From left to right:
Dr. Murray Kroach, Dr. Sam Batarseh, Professor Robert Edwards, Dr. George Woo, and Dr. Perry Phillips.

IVF Canada's physician team is affiliated with the Toronto East General Hospital.

We are delighted to announce Prof. Robert Edwards as an Honorary Director
 of IVF Canada & The LIFE Program.

Prof. Robert Edwards, CBE, BSc, DSc, DSc (Hon), FRCOG (ad eundem), Hon MRCP.
Professor Edwards and colleagues succeeded in fertilizing the first human egg in vitro in 1969. From there, he and his partner, Dr Patrick Steptoe, started work at Cambridge University practicing clinical IVF and established the Bourn Hall Clinic. The work of these two pioneers lead to the birth of the world’s first “TEST TUBE BABY”, Louise Brown on July 25th, 1978. In the 30 years ensuing since Edwards and Steptoe achieved this milestone in assisted human reproduction, research and clinical practice have advanced by leaps and bounds. The state of ART clinical practice as we know it today would not be what it is without the contributions of Professor Edwards and his colleagues.
 
Professor Edwards’ distinguished career has resulted in numerous publications, honorary doctor of science degrees, awards and honors. He is winner of the 2001 Lasker Clinical Medical Research Award, the 2002 Grand Hamdan Award for Clinical Science and was recently named a pioneer of stem cell research as well as becoming a Chevalier dans L’Ordre National de la Legion d’Honneur of France in 2007.

DR.SAM BATARSEH, M.D., B.Ch., FRCS (C)
Assistant Professor, University of Toronto, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Director, IVF Canada/LIFE Program
Dr.Sam Batarseh graduated from Le College des Friers in Cairo, Egypt with a baccalaureate and then obtained his medical degree from Cairo University. Dr. Batarseh has completed extensive training in micro-surgery of the fallopian tubes at Irvine University, Irvine, California, U.S.A.

In addition to a private practice specializing in infertility, Dr. Batarseh has been Chief of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Toronto East General Hospital for eleven years. During this time he has been involved with major changes in how health care will be delivered at this Level II Hospital in the future.

DR.MURRAY N. KROACH, M.D., FRCS (C)
Director, IVF Canada/LIFE Program
Dr.Kroach is a Gynaecologist and Obstetrician-Reproductive Biologist at Toronto East General Hospital and is a Director of the LIFE Program at that facility. His formal training included sub-specialty training in Infertility, Endocrinology and Microsurgery. His many activities include being a clinical lecturer at the University Of Toronto School Of Medicine, Advisor to the Ontario Law Reform Commission on IVF and a Member of the Board of Governors, Toronto East General Hospital Research Foundation. He is also a Director of IVF Canada.

DR.PERRY PHILLIPS, B.Sc., M.D., FRCS(C), F.A.C.S., FSOGC, FASCPC, FASRM
Past-President, Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Toronto
Director, IVF Canada/LIFE Program
Dr.Phillips acquired his undergraduate degree from McGill University in Montreal and his medical degree from the Universite de Montpellier in France. He completed his specialty training at the University of Toronto and post-specialty training in Colposcopy at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, and New York's Columbia University. Dr. Phillips is a consultant in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Toronto East General Hospital where he is a Director of the LIFE Program. He is also a Director at IVF Canada.

DR.GEORGE HON WOO, M.D., FRCS (C)
Director, IVF Canada/LIFE Program
Dr.Woo received his medical degree from the University of British Columbia and his specialty in Obstetrics and Gynaecology from the University of Toronto. He completed a course in Microsurgery at the University of California at Irvine, as well as courses in Reproductive Endocrinology, In Vitro Fertilization and Ultrasonography at the University of Manitoba. Dr.Woo is an active staff consultant in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Toronto East General Hospital as well as a Director of both the LIFE Program and IVF Canada.

DR.KEITH JARVI, M.D., UROLOGIST
Consultant, IVF Canada/LIFE Program
Dr.Jarvi acquired his medical degree from the University of Ottawa and is currently Assistant Professor, Division of Urology, Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto. He is a consulting Urologist at Toronto's Mount Sinai Hospital and Wellesley Hospital. Throughout his training and career, Dr. Jarvi has been involved in much research involving male infertility. He currently provides both the LIFE PROGRAM, at Toronto East General Hospital, and IVF Canada patients with consulting services for male factor infertility.

DR.Mark Hughes, MD., PhD
Affiliate Member
Dr Hughes, is a pioneer in the field of Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis. His work has centered on understanding gene expression in the early human embryo and the molecular genetics of early embryo development. One of the highlights of his research has been the realization that molecular data from single cells can be used for diagnostic purposes. This lead to a multi-year collaboration with IVF clinicians and embryologists at the Hammersmith Hospital in London and the birth of preimplantation genetic diagnosis as a clinical tool.

Dr. Hughes was one of 11 scientists recruited to start the Human Genome Institute at the National Institutes of Health in the U.S., and has also held the position of Director of the State of Michigan’s “Life Sciences Genomics Hub”. For the last 4 years Dr. Hughes has been conducting clinical PGD at the Genesis Genetics Institute in Michigan. This program offers diagnostic services to over 174 human reproductive centers in North/South America and Europe.

LISA C. BARCROFT, Ph.D.
Laboratory Director, IVF Canada/LIFE Program
Dr. Barcroft joined IVF Canada in September, 2006 having spent the previous 11 years working in embryology in both research and clinical settings at the Unversity of Western Ontario.  Seven years of her research activities focused on in vitro maturation and embryo culture as she completed her undergraduate and doctoral degrees.  In April, 1999 she joined the Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility program at University Hospital in London, Ontario where she applied her considerable skills to the treatment of human infertility.

Dr. Barcroft’s expertise brings to IVF Canada the opportunity to move forward with various programs including in vitro maturation and egg freezing along with the development of other programs in the future that will benefit our patients.

CAROLE CRAIG, B.A.
Clinic Manager, IVF Canada/LIFE Program
Ms.Craig attended both the University of Western Ontario and Fanshaw College, earning her Bachelor of Arts degree and completing various certificate courses in business and hospital administration. Her career has focused on the health care industry where Ms. Craig has worked at several hospitals including St. Joseph's in London, Ontario and most of Toronto's signature facilities including the Hospital for Sick Children, Women's College and Sunnybrook Health Science Centre. Ms. Craig has worked in the in-vitro fertilization field since 1986.

Affiliate Consultants

A. Brown, M.D., FRCS.(C)                    T. Williams, M.D., FRCS.(C)
A. Kurup M.D., FRCS.(C)                      H. Mahmoud, M.D., FRCS.(C)
V. Davis M.D., FRCS(C)                        J. Cram, M.D., FRCS.(C)
M. Hughes, M.D., Ph.D                         C. Kirupananthan, M.D., FRCS(C)