About COSCAR
COSCAR is a collaboration of people with an interest in Caesarean Scar Ectopic Pregnancy (CSEP) and research. We are committed to improving the quality of research in CSEP and making it relevant to women.
To help patients, doctors and other healthcare professionals make decisions about CSEP treatments, we need evidence about what works best, as currently there is no recommended gold standard treatment. We therefore think it is necessary to develop a core outcome set in CSEP to enable high quality research to answer this question.
The steering group for COSCAR represents a small group of people passionate about improving research in CSEP. It includes healthcare staff that work in early pregnancy units, researchers and patient advocates. The group will also include a patient representative.
We want everyone involved in providing CSEP care, conducting research or with a lived experience of CSEP to get involved in this project, by completing the two online surveys when they go live.
Type 1 CSEP
Type 2 CSEP
Type 3 CSEP
Meet the Managing Team
Dr Simrit Nijjar
MBBS
Clinical research fellow in Gynaecology at University College London Hospital, UK and is registered for a PhD at UCL. The focus of her PhD is the diagnosis and management of uterine ectopic pregnancies, with a particular interest in Caesarean scar ectopic pregnancies.
Miss Cecilia Bottomley
MBBS, MD
Consultant Gynaecologist at University College London Hospital and Honorary Associate Professor at University College London, UK. Her MD research focused on ultrasound scan and the prediction of pregnancy loss and she has published a large number of scientific papers in this field.
She is also a medical adviser for the Ectopic Pregnancy Trust.
Prof Davor Jurkovic
MD, PhD
Consultant Gynaecologist and Director of Gynaecology Diagnostic and Outpatient Treatment Unit at University College London Hospital, UK. He is an internationally recognised expert in gynaecological ultrasound and is particularly well known for his work on the diagnosis and treatment of rare and complex forms of ectopic pregnancy, such as Caesarean scar ectopic pregnancies.
International steering committee
Prof Ilan Timor-Tritsch
Professor Ilan Timor-Tritsch M.D. is known for his research in Ob/Gyn ultrasound laying the fundamentals of transvaginal ultrasound. He has published eight books-including the first two books ever written on transvaginal sonography and fetal neuro-sonography and more than 340 peer-reviewed articles, reviews and book chapters. He is the recipient of the highest awards for his lifetime achievements by multiple Societies. Dr. Timor received his medical degree from Hebrew University Medical School in Jerusalem, Israel, and completed a fellowship in Maternal Fetal Medicine at Case Western University in Cleveland, Ohio. At the present holds title Professor of Ob/Gyn at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine in Hackensack, New Jersey and his clinical practice is at “Maternal Solutions” in Hackensack, New Jersey. In the last 15-20 years Dr Timor is interested in the Cesarean Scar Pregnancy and Placenta Accreta Spectrum authoring and coauthoring over 36 articles related to the subject as well as contributing to seminars and courses on the subject.
Munira Oza
Munira is the Director of The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust and has lived experience of ectopic pregnancy. She provides the patient's perspective through hearing many personal stories of ectopic pregnancy. She has assisted with other key research projects on ectopic pregnancy such as the Core Outcome Set for Future Research in Ectopic Pregnancy and the Priority Setting Partnership for Ectopic Pregnancy.
Dr Andrea Kaelin Agten
Dr Andrea Kaelin Agten is a Consultant in Obstetrics and Maternal Fetal Medicine at Corniche Hospital in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and an honorary Consultant in Maternal Fetal Medicine at Liverpool Women’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Dr Andrea is the lead for placenta accreta spectrum imaging at Corniche Hospital. Her research interests are Caesarean Scar Pregnancy and Placenta accreta spectrum. She is the chief investigator of the international Caesarean scar pregnancy. Her clinical interests are invasive prenatal diagnosis and therapy, fetal pathology, fetal growth problems and multiple pregnancy. She has published more than 30 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters.
Prof Jin Li
Professor of obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. Her main research direction is focused on the prevention and treatment of gynecological diseases of childbearing age women. She completed several national natural science foundation projects. She has extensive experience in the diagnosis and treatment of common and difficult diseases in obstetrics and gynecology She authored consensus statement and guideline: Consensus on Diagnosis and Treatment of Cesarean Scar Pregnancy (2016 Edition) which was published in Chinese Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 2016.
Dr Krystle Chong
Dr Krystle Chong is a trainee with the Royal Australian College of Obstetricians And Gynaecologists, with a dual role as a clinician researcher undertaking her PhD with Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. Dr Chong led the steering group, and was the primary author of the ectopic pregnancy core outcome set. She has an interest in management of early pregnancy complications and translational medicine.
Prof Ben Mol
Ben Mol is Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Monash University. He concentrates on the organisation of multi-centric evaluative research in Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Fertility. His research focuses mainly upon everyday practices. Born and trained in the Netherlands, Ben was instrumental in setting up a nationwide research consortium in women’s health that produced many landmark studies. Ben came to Australia in 2014 and works as Professor Obstetrics & Gynaecology at Monash University since 2018. Ben is holding continuous NHMRC funding since 2014, including a prestigious investigator grant. He developed extensive relations with Asian universities whilst continuing to collaborate within European networks. Ben has mentored >110 PhD students and has published >1500 papers, many in high impact journals. A publication in Nature acknowledged Ben as one of the most prolific medical scientists. His professional adage is ‘A day without randomisation is a day without progress.
Rosie Hollingdale
Rosie has a lived experience of recovering from Caesarean scar ectopic pregnancy. Drawing from her personal experience, she is dedicated to supporting and empowering other women facing similar challenges. Rosie provides a much needed patient perspective and voice.
Dr Lan Voung
Dr Vuong is a lecturer and an infertility specialist from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. She was one of the pioneers of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) in Vietnam, starting in 1997. Since then, Dr Vuong has performed more than 30,000 assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycles, including conventional IVF, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), oocyte donation, oocyte freezing, frozen embryo transfer and in-vitro maturation of oocytes (IVM). During the last 15 years, she has worked and published many articles on IVM.
Dr Vuong is currently the Dean of Faculty of Medicine and Head of Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Dr Francesco D'Antonio
Dr Francesco D’Antonio graduated from the Medical Faculty, University of Chieti, Italy and became specialist in Obstetrics and Gynaecology in 2005. He has a fellowship in fetal medicine from St. George’s University of London and a European PhD from the University of Chieti. He previously worked as an associate professor and consultant in obstetrics and gynecology at the University Hospital of Northern Norway, Tromsø. His current position is associate professor and consultant in obstetrics and gynecology in the University Hospital of Chieti, Italy. His main interests are fetal neurology and cardiology, multiple pregnancies and disorders of invasive placentation.