Invited Seminar Speakers
Koç University
Türkiye
Northwestern University
USA
Cochin University
France
Presenting on adenomyosis
WeHeal OBGYN Medical Group
China
Presenting on non-surgical treatments - HIFU, radiofrequency and other minimally invasive techniques
Lund University
Sweden
Presenting on imaging
Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Germany
Presenting on endometriosis and adenomyosis at the extremes of reproductive ages
Radboud University
Presenting on beyond pain and fertility: mental health, nutrition, complementary medicine, and lifestyle interventions
Canada
Presenting on surgery
University of Florence
Presenting on non-surgical treatments - medical treatments
ALGIA – Advanced Laparoscopy and Pelvic Pain Center
Colombia
Presenting on pain
Birmingham City University
Presenting on social sciences and epidemiology
Professor Bariş Ata
Professor Ata graduated from Istanbul School of Medicine. Following residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology, he completed REI fellowship at McGill University in Montreal. He holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Trials from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He serves on editorial boards of leading journals in the field. He is a past Dean of Koc University School of Medicine in Istanbul, past president of the Turkish Society of Reproductive Medicine, past Executive Committee Member of ESHRE and current coordinator of accreditation of reproductive medicine teaching programs. He has received multiple awards for research, education and quality of patient care by multiple institutions. His research is focused on clinical IVF, endometriosis and reproductive imaging. He is the medical director of ART Fertility Clinic in Dubai, UAE and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Koç University, Istanbul.
Professor Serdar Bulun
Serdar E. Bulun, MD
John J. Sciarra Professor
Chair, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University
Serdar Bulun, MD, is the John J. Sciarra Professor and Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern University in Chicago. He is also the Obstetrician-Gynecologist-in-Chief at Prentice Women’s Hospital at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. He was born in Malatya, Turkey and moved to Istanbul to attend American Robert College and thereafter Istanbul University School of Medicine. He completed his residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the University at Buffalo in New York and pursued a sub-specialty fellowship in reproductive endocrinology-infertility at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.
As of 2012, Dr. Bulun served as the Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern. Under his watch, the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology thrived. The number of full-time faculty more than doubled. The budgets for academic and clinical operations were in the black. The NIH ranking remained consistently between #2 to #4. Doximity Navigator placed Northwestern’s OBGYN residency at #1 in 2026-27. USNWR ranking for OBGYN in 2025-26 was #6. Annually, >11,000 deliveries, >5,900 gynecologic surgeries and >3,400 in vitro fertilization procedures are performed at Northwestern’s Prentice Women’s Hospital.
Starting from 2003, Dr. Bulun established a comprehensive women’s health research program at Northwestern and recruited and supported numerous faculty who focus on steroid hormone-related aspects of human health and disease. His studies on uterine fibroids and endometriosis are widely acknowledged. His team introduced the use of aromatase inhibitors to treat endometriosis. Throughout his career, Dr. Bulun has been awarded over $100 million of NIH funding in endometriosis, uterine fibroids, breast cancer, and inguinal hernia. Dr. Bulun has received a number of awards and honors during his career; most notably, he was elected to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) in 2015. Since then, 3 additional Northwestern OBGYN faculty members were elected to the NAM. He has published more than 260 peer-reviewed articles in top journals including New England Journal of Medicine, Nature Medicine, Journal of Clinical Investigation, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA.
For more information on The Bulun Lab, visit:https://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/sites/obgyn/research/basic-science-research/bulun/index.html
Professor Charles Chapron
Head and Chair from 2005-2025,
Université Paris Cité
Académie Nationale de Chirurgie
Service de gynécologie obstétrique II et médecine de la reproduction, CHU Cochin, Paris, France
Co-founder and actual President of the Society of Endometriosis and Uterine Disorders (SEUD)
Past-President of Société de Chirurgie Gynécologique et Pelvienne (SCGP)
Professor Chapron’s research activities focus on the pathogenesis, assessment, and management of endometriosis / adenomyosis, as well as gynecologic operative laparoscopy. He has authored and co-authored 524 peer-reviewed papers in international (394 publications) and in national (130 publications) scientific journals on surgical laparoscopy in gynecology, reproductive medicine, endometriosis and adenomyosis. Publications were cited more than 41 142 times and his H-factor is 103 (indice i10 is 388). Professor Chapron has been invited over 719 scientific presentations in international (530) and in national (189) meetings. He is the coordinator of 14 scientific books and the author of more than 80 chapters in other scientific books.
