chronic pelvic pain, and robotic and minimally invasive gynecologic surgery.

Dr. Wasson is actively involved in multiple national and international medical societies and committees including International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) Director Division of Benign Surgery, Minimal Access Surgery Committee Past Chair, Director of AAGL Essentials in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery (EMIGS) Curriculum, former Fellowship in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery (FMIGS) Board of Directors Member, co-Founder of the FMIGS Young Alumni Network, and former SurgeryU Board of Directors Member.

Aparna Sridhar

Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Stream Leader and ACOG representative

Aparna Sridhar

Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Stream Leader and ACOG representative

Dr. Aparna Sridhar, MD, MPH is a Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at University of California Los Angeles’s (UCLA) David Geffen School of Medicine and an internationally recognized leader in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Board-certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology with subspecialty training in Complex Family Planning, her work focuses on expanding equitable access to contraception, abortion care, and other comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services through education, research, advocacy, and global collaboration. Dr. Sridhar founded the GRACE (Global Reproductive Health Alliance for Collaborative Engagement) program at UCLA, which supports partnerships with clinicians, educators, and health systems around the world to strengthen reproductive health education and service delivery. Through GRACE and her broader academic work, she collaborates with institutions and professional societies across India, Africa, and other regions, advancing initiatives in contraception access, obstetric emergency training, and reproductive health systems strengthening.

Her global work emphasizes bidirectional learning—co-developing educational programs, simulation training, and innovative digital tools with international partners to improve women's health outcomes locally and globally. Dr. Sridhar also contributes to international policy and professional leadership through her work with FIGO (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics), helping shape global strategies to advance comprehensive reproductive health care and train the next generation of providers committed to SRHR worldwide.

Anis Feki

Reproductive Medicine Stream Leader

Anis Feki

Reproductive Medicine Stream Leader

Prof. Anis Feki is Head of the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Medical Director of the Hôpital Fribourgeois, and Full Professor at the University of Fribourg. He trained at the University Hospitals of Geneva, where he also earned his MD and PhD, and later led the Stem Cell Laboratory, deriving Switzerland’s first human embryonic stem cell line and induced pluripotent stem cells.

Prof. Feki has held leadership roles in ESHRE and EBCOG, chaired ESHRE’s Certification Committee, and was elected Chair of ESHRE in 2025. He has published over 200 articles in leading journals and is internationally recognized for his expertise in reproductive medicine, gynecological surgery, and stem cell research.

Etsuko Miyagi

Women's Cancer Stream Leader

Etsuko Miyagi

Women's Cancer Stream Leader

Chair and Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine

Education and Work Experience
Dr Miyagi graduated from Yokohama City University School of Medicine in 1988 and had Ph.D. degree in Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine in 1995. After trained in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yokohama City University Hospital and Department of Gynecology, Kanagawa Cancer Center, she was qualified as the certified specialist in The Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Japan Society of Clinical Cytology and The Japan Society of Gynecological Oncology. She became a Professor of Department of Oncology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine and in 2014, then she was promoted to the Chief Professor of Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, and Graduate school of Medicine in 2017. From April 2022 to March 2024, she also served as the director of Academic Research Organization in Yokohama City University Hospital (YCU Center for Novel and Exploratory Clinical Trials).

Basil Tarlatzis

Endocrinology Stream Leader

Basil Tarlatzis

Endocrinology Stream Leader

BASIL C. TARLATZIS, MD, PhD, FRCOG (Ad Eundem)
Emeritus Professor of Obstetrics – Gynecology & Human Reproduction, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), Greece

Past President of EBCOG
Past Regional Trustee – Europe, FIGO Board of Trustees
Past Chairman of ESHRE
Past President of IFFS
Past Chairman 1st Dept of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Medical School, AUTH
Past Vice President of AUTH
Past Dean and Vice Dean, Medical School, AUTH
Member of WHO Infertility Guideline Development Group

International and Greek awards, including:

