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Cristina Hickman: Key Insights from EBART 2026 in Reproductive Medicine
Cristina Hickman/LinkedIn
Apr 29, 2026, 10:12

Cristina Hickman: Key Insights from EBART 2026 in Reproductive Medicine

Cristina Hickman, Founder and Consultant Clinical Embryologist at Avenues, shared a post on LinkedIn:

“I would like to thank Amelia Rodriguez-Aranda, Marcio Fernandes, and the entire Eugin Group team for a fantastic EBART2026 conference, and for inviting me to share our experience on managing Dropout

Having attended many conferences over the years, this one truly stood out, with an exceptional line up of speakers and cutting edge discussions in reproductive care

A few highlights that fit the linkedin post character count:

  • Christos Venetis highlighted the need to look beyond strict reliance on RCTs and to embrace real world evidence where appropriate. He acknowledged limitations in the Illingworth et al 2024 iDAScore study and suggested RWE was better suited for AI assessment than RCTs
    On reflection from his talk, it raises an important question: how many patients may have missed the benefits of AI since this RCT was published because of how fertility professionals and regulators incorrectly interpret evidence based medicine?
  • Tony Gordon presented clear Real world evidence favoring PGT-A
  • Samuel Ojosnegros Martos shared fascinating work using hyperspectral technology to better understand blastocyst implantation
  • Pietro Santulli and Mats Hellstrom explored advanced approaches to severe adenomyosis and uterine bioengineering
  • Nuno Costa Borges discussed mitochondrial donation and the potential of immature GV oocytes for patients over 40 to reduce age related aneuploidy
  • Santiago Munne presented exciting progress in automation and vitrification from Overture Life
  • Diego Marin and Jonathan Anomaly from Herasight explored the ethical and legal landscape of emerging genetic technologies such as PGT-P, highlighting both their potential and the importance of robust, evidence based application and regulation. The law in countries such as the UK needs to catch up with the technology to better assist patients.
  • Willem Ombelet reminded us, through the inspiring Walking Egg project, stripping IVF technologies and literally returning IVF back to the test tube, that accessibility must remain central to global IVF care

In contrast, I shared the Avenues experience: technology is essential to scale access fairly and maximising the chances of having a healthy baby to everyone who wishes to become a parent. By aligning success metrics with patient centred goals and focusing on the full journey rather than individual cycles, we can reduce time to baby, cost to baby, and convenience to baby, while improving experience without sacrificing outcome. This is how we make IVF more accessible to patients globally

Inspired by Louise Brown reflections on the care her parents received from Purdy, Steptoe and Bob Edwards, we are reminded that alongside innovation, compassionate, personalised care must remain at the heart of everything we do. This is key to reducing unnecessary dropout and easing the burden many patients still face today, unnecessarily

Looking forward to continuing these conversations at the AIFertility World conference in Cascais.”

Cristina Hickman

Stay updated on all scientific advances in the field of fertility with Fertility News.

adenomyosis AI AIFertility AIFertility World conference Amelia Rodriguez-Aranda Bob Edwards Christos Venetis Cristina Hickman Diego Marin EBART2026 Eugin Group Fertility Fertility News IVF Jonathan Anomaly Louise Brown Marcio Fernandes Mats Hellström Nuno Costa Borges oocytes Overture Life PGT-A PGT-P Pietro Santulli RCTs Reproductive Care reproductive health Reproductive Medicine RWE Samuel Ojosnegros Martos Santiago Munne Tony Gordon uterine bioengineering vitrification Willem Ombelet
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