Life, the condition that makes us and all other living organisms special. Defined as the ability to grow, function, change, reproduce and eventually die. But what’s the secret behind human life? Somehow two simple cells manage to give rise to a complex and multi-organic system, a full-grown human body.

We may not fully understand the mysteries behind it, but it has passed the time when we settled for ignorance. If it fails, can we intervene? If there’s an error, can we fix it? Are we changing the way we look at reproduction? Are we changing the way we look at sex itself? Alongside dolphins, we are the only mammals that have sex for non-reproduction purposes. So many questions and an arduous search for answers, but that’s the beauty of pursuing The Secret of Life.

Dr. Kypros Nicolaides

Maternal and Fetal Medicine Expert, Director of the fetal medicine unit at the King’s College Hospital in London, Professor of Fetal Medicine at King’s College London

Professor Kypros Nicolaides is a Greek-Cypriot maternal and fetal medicine expert, recognized worldwide for his fetal diagnostic, intervention and surgery developments. He was one of the world´s pioneers on fetal medicine. He graduated from the King’s College School of Medicine and Dentistry in London and joined the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. At first, he focused his studies in the use of fetoscopy in conditions such as Rhesus iso-immunization, fetal hydrops and intrauterine growth restriction. Afterwards, he became director of the Harris Birthright Research Centre for Fetal Medicine, the first fetal medicine unit in the United Kingdom. His work demonstrated that the assessment of the risk for pegnancy complications at an early time in pregnancy can prevent some complications, such as pre-eclampsia or premature birth. He also introduced the screening of chromosomal and structural abnormalities and allowed the development of fetal therapy. Currently he is the director of the fetal medicine unit at the King´s College Hospital in London, where he also holds the position of Professor of Fetal Medicine. He has contributed to over one thousand journal articles and more than thirty books and monographs. The National Geographic documentary television programme “In the Womb” is mainly about his work.