PRELIMINARY PROGRAMME

09.30 – 12.30

PRECONGRESS WORKSHOP 1: FETAL GROWTH IN TWIN PREGNANCY

09.30 – 12.30

PRECONGRESS WORKSHOP 2: EARLY CAREER RESEARCHERS

10.00 – 16.00

PRECONGRESS WORKSHOP 3: MANAGING A NATIONAL MULTIPLE BIRTH ORGANISATION (FOR ICOMBO MEMBERS)

13.30 – 17.00

PRECONGRESS WORKSHOP 4: FETAL THERAPY IN MULTIPLE PREGNANCY

13.30 – 17.00

PRECONGRESS WORKSHOP 5: BIRTH COHORTS WORKING GROUP

13.30 – 17.00

PRECONGRESS WORKSHOP 6: SIMULATION: TWIN VAGINAL DELIVERY

18.00 – 21.00

OPENING CEREMONY & WELCOME RECEPTION
Chairpersons: Gian Carlo Di Renzo, Italy; Jeffrey Craig, Australia; Ruben Quintero, United States; Liona Poon, Hong Kong

OPENING LECTURE:

Evolutionary aspects of twinning
L. Scott Forbes, Canada

 

The ceremony will be followed by a welcome cocktail that will be held in the exhibition area

08.30 – 09.30

PARALLEL SESSION 1A: PERINATAL MORTALITY AND MORBIDITY IN MULTIPLE PREGNANCY
Chairpersons: Tak Yeung Leung, Hong Kong; Isaac Blickstein, Israel

  • Perinatal mortality in twins
    Gerard H.A. Visser, The Netherlands
  • The placenta in complicated twin pregnancy
    Jose Luis Bartha, Spain
  • FIGO guidelines on the management of twin pregnancy
    Asma Khalil, United Kingdom

08.30 – 09.30

PARALLEL SESSION 1B: EMERGING METHODS IN TWIN RESEARCH
Chairpersons: Lucia Colodro-Conde, Australia; Baptiste Couvy-Duchesne, Australia

  • Estimating (unbounded) Variance Components ACE Models: a change to methodology
    Mike Neale, United States
  • Insights into parenting: Using Non-transmitted genotypes/virtual-parent method
    Tim Bates, United Kingdom
  • Using twin studies to make inference about causation from examination of familial confounding (ICE FALCON) and its relationship to Mendelian randomisation
    John Hopper, Australia

09.30 – 10.00

KEYNOTE LECTURE OBG&YN

  • TBA
    Roberto Romero
  • Introduced by: Gian Carlo Di Renzo, Italy

10.00 – 10.30

COFFEE BREAK & POSTER WALK

10.30 – 12.30

PARALLEL SESSION 2A: PERICONCEPTIONAL ASPECTS OF MULTIPLE PREGNANCY
Chairpersons: Jon Hyett, Australia; Eftichia Kontopoulos, United States

  • IVF and twinning: what are the real risks? How to avoid?
    Sandro Gerli, Italy
  • Do we need more biomedical and biophysical tests to follow a twin pregnancy?
    Yves Ville, France
  • Optimal nutrition in twin pregnancy
    Roland De Vlieger, Belgium
  • Pitfalls in assessing chorio-amnionicity
    Tak Yeung Leung, Hong Kong
  • Outcome of IVF pregnancy and the DOHAD concept
    Gian Carlo Di Renzo, Donata Delli Ponti , Italy

10.30 – 12.30

PARALLEL SESSION 2B: TWIN-RELATED COMPLICATIONS
Chairpersons: Mark Kilby, United Kingdom; Isaac Blickstein, Israel

  • Counselling in MFPR and selective termination
    Aris Antsaklis, Greece
  • Outcome of complicated twin pregnancy: how to counsel parents?
    Seshadri Suresh, India
  • The IUGR features in twins
    Luming Sun, China
  • Twins and neurodevelopmental outcomes: the effect of IVF, fetal growth restriction and preterm birth
    Mahesh Choolani, Singapore
  • All complicated twins should have long term follow-up
    Mark Kilby, United Kingdom

