Curriculum Vitae

H. NADIR CIRAY, MD, PhD
Founder and Director
OvoScore, LLC

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Director and Founder 2017 –

OvoScore, LLC
Rockville, MD

OvoScore Ltd. is a private company registered formerly in the UK then in the US. Its R&D and consultancy activities related to improving outcome parameters and advancing technology in assisted reproduction treatments.

 

Technical Training Manager 2021-2023

US Fertility
Shady Grove Fertility, MD

Establishing a laboratory for ART to train the US Fertility Network embryologists.

R&D Director 2019-2021

Assisted Reproduction Technologies
FUJIFILM Irvine Scientific, Irvine, CA

Providing management and leadership to achieve the Company’s objectives related to product research, development and support. Responsible for all activities relating to cell culture media technology, product development, technical support, or process improvements for the assisted reproductive technology business.

Lecturer in Clinical Embryology July 2013- January 2017

Division of Reproduction and Early Development
Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine
University of Leeds, United Kingdom

Responsible for activities related to research, teaching and administration. Actively contributed to the Residential and Distant Learning Graduate Programs in Clinical Embryology.

 

Embryology Group Director December 1999-May 2012

The German Hospital and Bahceci Health Group IVF Laboratories, Istanbul

Joined the Group when one clinic/laboratory was in operation, which was performing approximately 900 treatment cycles per year. The Group grew to six clinics/laboratories in Turkey, Asia, Balkan and the Middle East countries and the number of annual treatment cycles increased to approximately 7000 in 2011. As the Embryology Group Director, actively participated in designing, establishment, maintenance and quality management of these units. Introduced routine utilisation of novel techniques to the Group laboratories such as blastocyst culture, embryo and oocyte vitrification, time-lapse monitoring of embryo development and trained several clinical embryologists. The laboratories became internationally reputed for testing novel products in the market such as: media, incubators, and culture solutions. Contributed to the development of Group’s internationally recognized reputation through maintaining high success rates and scientific publications.

 

Clinic Manager 2011-2012

Bahceci Health Group Fulya Clinic

Responsible for daily operations and management of the staff at the HQ of the Group

 

 

Visiting Research Fellow June to August 2000

Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Toronto, Canada

 

Clinical Embryologist 1997-1998

International Hospital Istanbul

Trainee Embryologist 1996-1997

Uppsala University Academic Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden

 

EDUCATION

PhD 1992-1996
Uppsala University Academic Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden

Thesis title: Gap junctions in human myometrium; structural and functional aspects
Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis ISBN-10: 9155437753

Histologist & Embryologist 1988-1990
Ankara University Medical School, Ankara, Turkey

Thesis title: Ultrastructure of human myometrium during pregnancy and labor

Medical Doctor 1981-1987
Ankara University Medical School, Ankara, Turkey

CERTIFICATIONS

Senior Clinical Embryologist
European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE),
2008-present

Reproductive Embryologist (Level IV): EMB.
American College of Embryologists (ACE),
2014-present

INVITED SPEAKER

ESHRE Pre-Congress Embryology Course, 2012
Presentation Title: Development of Culture Media-Impact on Embryo Viability

 

PEER REVIEW SERVICE

Human Reproduction (Reviewer Award, 2011)
Fertility and Sterility
Reproductive BioMedicine Online (Outstanding Contribution in Reviewing, 2016)
Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics
Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology
Andrology

GRANTS AND FUNDING

Turkish Scientific and Technology Research Association, 2011
Industry Projects R&D Support Program (Project Number 10059)

Turkish Scientific and Technology Research Association, 2010
Industry Projects R&D Support Program (Project Number 3100035)

The Family Planning Foundation in Uppsala, 1993 and 1996

GRANT REVIEWS

NIHR Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Program – Clinical Evaluation and Trials, UK, 2015

Research Foundation – Flanders (Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek – Vlaanderen, FWO), 2013

MENTORING

Asli Uyar, Bogazici University Department of Computer Sciences, Doctorate (2009-2011)

Thesis Title: Application of Machine Learning Methods to Prediction of IVF Outcome

ADVISORY/CONSULTING EXPERIENCE

ESCO Medical, Singapore 2013- 2015

Conducted a multi-centric clinical trial for validation of Miri Bench-top incubators and presented at international meetings.

Irvine Scientific, Santa Ana, CA 2010-2011

Served as a Key Opinion Leader and presented during international meetings at the company booth.

