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Session 1: Managing Reproductive Health in Complex Environments

• Synchronized breeding and reproductive resilience in dairy cattle: Mitigating metritis, heat stress, and transgenerational fertility impairment
  By Fabio Lima, PhD, DVM (University of California, Davis, USA)
• External factors influencing reproductive tract microbiota
  By Rebecca Poole, PhD (Texas A&M University, USA)

Session 2: Decoding Early Development: Emerging Technologies in Embryo Research

• Deciphering bovine embryogenesis through cutting-edge molecular tools
  By Kun Zhang, PhD (Zhejiang University, China)
• Extended embryo culture in ruminants: Illuminating a black box of early development
  By Priscila Ramos-Ibeas, DVM (National Institute of Agricultural and Food Research and Technology, Spain)

Session 3: Translating Reproductive Innovations Across Species

• When less really is more: Reducing embryo manipulation to lower metabolic stress and improving long-term outcomes
  By Paolo Rinaudo, PhD, MD (University of California, San Francisco, USA)
• Exploring the potential of prepubertal oocytes: A small ruminant model
  By Maria Teresa “Maite” Paramio Nieto, DVM (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain)

Session 4: Pathways to Fertility: The Intricate Journey of Sperm Through the Reproductive Tract

• Sperm interaction with the female reproductive tract: Implications for bull fertility and heterospermic semen use
  By Sean Fair, PhD (University of Limerick, Ireland)
• From reservoir to rendezvous: The journey of sperm through the oviduct
  By David Miller, PhD (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA)

Each session brings together world-renowned experts to share their latest findings, fostering the collaborative spirit that makes IETS the premier international forum for embryo technology advancement.

Our keynote speaker, Eckhard Wolf, PhD, director of the Center for Innovative Medical Models at Ludwig Maximilian University (Munich, Germany), will give a thrilling presentation on using genetically tailored pigs for medical research.

Companion Animals, Non-Domestic and Endangered Species (CANDES) 2026 Preconference Symposium Program: Transformative Advances in Wildlife Reproductive Technologies

Session 1

• Integrating assisted reproductive technologies for wildlife conservation: 20 years of experience on the collared peccary
  By Alexandre Rodrigues Silva, DVM, PhD (Federal University of Semiarid Region, Mossoró, Brazil)
• Application of assisted reproduction in exotic bird species to improve species conservation and genetic diversity
  By Dominik Fischer, Dr. Vet Med, DipECZM(WPH) (Greifvogelstation und Wildfreigehege Hellenthal and Der Grüne Zoo Wuppertal, Germany)

Session 2

• Bridging science and survival: A model for integrating assisted reproductive technologies, biobanking, and conservation in Panama and beyond
  By Gina Della Togna, PhD (Amphibian Survival Alliance and Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama)
• Assisted reproduction in snakes: What do we know?
  By Rogerio Zacariotti, PhD, DVM (Scientia Nature, Brazil)

Session 3

• Roundtable discussion: Cloning of CANDES species
  Moderated by Gabriela Mastromonaco, PhD (Toronto Zoo, Canada), Andres Gambini, DVM, PhD (The University of Queensland, Australia), Cesare Galli, DVM (Avantea, Italy), and others

Session 4

• CANDES Trainee Travel Awards
• Keynote lecture—Stem cell zoo: A platform for exploring species-specific biological time
  By Miki Ebisuya-Matsuda, PhD (Technische Universität Dresden, Germany)

Local Organizing Committee 2026 Preconference Symposium: Bridging Science and Practice: Innovations in Bovine Reproductive Management

Program

• Introduction
  By Luiz Nasser, PhD (Born Technologies, Panama), Brittany Scott, MS (Smart Reproduction, USA), and Matthew B. Wheeler, PhD (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)
• How improving well-being can increase livestock productivity
  By Janeen Johnson, PhD (Michigan State University, USA)
• Latest developments in synchronizations programs for beef and dairy embryo recipients
  By Gabriel A. Bo, Med. Vet, MVSc, PhD (Instituto de Reproduccion Animal Cordoba (IRAC), Argentina)
• Embryonic loss, impact on calf production for dairy and beef herds in tropical environments
  By Roberto Sartori, PhD, DVM (University of São Paulo, Brazil)
• High fertility cycling in dairy cattle
  By Milo Wiltbank, PhD (University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA), and Richard Pursley, PhD (Michigan State University, USA)
• Exploring the role of metabolomics in understanding the factors associated with fertility in beef cattle
  By Pietro S. Baruselli, PhD (University of São Paulo, Brazil)
• Challenges for implementation of large-scale programs with in vitro produced embryos
  By Rodrigo Untura, DVM (ABS Global, Brazil)
• Roundtable discussion
  By Janeen Johnson, PhD (Michigan State University, USA), Gabriel A. Bo, Med. Vet, MVSc, PhD (Instituto de Reproduccion Animal Cordoba (IRAC), Argentina), Roberto Sartori, PhD, DVM (University of São Paulo, Brazil), Milo Wiltbank, PhD (University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA), Richard Pursley, PhD (Michigan State University, USA), Pietro S. Baruselli, PhD (University of São Paulo, Brazil), and Rodrigo Untura, DVM (ABS Global, Brazil)