Master in Human Assisted Reproductive Technologies

This Subject covers the main 3 parameters that must guide the daily practice of the ART professional: science, ethics, and law. The practice of evidence-based medicine (EBM) requires knowledge of the scientific method and development of critical thought, as well as an understanding of the basic tenets of study design and statistics for medical research.

In addition, as technical breakthroughs occur at an ever-increasing pace, the rapidly advancing field of ART poses ethical dilemmas on a regular basis, and a deep knowledge of and scrupulous adherence to national and international laws and regulations is absolutely required.

Moreover, business acumen, process optimization, and quality management are vital for ART professionals. Understanding the economic aspects of healthcare, implementing efficient processes, and maintaining stringent quality standards ensure the sustainability and accessibility of ART services. Integrating business principles with scientific expertise, ethical considerations, and quality processes allows ART professionals to deliver high-quality, cost-effective treatments while maintaining the highest standards of professional conduct.

The emotional burden of treatment is the main cause of treatment discontinuation and non-adherence even in countries where ART treatments are economically feasible and culturally accepted. Nevertheless, ART programs do not train professionals to understand the patient’s challenges and experiences with infertility, resulting in high treatment drop-out, and ultimately a lower proportion of patients that overcome their infertility.

This subject will provide the students with a solid appreciation of the psychological aspects of the infertile experience, both from a male and female point of view, as well as the need to make patients the focus of the treatment process. This subject is designed to help understand the role of the ART professional in solving this problem through increased communication with patients, colleagues, regulators, and the media.

In an increasingly communicated world, this implies developing skills related to the use of novel media platforms to communicate with patients (social media/telemedicine).

This Subject will cover normal anatomy and physiology of the male and female reproductive organs at both the macro and microscopic levels along with the stages of the reproductive life cycle. As well as, development, endocrinology, gametogenesis, menstrual cycle, fertilization, implantation, early embryonic development, and pregnancy.

Students will acquire knowledge of the main pathologies that underlie fertility issues, learn how to clinically evaluate the infertile/sub-fertile individual to recognize tubal/uterine infertility, endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome, male and female reproductive pathologies, ovulation disorders, and implantation issues, among others. The developing field of oncofertility and how to preserve the reproductive potential of cancer patients will be explained and discussed.

Students will become familiarized with the current toolbox of technologies and methods in ART. Both clinical and embryological approaches will be considered. This will provide them with a holistic view of reproductive medicine and allow an improved interaction between both areas of treatment, in the interest of patient satisfaction and clinical results.

The main topics are induction of ovulation, oocyte pickup, gamete donation, ICSI, in vitro embryo culture and evaluation, embryo transfer, luteal phase support, and cryobiology. Importantly, students will be introduced to cutting edge technologies such as time-lapse microscopy, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.

Students will participate in the UPF-Eugin Càtedra Symposium on ART, offering students essential exposure to advanced research, different perspectives and networking opportunities in the field of assisted reproductive technology.

Basic concepts of genetics in relation to all aspects of human reproduction (preconceptional, prenatal and embryonic stage), with emphasis on inherited disease, chromosomal segregation and the genetics of male and female infertility will be reviewed.

This subject will cover classical and expanded preconceptional screening and analyze implications for couples wanting to conceive. Students will learn techniques and approaches to embryo testing (PGT-A, PGT-M, PGT-ST) as well as concepts related to genetic counselling. The lack of an EBM perspective made PGT a particularly controversial issue in the ART field. Since genetics and preconceptional testing lend themselves particularly well to EBM assessment, case studies will be used to illustrate concepts.

Cutting edge genetic technologies will be presented and studied, including genetic manipulation and genome editing techniques, mitochondrial manipulation, uterine transplant, and stem cell-related approaches to infertility.

Students will practice the basic procedures executed in the ART laboratory from the very beginning of the program, through wet laboratory sessions, that will include oocyte manipulation, denudation, maturity evaluation, embryo culture in vitro and its evaluation, sperm thawing, and swim-up/gradient selection.

This subject consists of sessions dedicated to training the students in basic clinical techniques such as ultrasound-guided oocyte pick-up and embryo transfer, by using state-of-the-art dummy based digital simulation systems.

Through the Final Master Project students will have the opportunity to develop and enhance their skills in interpreting, contextualizing, and disseminating data or medical/laboratory information within the field of human ART. The project is designed to integrate academic learning with practical application, enabling students to engage deeply with current topics and practices in the field. Students will have a designated tutor who will be one of the group’s professional.

Students will be able to undergo mandatory international guided internships at Assisted Reproduction Research Centres or Clinics in the European Union (Spain, Italy, Denmark, Portugal and Sweden) or outside of the EU (Argentina and Brazil). These internships will be 375 hours long, meaning between two and four months. Depending on the assigned clinic, students will be able to focus on clinical reproduction, clinical embryology, business or genetics. For each practicum, the student will be under the supervision of a local tutor.