Gonagen Medical, Istanbul 2009-2012

Actively contributed to the establishment of the company as a shareholder. Acquired distributorships from several reputable brands (among them; Irvine Scientific, EmbryoScope, Labogene and Xiltrix). This company has been the main supplier of the Bahceci Health Group Clinics and Laboratories.

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

ESHRE – European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology

ACE – American College of Embryologists

KED – Turkish Clinical Embryology Society (founder)

Languages

Turkish (native), English (bilingual), Swedish (intermediate)

BIBLIOGRAPHY

h-index (Scopus): 22

i-10 index: 32

Citations (as of Feb. 2024): 1710

 

Peer Reviewed Publications

  1. Uyar A, Bener A, Ciray HN. Predictive Modelling of Implantation Outcome in an IVF Setting: An Application of Machine Learning Methods. Medical Decision Making. 2015; 35: 714-725.
  2. Ciray HN, Campbell A, Agerholm I, Aguilar J, Chamayou S, Esbert M, Sayed S. Proposed guidelines on the nomenclature and annotation of dynamic human embryo monitoring by a time-lapse user group. Human Reproduction. 2014;12:2650-2660.
  3. Ciray HN. Should early cleavage be assessed in routine practice? Fertility and Sterility. 2014; 101:e34.
  4. Ciray HN. Utilizing testicular spermatozoa in cryptozoospermic men. Fertility and Sterility. 2013; 99:e19.
  5. Ciray HN, Aksoy T, Goktas C, Ozturk B, Bahceci M. Time-lapse evaluation of human embryo development in single versus sequential culture media-a sibling oocyte study. Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics. 2012; 29:891-900
  6. Mesut N, Ciray HN, Mesut A, Aksoy T, Bahceci M. Cryopreservation of blastocysts is the most feasible strategy in good responder patients. Fertility and Sterility. 2011;96: 1121-1125.
  7. Bakircioglu ME, Ulug U, Erden HF, Tosun S, Bayram A, Ciray HN, Bahceci M. Klinefelter syndrome: does it confer a bad prognosis in treatment of nonobstructive azoospermia? Fertility and Sterility. 2011;95: 1696-1699.
  8. Uyar A, Bener A, Ciray HN, Bahceci M. Physician experience in performing embryo transfers may affect outcome. Fertility Sterility. 2011; 95:1860-1862.
  9. Coban O, Hacifazlioglu O, Ciray HN, Ulug U, Tekin HI, Bahceci M. Birth after 12 hours of oocyte refrigeration. Fertility Sterility. 2010; 94:2769, e5-7.
  10. Sismanoglu A, Tekin HI, Erden HF, Ciray NH, Ulug U, Bahceci M. Ovulation triggering with GnRH agonist vs. hCG in the same egg donor population undergoing donor oocyte cycles with GnRH antagonist: a prospective randomized cross-over trial. Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics. 2009; 26:251-256.
  11. Uyar A, Bener A, Ciray HN, Bahceci M. A frequency-based encoding technique for transformation of categorical variables in mixed IVF dataset. Conference Proceedings IEEE Engineering Medicine Biology Society. 2009; 1:6214-6217.
  12. Bahçeci M, Ulug U, Erden HF, Tosun S, Ciray HN. Frozen-thawed cleavage-stage embryo transfer cycles after previous GnRH agonist or antagonist stimulation. Reproductive Biomedicine Online. 2009; 18:67-72.
  13. Ciray HN, Aksoy T, Yaramanci K, Karayaka I, Bahçeci M. In vitro culture under physiological oxygen concentration improves blastocyst yield and quality: a prospective randomized survey on sibling oocytes. Fertility Sterility. 2009; 91 (4suppl): 1459-1461.
  14. Ciray HN, Coban O, Bayram A, Kizilkanat A, Bahceci M. Preliminary study of embryo development following assessment of male and female gametes. Reproductive Biomedicine Online. 2008; 16: 875-880.
  15. Bakırcıoglu ME, Erden HF, Ciray HN, Bayazit N, Bahçeci M. Gonadotropin therapy in combination with ICSI in men with hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism. Reproductive Biomedicine Online. 2007; 15: 156-160.
  16. Ciray HN. Even early cleavage and day 2 embryo score. Reproductive Biomedicine Online. 2007; 14(5):666; author reply.
  17. Ciray HN, Tosun S, Hacifazlioglu O, Mesut A, Bahçeci M. Prolonged duration of transfer does not affect outcome in cycles with good embryo quality. Fertility and Sterility. 2007; 87: 1218-1221.