Lalor Foundation Fellow, USA (1984)
Doctor Honoris Causa, Ovidius University, Romania (2005)
Honorary Member of MEFS (2005)
International Award in Gynecology “Arnaldo Bruno”, Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, Italy (2006)
Fellow ad Eundem, RCOG, UK (2016)
Excellence in Research, AUTH (2018)
Honorary Member, IFFS (2019)
Honorary Award, EFSS (2019)
Honorary Award of AUTH (2022)
Doctor Honoris Causa, School of Medicine, University of Patras, Greece (2022)
Corresponding Member/Fellow of the German Society of Gynecol/Obstet (2022)
Honorary Member of ESHRE (2023)
Honorary Fellow of EBCOG (2025)

Deputy Editor Human Reproduction Update
Editorial Board Member of 14 international Journals
Editor/Co-Editor of 5 Books and Section Editor in 1
Member of 18 International and 24 Greek Societies
Participation in more than 986 International and Greek Congresses
276 Abstracts in International Congresses

53 chapters in international books
391 Publications in international peer-reviewed Journals of PubMed
Citations 51065 (Google Scholar, March 2026)
H-index 95 (Google Scholar, March 2026)
i10 index 309
Impact Factor (2024) 20228,19
Stanford/Elsevier Top 2% Scientists 2025 List

Juan-Diego Villegas-Echeverri

Pain lead

Juan-Diego Villegas-Echeverri

Pain lead

Doctor Villegas-Echeverri has dedicated the last 25 years of his life to improving the quality of life for women through the creation and dissemination of knowledge. He is a well-known leader in the field of minimally invasive gynecological surgery and chronic pelvic pain, and he has led several scientific and professional organizations both in his home country and abroad, enthusiastically spreading endoscopy in the field of women's health.

Past President Colombian Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology - FECOLSOG
Past President International Pelvic Pain Society - IPPS
Immediate Past Director - Division of Benign Surgery - FIGO
Scientific Director . Unidad de Laparoscopia Ginecológica Avanzada y Dolor Pélvico - ALGIA. Pereira, Colombia

Hema Divakar

Anaemia lead

Hema Divakar

Anaemia lead

Dr. Hema Divakar is a leading medical professional of India with a vision to improve the healthcare services ecosystem for the welfare of women. She has over the last three decades, been a game changer in healthcare, establishing new benchmarks, standards and touching women’s lives in the process. An accomplished specialist in the field of Obgyn care, she is the medical director at the Divakars Specialty hospital in Bangalore, a center of excellence for women’s healthcare and center for Skill Enhancement.

In the year 2013, she was the PRESIDENT of FOGSI Federation of Obstetric & Gynecological Societies of India (FOGSI),with 38,000 specialists on roll as the members

Positions of eminence: The currently she holds an exhaustive list of important positions of great responsibility within the country, as well as the Inernational Federation of OBGYNs FIGO.

DIVISION DIRECTOR FIGO WELL WOMEN HEALTHCARE [2024 – 2027]
Medical Director & Senior Obgyn Consultant , Divakars Speciality Hospital
CEO&CHAIRMAN Asian Research & Training Institute for Skill Transfer [ARTIST]
Led the FOGSI FIGO PPIUCD initiative & is presently the National Co-Ordinator for Quality accreditation initiative for Safe Delivery “MANYATA”
Institutional affiliate to Health Sector Skill Council

Awards

FIGO Women Achievers Award.
FICCI Award for Excellence in Capacity Building
Icons of healthcare award - Singapore
Social Entrepreneurship award from USAIDS and MSD
Asia One award for great leaders in INDIA
Global Asian of the year 2018

Cynthia Maxwell

Obesity lead

Cynthia Maxwell

Obesity lead

Professor Cynthia Maxwell, AB, MD, MBA, FRCSC, DABOG, DABOM

Dr. Cynthia Maxwell is the Vice President, Medical Affairs & System Transformation and Lead Medical Executive, as well as Associate Scientist, at Women’s College Hospital and a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at University of Toronto.

