Enhance your ASPIRE 2027 Congress experience by including a Pre-Congress Course during the registration process. These practical and interactive sessions provide participants a collaborative and immersive learning experience. Additionally, these courses serve as an ideal environment for networking, allowing you to build connections while enhancing your knowledge and skills.

To register for a Pre-Congress Course, you are required to register for the Main Congress (Delegate).

Pre-Congress Course 1

The Laboratory of 2030

Date: Thursday, 6 May 2027
Time: 0900 – 1740

The Laboratory of 2030, organised by the ASPIRE Embryology SIG, is a forward-looking pre-congress course exploring how emerging technologies, automation and artificial intelligence are shaping the future of the IVF laboratory.

The programme will explore advances in embryo culture, laboratory automation, AI assisted embryo assessment, microfluidics and emerging technologies in ICSI and biopsy. Participants will also gain practical exposure to innovative tools and techniques that are expected to influence the next generation of embryology practice.

Programme outline Duration Speaker
0900 – 0905 Introduction by Workshop Chairperson 5mins Keshav Malhotra (India)
Session 1: The Future of Embryo Culture: Rethinking the Culture Environment
0905 – 0925 Beyond Morphokinetics: What Uninterrupted Culture and Continuous Imaging Actually Add 20mins Yanhe Liu (Australia)
0925 – 0945 Building the Follicle in a Dish: Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSC)-Derived Ovarian Support Cells for In Vitro Maturation 20mins Yasunari Seita (Japan)
0945 – 1025 Panel: What Goes Into the Drop? Evidence and Hype in Next-Generation Media Additives 40mins All faculty
1025 – 1045 Rescuing the Discarded: Turning Immature Oocytes into Mature Eggs with Granulosa-like Cell Co-culture [Commercial Demonstration] 20mins
1045 – 1100 Coffee Break 15mins
Session 2: Engineering at the Micron Scale
1100 – 1120 New Tools for performing ICSI and Trophectoderm Biopsy 20mins TBC
1120 – 1140 Sorting Without Spinning: Microfluidic Sperm Selection and the DNA Fragmentation Question 20mins Dr Reza Nosrati (Australia)
1140 – 1200 Automating Continuous Quality Control in IVF Laboratories 20mins Lan Nguyen (Vietnam)
1200 – 1220 From Dish Preparation to Discharge: Automating the Embryology Workflow 20mins Sweelian Liow (Singapore)
1220 – 1230 Q&A Discussion 10mins
1230 – 1330 Lunch 60mins
Session 3: Artificial Intelligence: From Promise to Practice
1330 – 1350 The State of Play: Where AI Has Earned Its Place in the IVF Laboratory, and Where It Has Not 20mins David Chan (Hong Kong)
1350 – 1410 AI-Based Embryo Selection: From What AI Can Do to What We Should Do 20mins Tsubasa Takahashi (Japan)
1410 – 1440 Debate: This House Believes an AI Agent Can Run the IVF Laboratory 30mins For: Keshav Malhotra (India) Against: Sharon Mortimer (Australia)
Session 4: Hands-on Workshop (Limited Seats)
1440 – 1740 Station 1: Oocyte Grading AI Software Hands-On
Station 2: Embryo Grading AI Software Hands-On
Station 3: Microfluidic Sperm Preparation, e.g. ZyMōt
Station 4: MicroICSI and MicroBIOPSY
Station 5: DNA Fragmentation
Station 6: Automated ICSI and Vitrification

Pre-Congress Course 2

Andrological Solutions to Complex Problems

Date: Thursday, 6 May 2027
Time: 0900 – 1650

Cutting-Edge Issues in Male Infertility to Improve Reproductive Outcomes is a comprehensive and clinically relevant workshop designed for reproductive medicine specialists, fertility clinicians, urologists, andrologists and other healthcare professionals involved in fertility care.

Bridging basic science with clinical practice, the programme explores emerging developments in male infertility across diagnostics, medical management and surgical interventions. Through expert-led presentations and discussions, participants will gain practical insights into evolving diagnostic tools, evidence-based treatment strategies and advanced procedural approaches, with a focus on how both male and female clinicians can better integrate male-factor assessment and management into fertility care to improve reproductive outcomes for couples.