Dr Xiaoming Gong
Dr Gong is a distinguished leader, educator, and pioneer in minimally invasive and non-invasive gynecological therapies, bringing a wealth of clinical expertise to the 2027 World Congress on Endometriosis. He holds an MD from Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) and completed his residency at PUMC Hospital, where he later served as Associate Professor in Obstetrics and Gynecology. He also held leadership as Head of the Minimally Invasive Section at Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital and completed a research fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic Florida.
As Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of the WEHEAL OBGYN Medical Group in China, Dr Gong leads the group’s Non-Invasive Treatment Center and has established 12 specialized centers across major Chinese cities. Performing around 500 surgeries annually—95% via minimally invasive techniques—he is a prominent advocate for advanced endoscopic, vaginal, and ablation procedures. Dr Gong introduced single-port surgery, vNOTES, and Lin’s hysteroscopic resection technique to China. A global forerunner in non-invasive ablation therapy, he pioneered high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for uterine fibroids and adenomyosis at PUMC Hospital starting in 2009, expanding into microwave and radiofrequency treatments in 2017.
In addition to his clinical innovations, Dr Gong is the first President of the International Society of Obstetrical and Gynecological Ablation (ISOGA), which he co-founded in 2025, and heads the Ablation Special Interest Group for the International Society for Gynecological Endoscopy (ISGE). His leadership extends across numerous prestigious global and national bodies, including past Chair of the China Medical Group Association (2018–2019) and founder of China’s largest professional OBGYN portal, obgy.cn. A sought-after international speaker and educator at forums like APAGE, ENDO Dubai, and MEGO, Dr Gong continues to shape the future of minimally invasive gynecological care worldwide.
Dr Ligita Jokubkiene
Ligita Jokubkiene is associated professor at Lund university, Sweden and senior consultant in obstetrics and gynecology at the Department of Obstetrics and gynecology, at Skane University Hospital in Malmö, Sweden.
Ligita Jokubkiene performs both gynecological and obstetrical ultrasound examinations at an advanced level. She is an active researcher leading several research projects with focus on ultrasound diagnostics in endometriosis, pelvic pain and pelvic floor birth-related injuries. She is also a part of international multicenter studies lead by IOTA, IETA, IDEA and MUSA groups studying ovarian masses, endometrial and myometrial pathology and endometriosis. Ligita Jokubkiene is supervising master and PhD students and is a chief supervisor of Medical Students at the Faculty of Medicine, Lund University.
Ligita Jokubkiene organizes and leads national and international courses on ultrasound diagnostics in gynecology from basic to advanced level to midwives and doctors. She has been an invited speaker at international courses and congresses.
Ligita Jokubkiene is a Chair of Educational courses subcommittee at ISUOG and a member of Scientific Committee at ISUOG. She is also a chair of the Ultrasound reference group at Swedish Society of Obstetrics and gynecology in Sweden, Advisory Board member of European Endometriosis League and a member of IOTA Editorial Board.
Professor Sylvia Mechsner
Prof. Dr. med. Sylvia Mechsner is a internationally recognized authority in gynecological research and clinical care, serving as Full Professor (W2) and Senior Physician at Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin. Since 2005, she has led the Endometriosis Research Unit within the Division of Endometriosis Centre at Charité, driving transformative work into the disease’s underlying biological mechanisms.
Professor Mechsner completed her medical training at the Free University of Berlin, graduating summa cum laude in 2001. Over more than two decades at Charité, she has established herself as a leading expert in the pathogenesis and pain conduction of endometriosis and adenomyosis. Her extensive research focus encompasses neurogenic inflammation, immune cell dysfunction, neuropathic pain treatment, central pain sensitization, and estrogen-dependent nerve modulation. As Principal Investigator and Steering Committee member on major international clinical trials—including collaborations with Bayer, Astellas, and Ferring—her translational work bridges basic scientific discovery and innovative patient therapies.
An influential voice in academic gynecology, Prof. Mechsner has authored over 150 papers in peer-reviewed journals, including Human Reproduction and Fertility & Sterility, and serves as an ad hoc reviewer for major publications and research foundations such as the German Research Foundation (DFG). A sought-after international speaker, she has delivered over 600 lectures worldwide and holds active leadership roles in prominent organizations, including the European Endometriosis League (EEL) and the Endometriosis Research Foundation (SEF).
As an invited seminar speaker at the WCE 2027 Congress, Prof. Mechsner brings decades of research leadership, clinical expertise, and groundbreaking insights into chronic pelvic pain and endometriosis management..
