Testimonies of embryologists
During the 1987 Congress on Assisted Reproduction I met Dr. Ricardo Asch. This was to be the beginning of a profound professional and personal relationship. Dr. Asch organized the Congress for expertise to be exchanged, knowledge developed and to cultivate relationships among the world’s reproductive scientists, researchers and physicians. Dr. Asch is a specialist in the field of Assisted Reproduction. He established several Centers around the world to offer his clinical and scientific collaboration. He has a thriving and prolific professional career. His reputation for innovation and ethics commanded respect and participation from the most internationally recognized specialists in the field. The Congress was an extraordinary success.
The UCI Center for Reproductive Health illuminated Dr. Asch’s compassion and thrived as a Mecca for leaning and innovation. Dr. Asch established an international exchange program of diverse clinicians, biologists, and embryologists working in fellowship that promoted scientific enrichment under strict ethical guidelines. His spirit was a charismatic motivating force propelling the spread of solutions and scientific exploration that created ground breaking reproductive advancements. I had the opportunity, as did many others from all over the world to visit the Center as he directed the improvement and learning of special techniques. The clinic offered the best clinical results to infertile couples from all over the world.
Clinical practice in the field of Infertility has been enriched by Dr. Asch’s demonstrated success rates and focused attention to each couple’s journey into infertility. His professional objectives have always been the well-being of his patients and his constant desire for scientific improvement.
Dr. Asch’s compassion was his calling card. The weeks prior to a couple’s appointment where spent accumulating information, interviewing the couple and collaborating with other experts in the field. He became part of their family as they explored the specific details blocking their desire for a child and what hopes could they explore.
Ricardo is a bright, unique physician with scientific ambitions, who has the talent to motivate his collaborators. His contributions in International Forums (Conferences, Congresses) and publications in the most relevant scientific journals, gave him a position among the few pioneers in the field of Assisted Reproduction. On a personal level, Ricardo has been always a loyal and trustworthy friend you can always count on.
I would like to invite my fellow colleagues of the laboratories of embryology from all over the world who have had the privilege of working with Dr. Asch to participate in this forum with their testimonies regarding Dr. Asch´s professional, personal and ethical behaviour.
ANNA VEIGA, Ph.D.
Directora Científica del Servicio de Medicina de la Reproducción Institut Universitari Dexeus
Directora del Banco de Líneas Celulares
Centre de Medicina Regenerativa de Barcelona
Barcelona, Spain
Country: Mexico
Ricardo Asch es un servidor de esta sociedad, esta más allá de la medicina reproductiva, es un recurso de una nueva comunidad que sin duda está agradecida por haber facilitado la vida, por haber sido un precursor que puso su imaginación creadora en la gestación del ser humano y por haber dado alegría a muchos que concretaron sus sueños a través de su talento, entrega y dedicación.
Estar agradecido a la persona que facilito esos sueños resulta genuinamente coherente, pero ser una agradecido a su trabajo, entrega, dedicación cuando el resultado es el continuo camino de frustraciones resulta verdaderamente paradójico.
Solo la calidad humana y profesional de Ricardo Asch pueden hacer que el milagro de la vida dependa de su mano y el privilegio de ser ahora su amigo se debe exclusivamente a su inmenso corazón.
Este camino de esperanzas y frustraciones nos permitió conocer no solo a un excelente profesional sino a un ser humano que nos contuvo, nos transmitió confianza y generosidad ante la adversidad. Nos mostró con su ejemplo, que los caminos de una pareja con problemas de fertilidad para lograr una familia no solo se logran en un quirófano. Nos abrió el alma, el corazón y la mente hacia nuevas opciones que a veces el orgullo no permiten ver. Fue un consejero preciso, firme y muchas veces dejo de lado sus propias frustraciones e intereses personales para concentrarse en la salud física y psíquica de nuestra pareja.
Claudio Reboredo- Mexico DF
Country: Italy
I met Ricardo Asch in October 1984, when, a few days after the first World Congress on In Vitro Fertilisation, I visited him in San Antonio, Texas, where he had set up a wonderful research laboratory on reproductive medicine. A few months later, I met him in Bordeaux, where he presented data on the first pregnancy obtained with GIFT (Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer), a technique invented by himself, to treat some forms of idiopathic infertility. When I asked him if I might attend the department of Gynaecology at the University of San Antonio, he invited me to work with his team with which he was moving to California to the University of Irvine.
Over the eight months during which I worked with Dr. Asch, I appreciated his extraordinary intuition and his scientific and human qualities with which he had created a department soon to become a destination for numerous clinicians and biologists from all over the world.
During that time, we wrote various works which were published in 'Lancet' and in 'Fertility and Sterility,' as well as other scientifically important publications.
I am still honoured to have been able to work with a man - and scientist - such as himself.
Dottoressa Eleonora Cefalù
Director of the Centre for Reproductive Biology
Via Valerio Villareale, 54
90141 Palermo
Country: argentina
Conocì al Dr. Ricardo Asch en el año 1985 en un congreso en Italia.
A partir de ese momento se estableciò un vìnculo profesional a traves de su participaciòn en el centro donde yo trabajaba, CER centro de reproducciòn en Buenos Aires. El Dr. Asch tenìa un excelente trato con los pacientes. Propiciò siempre un enriquecimiento cientìfico entre los miembros del equipo mèdico y biològico.