Programme outline Duration Speaker
0900 – 0905 Introduction by Workshop Chairperson 5mins
Session 1: Basic Science in Male Infertility
0905 – 0925 Oocyte Activation by Sperm 20mins Masahiko Ito (Japan)
0925 – 0945 Generating Mature Sperm from Stem Cells or Immature Cryopreserved Sperm 20mins TBC
0945 – 1000 Q&A Discussion 15mins
1000 – 1025 Coffee Break 25mins
Session 2: Diagnostic or Laboratory Testing
1025 – 1045 Proteomic Biomarkers for Sperm Functional Competence 20mins TBC
1045 – 1105 Microbiome and Infertility Diagnostics in the Male 20mins Shinnosuke Kuroda (Japan)
1105 – 1125 Artificial Intelligence in Semen Analysis 20mins David Chan (Hong Kong)
1125 – 1140 Q&A Discussion 15mins
1140 – 1300 Lunch Break 80mins
Session 3: Medical Treatment in Male Infertility
1300 – 1325 Induction of Spermatogenesis in Idiopathic Oat: Does It Result in Improved Semen and Reproductive Outcome? 25mins Koji Shiraishi (Japan)
1325 – 1450 Antioxidants and Lifestyle Interventions: What Evidence Actually Supports 25mins Marlon Martinez (Philippines)
1450 – 1505 Q&A Discussion 15mins
1505 – 1530 Coffee Break 25mins
Session 4: Surgical or Procedural Interventions in Male Infertility
1530 – 1555 Surgical Sperm Retrieval Techniques (TESE/ micro-TESE) and Predictors of Success 25mins Widi Atmoko (Indonesia)
1555 – 1620 Assisted Sperm Fusion Insemination (ASFI): Is It a Viable Strategy to Improve Outcome? 25mins Shota Hatakeyama (Japan)
1620 – 1645 Varicocelectomy: Patient Selection and Outcome Controversies 25mins Widi Atmoko (Indonesia)
1645 – 1650 Q&A Discussion 15mins
1650 Closing

Pre-Congress Course 3

Innovation and Collaboration in Oncofertility

Date: Thursday, 6 May 2027
Time: 0900 – 1630

Innovation and Collaboration in Oncofertility, organised by the ASPIRE Fertility Preservation SIG, explores the latest advances and evolving approaches in fertility preservation for patients facing cancer and other fertility threatening treatments.

Through expert insights and interactive case discussions, the workshop will highlight emerging technologies, practical strategies and the power of multidisciplinary collaboration in improving fertility care and reproductive outcomes.

Programme outline Duration Speaker
0900 – 0905 Introduction and Welcome Message 5mins Jacqueline Chung (Hong Kong)
Session 1: Implication of Current Treatment to Fertility
0905 – 0915 Preserving Hope: The Essential Role of Oncofertility Services 10mins Mohd Faizal (Malaysia)
0905 – 0925 Impact of New Anti-cancer Therapies on Female Fertility 20mins Nao Suzuki (Japan)
0925 – 0945 Male Fertility and Cancer: Evaluating Clinical Outcomes and Determinants 20mins Nalini Kaul Mahajan (India)
0950 – 1005 Q&A Discussion 15mins All Faculty
1005 – 1030 Coffee Break 25mins
Session 2: Update in Fertility Preservation Options
1030 – 1050 Recent Advances in Testicular Tissue Research and Clinical Applications 20mins TBC
1050 – 1110 The Egg Freezing Boom: Managing Patient Expectations in Elective Preservation 20mins Jacqueline Chung (Hong Kong)
1110 – 1130 Urgent Fertility Preservation: The Clinical Utility of IVM 20mins TBC
1130 – 1150 Updates in Ovarian Tissue Freezing and Transplantation 20mins Kate Stern (Australia)
1210 – 1230 Q&A Discussion 20mins All Faculty
1230 – 1330 Lunch Break 60mins
Session 3: Future Directions
1330 – 1350 Emerging Technologies: The Role of Artificial Ovaries and Stem Cells in Fertility 20mins TBC
1350 – 1410 Advances in Pharmacological Gonadal Protection 20mins Jacqueline Chung (Hong Kong)
1410 – 1425 Q&A Discussion 15mins All Faculty
1425 – 1450 Coffee Break 25mins
Session 4: From Theory to Practice: Interactive Case Discussion
1450 – 1515 Through the Eyes of the Survivor: A Case Based Discussion 25mins Mohd Faizal (Malaysia)
1515 – 1540 Fertility Preservation Options in Breast Cancer Patients 25mins Nalini Kaul Mahajan (India)
1540 – 1605 Protecting the Smallest Patients: Advances in Prepubertal Fertility Preservation 25mins Kate Stern (Australia)
1605 – 1625 Q&A Discussion 20mins All Faculty
1625 Closing Kate Stern (Australia)

