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Closing message from the Executive Committee Keshav Malhotra, MBBS, M.ClinEmbryol, FICRM shares reflections on ALPHA’s contribution at the recent ACE meeting.
ALPHA at ACE 2025
Bhubaneswar’s halls were alive with the kind of hum that only embryologists create - quiet focus at the benches in the morning, animated debate by afternoon, and calm conversation by evening. ALPHA was represented by Alison Campbell, Mina Alikani, Dean Morbeck, and Keshav Malhotra, and together the team shaped an exchange that was equal parts science, craft, and community.
Mina opened with the question that matters most: Why do outcomes vary across laboratories, and what can we do about it? She walked the audience through practical levers that shrink variance. The message landed clearly. When we standardize, we improve.
Consensus as a compass ALPHA Session
Istanbul Consensus 2025 — 20 key recommendations
Speaker: Alison Campbell
Alison presented the updated Istanbul consensus on oocyte and embryo assessment. The emphasis was on evidence and usable guidance and the collective effort that is required to reduce embryo assessment subjectivity.
Click here to read the updated Istanbul consensus on oocyte and embryo assessment.
Supporting the next generation of embryologists
Essentials of Embryology: What every trainee should be taught
Speaker: Alison Campbell
This session felt like a blueprint for training. Alison covered some overlooked examples of essential embryology teaching. She spoke about liquid nitrogen safety, the importance of precise, fast dish preparation, centrifuge speed, documentation and data. The takeaway was simple: competency is a continuum. It is formed under supervision, measured against clear milestones, and refreshed over a career. Embryo Ranking in Practice: Challenges, consensus, and clinical decision-making
Panelists: Alison Campbell, Keshav Malhotra
A grounded conversation on what happens when the rubric meets the real patient. Day 5 vs day 6, ICM vs TE when features conflict, how AI-assisted signals are weighed against clinical nuance, and how to speak about uncertainty without eroding confidence. In the workshops, ideas met the bench. “Beyond the Basics,” led by Alison Campbell, dove into case-based troubleshooting, the small fixes that prevent big errors, and pattern-recognition across recurring issues. “Quality Control,” convened by Keshav Malhotra, turned policy into practice with incident reporting people actually use, near-miss learning.Dean Morbeck’s virtual lecture unpacked osmolality across culture stages with crisp guidance on measurement, drift, and downstream impact. Global Voices Video presentation curated by ALPHA, introduced by Alison Campbell
This got a primetime slot at the conference and was played just before the inauguration ceremony. Short snippets from different regions showed ingenuity under constraint and reminded everyone why exchange matters.
Partnership in action
ACE will participate in an exchange session at the ALPHA Congress next year, ensuring that this collaboration deepens. Gratitude and next steps Our thanks to the ACE scientific committee and Sujatha, Gaurav and Phalguni for curating a program that was rigorous yet so warm. The conversations in Bhubaneswar did more than filling an agenda. They sharpened the tools we use, clarified the words we share, and reaffirmed the values we stand on. Join ALPHA through the ACE member offer, share these sessions with your teams, and bring one new quality habit into your lab this month. Small steps, consistently taken, change outcomes.
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