Join us for an exciting webinar exploring the significant but often underappreciated role of male factors in fertility and embryo development. This session will feature two distinguished researchers who are advancing our understanding of the male reproductive system's impact on reproductive outcomes.

Wednesday, December 4th
10:00 CST USA

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Dr. Maíra Bianchi Rodrigues Alves SBTE

Paternal Contribution to Development: The Impact of Sperm Molecular Messages
Maíra Bianchi Rodrigues Alves obtained her doctorate at the University of São Paulo, Brazil, wherein she received the Student Competition award from the Brazilian Embryo Technology Society in 2018. Alves completed two post-doctorates, one at Université Laval, Canada, and the other at the University of São Paulo. Currently, she is an assistant professor in animal reproduction at the Department of Pathology, Theriogenology and One Health of São Paulo State University in Jaboticabal, Brazil, since 2023, where she is establishing her laboratory focused on andrology and embryology studies (Andro-Embryo Lab). The research performed by Alves has focused on the paternal contribution to the development, mainly comprehending the role of sperm molecular features.

Beatriz Fernandez Fuertes

The Role of Male Reproductive Tract Secretions in Fertility
Beatriz Fernandez Fuertes is a recently appointed tenured scientist at the Spanish National Institute of Agricultural and Food Research (INIA-CSIC). She completed her PhD in 2016, under the supervision of Professor Pat Lonergan at University College Dublin. In 2018, she returned to Spain, thanks to a Marie Curie Individual Fellowship at the University of Girona. In 2020, she joined the Department of Animal Reproduction at INIA-CSIC as a postdoctoral fellow and was later awarded a tenure-track position. Her group focuses on on the impact of the male reproductive environment in maternal-paternal interaction, sperm function, and embryo development.

The Morulas Board of Governors is excited to invite all IETS community members to a special webinar! Are you interested in pursuing graduate studies in the European Union or the United States? Join us as two prominent speakers provide an in-depth overview of key funding opportunities for doctoral candidates. Mark your calendars and come prepared with your questions!

Tuesday, December 10
9 a.m. US Pacific time

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Sohail Luka, PhD

European Union funding for doctoral candidates worldwide: The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks (MSCA-DN)

Sohail Luka is a policy officer at the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, European Commission. He is former deputy chief of staff for the European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management (2014-2019) and has held other European Union positions with the foreign affairs service (the European External Action Service). He also worked on research policy at the European Commission. During 2008, he acted as presidency advisor for the Minister of Research & Higher Education of Slovenia and was based in Ljubljana.

Specializing in molecular microbial genetics, Luka received his BSc from Ain Shams University (Cairo) and PhD from the University of Tennessee (USA). He occupied several academic positions in Egypt, and then in Italy as visiting professor at the International Institute for Genetics and Biophysics. He is the author of many articles in the scientific literature.

During 1997 to 2005, he worked at Procter & Gamble (P&G) in Brussels as external relations manager for Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

He speaks English, Italian, Arabic, French, and Greek. He is a musician of classical Arabic music and judo coach/Referee.

Lee Rivers

Empower Your Future: The Fulbright Path to Skills, Knowledge, and Global Connections

Lee Rivers serves at the lead outreach and recruitment specialist for the Fulbright US Student Program (FUSP). Lee is based in the Institute of International Education's (IIE) Houston office. Since 2008, Lee has worked at IIE promoting federally funded exchanges through the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program, Boren Awards, and the Fulbright US Student and Scholar Programs. In his current role, Lee develops the outreach and recruitment strategy in alignment with program key performance indicators and goals. He oversees the coordination of FUSP's presence at conferences and campuses, as well as virtual outreach. In addition, Lee manages external relationships with strategic outreach partners. Prior to his work at IIE, Lee studied in Australia as a Gilman Scholar and participated in a Fulbright-Hays Group Project Abroad in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. As an advocate for educational opportunities abroad, Lee is passionate about increasing access for underrepresented populations.

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