  18. Bakırcıoglu ME, Erden HF, Kaplancan T, Ciray HN, Bener F, Bahçeci M. Aging may adversely affect testicular sperm recovery in patients with Klinefelter’s syndrome. Urology. 2006; 68: 1082-1086.
  19. Ciray HN, Ulug U, Tosun S, Erden HF, Bahçeci M. Outcome of 1114 ICSI-ET cycles of women 40 years of age and over. Reproductive BioMedicine Online. 2006; 13: 516-522.
  20. Bahçeci M, Ulug U, Ciray HN, Akman MA, Erden HF. The efficiency of changing embryo transfer time from day 3 to day 2 among women with poor ovarian response: a prospective randomized trial. Fertility and Sterility. 2006; 86: 81-85.
  21. Ciray HN, Karagenç L, Ulug U, Bener F, Bahçeci M. Early cleavage morphology affects quality and implantation potential of day 3 embryos. Fertility and Sterility. 2006; 85: 358-365.
  22. Ciray HN, L Karagenc, F Bener, U Uluǧ, M Bahçeci. Reply: Interpretations of multinucleation—is it ever normal? Fertility and Sterility. 2005;86: 495-495
  23. Ciray HN, Karagenç L, Ulug U, Bener F, Bahçeci M. Early cleavage and day 2 mononucleation are correlated to yield embryos with high implantation potential in intracytoplasmic injection cycles. Fertility and Sterility. 2005; 84: 1411-1416.
  24. Bahçeci M, Ciray HN, Karagenç L, Ulug U, Bener F. Effect of oxygen concentration during the incubation of embryos of women undergoing ICSI and embryo transfer: a prospective randomized study. Reproductive BioMedicine Online. 2005; 11: 438-443.
  25. Ciray HN, Bener F, Karagenç L, Ulug U, Bahçeci M. Impact of assisted hatching on ART outcome in women with endometriosis. Human Reproduction. 2005; 20: 2546-2549.
  26. Ulug U, Bener F, Karagenç L, Ciray HN, Bahçeci M. Outcomes in couples undergoing ICSI: comparison between fresh and frozen thawed surgically retrieved spermatozoa. International Journal of Andrology. 2005; 28: 343-348.
  27. Ulug U, Ciray NH, Tuzlali P, Bahceci M. Partial hydatidiform mole following the transfer of single frozen-thawed embryo subsequent to ICSI. Reproductive Biomedicine Online. 2004; 9: 442-446.
  28. Karagenc L, Sertkaya Z, Ciray HN, Ulug U, Bahceci M. Impact of oxygen concentration on embryonic development of mouse zygotes. Reproductive Biomedicine Online. 2004; 9: 409-417.
  29. Ciray HN, Ulug U, Bahceci M. Transfer of early cleaved embryos increases implantation rate in patients undergoing ovarian stimulation and ICSI-embryo transfer. Reproductive Biomedicine Online. 2004; 8: 219-223.
  30. Ciray HN, Fu X, Olovsson M, Ahlsen G, Shuman C, Lindblom B, Ulmsten U. Presence and localization of connexins 43 and 26 in cell cultures derived from myometrial tissues from nonpregnant and pregnant women and from leiomyomas. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2000; 182: 926-930.
  31. Fu X, Liu YJ, Ciray HN, Olovsson M, Ulmsten U, Gylfe E. Oxytocin-induced oscillations of cytoplasmic Ca2+ in human myometrial cells. Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica. 2000; 79: 174-179.
  32. Ciray HN, Backstrom T, Ulmsten U. Ineffectiveness of oxytocin on intercellular communication between term pregnant human myometrial cells before labor. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 1998; 178: 855-861.
  33. Ciray HN, Backstrom T, Ulmsten U, Roomans GM. Steroid hormone effects on intercellular communication between term pregnant human myometrial cells before labor. Biology of Reproduction. 1996; 55: 379-385.
  34. Ciray HN, Guner H, Hakansson H, Tekelioglu M, Roomans GM, Ulmsten U. Morphometric analysis of gap junctions in nonpregnant and term pregnant human myometrium. Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica. 1995; 74: 497-504.
  35. Ciray HN, Persson BE, Roomans GM, Ulmsten U. Dye-coupling between term pregnant human myometrial cells before labor:carboxyfluorescein versus lucifer yellow. Cell Biology International. 1995; 19: 609-617.
  36. Ciray HN, Persson BE, Backstrom T, Roomans GM, Ulmsten U. Direct intracellular injections for studying human myometrial gap junctions prior to labor. Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica. 1994; 73: 97-102.
  37. Roomans GM, Kilarski WM, Ciray HN, Persson BE, Backstrom T, Ulmsten U. Structural and functional studies of gap junctions in human myometrium. European Journal of Morphology. 1993; 31: 55-59.

