President's Message

May 1, 2026

Dear Colleagues,

It is both a profound privilege and a personal honor to serve SRI as its 72nd President - and the third President from outside North America. I follow with great respect in the footsteps of Dr Felice Petraglia (Italy) and Dr Murray Mitchell (Australia), whose initiatives helped shape the international Society we are today. With roots in Bolivia and a professional life largely in the UK, I am especially proud that our leadership now reflects the truly global community that SRI has become.

For over three decades, SRI has been my scientific home: a place where ideas are born and challenged, collaborations are forged, and lifelong connections and friendships are made. SRI has offered me extraordinary opportunities to serve in many capacities, including as the inaugural Chair of the Global Outreach Committee. These experiences have deeply informed my vision for the year ahead as President.

We stand at a pivotal moment. Scientific discovery is accelerating, global challenges are evolving, and the need for collaboration across borders has never been greater.  Therefore, at the heart of that vision is a simple but powerful ambition: to continue building SRI as a truly Worldwide Society. Today, we represent members from 28 countries and welcome participants from over 35 nations to our Annual Meeting. This remarkable diversity is one of our greatest strengths. To build on this global foundation, we are introducing a seventh Council position dedicated to a member based outside North America - a meaningful step toward broader representation and deeper international engagement.

Equally vital to our future is the cultivation of the next generation of leaders. The strength and longevity of SRI depend on engaged, committed individuals stepping forward to guide the Society. Supporting and developing this leadership pipeline will be a central priority of my presidency. To that end, I will establish the SRI Senior Leadership Committee, charged with identifying, mentoring, and championing future leaders across our scientific community.

This effort will work in close partnership with the Sponsorship of Awards and Recognition (SoAR) Committee - an inspired initiative of past President Carole Mendelson and first admirably led by past President Jerome Strauss. The mission of SoAR is both timely and important: to help identify scientific leaders in basic and clinical reproductive science and expedite nominations of our most eminent scientists to receive awards and recognition from prestigious academies.  SRI scientists are global leaders across the full spectrum of reproductive science, and together we can do more to elevate their visibility and celebrate their achievements.

I hope that those who joined us last month in San Juan experienced not only the outstanding science, but also the energy and spirit that define our community. The enthusiasm for returning there in the future speaks volumes. As we look ahead, I am delighted to share that the 2027 Annual Meeting will take place in Glasgow, Scotland, at the Scottish Event Campus - continuing our tradition of convening outside of North America every four years (a little like the World Cup of Soccer!). Under the leadership of Dr Helen Jones as Program Director, alongside Program Chair Dr Rueda and with the expert support of staff, planning has been underway for over a year. We anticipate a truly exceptional meeting, with record attendance, innovative programming, and a few memorable surprises. Details of our six outstanding Mini-Symposia on timely topics designed to foster cross-disciplinary research will be shared this summer.

In addition to our usual SRI Program, we will also be holding a Gala Feast on the Monday following the SRI Annual Meeting. This is a separate, fundraising event for SRI that will take place at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, England.  Caius (pronounced Keys) was founded in 1348 and has a distinguished history with 15 Nobel Prize winners among its fellows and alumni. This black-tie event is an opportunity not only to support and celebrate SRI, but also experience an evening like no other. Attendance will be limited to 180, and I encourage you to register early when booking for this specific event opens this fall.

As membership renewals begin, I encourage you to reflect on what SRI represents for you - not only as a professional society, but as a community that amplifies your work, connects you to the world, provides you with a platform to share your scientific vision and advances our shared mission. Its strength lies in your engagement, your ideas, and your belief in what we can achieve together.  The continued success and growth of SRI therefore significantly rely on your financial support, and I am deeply grateful for your ongoing commitment.

Finally, I would like to recognize and warmly congratulate several colleagues. We welcome Dr Sarah England as SRI President Nominee; Dr Marianna Alperin and Dr Stella Goulopoulou as SRI Councilors; and Dr Virginia Cheung as our In-Training Member on Council. I also extend heartfelt congratulations to Dr Thomas Jansson and Dr Lynn Yee on their election to the Association of American Physicians following nomination by the SoAR Committee - an achievement that reflects the excellence within our community.

SRI is more than a Society - it is a global network of scientists united by curiosity, collaboration, and a shared commitment to advancing reproductive science. I am excited for what we will achieve together in the coming year.

With best wishes,

Dino Giussani, PhD, ScD, FRCOG

President, SRI 2026–2027