10.30 – 12.30

PARALLEL SESSION 2C: LARGE COLLABORATIVE STUDIES IN TWIN BIRTH COHORTS
Chairpersons: Karri Silventoinen, Finland; Dorret Boomsma, the Netherlands

  • GEMINI twin birth cohort: a UK twin birth cohort with focus on early childhood weight trajectories
    Clare Llewellyn, UK
  • Causes and consequences of birth size in an international context: the CODATwins project
    Karri Silventoinen, Finland
  • Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study of childhood behaviour disoders
    Chloe Wong, UK
  • A word-wide collaboration of twin birth cohorts and other studies on childhood aggression: the ACTION project
    Dorret Boomsma, the Netherlands
  • Twin birth cohorts and Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD)
    Athula Sumathipala, Sri Lanka

 

  • Conclusions. The future of birth cohort studies.
    Richard Saffery, Australia

12.30 – 13.30

LUNCH BREAK & POSTER WALK

13.30 – 15.30

PARALLEL SESSION 3A: OBSTETRICAL ISSUES IN TWIN PREGNANCY: PRENATAL SCREENING AND DIAGNOSIS
Chairpersons: Katia Bilardo, the Netherlands; Liona Poon, Hong Kongether

  • NIPT in twin pregnancy
    Maria del Mar Gil Mira, Spain
  • First trimester prediction in twins
    Katia Bilardo, the Netherlands
  • Ultrasound in twins in first trimesters
    Jon Hyett, Australia
  • MCDA twins with discordant genotypes
    Richard Choy, Hong Kong
  • Functional and acquired cardiovascular anomalies in monochorionic twins
    Hye Sung Won, South Korea
  • Prediction and prevention of major obstetrical syndromes in twin pregnancy
    Liona Poon, Hong Kong

13.30 – 15.30

ICOMBO BUSINESS MEETING

13.30 – 15.30

PARALLEL SESSION 3B: GENOMIC STUDIES OF COMPLEX TRAITS: THE VALUE OF TWINS
Chairpersons: Jennifer Harris, Norway; Nick Martin, Australia

  • Cognitive impairment and schizophrenia
    Pak Sham, China
  • Using large scale twin studies and biobanks to investigate the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD)
    David Evans, Australia
  • Genomics and Epigenomics of Obesity and Obesity-related Traits in Chinese Twins’
    Weijing Wang, China
  • Contributions of twin and SNP based heritability estimates in the genetics of common disease
    Nick Martin, Australia

15.30 – 16.30

LUNCH BREAK & POSTER WALK

16.30 – 18.30

PARALLEL SESSION 4A: PRETERM BIRTH AND PREMATURITY IN TWINS – PREIS School Academy Session
Chaipersons:Eduardo Fonseca, Brazil; Gian Carlo Di Renzo, Italy

  • Screening for preterm birth in twin pregnancy
    Yves Ville, France
  • Progesterone for the prevention of preterm birth in twins
    Eduardo Fonseca, Brazil
  • Cerclage or pessary for the prevention of preterm birth in twins?
    Vincenzo Berghella, USA
  • Corticosteroids and magnesium sulphate in twins: where is the evidence?
    Gerard H.A. Visser, the Netherlands
  • The different outcome of twins according to chorionicity
    Katia Bilardo, the Netherlands
  • Problem of preterm twin newborns and how to cope with them
    Simon Lam, Hong Kong

16.30 – 18.30

PARALLEL SESSION 4B: ‘OMICS’ TWIN STUDIES
Chairpersons: Dorret Boomsma, the Netherlands; Bart Baselmans, the Netherlands

  • Microbiomes
    Joohon Sung, South Korea
  • DNA methylation in monozygotic twins concordant or discordant for aggressive behavior
    Jenny Van Dongen, the Netherlands
  • Metabolomics
    Dorret Boomsma, the Netherlands

18.30 – 19.30

ISTS GENERAL MEETING

08.30 – 09.30

PARALLEL SESSION 5A: CARE IN PREGNANCY AND LABOUR
Chairpersons: Jose Luis Bartha, Spain ; Vincenzo Berghella, United States

