This week at the Progress Educational Trust (30 November 2020)

The Progress Educational Trust (PET)'s 2020 Annual Conference - which is entitled 'Fertility, Genomics and COVID-19' - is now only one week away. Unlike previous PET conferences, this year's conference will be held entirely online, so that you can join us and the speakers remotely.

The conference is taking place from 9.15am-5.30pm (GMT) on Wednesday 9 December 2020. It will explore what we know about, and how we might deal with, coronavirus/COVID-19 in relation to fertility and genomics.

The conference details have now been finalised. See the full agenda and timetable here, see the full list of conference speakers here, and register to attend here.

The Institute of Medical Ethics has provided funding for 20 medical students to attend the conference free of charge. Medical students wishing to apply for one of these places should email sstarr@progress.org.uk

Conference sessions include:

1. The Impact of COVID-19 on the Fertility Sector
   Chaired by Sarah Norcross (Director of PET)

2. Examining the Evidence: Can COVID-19 Affect Fertility? Can It Affect the Fetus?
   Chaired by Fiona Fox (Chief Executive of the Science Media Centre)

3. Correlation and Causation: What Can Genetics and Genomics Tell Us about COVID-19?
   Chaired by Dr Roger Highfield (Science Director at the Science Museum Group)

4. Resuming Treatment: What Can European Countries Learn from One Another?
   Chaired by Dr Anna Veiga (Coordinator of ESHRE's COVID-19 Working Group)

Conference presentations will include the following.

Towards an Understanding of an Epidemic
Dr Kári Stefánsson
Chief Executive of the biopharmaceutical company deCODE Genetics, and leader of recent research into COVID-19 spread and immune response
The HFEA at 30: Regulating During COVID-19 and Beyond
Sally Cheshire
Chair of the HFEA
Law of Homogameity: Does COVID-19 Illustrate the Genetic Resilience of Women?
Dr Sharon Moalem
Geneticist, and author of bestselling books including Inheritance and The Better Half: On the Genetic Superiority of Women
Defective Type I IFN Immunity in Patients with Life-Threatening COVID-19
Dr Qian Zhang
Research Associate at Rockefeller University, and leader of recent research into immunity/immunodeficiency in patients with life-threatening COVID-19
The Value of Liberty and Reproduction in the Pandemic
Professor Julian Savulescu
Director of the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics
Riding the Wave: A Fertility Clinician's Perspective on Living with COVID-19
Dr Jane Stewart
Chair of the British Fertility Society
ACE, Testosterone and COVID-19
Professor Allan Pacey
Trustee at PET, and Head of Oncology and Metabolism at the University of Sheffield
Is the Placenta a Barrier to COVID-19 Crossing to the Fetus?
Professor Ashley Moffett
Professor of Reproductive Immunology at the University of Cambridge
A COVID-Free Fertility Clinic: Triage, Testing and Decisionmaking
Dr Luca Gianaroli
Scientific Director of the Italian Society for the Study of Reproductive Medicine
Virus-Free Oocytes: What Does This Mean? Why Should We Care?
Dr Rita Vassena
Scientific Director of Eugin
ESHRE Guidance: The Adaptation of Fertility Clinics
Dr Edgar Mocanu
Consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Rotunda Hospital Dublin
Assisted Conception in the European Union During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Dr Nathalie Vermeulen
Senior Research Specialist at ESHRE

The conference is supported by the Anne McLaren Memorial Trust Fund, the Edwards and Steptoe Research Trust Fund, ESHRE, Wellcome, the European Sperm Bank, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, the London Women's Clinic, Merck, Theramex, Vitrolife and the Institute of Medical Ethics.

All are welcome at the conference. To attend/participate via the web, please register here now.

In addition to the conference on 9 December, PET is also producing the following two free-to-attend online events, the first of which is taking place this coming Thursday.

The first event is 'Fertility Facts: What Do Young People Need to Know and When?', taking place from 5.30pm-7pm (GMT) on Thursday 3 December 2020. This event is produced in partnership with the Scottish Government.

The event will discuss whether and how (in)fertility should be addressed in sex and relationships education. Confirmed speakers include:

• Professor Adam Balen (Lead Clinician at Leeds Fertility)

• Sharon Martin (Scotland Branch Coordinator at Fertility Network UK)

• Anna Shams Ili (Communications Director at Sexpression)

All are welcome at this event. To attend/participate via the web, please register here now.

Then in the New Year, 'An All-Consuming Problem? How to Protect Patients in the Fertility Market' is taking place from 5.30pm-7pm (GMT) on Thursday 14 January 2021. This event is sponsored by the British Fertility Society and Merck.

The event will discuss new guidance for the fertility sector drafted by the UK Government's Competition and Markets Authority. Confirmed speakers include:

• Dr Louise Strong (Director of Consumer Protection at the Competition and Markets Authority)

• Dr Raj Mathur (incoming Chair of the British Fertility Society)

• Mark Wilcox (Group Medical Director at CARE Fertility)

• Katy Lindemann (advocate and commentator on infertility, pregnancy loss and childlessness)

All are welcome at this event. To attend/participate via the web, please register here now.