Dr. Maxwell is a certified specialist in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal Fetal Medicine and Obesity Medicine. Dr. Maxwell was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada in 2024. Dr. Maxwell led the Obesity Stream of the FIGO Committee on Impact of Pregnancy and Long-term Health in 2023-2025.

Her clinical and research interests focus on acute and chronic conditions of pregnancy with an emphasis on maternal and reproductive health equity, obesity, malignancy, and gastrointestinal disorders. Dr. Maxwell established the first Pregnancy and Obesity Medicine and Surgery (POMS) clinical training program at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, Canada. She advocates for Black reproductive health and co-created a provincial mentorship network to support Black medical learners.

Nicholas Leyland

Local scientific programme lead

Nicholas Leyland

Local scientific programme lead

“Prior to his appointment here at McMaster University as Professor and Chair, of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dr. Leyland was a Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Toronto; and Chief of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Medical Director of the Women’s, Children’s and Family Health Program at St. Joseph’s Health Centre in Toronto. Dr. Leyland received his Bachelor of Applied Science degree with distinction from the University of Guelph (1979) and his MD with honours from the University of Toronto where he graduated as the Cody Silver Medalist (1983). In 2006, Dr. Leyland has also completed a Master of Science in Health Care Management from Harvard University Summa Cum Laude.

Dr. Leyland is the President of the Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Canada as of 2025-2027. He is a nationally and internationally recognized leader in gynecological surgery and women’s health. He has contributed academically to the advancement of women’s health in the development and the provision of the least invasive surgical options for a variety of surgical conditions. He is an award-winning teacher and researcher and sought after speaker on a variety of issues in women’s health, patient safety and quality in medicine. He has developed many innovative laparoscopic techniques including a laparoscopic operation to correct cervical incompetence in pregnant patients, an operation that he has trained surgeons to perform across Canada and in many other countries including the U.K, Israel, the Middle East, Africa, and China.

He has been the Chair of the Gynecology Clinical Practice Committee of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada, helping to set standards for the profession and as the President of the Society of Minimally Invasive Gynecologists of Canada. His academic career has been here at McMaster since 2010 and prior to that at the University of Toronto where he developed one of Canada’s first comprehensive clinical and research fellowships in minimally invasive gynecological surgery. He developed the McMaster Endometriosis Specialized Clinic, a multidisciplinary centre that receives referrals from across Canada and the USA.

Dr. Leyland is committed to providing the least invasive management options for women in a variety of medical and surgical conditions. His entire academic career has been dedicated postgraduate and undergraduate medical education to ensure women’s access to practitioners with the knowledge, skills and abilities to achieve this goal.”

Dean Paul O’Bryne, McMaster University

Violaine Marcoux

Workshops lead and McGill University representative

Violaine Marcoux

Workshops lead and McGill University representative

Dr. Violaine Marcoux completed her medical degree and residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at McGill University, followed by a fellowship in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery at St. Joseph’s Health Centre in Toronto. She also completed a Master’s degree in Higher Education at the University of Toronto.

Dr. Marcoux is an Assistant Professor at McGill University and practices at the Jewish General Hospital in Montréal, a McGill University–affiliated academic centre. In addition to her general Obstetrics and Gynecology practice, her clinical interests focus on the management of endometriosis, chronic pelvic pain, uterine fibroids, and abnormal uterine bleeding, with particular expertise in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery.

A former President of the Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Quebec (AOGQ), Dr. Marcoux is actively involved in advancing women’s health care, improving care pathways, and promoting access to multidisciplinary care for women living with pelvic pain.