Abstracts/Presentations

  1. J Lim, HN Ciray, A Snider, LH Bressler, B Rodriguez-Alonso, JE O’Brien, M Tucker. Concordance of repeat biopsy results among embryos with 6 or more aneuploidies. Fertility and Sterility 120 (4), e279, 2023.
  2. EM White, S Lin, HN Ciray. Improved quantitation of low peroxide value in highly refined oil intended for use during embryo culture using a commercially available method. Fertility and Sterility 116 (3), e129-e130, 2021.
  3. J Aguilar, I Agerholm, A Campbell, HN Ciray, S Chamayou, M Esbert, S Sayed. Consensus guidelines on the terminology and definitions for human pre-implantation embryo time-lapse monitoring by an expert panel. Human Reproduction 29, 179-180, 2014.
  4. HN Ciray, T. Aksoy, C. Goktas, B. Ozturk, M. Bahceci. Time-lapse evaluation of human embryo development in single versus sequential culture media in a sibling oocyte study. Human Reproduction 27 (Supp1): i105, 2012.
  5. M. Serdarogullari, HN Ciray, S. Yayla, A. Bayram, M. Bahceci. Female offsprings have an advanced mitotic cell cycle starting from the initial cleavage. Human Reproduction 27 (Supp1): i42, 2012.
  6. A. Bayram, HN Ciray, O. Sahin, O. Okutman-Emonts, M. Bahceci. Comparison of morphokinetic parameters between euploid and aneuploid embryos by time-lapse monitoring. Human Reproduction 27 (Supp1): i104, 2012.
  7. N Mesut, HN Ciray, A. Mesut, A. Isler, M. Bahceci. Thaw-transfers of blastocysts cryopreserved between days five to seven: a comparison of clinical outcomes. Human Reproduction 27 (Supp1): i174, 2012.
  8. O Okutman-Emonts, M Gultomruk, T Aksoy, C Goktas, HN Ciray, M Bahceci. Combination of biopsy and cryopreservation on cleavage-stage human embryos. Reproductive BioMedicine Online 24, Suppl2, S47, 2012.
  9. O Okutman-Emonts, HN Ciray, M Bahce, T Aksoy, M Bahceci. Aggressive ovarian stimulation may affect outcome after PGD for reciprocal translocation carriers. Reproductive BioMedicine Online 20, Suppl1, pp s30, 2010.
  10. Swain JE, Angle M, Ciray HN, Liebermann J, Pool T. A commercially available dual-buffered IVF handling medium containing HEPES and MOPS maintains stable pH and supports human sperm survival, normal fertilization following ICSI and embryo development. 16th World Congress on In Vitro Fertilization, Tokyo, Japan, 2011.
  11. A Bayram, U Ulug, E Bakircioglu, HN Ciray, O Sahin, M Bahceci. Comparison of pregnancy and implantation rates of frozen-thawed embryos fertilized with fresh or frozen-thawed testicular sperm and fresh ejaculated sperm of normospermic and oligospermic patients. Fertility and Sterility 96 (3), S208-S208, 2011.
  12. A Uyar, A Bener, HN Ciray, M Bahceci. Bayesian Networks for Predicting IVF Blastocyst Development. International Conference on Pattern Recognition, 2772-2775, 2010.
  13. A Uyar, A Bener, HN Ciray, M Bahceci. Prediction of IVF blastocyst development using Bayesian networks, 7th Turkish Medical Informatics Conference, (TURKMIA 2010), 14-17 October 2010, Cyprus. (Best paper award)
  14. O Okutman-Emonts, HN Ciray, M Bahçe, T Aksoy, M Bahceci. Aggressive ovarian stimulation may affect IVF outcome after PGD for reciprocal translocation carriers. Reproductive BioMedicine Online 20; S30, 2010.
  15. A Uyar, A Bener, HN Ciray, M Bahceci. ROC Based Evaluation and Comparison of Classifiers for IVF Implantation Prediction Electronic healthcare: second international ICST conference, eHealth, 2009.
