Donor Egg Team

Introduction

My name is Denyse Asher and I am an IVF scientist with 24 years experience in the field of IVF and Andrology. I was drawn to the plight of women/couples requiring donor oocytes after assessing a number of couples who had undertaken sourcing their own donor oocytes from overseas by themselves. Their concerns and problems with logistics, assessing the standards of the actual medical facility, trying to coordinate their own medical treatments were so overwhelming to non medically trained people that I decided to take over the process on their behalf.

I work in association with my husband Dr Joel Bernstein a Fertility Specialist and Director of his own highly successful IVF Unit Fertility East in Bondi Junction, Sydney.

I am pleased to report that since I began 7 years ago over 160 live births have resulted.

Denyse Asher
Reproductive Biologist
Dip Chem. Path, BSc. (Chem.) BSc. (Reprod. Biol.)

Denyse is a scientist who has been involved with human reproduction and the treatment of infertile couples for 24 years. Her initial training was in Chemical Pathology. She was inspired to enter the newly developing field of IVF after reading the book " A Matter of Life " by Steptoe and Edwards. This book described their pioneering work in IVF, which lead to the birth of the first IVF baby Louise Brown. The more she read the more she was drawn to this newly developing science and this emerging passion ultimately led to her coming to work for Dr Joel Bernstein where she was the Principal Scientist and assisted him in developing his IVF facilities in South Africa and subsequently Australia. She was one of the first scientists in South Africa to obtain a BSc degree in Reproductive Biology.

Currently her work of Scientific Coordinator involves;

• Diagnostic testing of sperm with special expertise in the Tygerberg Strict Criteria
• Running the scientific part of the Ovulation Induction and Artificial Insemination Programme.
• Assisting with the Free Fertility Evaluation Programme
• Coordinating the donor oocyte programme
• Senior IVF Scientist at Fertility East

Denyse too, is committed to our Total Couple Care philosophy

Professional Degrees, Appointment and Associations.

• Dip. Chem. Path.
• BSc. Reprod. Biol.
• Member of the Fertility Society of Australia
• Member of SIRT (Scientists in Reproductive Technology)
• Member of AIMS (Australian Institute of Medical Scientists)

Dr Joel Bernstein
Fertility Specialist
Medical Director of Fertility East IVF Clinic
BSc., MB , CH.B (Rand.), F.R.C.O.G, F.R.A.N.Z C.O.G

• Dr Joel Bernstein is a Senior Fertility Specialist who undertook undergraduate and postgraduate training in the United Kingdom, South Africa and Australia.
• He received his Bachelor of Science Degree before receiving his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery at the University of the Witwatersrand.
• Dr Bernstein has successfully directed his own ART clinics in South Africa and pioneered the world’s first surrogate grandmother. He is fortunate in having been trained as a scientist and clinician. Dr Bernstein has been practicing in Infertility and Gynaecology for over 13 years in the Eastern Suburbs, and actively involved with IVF.
• He is a Visiting Medical Officer with endoscopic privileges at the Royal Hospital for Women and Prince of Wales Hospital.
• Dr Bernstein is a Fellow of both the UK and the Australian and New Zealand Royal Colleges of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. He is also a member of the Fertility Society of Australia and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.
• Dr Bernstein’s areas of special interest include male fertility, surgical alternatives to IVF, and donor issues.
• From June 2007 he has set up and run his own highly successful boutique IVF unit Fertility East in Bondi Junction.

Consultant Counsellors

Dorianne Jabcobson
B.A. Social Work, B.A. Psychology Hons, M.A. Clinical Psychology, MAPS

• Dorianne Jacobson is a consultant Clinical Psychologist in private practise. She is qualified as a Social Worker and a Clinical Psychologist.
• Dorianne has many years of experience providing therapy to adults and couples. She has worked in a variety of settings, specialising in grief and loss issues, child and adult mental health, parenting and infertility.
• Dorianne’s particular area of interest is in adult psychotherapy and infertility. She has experience providing therapy to patients undertaking fertility treatment, coping with miscarriages, failed treatment and childlessness. She also conducts implications counselling, which is mandatory for all patients who are in the donor conception program.
• Dorianne is registered with the New South Wales Psychologist’s Registration Board, is a Member of the Australian Psychological Society and ANZICA.

Beverley Aronstan
B.SocSc(Hons)Psychology;P.Gr.Dip.Psychology;P.Gr.Dip.Systemic Therapy:H.Dip.Eds.

• Beverley Aronstan is a registered psychologist, associate member of the Australian Psychological Society and a member of the Australian and New Zealand Infertility Counsellors Association.
• Beverley is in private practice and has many years of experience providing therapy to individuals and couples with a wide range of issues.
• She is an experienced infertility and relationships counsellor and in this role has a special interest and expertise in the impact of fertility treatment, childlessness, failed cycles and donor conception on relationships. As a private therapist she acts as a consultant infertility counsellor to Fertility East and Donor Oocytes Australia.
• She is familiar with and experienced in implications counselling which is a mandatory requirement of patients in the donor conception program.