{"id":632,"date":"2025-03-17T22:14:51","date_gmt":"2025-03-17T18:14:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/reproart.wpenginepowered.com\/our-history\/"},"modified":"2026-02-27T22:54:14","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T18:54:14","slug":"our-history","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/reproartclinic.com\/en\/our-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Our History"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Our History<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Reproart: A Clinic Founded on Friendship, Vision, and Responsibility<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Reproart opened its doors in 2012, founded by two women with a shared vision: Lika Chkonia<\/strong>, an embryologist, and Nino Okujava<\/strong>, a physician and geneticist.<\/p>

Reproart was born out of years of international experience and a deep sense of responsibility toward patients in Georgia who deserved access to the highest standards of reproductive care.<\/p>

The idea began years earlier, while Lika was working in leading IVF Centers in the United States \u2014 including the Jones Institute in Norfolk, where the first American IVF baby was born, and later in New York.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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In 2012, my friend and partner and I decided to open a center for reproductive medicine in Georgia that followed the standards and techniques I had learned during nearly a decade of working as an embryologist in the United States \u2014 first at the Jones Institute for Reproductive Medicine in Norfolk, where the first IVF baby in the U.S. was born, and later in New York. My goal was to bring that same level of care to Georgia<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Lika Chkonia<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Embryologist, Founder & CEO<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Setting New Standards in Georgia<\/h2>

As the first Georgian embryologist<\/strong>, Lika felt a natural responsibility to bring her knowledge home \u2014 not just to apply it in practice, but to share it with her team and colleagues.<\/p>

Techniques like ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection)<\/a>, for which Lika was a certified trainer in the United States, were introduced for the first time in Georgia, when Lika came back to Georgia from the United States, helping shape a new era in Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART).<\/p>

From the very beginning, Reproart has been more than a clinical center. It has been a space where innovation, ethics, and patient-centered care come together \u2014 guided by science, strengthened by teamwork, and built on the belief that every patient deserves respect, clarity, hope \u2014 and the chance to become a parent.<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Expanding Access Across Georgia\n\n<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Reproart Kutaisi<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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In February 2014, we opened our first regional branch in Kutaisi \u2014 the main city of the Imereti region and one of the largest urban centers in Georgia. Kutaisi\u2019s location, strong infrastructure, and international airport made it a natural choice for expanding our services to Western Georgia.<\/p>

The clinic was created to ensure that patients living outside the capital could receive advanced fertility diagnostics, consultations, and treatments closer to home \u2014 saving them time, cost, and travel.<\/p>

In 2022, Reproart Kutaisi moved into a new, modern facility, significantly expanding its women\u2019s health services and becoming one of the region\u2019s most trusted centers. Today, it is known not only for its comfortable environment and technology, but for its outstanding local medical team.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Reproart Batumi<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Later that same year, in September 2014, we opened our Batumi branch \u2014 a reproductive clinic located in one of Georgia\u2019s most vibrant seaside cities. As the capital of the Adjara region with an international airport, Batumi is easily accessible for both local and international patients.<\/p>

Batumi is not only a coastal city, but also a growing center for women\u2019s health and fertility care, offering services in IVF preparation, infertility diagnostics, gynecology, preconception planning, and prenatal care. Its welcoming atmosphere, resort setting, and beauty make Batumi an ideal destination where medical care can be meaningfully combined with a relaxing holiday.<\/p>

Reproart Batumi follows the same standards and values as our other locations, providing personalized, high-quality care that reflects the warmth and energy of the city itself.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"Reproart<\/figure><\/div>
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Genomics Tbilisi<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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In 2020, Reproart established Genomics<\/em> \u2014 an in-house reproductive genetics center \u2014 in collaboration with leading Georgian scientists working in the United States. The goal was clear: to develop reproductive genetics in Georgia and offer patients access to reliable, modern genetic testing.<\/p>

Genomics is located next to our Tbilisi clinic and provides a range of diagnostic services, including embryo screening with PGT-A<\/a>, and PCR-based panels for detecting hereditary diseases and infections. The laboratory is staffed by experienced molecular biologists and genetic specialists, working with internationally recognized methods.<\/p>