  16. A Uyar, A Bener, HN Ciray, M Bahceci. Handling the Imbalance Problem of IVF Implantation Prediction. IAENG International Journal of Computer Science 37, 164-170, 2010.A Uyar, A Bener, HN Ciray, M Bahceci. A frequency based encoding technique for transformation of categorical variables in mixed IVF dataset. Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. EMBC 2009.
  17. A Uyar, A Bener, HN Ciray, M Bahçeci. Adjusting decision threshold in Naive Bayes based IVF embryo selection. Biomedical Engineering Meeting, 2009.
  18. A Uyar, A Bener, HN Ciray, M Bahceci. Predicting Implantation Outcome from Imbalanced IVF Dataset. Proceedings of the World Congress on Engineering and Computer Science, San Francisco, 2009 (Best Paper Award).
  19. A Uyar, HN Ciray, A Bener, M Bahceci. 3P: Personalized pregnancy prediction in IVF treatment process. Electronic Healthcare, 58-65, 2009.
  20. U Ulug, HN Ciray, HF Erden, SB Tosun, M Bahceci. Outcome of ICSI cycles with single oocyte retrieval. Does ovarian stimulation with gonadotropins have any impact? Fertility and Sterility 90; S262-S262, 2008.
  21. ME Bakircioglu, T Kaplancan, H Erden, U Ulug, HN Ciray, M Bahceci. The combination of gonadotrophin therapy and intracytoplasmic sperm injection in the treatment of male hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism. Fertility and Sterility 90, S312-S312, 2008.
  22. ME Bakircioglu, T Kaplancan, HF Erden, HN Ciray, U Ulug, M Bahceci. Comparison of intracytoplasmic sperm injection outcomes in patients with nonobstructive azoospermia, cryptozoospermia and oligozoospermia. Fertility and Sterility 90; S314-S314, 2008.
  23. ME Bakircioglu, HF Erden, N Bayazit, HN Ciray, M Bahceci. Microdissection testicular sperm extraction outcomes in different etiological patterns of nonobstructive azoospermia. Fertility and Sterility 88; S391-S392, 2007.
  24. U Ulug, HN Ciray, S Tosun, M Bahceci. The impact of testicular spermatozoa for ICSI on the outcome of cryopreserved-thawed embryo transfers. Fertility and Sterility 86; S161-S161, 2006.
  25. ME Bakircioglu, H Erden, MA Akman, N Bayazıt, HN Ciray, M Bahceci. Comparison of Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection Outcomes in Patients With Cryptozoospermia and Severe Oligozoospermia. Fertility and Sterility 84; S221-S221, 2005.
  26. MA Akman, HF Erden, HN Ciray, M Bahceci. A Cocktail of GnRH Agonist and Urinary hCG to Trigger LH Surge in GnRH Antagonist-IVF Cycles Yields Higher Pregnancy Rates. Fertility and Sterility 84; S162-S162, 2005.
  27. HF Erden, MA Akman, HN Ciray, M Bahceci. The Results of the Fresh and Frozen Thaw Embryo Transfer Cycles of PCOS Patients in Which GnRH Antagonists Were Used Together With GnRH Agonists for LH Surge. Fertility and Sterility 84; S164-S164, 2005.
  28. T Camlibel, AK Kolankaya, B Sarikamis, M Karacan, E Enginsu, HN Ciray. Coasting: A Safe Way to Prevent Hyperstimulation in IVF and ICSI Cycles. Fertility and Sterility 70, 1998.
  29. M Olovsson, R Favini, HN Ciray, X Fu, G Ronquist, B Lindblom. Human uterine smooth muscle cells from myometrium and fibroids keep important in vivo characteristics when cultured in vitro. 5th International Congress on The Cell Biology of Reproduction, Cambridge, UK, 1-3 July 1999.

 

BOOKS & BOOK CHAPTERS

Assisted reproduction treatments; embryologists’ perspective
in Techniques and Surgical Treatment of Reproductive Endocrinology, Gulekli B (ed.)
ISBN 978-605-355-020-4, 2011

Embryo selection parameters
in IVF Laboratory Guidelines; current applications and approaches, Delilbasi L (ed.)
ISBN 978-975-277-169-7, 2007

Practical Aspects in the IVF Laboratory, HN Ciray (ed.)
ISBN 975-288-395-8, 2003