  • Fetal growth restriction in twin pregnancy
    Nir Melamed, Canada
  • Intrapartum monitoring in twins
    Eftichia Kontopoulos, United States
  • Intrapartum care in twins
    Gerard  H.A. Visser, the Netherlands

08.30 – 09.30

PARALLEL SESSION 5B: BULMER SESSION ON NEW DEVELOPMENTS WITH THE BIOLOGY AND GENETICS OF TWINNING
Chairpersons: Hamdi Mbarek, Qatar; Claudio Stern, United Kingdom

  • Genetics of MZ twinning
    Bruno Reversade, Singapore
  • Genetics of DZ twinning and new genes from a massive GWAS study
    Hamdi Mbarek, Qatar
  • New insights into the biology of MZ twinning
    Claudio Stern, United Kingdom

09.30 – 10.00

KEYNOTE LECTURE ISTS

  • Phenotypic difference in a scientifically studied pair of conjoined twins
    Juliet Butler, United Kingdom
  • Introduced by: Jeffrey Craig, Australia

10.00 – 10.30

COFFEE BREAK & POSTER WALK

10.30 – 12.30

PARALLEL SESSION 6A: SPECIAL ISSUES: US DOPPLER ANOMALIES, TTTS, TAPS, MCMA
Chairpersons: Yves Ville, France; Sailesh Kumar, Australia

  • Management of MCMA twins
    Sailesh Kumar, Australia
  • The management of TAPS
    Yves Ville, France
  • TTTS in triplets
    Seshadri Suresh, India
  • Techniques of laser photocoagulation of communicating vessels for managing TTTS
    Haruhiko Sago, Japan
  • Debate: All twins and multiple pregnancies should be looked after in multiple pregnancy specialist clinics
    Isaac Blickstein, Israel vs Gerard H.A. Visser, the Netherlands

10.30 – 12.30

PARALLEL SESSION 6B: NEUROIMAGING & THE BRAIN: ROLE OF TWIN STUDIES
Chairperson: Marc Seal, Australia; Sarah Medland, Australia

Topics and Speakers will be announced soon

10.30 – 12.30

PARALLEL SESSION 6C: PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDIES OF TWINS
Chairperson: Nancy Segal, United States

  • CSU Fullerton–Twin Family study of social closeness
    Nancy Segal, United States
  • The psychology of twins: a glimpse into the hearts and minds of our twin research subjects
    Joan Friedman, United States
  • Causes of difference in childhood well-being; the effects of parental ratings
    Meike Bartels, The Netherlands
  • Are twins different?
    Kaare Christensen, Denmark
  • Twin studies and the developmental origins of physical aggression: A bio-psycho-social perspective
    Richard Tremblay, Canada
  • Language Development
    Karen Thorpe, Australia

12.30 – 13.30

LUNCH BREAK & POSTER WALK

13.30 – 15.30

PARALLEL SESSION 7A: DELIVERY OF TWINS: CESAREAN DELIVERY, PPH
Chairpersons: Jon Barrett, Canada; Tak Yeung Leung, Hong Kong

  • Optimal timing of delivery of twins
    Tak Yeung Leung, Hong Kong
  • Doppler studies before induction in twins
    Irene Giardina, Italy
  • Induction of labour in twins
    Natasa Tul, Slovenia
  • Management of PPH
    Anton Mikhailov, Russia
  • Mode of delivery for monochorionic twins: should have all CS?
    Jon Barrett, Canada vs Gerard H.A. Visser, the Netherlands

13.30 – 15.30

PARALLEL SESSION 7B: COLLABORATIONS BETWEEN TWINS AND RESEARCHERS
Chairpersons: Monica Rankin, Australia; Nancy Segal, United States; Jeffrey Craig, Australia

  • Research for twins & families
    Carolyn Lister, New Zealand
  • The priority setting partnership for twin research
    Asma Khalil, United Kingdom
  • Empirical studies on class room sharing
    Susan Griffith, USA
  • Discussion – All twins should be offered zygosity testing

15.30 – 15.45

ISTS PRIZES AND CLOSING REMARKS

ISTS Award Presentations:

  • The Shields Award
  • The Gedda Prize for best student poster
  • The Galton Prize for best student presentation