The center’s purpose is to improve the safety and success of reproductive treatments through timely and accurate diagnostics. Genomics is ISO-certified, ensuring compliance with high standards of quality, data protection, and laboratory performance<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Board of Directors<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Lika Chkonia<\/h3>

Founder and Director<\/strong><\/p>

Lika Chkonia is one of the pioneers of reproductive medicine in Georgia. With over three decades of experience, she has helped shape the country\u2019s path in assisted reproduction.\u00a0<\/p>

Lika began her career in the United States at the Jones Institute for Reproductive Medicine\u2014home of the first IVF birth in the U.S.\u2014where she trained as a post-doctoral fellow. She was actively involved in teaching micromanipulation techniques such as ICSI, embryo biopsy, and assisted hatching. After working as an embryologist in the U.S. for eight years, she returned to Georgia and became a leading figure at the Zhordania Institute and the Medical Center Junona.<\/p>

She has introduced multiple \u201cfirsts\u201d in Georgia, including the country\u2019s first birth through ICSI, the first successful case of microsurgical sperm retrieval, the first baby born from a vitrified blastocyst, and the first application of PGT-A.<\/p>

Lika is also an active member of the international scientific community. She served as Chair of the SIG Global and Socio-Cultural Aspects of Infertility for ESHRE (2022\u20132024), and currently chairs the Society for Reproductive Medicine and Biology of Georgia. In 2020, she co-founded Genomics \u2014 Reproart\u2019s in-house center for reproductive genetics \u2014 alongside Georgian scientists based in the U.S.\u00a0<\/p>

Throughout her career, Lika has remained dedicated to scientific advancement, patient-centered care, and the responsible development of assisted reproduction in Georgia and beyond.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Nino Okujava<\/h3>

Founder and Deputy Director<\/strong><\/p>

Nino Okujava brings together a background in medicine, communication, and media, contributing a unique perspective to Reproart\u2019s growth and patient engagement.<\/p>

She graduated from Tbilisi State Medical Institute and began her career as a clinical geneticist at the Zhordania Institute for Human Reproduction, where she worked for over a decade. From 1994 onward, her focus expanded to include leadership and creative roles in media and communications, including serving as Deputy Director at Neostudia and working as an executive producer and editor for corporate communications at Magticom.<\/p>

Nino is also known for producing award-winning documentary films and social projects that explore identity, history, and health. She collaborated with Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Communication Programs, producing educational content on family planning and reproductive health in Georgia.<\/p>

Since 2012, Nino has served as Deputy Director and Co-Founder of Reproart, helping to shape the clinic\u2019s patient communication strategy and its broader mission to offer inclusive, informed, and compassionate reproductive care. She is a member of both the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM).<\/p>

Her diverse background continues to enrich Reproart\u2019s interdisciplinary approach \u2014 combining scientific excellence with powerful empathetic care.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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David McCulloh, Ph.D., H.C.L.D., C.C.<\/h3>

Scientific Director<\/strong><\/p>

David McCulloh brings more than 30 years of leadership experience in Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) laboratories across the United States, with a career that bridges clinical excellence and scientific innovation. Dr. McCulloh is a certified High-Complexity Clinical Laboratory Director (H.C.L.D.) and Clinical Consultant (C.C.).<\/p>

He served as Director of the Andrology Laboratory at Biogenetics Corporation in New Jersey and as Associate Laboratory Director and Chair of the Scientific Committee at the New York University Fertility Center (NYUFC), one of the most renowned fertility centers in the United States. Dr. McCulloh also oversees coordination between NYUFC and Redshift Technologies, the developer of NYUFC\u2019s electronic medical record system.<\/p>

An Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Dr. McCulloh has been with NYUFC since 2012. He is the co-author of more than 15 peer-reviewed scientific publications and three academic textbooks in the field of reproductive medicine. He held leadership roles at multiple U.S.-based fertility centers, including: University Reproductive Associates in New Jersey; Offices for Fertility and Reproductive Medicine in Greenwich Village, New York; The Fertility Institute at the Brooklyn Hospital Center, New York.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Our Facilities<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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