March 2026 | As in previous years, GameteExpert selects the best performers of andrology and embryology assessment. This year the three frontrunners for andrology come from Hong Kong and United Kingdom.

The ranking results from inputs of 662 participants of 255 andrology labs and 336 participants of 111 embryology labs. 93% of participants are from Europe, 4% from Asia and 2% from America.

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 with individual logins who have participated over the period of last two years.

The 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.

Next 4 distributions which will start in May, August and November 2026 and in February 2027 are open to new subscribers.

Here you can find flyer and participants' handbook.

For more information and registration, please contact repscience@ukneqas.org.uk.

Top Performers Andrology

The first place in the andrology laboratories competition went to Dalia Elmusharaf Khalifa, working in the Imperial College London Healthcare NHS Trust, Urology department in both sites Charing Cross Hospital, and Hammersmith Hospital.

She is Specialist Clinical Scientists in Surgical Sperm Retrieval with Consultants Andrology Surgeons with Prof. Suks Minhas and previously with Mr Jonathan Ramsay.

Dalia is registered HCPC as a clinical embryologist and awarded an MSc in Clinical Embryology at the University of Leeds in 2010. In addition to her clinical role, Dalia serves as a Practice Educator, providing clinical supervision and work-based learning in severe male infertility, including surgical sperm retrieval, to Clinical Embryology trainees on the Scientist Training Programme (STP) from both NHS and private fertility centres, supporting professional development in line with HCPC standards.

The graphic shows the performance of Dalia Elmusharaf Khalifa over last two years (blue line).

Above green line are the best 25% of all participants.

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 Pathologywhich 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 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.

The second best performer of the andrology laboratories - after third place in 2021 and 2023 and second place in 2022 - is Shiva Joshi, working at South West London Pathology (Croydon University Hospital site).

With a keen interest in Andrology, Shiva Joshi has over 10 years of experience within the field. He previously worked at Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College NHS Trust (NWLP) where he gained experience in cryopreservation within an HFEA-licensed laboratory. Shiva currently works as a Specialist Biomedical Scientist in Clinical Biochemistry and Andrology at Croydon University Hospital (SWLP). His passion for reproductive science is reflected in his membership of ARCS and ESHRE, and he is currently working towards completing his Specialist Portfolio in Andrology, further developing his expertise in male reproductive diagnostics and laboratory quality.

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

The Croydon University Hospital provides more than 100 specialist services and is home to the borough’s only Emergency Department and 24/7 maternity services, including a labour ward, midwifery-led birth centre and the Crocus home birthing team.

The third best performer of the andrology laboratories - after second place in 2023 - is Robi Obure, senior biomedical scientist working in cytology at the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust.

She is a member of the laboratory andrology team performing fertility and post vasectomy semen analysis and has had experience in andrology since 2014.

In cytology Robi is also involved in processing various non-gynae samples.
 

The graphic shows the performance of Robi Obure over last two years (blue line).

Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust (RUH) provides a wide range of services including medicine and surgery, services for women and children, accident and emergency services, and diagnostic and clinical support services. The cytology department is UKAS accredited for primary and secondary care.

Top Performers Embryology

The best performer dof the embryology laboratories - after third place in 2023 and second place in 2024 and 2025 - is Carmen Mak. Carmen is an embryologist who works at the Union Reproductive Medicine Centre and its Sperm Bank since 2011.





 

The graphic shows the performance of Carmen Mak over last two years (blue line).

Above green line are the best 25% of all participants.

The Union Reproductive Medicine Centre and Union Hospital Reproductive Medicine Centre (Tsim Sha Tsui) were established by Union Hospital in 2000 and 2010 respectively.

The Union Reproductive Medicine Centre at 12/F H Zentre has commenced service since August 2021.

The centre offers a comprehensive range of reproductive services, including egg freezing, IUI, IVF, embryo biopsy for PGT, semen analysis, DNA fragmentation and surgical sperm retrieval. It also provides Sperm Bank service.

The second best performer of the embryology laboratories - after achieving first place in 2020 to 2023, and third place in 2024 - is Dr Tom Connolly.

Tom Connolly ist HCPC registrierter klinischer Embryologe sowie Fachmann für Biopsie und ist Labormanager bei CREATE Fertility Manchester.



 

The graphic shows the performance of Tom Connolly over last two years (blue line).

CREATE Fertility Birmingham is one of 17 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 Birmingham clinic was opened in 2016, 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 third best performer of the embryrology laboratories is Cindy Ip, senior embryologist at the Union Reproductive Medicine Centre.

Cindy earned an MSc in Biomedical Sciences and is a certified Medical Laboratory Technologist under the MLT board, and is holding certification of ESHRE Senior Clinical Embryologist.





 

The graphic shows the performance of Cindy Ip over last two years (blue line).

The Union Reproductive Medicine Centre and Union Hospital Reproductive Medicine Centre (Tsim Sha Tsui) were established by Union Hospital in 2000 and 2010 respectively.

The Union Reproductive Medicine Centre at 12/F H Zentre has commenced service since August 2021.

The centre offers a comprehensive range of reproductive services, including egg freezing, IUI, IVF, embryo biopsy for PGT, semen analysis, DNA fragmentation and surgical sperm retrieval. It also provides Sperm Bank service.