April 2021 | As in previous years, GameteExpert selects the best performers of andrology and embryology assessment.  This year the three frontrunners for andrology come from Israel and United Kingdom and for embryology from United Kingdom and Hong Kong.

The ranking results from inputs of 868 participants of 271 andrology labs and 453 participants of 112 embryology labs. 94% of participants are from Europe and 5% from Asia.

All participants joined the Reproductive Science Scheme of UK NEQAS. GameteExpert collects the input data of this scheme and delivers them to UK NEQAS for external quality assessment and performance reporting.

Independently from UK NEQAS, GameteExpert determines the performance of each participant by calculating the match with calculated consensus.

The ranking shown in this newsletter is in no relation to UK NEQAS and without input from them. Consequently, it gives no statement of performance in the UK NEQAS system.

The time-lapse annotation for blastocyst assessment, which was not compulsory for UK NEQAS performance reporting, is included in selection of the best performers.

We considered only participants who have participated completely over the period of last two years.

The UK NEQAS service will be carried out by the Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on behalf of United Kingdom National External Quality Assessment Service (UK NEQAS).

The UK NEQAS  Reproductive Science Scheme, which consists of 4 distributions per annum, offers 2 assessment schemes: Embryology and Andrology.

The best performer of the andrology laboratories, after the third place in 2017, second place in 2018 and 2019 and first place in 2020, is the team of Dr Shimi Barda who is the laboratory director of the Male fertility and sperm bank unit of Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center.

The lab's team consists of 5 technicians: Marina Ilatov, Liat Arieli, Dr Sandra Kleiman, Maggie Fierce-Taub and Shlomit Shabat.

This lab has one basic licence.

The Male fertility and sperm bank unit in the Lis Maternity Hospital is a part of Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center in Tel Aviv, Israel.

The laboratory performs routine semen analyses, sperm preparation before artificial insemination, sperm cryopreservation, and molecular analyses.

The current research is focused on gene involvement in infertility, impairment in meiosis as a cause for infertility, factor that may improve cryopreservation results.

The second best performer of the andrology laboratories, after second place in 2017 and third place in 2020, is the team of Dr. Iris Har-Vardi (PhD). Dr. Tsvia Priel is in charge of the quality control of the andrology laboratory.

The Fertility and IVF lab's team consists of 8 embryologists.

The photograph shows the team (from left to right, upper line: Dr. Oshri Naamani (Ph.D), Gili Alter, Dr. Yaela Sade (Ph.D), Dr. Tsvia Priel (Ph.D). Lower line: Dr. Maram Abofoul-Azab (Ph.D), Dr. Irit Szaingurten-Solodkin (Ph.D), Dr. Dganit Richter (Ph.D),  Dr. Iris Har-Vardi (Ph.D) .

The lab has one basic licence.












 

The graphic shows the performance of the lab (basic licence) over last two years (blue line).

The Soroka University Medical Center is one of the largest and leader hospitals in Israel serving a local population of around 1,000,000 people.fertility.

The andrology laboratory, as part of the Fertility and IVF unit, performs a full range of specialized tests and services for the evaluation and treatment of male infertility.

In addition to semen analysis, intrauterine inseminations and sperm cryopreservation will be performed in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures, testicular sperm aspiration and gamete/embryo cryopreservation.

Fertility and IVF Unit execute nearly 400 intrauterine inseminations and 1,600 semen analyses each year. In addition the Unit currently completes approximately 1000 cycles of IVF/ICSI treatments. The laboratories are accredited by the JCI and have ISO 9001 certification

The third best performer of the andrology laboratories is Shiva Joshi, working for andrology department at Hammersmith Hospital.

As HCPC registered biomedical scientist he is responsible for performing semen analysis, post vasectomy semen analysis and semen cryopreservation on a rotational basis. As part of his IBMS state registration portfolio Shiva has experience of working in haematology and clinical biochemistry which has further increased his skills mix.

The andrology department is led by Dr. Channa Jayasena PhD MRCP FRCPath (Consultant in Reproductive Endocrinology) and Lia Joannou BSc MSc (Laboratory manager).

The lab has one basic licence and five individual licences.






The graphic shows the performance of Shiva Joshi (individual licence) over last two years (blue line).

The Hammersmith Hospital is part of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.

The andrology department is the only department of its kind across North West London Pathology which comprises of 9 hospitals.  It is part of the Blood Sciences Service specialising in the investigation and diagnosis of male infertility.

The laboratory is also licenced by the Human Fertility & Embryology Authority (HFEA) since 1992 as centre 0080, to undertake sperm cryopreservation. Providing this service to patients with cancer and patients undergoing fertility treatment. Andrology laboratory provides one of the UK’s only dedicated male fertility clinics offering services such as microsurgical testicular sperm extraction (mTESE) and testicular mapping.

Top Performers Embryology

The best performer of the embryrology laboratories, after achieving first place in 2018 and 2020, is Dr Tom Connolly.

Tom is an HCPC registered senior embryologist, biopsy practitioner and lab manager at CREATE Fertility Manchester.

This laboratory holds one basic and one individual licence.

CREATE Fertility Manchester is one of 11 subsidiaries of Create Health Ltd. which was founded by Professor Geeta Nargund  in 2000. CREATE Ferility is specialises in Natural/Mild IVF.

The CREATE Fertility Manchester clinic was opened in 2017, and offers a full range of services including: IVF, ICSI, surgical sperm retrieval, vitrification of oocytes and blastocysts, egg and sperm donor programmes and a pre-implantation genetic testing service.

The second best performer of the embryology laboratories, after second place in 2017 and 2020, is the team of Prof. Jason Kasraie.

Jason is a consultant clinical embryologist & andrologist (clinical scientist) and leads the Shropshire and Mid-Wales Fertility Centre. He has worked in the field for 28 years and is currently chair of the Association of Clinical Embryologists in the U.K (ARCS). Nikky Marshall co-ordinates the EQA and IQA for embryology.

Jason Kasraie's team consists of 12 scientists.

The photograph shows some of them (from left to right: Annemieke Mitchell, Helene Cloete, Stacy Parry, Jason Kasraie, Victoria Gittins, Sharon Binnersley and Catherine Reynolds).

This lab has one basic licence.

The graphic shows the performance of

The Shropshire and Mid-Wales Fertility Centre in Shrewsbury, United Kingdom is affiliated to Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.  

It has been established since 1991 to offer specialist fertility care to patients from Shropshire, Mid-Wales and surrounding counties. The team of dedicated specialist staff has grown to over 25 doctors, Nurses, Scientists and administrative staff.

The Centre currently performs approximately 550 cycles of IVF/ICSI treatment. Since its inception it has been responsible for the birth of over 5000 children.

The third best performer of the embryology laboratories is Cecilia Chung, working at Union Reproductive Medicine Centre.

Cecilia is an embryologist with a master in reproductive medicine and clinical embryology.


This laboratory holds one basic and nine individual licences.

The graphic shows the performance of Cecilia the lab (individual licence) over last two years (blue line).

The Union Reproductive Medicine Centre (URMC) in Sha Tin, Hong Kong, established in 2000, became the first and the only private hospital in New Territories that provides assisted reproductive service.

URMC has published an annual report since 2014.

In 2009, a sister unit was opened in Tsim Sha Tsui.

The URMC is affiliated with Union Hospital.