Program

Local Organizing Committee Preconference Symposium Theme: From Environment to Fertility—Practical Strategies for Improving Reproductive Success In Vivo and In Vitro

The 2027 Local Organizing Committee (LOC) is excited to share that the speaker lineup for the IETS 2027 LOC Preconference Symposium on Saturday, January 16, is now available.

  • Toward non-invasive selection of bovine embryos using media secretions
    By Alfonso Gutierrez-Adan, PhD (National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology [INIA-CSIC], Spain)
  • Non-surgical embryo transfer in swine
    By Maria A. Gil, PhD (University of Murcia, Spain)
  • Caring for mother's health to protect daughter's oocyte quality: Important windows of vulnerability
    By Jo Leroy, PhD (University of Antwerp, Belgium)
  • Calf fitness associates with early embryo and recipient metabolomes OR Biomarker metabolite mating of viable frozen-thawed in vitro-produced bovine embryos with pregnancy-competent recipients
    By Isabel Gimeno, PhD (Université Laval, Canada)
  • Conservation and development of native endangered cattle: The case of the Italian Varzese breed
    By Alberto M. Luciano, PhD (Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy)
  • Environmental and management factors determining pregnancy rates in timed-AI and timed-ET programs
    By Gabriel A. Bo, Med Vet, MVSc, PhD (Instituto de Reproducción Animal Córdoba [IRAC], Argentina)
  • Roundtable discussion: Future perspectives of embryo technologies in Europe
    Paneled by Daniel Martínez Bello, DVM (EmbrioMarket, Spain); Lais Barbosa Latorraca, PhD (CRV, the Netherlands); Hanna Grothmann, DVM (Synetics Germany GmbH, Germany); Giselle Gamarra, PhD, MSc, Zoot. Eng. (AURIVA-Élevage, France); and Alberto M. Luciano, PhD (Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy)

Additional details will be shared soon, including the speaker bios and registration information.

Equine Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ARTs) Preconference Workshop

In addition to the main program, the recently formed Equine ARTs Committee is orchestrating the Equine ARTs Preconference Workshop on Saturday, January 16.

Stay tuned for more information!

Main Program Theme: Embryo Technologies in a Changing Environment—Emerging Challenges and Solutions

We are pleased to announce the finalized list of invited speakers for IETS 2027, to be held in Porto, Portugal. This year’s program features five compelling sessions and two keynote presentations covering a wide spectrum of applied, basic, and developmental topics.

Opening Keynote

  • Oocyte-to-embryo transition
    By Melina Schuh, PhD (Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Germany)

Session 1: Environmental Stress and Gamete Fitness—Cellular and Epigenetic Mechanisms Shaping Fertility

  • Heat stress in female ovarian function
    By Aileen Keating, PhD (Iowa State University, USA)
  • Oocyte competence and fundamental mechanisms influencing reproductive success
    By Felipe Perecin, DVM, PhD (University of São Paulo, Brazil)

Session 2: The Evolution of Reproductive Technologies

  • CRISPR and genome editing at the frontiers of development: Dissecting core mechanisms and species-specific programs
    By Pablo Bermejo-Álvarez, DVM, PhD (National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology [INIA-CSIC], Spain)
  • Emerging challenges and new tools to assess oocyte fitness
    By Marie-Hélène Verlhac, PhD (Collège de France, France)

Session 3: Managing the External Conditions to Improve the Internal Conditions of the Embryo

  • Prenatal nutrition and heat stress on the ovarian reserve
    By Francesca Mossa, Med Vet, PhD (Università degli Studi di Sassari, Italy)
  • Genomic selection and gene editing for thermotolerance in dairy cattle
    By Peter J. Hansen, PhD (University of Florida, USA)

Session 4: Current Advances for a Successful Cattle Breeding—From Embryo to Calving

Session 5: George E. Seidel Jr. Keynote Lecture

  • Metabolism and reproduction in dairy cows
    By Matt Lucy, PhD (University of Missouri, USA)

Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of conversations that will shape the future of reproductive science.

Registration information coming soon!

Domestic Animal Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) and Epigenetics (DADE) Postconference Symposium

We’re excited to host the DADE Postconference Symposium on Wednesday, January 20, 2027, at IETS 2027. The symposium will bring together leading scientists to explore how gametes, embryos, and maternal environments shape phenotypes in domestic animals. The program will feature invited speakers, short oral presentations, and a dynamic student session focused on epigenetics, environmental influences, and maternal health from the earliest stages of development.

Session 1: Gametes and Transmission

  • Paternal sncRNA legacy to early embryo: Solution A
    By Véronique Duranthon, PhD (National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment [INRAE], France)
  • Sperm borne piRNA, TE and embryo development: Solution B
    By Jonathan LaMarre, DVM, PhD (University of Guelph, Canada)

Session 2: The Embryo and Its Environment

Session 3: Managing the External Conditions to Improve the Internal Conditions of the Embryo

  • Maternal health and oocyte quality
    By Jo Leroy, PhD (University of Antwerp, Belgium)
  • Gestational stress
    By Jimena LaPorta, PhD (University of Wisconsin–Madison, USA)

Further program details will be shared soon!