Early Career Ambassador

GOLINSKA Monika

Medical University of Lodz
Lodz, Poland

Research Associate at the Department of Biostatistics and Translational Medicine, Medical University of Lodz, Poland

Monika Golinska did her PhD in cancer research at the University of Cambridge. Her research focused on understanding how changes in tumour microenvironment enable cancer progression.

Monika currently leads her MSCA-funded project titled “Identifying angiogenic and metabolic biomarkers in endometriosis-associated ovarian cancer using photoacoustic imaging and data mining”. Her aim is to better understand how vascular remodelling and immune infiltration enable the development of lesions. Utilizing spatial biology techniques and omics data, she also studies the link between endometriosis and endometriosis associated ovarian cancer.

Monika is a member of Cambridge Reproduction Steering Committee, and she sits on their Event Fund review panel.

She was selected as a World Endometriosis Society Early Career Ambassador in 2024.

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Early Career Ambassador

SALMERI Noemi

San Raffaele Scientific Institute
Milan, Italy

Clinician (Resident) in Obstetrics and Gynecology at San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy

Noemi Salmeri is an aspiring physician-scientist passionate about women’s health, particularly in endometriosis and adenomyosis.

During her residency Obstetrics and Gynecology, she received clinical training in reproductive medicine and developed a profound interest in endometriosis-associated infertility. Concurrently, she cultivated a strong interest in research methodology and data analysis, which led her to pursue advanced training at Harvard Medical School and the University of Pavia.

In 2023-2024, Dr. Salmeri served as a visiting scientist at the National Institutes of Health in the USA, working on a clinical trial for endometriosis-associated chronic pelvic pain and studying systemic comorbidities, particularly autoimmune diseases.

She will complete her residency at the San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milan in October 2024 and is currently applying for a PhD.

Dr. Salmeri was selected as a World Endometriosis Society Early Career Ambassador in 2024.

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Early Career Ambassador

MACKENZIE Scott

University of Edinburgh
Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Specialty Trainee and Clinical Lecturer in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Edinburgh, UK.

Scott Mackenzie is a Specialty Trainee and Clinical Lecturer in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. He graduated as a medical doctor from the University of Dundee in 2020, having also completed an intercalated BMSc (Hons) in Human Reproduction and Assisted Conception in 2018. Following this, Scott joined the EXPPECT team at the Centre for Reproductive Health at the University of Edinburgh as an Academic Foundation Doctor. In this role, under the supervision of Professor Andrew Horne and Dr Lucy Whitaker, he conducted a secondary analysis of data collected in the Gabapentin for chronic pelvic pain (GaPP2) trial identifying a genetic locus associated with the analgesic efficacy of gabapentin. This research was recognised with the Rodolphe Maheux Award at the 15th World Congress on Endometriosis, 2023.

In 2023, Scott began specialty training in Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Southeast Scotland and in 2024, he was appointed as a ECAT Clinical Lecturer in Obstetrics in Gynaecology at the University of Edinburgh to continue his clinical academic training. This lectureship includes funding to undertake a Wellcome-funded PhD which will begin in 2025.

He was selected as a World Endometriosis Society Early Career Ambassador in 2024.

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Early Career Ambassador

CASALECHI Maira

Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico di Milano
Milano, Italy

Maíra has been working in the field of Human Reproduction since her college days. She began her career as a student researcher in the Human Reproduction Lab at the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG) in Brazil, where she also trained to became a Clinical Embryologist. Although her early work covered various aspects of human reproduction and embryology, it was during her PhD that she decided on focusing her career on endometriosis investigation.

Currently, Maíra is a Researcher Fellow and Clinical Embryologist at the Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico di Milano in Italy. Her research primarily focuses on investigating the impact of endometriosis on reproductive functions. She has published over 25 papers in the field of reproductive medicine (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=maira+casalechi), peer-reviewed several others, and has delivered invited talks at national and international conferences, as well as lectures in universities and training courses. She actively shares scientific news on Twitter/X at @mairacasalechi.

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Early Career Ambassador

LI PIANI Letizia

University of Milan
Milan, Italy

Dr. Letizia Li Piani is currently in her final year of training in Gynecology & Obstetrics at the University of Milan, Italy. She graduated in Medicine & Surgery (110/110 cum laude) from the University of Milan in 2018. During her studies, she was honored to be selected for the prestigious MD-PhD joint program, a one-year PhD program that provided her with 60 credits and extensive research experience. As part of this program, she joined various lab projects and completed an observership at Juntendo University in Tokyo, where she gained invaluable insights into esophageal surgery under the mentorship of Prof. Yoshiaki and laboratory coordination of Prof. Kazuhisa.

Presently, Dr. Li Piani is based at Mangiagalli Hospital, one of Italy’s premier birth centers with approximately 5,500 births annually. Since the beginning of her postgraduate training, she has been a member of the assisted reproduction team (UO. Regina Elena) under the guidance of Prof. E. Somigliana. This role has allowed her to immerse herself in both clinical and research activities, significantly enhancing her expertise in reproductive medicine.