Professor Annemiek Nap
Annemiek Nap MD PhD is a professor in Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductive Medicine. She is the Head of Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics at the Radboud University Medical Center in Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
Annemiek is vice-president of the Dutch Society for Obstetrics and Gynaecology. She was a member of the Core Group of the Guideline Development Group of the ESHRE guideline on Endometriosis 2022. At present, she is board member and treasurer of the European Endometriosis League.
She is a clinician and a scientist. Her main research focus is on endometriosis and on fertility. Her research group, engaged in clinical as well as translational research, is active in the field of improving diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis. She focuses on decreasing diagnostic delay, on patient empowerment in endometriosis treatment and on improving fertility in those with endometriosis..
Professor Sukhbir (Sony) Singh
Dr. Sukhbir (Sony) Singh is Professor and Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Ottawa and Head of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Newborn Care at The Ottawa Hospital. He is an Associate Scientist and past Dr. Elaine Jolly Research Chair in Gynecologic Surgery at The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute.
Upon completion of his medical training at the University of Western Ontario (MD 2000, FRCSC 2005), he completed fellowships in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery at the University of Toronto (2005-2006) and the University of Sydney, Australia (2006-2007).
He has been active in promoting excellence in gynecologic surgery at the national and international level. This includes his past roles as co-founder and Executive Director of CanSAGE (2016-2021) and past Board Member of the AAGL (2020-2023).
Dr. Singh leads the Ottawa Minimally Invasive Gynecology Research Group which focuses on the diagnosis, management and surgical approach to endometriosis and uterine fibroids. He has given over 500 presentations worldwide, delivered 50 formal courses and has over 150 publications to date. Most recently he was a co-lead and senior author of the SOGC Endometriosis Diagnosis (2024) and Management (2026) Guidelines
Dr Silvia Vannuccini
Professor Silvia Vannuccini, MD, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Florence and a Consultant Specialist at Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy. She is an internationally recognized clinician-scientist whose work focuses on endometriosis, adenomyosis, uterine fibroids, reproductive health, and high-risk pregnancy care. Since 2019, she has led specialized clinics in endometriosis, chronic pelvic pain, adenomyosis, uterine fibroids, and advanced gynecological ultrasound, while coordinating multidisciplinary care for women with complex gynecological conditions. Professor Vannuccini earned her MD with highest honors from the University of Siena and later completed a PhD in Molecular Medicine with research on the impact of endometriosis on women’s health. Her international training includes fellowships and research appointments at the University of Oxford, Imperial College London, and Université Paris Descartes. A leading authority in women's health research, Professor Vannuccini has contributed to major international studies and serves on the editorial boards of several prominent journals. She has authored more than 119 peer-reviewed publications, achieved over 4,000 citations, and is a highly sought-after international speaker on endometriosis, adenomyosis, fertility, and reproductive medicine.
Dr Juan Diego Villegas
Juan Diego Villegas-Echeverri, MD, FRCPI, PPSD
Scientific Director. ALGIA - Advanced Laparoscopy and Pelvic Pain Center
Pereira, Colombia
Minimally invasive gynecological surgeon
Pelvic pain specialist designation
Past president, FECOLSOG
Past President, IPPS
Past chair, benign surgery division. FIGO.
Professor Annalis Weckesser
Prof Annalise Weckesser is Professor of Medical and Feminist Anthropology at Birmingham City University, UK. Her research examines gendered experiences of menstrual, reproductive, and sexual health, with particular emphasis on endometriosis and chronic conditions. She brings a critical social science lens to understanding how endometriosis is experienced, diagnosed, and managed, focusing on intersectional health inequalities and qualitative research methods.
Prof Weckesser co-founded and leads the Social SciencEs Endometriosis Network (SEEN) an international network of over early, mid and senior career social scientists across nearly twenty countries working to advance interdisciplinary endometriosis research. She convened the British Academy and Wellcome Trust conference ‘Reframing Endometriosis: Power, Politics and Potential Futures’, and co-led the generation of social science research priorities for the World Endometriosis Society/World Endometriosis Research Foundation. She is also co-convening the upcoming ‘Decolonising Pain’ conference. Her research addresses diagnostic delay, pain communication, and gendered health inequalities, with funding from NIHR, UKRI, and British Academy. She publishes in The Lancet, Social Science & Medicine, and BJOG, writes on endometriosis and gender bias for The Conversation, and speaks to academic, practitioner, government, and public audiences.
International Congress Office:
WALDRONSMITH Management
119 Buckhurst Street
South Melbourne VIC 3205
Australia
T +61 3 9645 6311
E wce2027@wsm.com.au