Closing Remarks

Thursday, Nov 28

09.30 – 12.30

PRECONGRESS WORKSHOP 1: FETAL GROWTH IN TWIN PREGNANCY

09.30 – 12.30

PRECONGRESS WORKSHOP 2: EARLY CAREER RESEARCHERS

10.00 – 16.00

PRECONGRESS WORKSHOP 3: MANAGING A NATIONAL MULTIPLE BIRTH ORGANISATION (FOR ICOMBO MEMBERS)

13.30 – 17.00

PRECONGRESS WORKSHOP 4: FETAL THERAPY IN MULTIPLE PREGNANCY

13.30 – 17.00

PRECONGRESS WORKSHOP 5: BIRTH COHORTS WORKING GROUP

13.30 – 17.00

PRECONGRESS WORKSHOP 6: SIMULATION: TWIN VAGINAL DELIVERY

18.00 – 21.00

OPENING CEREMONY & WELCOME RECEPTION
Chairpersons: Gian Carlo Di Renzo, Italy; Jeffrey Craig, Australia; Ruben Quintero, United States; Liona Poon, Hong Kong

OPENING LECTURE:

Evolutionary aspects of twinning
L. Scott Forbes, Canada

 

The ceremony will be followed by a welcome cocktail that will be held in the exhibition area

Friday, Nov 29

08.30 – 09.30

PARALLEL SESSION 1A: PERINATAL MORTALITY AND MORBIDITY IN MULTIPLE PREGNANCY
Chairpersons: Tak Yeung Leung, Hong Kong; Isaac Blickstein, Israel

  • Perinatal mortality in twins
    Gerard H.A. Visser, The Netherlands
  • The placenta in complicated twin pregnancy
    Jose Luis Bartha, Spain
  • FIGO guidelines on the management of twin pregnancy
    Asma Khalil, United Kingdom

08.30 – 09.30

PARALLEL SESSION 1B: EMERGING METHODS IN TWIN RESEARCH
Chairpersons: Lucia Colodro-Conde, Australia; Baptiste Couvy-Duchesne, Australia

  • Estimating (unbounded) Variance Components ACE Models: a change to methodology
    Mike Neale, United States
  • Insights into parenting: Using Non-transmitted genotypes/virtual-parent method
    Tim Bates, United Kingdom
  • Using twin studies to make inference about causation from examination of familial confounding (ICE FALCON) and its relationship to Mendelian randomisation
    John Hopper, Australia

09.30 – 10.00

KEYNOTE LECTURE OBG&YN

  • TBA
    Roberto Romero
  • Introduced by: Gian Carlo Di Renzo, Italy

10.00 – 10.30

COFFEE BREAK & POSTER WALK

10.30 – 12.30

PARALLEL SESSION 2A: PERICONCEPTIONAL ASPECTS OF MULTIPLE PREGNANCY
Chairpersons: Jon Hyett, Australia; Eftichia Kontopoulos, United States

  • IVF and twinning: what are the real risks? How to avoid?
    Sandro Gerli, Italy
  • Do we need more biomedical and biophysical tests to follow a twin pregnancy?
    Yves Ville, France
  • Optimal nutrition in twin pregnancy
    Roland De Vlieger, Belgium
  • Pitfalls in assessing chorio-amnionicity
    Tak Yeung Leung, Hong Kong
  • Outcome of IVF pregnancy and the DOHAD concept
    Gian Carlo Di Renzo, Donata Delli Ponti , Italy

10.30 – 12.30

PARALLEL SESSION 2B: TWIN-RELATED COMPLICATIONS
Chairpersons: Mark Kilby, United Kingdom; Isaac Blickstein, Israel

  • Counselling in MFPR and selective termination
    Aris Antsaklis, Greece
  • Outcome of complicated twin pregnancy: how to counsel parents?
    Seshadri Suresh, India
  • The IUGR features in twins
    Luming Sun, China
  • Twins and neurodevelopmental outcomes: the effect of IVF, fetal growth restriction and preterm birth
    Mahesh Choolani, Singapore
  • All complicated twins should have long term follow-up
    Mark Kilby, United Kingdom

