Fernando Zegers-Hochschild, MD

Obtained the Medical Degree at the Catholic University of Chile (1974) and specialized in Obstetrics & Gynecology and Human Reproduction at the University of Chile (Santiago, Chile), University of Sheffield (United Kingdom) and at the Akademish Ziekenhuis (Ghent, Belgium).

Founder (1983) and Director of the Unit of Reproductive Medicine at Clínica Las Condes Hospital, until June 2006. At present, senior staff member.

Co-founder (1985) and member of the Board of Directors of the Chilean Institute of Reproductive Medicine (ICMER).

Founder (1991) and responsible for the Latin American Registry of Assisted Reproduction (RLA). Founder (1995) and past President of the Latin American Network for Assisted Reproduction (REDLARA). Vice chairman of the International Committee for Monitoring Assisted Reproductive Technology (ICMART).

Served as a member of the World Health Organization WHO/HRP Steering Committee of the Task Force on Prevention and Management of Infertility (1984 to 1989) and later, as temporary advisor in activities related to medical, social and ethical aspects of assisted reproduction. From 2002 to 2008, served as member of the WHO/HRP -Biomedical Specialist Panel. Since 2008, serves with a dual appointment, as member of the Scientific and Ethical Review Group (SERG) of WHO/HRP and as member of the research Ethic Review Committee (ERC) of WHO.

Since 2002, president of the Ethics Committee of the Chilean Society for Reproductive Medicine and from 2004, “Profesor Agregado” of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile.

Appointed by the United Nations (2002) as medical expert to the Ad Hoc Committee for the initiation of the International Convention against the Reproductive Cloning of Human Beings.

Served the Chilean Senate, House of Deputies and Ministry of Health as temporary Advisor in the discussion of regulations and laws concerning: Emergency contraception, Assisted Reproductive Technology, Human Genome and reproductive cloning (1988-2007).

In recent years, has been awarded, with the “Clinical Science Award” by The European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) in Lyon, France (2007); named Doctor Honoris Causa by the University of Antofagasta, Chile (2007) and Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist (ACOG), USA. (2008). During 2009, spent a sabbatical year as visiting professor in the Dept. of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of California, San Francisco.

Clinical activity is centered in the treatment of infertility with emphasis in modern reproductive technology. Global research interests include monitoring of regional and world trends in reproduction; and the influence of cultural diversity when confronting bioethical challenges in sexual and reproductive health.