Ana Cobo, Ph.D.

Dr. Cobo has worked as an embryologist for more than 20 years and became interested in oocyte cryopreservation in the early 1990s, while conducting her Master’s degree and doctoral thesis research. She is currently a senior embryologist at the IVI RMA Valencia, where she is the Director of the Cryobiology Unit in the IVF lab. Her work in the clinical application of oocyte vitrification has made a great impact on assisted reproduction. She was a pioneer in the large-scale application of oocyte cryopreservation, demonstrating the efficiency of egg-banking. Her work has been very useful for both clinicians and patients interested in preserving fertility. Her publications provide the largest database assessing the scope of oocyte vitrification as a tool for the preservation of fertility and for ovum donation, focusing on the number of vitrified oocytes required to get a baby.

She has participated as the Primary Investigator (lead researcher) in a number of research projects (PROFIT MITYC 2005, IMPIVA I+D 2006, CDTI 2005-2007, IMPIVA 2007, IMPIVA 2008), and published over 50 original articles. In addition, she wrote or co-wrote more than 50 book chapters, co-edited 4 books, and had more than 100 presentations in international meetings. She has been invited to speak nationally and internationally, and she is member of several professional organizations including American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), and Sociedad Española de Fertilidad (SEF).

Her teaching activities focus on directing the continuous training program in the vitrification of oocytes and embryos at the IVI learning center. She also serves as teaching faculty for the postgraduate Master’s course in Biotechnology of Human Reproduction at the IVI University Institute since 1997, ascribed to the University of Valencia.