10.30 – 12.30

PARALLEL SESSION 2C: LARGE COLLABORATIVE STUDIES IN TWIN BIRTH COHORTS
Chairpersons: Karri Silventoinen, Finland; Dorret Boomsma, the Netherlands

  • GEMINI twin birth cohort: a UK twin birth cohort with focus on early childhood weight trajectories
    Clare Llewellyn, UK
  • Causes and consequences of birth size in an international context: the CODATwins project
    Karri Silventoinen, Finland
  • Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study of childhood behaviour disoders
    Chloe Wong, UK
  • A word-wide collaboration of twin birth cohorts and other studies on childhood aggression: the ACTION project
    Dorret Boomsma, the Netherlands
  • Twin birth cohorts and Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD)
    Athula Sumathipala, Sri Lanka

 

  • Conclusions. The future of birth cohort studies.
    Richard Saffery, Australia

12.30 – 13.30

LUNCH BREAK & POSTER WALK

13.30 – 15.30

PARALLEL SESSION 3A: OBSTETRICAL ISSUES IN TWIN PREGNANCY: PRENATAL SCREENING AND DIAGNOSIS
Chairpersons: Katia Bilardo, the Netherlands; Liona Poon, Hong Kongether

  • NIPT in twin pregnancy
    Maria del Mar Gil Mira, Spain
  • First trimester prediction in twins
    Katia Bilardo, the Netherlands
  • Ultrasound in twins in first trimesters
    Jon Hyett, Australia
  • MCDA twins with discordant genotypes
    Richard Choy, Hong Kong
  • Functional and acquired cardiovascular anomalies in monochorionic twins
    Hye Sung Won, South Korea
  • Prediction and prevention of major obstetrical syndromes in twin pregnancy
    Liona Poon, Hong Kong

13.30 – 15.30

ICOMBO BUSINESS MEETING

13.30 – 15.30

PARALLEL SESSION 3B: GENOMIC STUDIES OF COMPLEX TRAITS: THE VALUE OF TWINS
Chairpersons: Jennifer Harris, Norway; Nick Martin, Australia

  • Cognitive impairment and schizophrenia
    Pak Sham, China
  • Using large scale twin studies and biobanks to investigate the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD)
    David Evans, Australia
  • Genomics and Epigenomics of Obesity and Obesity-related Traits in Chinese Twins’
    Weijing Wang, China
  • Contributions of twin and SNP based heritability estimates in the genetics of common disease
    Nick Martin, Australia

15.30 – 16.30

LUNCH BREAK & POSTER WALK

16.30 – 18.30

PARALLEL SESSION 4A: PRETERM BIRTH AND PREMATURITY IN TWINS – PREIS School Academy Session
Chaipersons:Eduardo Fonseca, Brazil; Gian Carlo Di Renzo, Italy

  • Screening for preterm birth in twin pregnancy
    Yves Ville, France
  • Progesterone for the prevention of preterm birth in twins
    Eduardo Fonseca, Brazil
  • Cerclage or pessary for the prevention of preterm birth in twins?
    Vincenzo Berghella, USA
  • Corticosteroids and magnesium sulphate in twins: where is the evidence?
    Gerard H.A. Visser, the Netherlands
  • The different outcome of twins according to chorionicity
    Katia Bilardo, the Netherlands
  • Problem of preterm twin newborns and how to cope with them
    Simon Lam, Hong Kong

16.30 – 18.30

PARALLEL SESSION 4B: ‘OMICS’ TWIN STUDIES
Chairpersons: Dorret Boomsma, the Netherlands; Bart Baselmans, the Netherlands

  • Microbiomes
    Joohon Sung, South Korea
  • DNA methylation in monozygotic twins concordant or discordant for aggressive behavior
    Jenny Van Dongen, the Netherlands
  • Metabolomics
    Dorret Boomsma, the Netherlands

18.30 – 19.30

ISTS GENERAL MEETING

Saturday, Nov 30

08.30 – 09.30

PARALLEL SESSION 5A: CARE IN PREGNANCY AND LABOUR
Chairpersons: Jose Luis Bartha, Spain ; Vincenzo Berghella, United States

  • Fetal growth restriction in twin pregnancy
    Nir Melamed, Canada
  • Intrapartum monitoring in twins
    Eftichia Kontopoulos, United States
  • Intrapartum care in twins
    Gerard  H.A. Visser, the Netherlands