Pre-Congress Course 4

The Future of Fertility Nurse

Date: Thursday, 6 May 2027
Time: 0900 – 1200

Organised by the ASPIRE Reproductive Nurses SIG, this forward-looking pre-congress course explores how changing patient expectations, emerging reproductive technologies and advances in fertility science may reshape the delivery of fertility care and the role of the fertility nurse within it.

Across three sessions, expert speakers will explore the fertility patient of the future, including changing reproductive expectations and parenthood beyond traditional reproductive years; the future of fertility treatment, from care beyond the traditional clinic to reproductive longevity and advances in embryo assessment; and, importantly, the future of fertility nursing itself.

The course will conclude by bringing together nurses from across the Asia-Pacific region to share perspectives on how fertility nursing differs across countries, the challenges facing the profession, and what will be needed to strengthen and advance fertility nursing across our region.

Designed for fertility nurses and other clinicians with an interest in the future of reproductive care, this course offers an opportunity to look beyond current practice and consider what is coming next, for our patients, our treatments, and the professionals who care for them.

Programme outline Duration Speaker
0900 – 0905 Welcome and Introduction Rebecca Moore (Australia)
Session 1: The Future of Fertility Treatment
0905 – 0920 The Fertility Clinic Without Walls 15mins TBC
0920 – 0935 Can We Extend the Reproductive Lifespan? 15mins TBC
0935 – 0950 The Embryo of the Future: What Will We Know Before Transfer? 15mins Kenji Ezoe (Japan)
0950 – 1005 Q&A Discussion 15mins All Faculty
1005 – 1025 Coffee Break 20mins
Session 2: The Fertility Patient of the Future
1025 – 1040 The Changing Technologies in the Community 15mins TBC
1040 – 1055 How Old Is Too Old? Parenthood Beyond the Traditional Reproductive Years 15mins TBC
1055 – 1110 The Changing Fertility Patient: Science, Society and Reproductive Expectations 15mins Celia Chan (Australia)
1110 – 1125 Q&A Discussion 15mins All Faculty
SESSION 3 – One Profession, Many Worlds
1125 – 1200 Panel Discussion: Fertility Nursing Across Asia-Pacific: Where We Are and Where We’re Going 35mins
1200 Closing

Pre-Congress Course 5

Evidence-Based Approaches to Support Patients

Date: Thursday, 6 May 2027
Time: 1300 – 1730

Evidence-Based Approaches to Support Patients, organised by the ASPIRE Psychology and Counselling SIG, is a pre-congress workshop exploring practical and evidence-based approaches to supporting the psychological and emotional wellbeing of patients throughout their fertility journey.

Through expert presentations and discussions, the workshop will cover integrative interventions, couple counselling and psychotherapy, sand tray approaches (hakoniwa), support for donors and recipients, and lifestyle-focused psychoeducation. The programme will also address challenges encountered in counselling practice and share practical strategies to enhance patient-centred fertility care.

Programme outline Duration Speaker
1300 – 1310 Welcome & Introduction 10mins Sonja Goedeke (New Zealand)
1310 – 1335 Integrative Body-Mind-Spirit Interventions 25mins Celia Chan (Australia)
1335 – 1400 Couple Counselling and Psychotherapy in Japan and Asia 25mins Shiro Hirayama (Japan)
1400 – 1425 Japan-Specific Psychotherapy:”Hakoniwa” 25mins Kumiko Tanaka (Japan)
1425 – 1455 Coffee Break 30mins
1455 – 1520 TBC 25mins Tess Kwan (Hong Kong)
1520 – 1545 Support for Donors and Recipients 25mins Kylie Stone (Australia)
1545 – 1610 Psychoeducation in Lifestyle Medicine 20mins Tess Kwan (Hong Kong)
1610 – 1620 Coffee Break 10mins
1620 – 1720 Panel Discussion: Challenges Faced in Counselling Practice and Ways to Overcome Them 60mins All Faculty
1720 – 1730 Closing Remarks 10mins Celia Chan (Australia)