Friday, January 16, 2026
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IETS Board of Governors
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| 13:00–20:00 |
Board Meeting |
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IETS HASAC Committee Meetings
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| TBD |
Committee |
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| TBD |
Committee |
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Saturday, January 17, 2026
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IETS Board of Governors
|
| 08:00–17:00 |
IETS Board Meeting |
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| 18:00–20:30 |
IETS Foundation Meeting |
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IETS HASAC Committee Meetings
|
| 08:00–10:00 |
TBD |
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IETS Local Organizing Committee Preconference Symposium
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| 09:00–17:00 |
Bridging science and practice: Innovations in bovine reproductive management |
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IETS CANDES Preconference Symposium
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| 09:00–17:00 |
Transformative advances in wildlife reproductive technologies |
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Sunday, January 18, 2026
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| 07:00–8:00 |
Past Presidents’ Breakfast |
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| 07:00–8:00 |
Student Competition Finalists Breakfast |
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Main Session Opening
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| 08:00–08:10 |
Opening & Welcome |
|
| 08:10–08:15 |
Morulas’ Welcome |
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Session I: Managing Reproductive Health in Complex Environments
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| 08:15–09:00 |
Synchronized breeding and reproductive resilience in dairy cattle: Mitigating metritis, heat stress, and transgenerational fertility impairment
Presented by Fabio Lima, PhD, DVM (University of California, USA) |
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| 09:00–09:15 |
ReBreed21 program for timed embryo transfer in beef cattle: Field data evaluation
Presented by Mirela Balistrieri, MSc, DVM (University of São Paulo, Brazil) |
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| 09:15–09:30 |
Heat stress alters the miRNA cargo of pre-ovulatory follicular fluid extracellular vesicles and reduces fertility in dairy cattle
Presented by Bianca Gasparrini, PhD, DVM (University of Napoli, Italy) |
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| 09:30–10:15 |
External factors influencing reproductive tract microbiota
Presented by Rebecca Poole, PhD (Texas A&M University, USA) |
|
| 10:15–10:30 |
Strategy to improve pregnancy rates with in vitro-produced embryos in the tropics
Presented by Reinaldo de Armas, PhD (University of Panama, Panama) |
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10:30–11:00
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Break
Be sure to check out the poster presentations and exhibit hall! |
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IETS Foundation Student Research Competitions
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| 11:00–11:15 |
Cattle embryos undergo normal early elongation in the absence of embryonic disc
Presented by Pablo Bermejo-Alvarez, DVM, PhD (National Institute of Agricultural and Food Research and Technology [INIA-CSIC], Spain) |
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| 11:15–11:30 |
Maternal-embryo crosstalk via extracellular vesicle miRNAs during embryonic reactivation after diapause in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus)
Presented by Giuliana de Avila Ferronato, PhD (National Institute of Agricultural and Food Research and Technology [INIA-CSIC], Spain) |
|
| 11:30–11:45 |
Characterization and miRNA profiling of oviductal extracellular vesicles in early pregnancy in the rabbit model
Presented by Jon Fernández González, PhD (Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain) |
|
| 11:45–12:00 |
Changes in ovarian architecture are associated with advanced reproductive age in the South African cheetah
Presented by Anna Heinrich, PhD (University of Northwestern, USA) |
|
| 12:00–12:15 |
TFAP2C is essential for first lineage segregation and blastocyst formation in sheep
Presented by Nuria Martinex de los Reyes, PhD (National Institute of Agricultural and Food Research and Technology [INIA-CSIC], Spain) |
|
| 12:15–12:30 |
Impact of chilling, cryopreservation, and freeze-drying on DNA fragmentation and PLCz expression in koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) epididymal spermatozoa
Presented by Patricio Dandy "Dandy" Palacios Benitez, DVM, PhD (The University of Queensland, Australia) |
|
| 12:30–14:00 |
Lunch
Make sure to explore the exhibit hall! |
|
| 12:30–14:00 |
IETS Board of Governors Lunch with Partner Societies |
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| 12:30–14:00 |
IETS Morulas Mentor Lunch |
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| 12:30–14:00 |
IETS HASAC Emerging Technology & Issues Subcommittee Meeting |
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Session II: Decoding Early Development—Emerging Technologies in Embryo Research
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| 14:00–14:45 |
Deciphering bovine embryogenesis through cutting-edge molecular tools
Presented by Kun Zhang, PhD (Zhejiang University, China) |
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| 14:45–15:00 |
Volatolomic profiles of in vitro-produced bovine embryos
Presented by Monika Nõmm, PhD (Estonian University of Life Sciences, Estonia) |
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| 15:00–15:45 |
Extended embryo culture in ruminants: Illuminating a black box of early development
Presented by Priscila Ramos-Ibeas, DVM, PhD (National Institute of Agricultural and Food Research and Technology [INIA-CSIC], Spain) |
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| 15:45–16:15 |
Successful nanoparticle-mediated delivery of transgenes and ribonucleoproteins to the preimplantation bovine embryo
Presented by Veronica Rubio-Santillanes, MS (University of Florida, USA) |
|
| 16:15–16:45 |
Break
Be sure to check out the poster presentations and exhibit hall! |
|
| 15:30–16:00 |
2026 IETS Distinguished Practitioner Award Presentation |
|
| 18:00–20:00 |
Welcome Party |
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| 20:00–21:00 |
IETS Morulas Forum/Business Meeting |
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| 21:00–22:00 |
IETS Morulas Mixer |
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Monday, January 19, 2026
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| 07:00–08:00 |
IETS Foundation Organizational Breakfast Meeting |
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Session III: Translating Reproductive Innovations Across Species
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| 08:00–08:45 |
When less really is more: Reducing embryo manipulation to lower metabolic stress and improving long-term outcomes
Presented by Paolo Rinaudo, PhD, MD (University of California, San Francisco, USA) |
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| 08:45–09:00 |
Evaluating FGF2, LIF, and IGF1 supplementation during in vitro maturation to enhance equine ICSI embryo development
Presented by James Smith, PhD (The University of Queensland, Australia) |
|
| 09:00–09:15 |
CRISPR-Cas9 mediated beta-lactoglobulin gene-editing in goat skin fibroblasts for somatic cell nuclear transfer
Presented by Mahipal Singh, PhD (Fort Valley State University, USA) |
|
| 09:15–10:00 |
Exploring the potential of prepubertal oocytes: A small ruminant model
Presented by Maria Teresa “Maite” Paramio Nieto, DVM, PhD (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain) |
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| 10:00–10:15 |
In vitro production of alpaca blastocysts using vitrified oocytes and epididymal spermatozoa
Presented by Jaime Ruiz Bejar, PhD (National University of Huancavelica, Peru) |
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| 10:15–10:45 |
Break
Be sure to check out the poster presentations and exhibit hall!