08.30 – 09.30

PARALLEL SESSION 5B: BULMER SESSION ON NEW DEVELOPMENTS WITH THE BIOLOGY AND GENETICS OF TWINNING
Chairpersons: Hamdi Mbarek, Qatar; Claudio Stern, United Kingdom

  • Genetics of MZ twinning
    Bruno Reversade, Singapore
  • Genetics of DZ twinning and new genes from a massive GWAS study
    Hamdi Mbarek, Qatar
  • New insights into the biology of MZ twinning
    Claudio Stern, United Kingdom

09.30 – 10.00

KEYNOTE LECTURE ISTS

  • Phenotypic difference in a scientifically studied pair of conjoined twins
    Juliet Butler, United Kingdom
  • Introduced by: Jeffrey Craig, Australia

10.00 – 10.30

COFFEE BREAK & POSTER WALK

10.30 – 12.30

PARALLEL SESSION 6A: SPECIAL ISSUES: US DOPPLER ANOMALIES, TTTS, TAPS, MCMA
Chairpersons: Yves Ville, France; Sailesh Kumar, Australia

  • Management of MCMA twins
    Sailesh Kumar, Australia
  • The management of TAPS
    Yves Ville, France
  • TTTS in triplets
    Seshadri Suresh, India
  • Techniques of laser photocoagulation of communicating vessels for managing TTTS
    Haruhiko Sago, Japan
  • Debate: All twins and multiple pregnancies should be looked after in multiple pregnancy specialist clinics
    Isaac Blickstein, Israel vs Gerard H.A. Visser, the Netherlands

10.30 – 12.30

PARALLEL SESSION 6B: NEUROIMAGING & THE BRAIN: ROLE OF TWIN STUDIES
Chairperson: Marc Seal, Australia; Sarah Medland, Australia

Topics and Speakers will be announced soon

10.30 – 12.30

PARALLEL SESSION 6C: PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDIES OF TWINS
Chairperson: Nancy Segal, United States

  • CSU Fullerton–Twin Family study of social closeness
    Nancy Segal, United States
  • The psychology of twins: a glimpse into the hearts and minds of our twin research subjects
    Joan Friedman, United States
  • Causes of difference in childhood well-being; the effects of parental ratings
    Meike Bartels, The Netherlands
  • Are twins different?
    Kaare Christensen, Denmark
  • Twin studies and the developmental origins of physical aggression: A bio-psycho-social perspective
    Richard Tremblay, Canada
  • Language Development
    Karen Thorpe, Australia

12.30 – 13.30

LUNCH BREAK & POSTER WALK

13.30 – 15.30

PARALLEL SESSION 7A: DELIVERY OF TWINS: CESAREAN DELIVERY, PPH
Chairpersons: Jon Barrett, Canada; Tak Yeung Leung, Hong Kong

  • Optimal timing of delivery of twins
    Tak Yeung Leung, Hong Kong
  • Doppler studies before induction in twins
    Irene Giardina, Italy
  • Induction of labour in twins
    Natasa Tul, Slovenia
  • Management of PPH
    Anton Mikhailov, Russia
  • Mode of delivery for monochorionic twins: should have all CS?
    Jon Barrett, Canada vs Gerard H.A. Visser, the Netherlands

13.30 – 15.30

PARALLEL SESSION 7B: COLLABORATIONS BETWEEN TWINS AND RESEARCHERS
Chairpersons: Monica Rankin, Australia; Nancy Segal, United States; Jeffrey Craig, Australia

  • Research for twins & families
    Carolyn Lister, New Zealand
  • The priority setting partnership for twin research
    Asma Khalil, United Kingdom
  • Empirical studies on class room sharing
    Susan Griffith, USA
  • Discussion – All twins should be offered zygosity testing

15.30 – 15.45

ISTS PRIZES AND CLOSING REMARKS

ISTS Award Presentations:

  • The Shields Award
  • The Gedda Prize for best student poster
  • The Galton Prize for best student presentation

Closing Remarks

MCA Events is not responsible for the Scientific Content of the Programme