In November 2022, Dr. Li Piani was selected for a clinical and research fellowship at UZB IVF Brussels, directed by Prof. H. Tournaye. This one-year fellowship has provided her with the opportunity to collaborate with one of Europe’s leading IVF centers, further honing her skills and expanding her research horizons.

To date, Dr. Li Piani has authored 18 research papers. Her dedication to reproductive health has naturally led her to explore endometriosis due to its significant impact on fertility. She has contributed to this field through preliminary research projects, studying the role of alcohol consumption, and clinical initiatives, including participation in webinars to promote awareness on endometriosis. Currently, she is coordinating a project applying epigenetic clocks to infertile patients, including those with endometriosis.

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Early Career Ambassador

KUAN Kevin

University of Toronto
Toronto, Canada

Obstetrics and gynaecology medical resident at the University of Toronto, Canada

Kevin obtained his medical degree from the University of Edinburgh (2024) and BSc Honours (2021) from the University of St Andrews. During medical school, he was a member of the Edinburgh Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain working under the supervision of Professor Andrew Horne and Dr. Lucy Whitaker. He is involved in various aspects of endometriosis research and has led original projects such as comparing management of chronic pelvic pain flares before/after COVID-19 and an international survey understanding the effect of endometriosis treatment on fatigue.

He was selected as a World Endometriosis Society Early Career Ambassador in 2024.

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Early Career Ambassador

SHIM Jessica

Boston Children’s Hospital
Boston, USA

Jessica Shim, MD, is a gynecologist with fellowship training in pediatric and adolescent gynecology.

She is passionate about working with her adolescent patients to develop individualized treatment plans and improve their quality of life. Dr. Shim’s research focuses on identifying markers to enable an earlier diagnosis of endometriosis and exploring treatments for endometriosis-related pelvic pain among adolescents. Additionally, she is interested in improving the recognition of endometriosis in adolescents by healthcare professionals and raising awareness in the general public. As the fellowship director of the pediatric and adolescent gynecology fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital, she is committed to training the next generation of gynecologists to advance the field of adolescent endometriosis.

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Early Career Ambassador

NAZRI Hannah

University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust
Warwick, United Kingdom

Dr. Hannah Nazri is an NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow and specialty trainee doctor in Obstetrics & Gynaecology at the University of Warwick and the University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust. She holds a medical degree from the University of Bristol, an intercalated BSc (one-year) in Medical Physics & Bioengineering from University College London, and completed an MSc Clinical Embryology and DPhil in endometriosis research at the University of Oxford.

Dr. Nazri regularly presents her research at the European Society of Human Reproduction & Embryology (ESHRE) Annual Meeting, Society for Reproductive Investigation Annual Scientific Meeting, World Congress on Endometriosis, and the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists. Her work at the 38th ESHRE Annual Meeting in Milan in 2022 was pre-selected for the Basic Science Award (Oral Presentation) (top 5 best abstracts globally), thus she was awarded the Rewarding Excellence Bursary from Health Education England Yorkshire & Humber School of Obstetrics & Gynaecology. Her publications include a mini-review on “The Role of sEV-miRNAs in endometriosis” in Human Reproduction (2023) and a study on “Characterisation of exosomes in peritoneal fluid of endometriosis patients” in Fertility & Sterility (2020), supported by grants from the Goodger and Schorstein Fund, Wellcome ISSF, and Oxfordshire Health Services Research Committee.

Passionate about personalised healthcare and advancing endometriosis research, Dr. Nazri serves on the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists Global Health Trainees’ Committee. She is the Founding Director of Malaysian Doctors for Women & Children, collaborating closely with Malaysian universities and advocating with local and diaspora endometriosis patient groups. In her efforts to combat FGM/C (female genital mutilation/cutting), she has collaborated with the Asia Pacific Research & Resource Centre for Women and the International Planned Parenthood Federation, and spoken at the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women parallel event on FGM/C in Asia.

Recognised for contributions, Dr. Nazri is an Associate Fellow of the Royal Commonwealth Society and ranked among the top 5 finalists for the 2020 Women of the Future Award UK. She was honoured with invitations to attend the 2022 Commonwealth Diaspora Reception and the 2024 His Majesty the King’s Garden Party, both hosted at Buckingham Palace. She is proud to serve as an Early Career Ambassador for the World Endometriosis Society since July 2024.

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Early Career Ambassador

KATHRADA Fatima

University of the Witwatersrand
South Africa

Fatima Kathrada is a pharmacist and lecturer at Wits University, with a profound commitment to women’s health advocacy and research.

Her dedication is fuelled by personal experiences with infertility and endometriosis, driving her to empower women in managing their health and raising awareness of critical women’s health issues. Specializing in women’s and reproductive health, Fatima is actively involved in conducting and supervising research on endometriosis. She founded an educational initiative to enhance understanding and support for women affected by this condition. Additionally, she is a member of several national and international societies, where she collaborates on advocacy and research initiatives in women’s health and reproductive health.

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