|
|
| 10:45–11:15 |
IETS Business Meeting |
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IETS Peter W. Farin Trainee Travel Scholarship Presentations
|
| 11:15–11:20 |
Introduction |
|
| 11:20–11:25 |
Extracellular vesicles from heat and oxidative-stressed granulosa cells modulate bovine in vitro embryo development and quality
Presented by Judith Diaz Muñoz, PhD (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain) |
|
| 11:25–11:30 |
Rumen-protected methionine supplementation during the periconceptional period to beef cows induces persistent changes in DNA methylation in the whole blood of female offspring
Presented by Daniella Heredia, PhD (University of Florida, USA) |
|
| 11:30–11:35 |
Effect of semen type on embryo development and pregnancy establishment after timed artificial insemination or fresh embryo transfer in multiparous Holstein cows
Presented by Megan Lauber, PhD (University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA) |
|
| 11:35–11:40 |
Interleukin-6 restores embryonic disc development in bovine blastocysts placed into extended culture
Presented by Mary Ali Oliver, PhD (Virginia Tech University, USA) |
|
| 11:40–11:45 |
Spatial localization of avian and human influenza A virus receptors in male and female bovine reproductive tissues
Presented by Brette Poliakiwski, PhD (Texas A&M University, USA) |
|
| 11:45–13:15 |
Lunch
Make sure to explore the exhibit hall!
|
|
| 11:45–13:15 |
IETS Data Retrieval Committee Meeting |
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Session IV: Pathways to Fertility—The Intricate Journey of Sperm Through the Reproductive Tract
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| 13:15–14:00 |
Sperm interaction with the female reproductive tract: Implications for bull fertility and heterospermic semen use
Presented by Sean Fair, PhD (University of Limerick, Ireland) |
|
| 14:00–14:15 |
Sire fertility affects early pregnancy success but not the incidence of pregnancy
Presented by Florentino Paz Jose Da Silva Junior, MS (The Ohio State University, USA) |
|
| 14:15–15:00 |
From reservoir to rendezvous: The journey of sperm through the oviduct
Presented by David Miller, PhD (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA) |
|
| 15:00–15:30 |
Post-thaw nanoparticle sorting of bull sperm improves cryopreservation outcomes
Presented by Emily Nold, MS (Iowa State University, USA) |
|
| 15:30–17:30 |
Poster Session
Make sure to explore the exhibit hall! |
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Concurrent Sessions
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| 17:30–19:30 |
Practitioners’ Forum |
|
| 17:30–19:30 |
DABE Forum |
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Tuesday, January 20, 2026
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| 07:00–08:30 |
IETS Board of Governors Organizational Breakfast Meeting |
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Session V: Environmental Adaptation and Sustainability
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| 09:00–11:00 |
Poster Session
Make sure to explore the exhibit hall! |
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IETS Foundation Early Career Achievement Award
|
| 11:00–11:05 |
Introduction for the 2026 Early Career Achievement Scientist Award Presentation |
|
| 11:05–11:30 |
2026 Early Career Achievement Scientist Award Presentation |
|
| 11:30–11:35 |
Introduction for the 2026 Early Career Achievement Practicing Professional Award Presentation |
|
| 11:35–12:00 |
2026 Early Career Achievement Practicing Professional Award Presentation |
|
| 12:00–12:30 |
IETS HASAC Open Session |
|
| 12:30–14:00 |
Lunch |
|
| 12:30–14:00 |
IETS Morulas Career Lunch |
|
| 12:30–14:00 |
IETS Program Committee Lunch |
|
| 14:00–14:30 |
2026 IETS Pioneer Award Presentation |
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Session VI: George E. Seidel Jr. Keynote Lecture
|
| 14:30–15:15 |
Translational pig models for human diseases
Presented by Eckhard Wolf, PhD (Center for Innovative Medical Models at Ludwig Maximilian University, Germany) |
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IETS Foundation Student Competition Awards
|
| 15:15–15:25 |
CSIRO Best Poster Award Presentation |
|
| 15:25–15:35 |
Undergraduate Student Poster Competition Award Presentation |
|
| 15:35–15:45 |
Graduate Student Research Competition Award Presentation |
|
| 15:45–15:50 |
Award Winners & Competition Finalists Photos |
|
| 15:50–16:00 |
AETE & ICAR Announcements |
|
| 16:00–16:30 |
Closing Ceremony & IETS 2027 Invitation
Save the date for #IETS2027, in Porto, Portugal, January 16–19, 2027! |
|
| 18:00–21:00 |
Closing Party |
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