El Dr. Asch es un profesional brillante, que a traves de sus numerosas disertaciones en congresos y publicaciones en revistas prestigiosas lo han situado como un investigador de reconocido nivel internacional en el àrea de reproducciòn asistida.
El Dr. Asch es una persona ìntegra, siempre fue correcto en su proceder tanto con los pacientes como con sus colegas.
Lic. Alejandra Piazza
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Country: Mexico D.F.
Yo que conoci y que tuve la oportunidad de trabajar con el Dr. Ricardo Asch, puedo decir que es una persona muy brillante y valiosa, al cual le aprendí muchas cosas, tambien quiero destacar que es una persona que ha aportado al area repruductiva numerosas publicaciones, que lo acreditan como un investigador reconocido a nivel internacional.
Biol. Eva Vega Hernandez.
México D.F.
Country: COLOMBIA
Los valiosos aportes que el Dr. Ricardo Asch le ha dado a la Biomedicina Reproductiva a través de muchos años de dedicación y entrega de sus conocimientos han sido un factor determinante para el éxito de muchas parejas y para el enriquecimiento intelectual de quienes hemos tenido la oportunidad de compartir con él nuestros conocimientos científicos.
DRA. CAROLINA LUCENA
CECOLFES
Country: Mexico
Conocí al Dr. Ricardo Asch en Bogotá en el 2004 y debo decir que es una persona y un científico admirable, tuve la oportunidad de volverlo a ver en la Ciudad de México en el congreso RAM Invita a Israel, cada charla que proviene de él es de un gran enriquecimiento profesional y personal, es inumerable el número de aportaciones que ha hecho a la ciencia de la reproducción humana y también somos muchos los que aún nos beneficiamos con sus técnicas y diseños.
Siempre a disposición de ejercer ciencia y con una gran maestría para la enseñanza así como una persona de gran valor e integridad es como conocemos al Doctor Ricardo Asch y debemos agradecer todas las contribuciones que ha realizado a nuestro campo para que nosotros ahora podamos ejercer otro tipo de medicina.
B.M.R. Erik Okhuysen
León, Guanajuato, México
Country: ISRAEL
I have met Prof Asch on 1986, on a congress of Assisted Reproduction, in Vienna. This was actually the first time, I had the honor attending his fascinating lectures.
Since than, starting my professional career, a major part of my knowledge was built using his reports, articles, lectures . During all these years his brilliant scientific works, served as a basis to extend my knowledge.
His reports were always reliable source for improving my work, effecting the phase of applications in my lab as well as in the labs of my students worldwide.
In our field, applying a method or a protocol is definitely not a simple thing; there are differences between units, way of working, "other" hands…In the field of Assisted Reproductive Technologies, a protocol might work perfectly in one place, but differently somewhere else.
This is not the case with the protocols publish by Prof Asch; His protocols
Work everywhere, moreover Prof Asch was always opened to teach and share his knowledge and experience with others, trying to advise in any problem which raised during work, and to help in the improvement of patient's chances to conceive.
This is actually the reason that during the years on which I chaired Alpha, Scientists for Reproductive Medicine, and today, I teach and establish his scientific protocols allover..
On May 2004 Dr.Asch organized and chaired in Mexico City, Mexico, the First International Symposium on Halachic Medicine in Human Reproduction. This symposium was entitled RAM INVITES ISRAEL . Medical , scientific and
religious issues of Uman Reproduction were discussed, and I was honored to be one of the experts invited to actively participate in this conference, together
with other Israeli collegues, from the Medical and Religious/Jewish law field.
This conference, and the exchange of knowledge with the Mexican embryologists and other collegues, was a unique fascinating experience, in addition to its high professional level. All was guided by Prof Asch.
Additionaly, during those year, I have gained a wonderful supportive personal friend. In spite of the sorrow he has underwent, he is always there for me with an advise or a good word.
Dr Yona Barak,
PhD, MSc, BSc, BEd
Alpha - Scientists in Reproductive Medicine,
Honorary Board
Scientific Director:
Herzliya Medical Center, Israel
phone: +972 9 959 2967
e-mail: barak_yp@netvision.net.il
cell: +972 544 938 417
Invimed, Center for Motherhood
Warsaw, Poland
phone: +48 22 606 3700
Country: Italy
I met Dr.Asch in 1991 at University of Southern California U.C.I. Center of Reproductive Health, and I spent few months there as fellow in the embriolgy laboratory. I had the great occasion to learn this job in one of the most important center of reproductive medicine in the world,but above all I had the opportunity to be a student of Dr. Asch and Dr. Balmaceda, they trasmetted to me their passion, their professional care of the patients, the importance of equipe work and their complete dedication to this delicate profession. Dr. Asch is one of the most expert, bright and serious, and at the same time kind and available person I ever met in my professional life and all the scientific world should say thank to his studies and reserch.
Country: USA
I tried to submit a testimonies on Dr Asch but was unsuccessful, I worked with Dr Asch and he is a great friend, excellent physician and we need him to return to the USA to continuing working in infertility.
Yvonne Alexander/smith.
California, USA