Paulo Meade Treviño

FEMECOG representative

Paulo Meade Treviño

FEMECOG representative

Surgeon, Autonomous University of San Luis Potosí
Gynecologist and Obstetrician, Ignacio Morones Prieto University Hospital
Actively practicing for 30 years
Postgraduate degree in Breast and Gynecological Oncology, IMSS “Luis Castelazo Ayala” Hospital
Postgraduate degree in Health Education and Quality, Monterrey Institute of Technology for Higher Education
National and international professor of Obstetric Emergencies
Researcher and implementer of strategies and technology in Maternal Health in Mexico and Latin America / Hydrostatic balloons, NASG, compression sutures, and others
Publications in NASG on placenta accreta spectrum
Creator of the Safe Pregnancy and Obstetric Emergencies project
Initiator and active contributor to the “Zero Deaths from Hemorrhage” project, Pan American Office of Health
Past President of La Federación Mexicana de Colegios de Obstetricia y Ginecología (FEMECOG)

Akaninyene Ubom

WATOG representative

Akaninyene Ubom

WATOG representative

Dr Akaninyene Ubom is a lecturer in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, PAMO University of Medical Sciences, Nigeria’s first private medical university, a honorary consultant obstetrician & gynaecologist, and the Chief Medical Director of PAMO Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. He holds a MBBS degree and a MSc degree with distinction in reproductive physiology. He is a Fellow of the West African College of Surgeons (FWACS) and the American-Austrian Open Medical Institute (OMI), with fellowships in breast & gynaecologic cancers, palliative medicine, reproductive medicine, and medical education. In 2026, in a global ranking by Elseiver’s SciVal, he was listed amongst the Top 500 Researchers in Nigeria. His avid interest in research earned him the Society of Gynaecology & Obstetrics of Nigeria (SOGON) Young Gynaecologist & Obstetrician 2nd Prize Award in 2022. He is a member of the COVIDSurg/GlobalSurg Collaborative, which won the 2021 Guinness World Record for the World’s Largest Scientific Collaboration/Most Authors on a Single Peer-reviewed Academic Paper. Dr Ubom has over 130 peer-reviewed journal publications, including 12 FIGO global clinical guidelines/recommendations, opinion papers and position statement. He represented FIGO on the GDG for the first-ever WHO global guidelines on the management of sickle cell disease in pregnancy, published in June 2025. He is President of the World Association of Trainees in Obstetrics & Gynaecology (WATOG), and a member of the FIGO Childbirth & PPH and Education Communication Advocacy Committees (ECAC). He was also SPC member for the FIGO 2025 World Congress. A winner of the 2024 IJGO Top Performing/Outstanding Editor Award, Dr Ubom also sits on the editorial boards of BMC Pregnancy & Childbirth, Postgraduate Medical Journal, and PLOS ONE. He is peer reviewer for more than 15 local and international journals, including The Lancet.

Atf Gherissi

ICM representative

Atf Gherissi

ICM representative

Atf Gherissi is a Tunisian qualified midwife since 1981. She holds a university doctorate (René Descartes University, 2003) and a postdoc (Tunis El Manar University, 2016) in education sciences and health sciences education respectively.

Her carrier includes clinical practice, regional supervision and an active contribution to the development and implementation of the national safe motherhood programme in Tunisia, respectively. As an assistant professor in health education science from 2008 to 2019, she taught research methodology and health science education to student teachers and professionals in health sciences in different higher institutions in Tunisia, in Lebanon, in Belgium and, very recently in Morocco. Mostly concerned by the culture and the development of the autonomous critical thinking and ethics among students, professionals and teachers, she adopted the socioconstructivist educational approach to coach and then mentor them during their personal and scientific journey.

She is associate editor and reviewer in several international scientific journals including the Midwifery Journal (Elsevier) and the International Journal of Childbirth (Springer). She has published several books and papers on health sciences education, reproductive health, and midwifery.

She is member of several scientific working groups such as the scientific professional programme committee (SPPC) of the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), the steering committee of the PROGRESS (Priorities for global Research in Maternal Sepsis) convened by the University of Liverpool and the WHO, the Expert Advisory Group of the ‘Maternal Health Norms project’ co-led by WHO – UNFPA – UNICEF. She is the ICM representative at the FIGO Scientific Committee for the next FIGO Global Conference (Montreal, 2027).

She offers her expertise to the global efforts to strengthen midwifery education and accreditation programmes mostly in Africa, in the Middle East and in Asia.