IFPA 2026

The placenta is the very first organ each one of us develops as we began life in the womb.  It works to sustain the growing baby right through pregnancy – acting as a lung and gut to absorb oxygen and nutrients from mum’s blood, a kidney excreting fetal wastes, and an important endocrine organ secreting hormones that change mum’s entire body to allow her to support a growing baby. This range of important roles makes the placenta one of the most fascinating organs we ever have. However, it also remains one of the least understood. This is problematic, as this placental life-support system malfunctions in around 1 in 10 pregnancies, leading to pregnancy disorders such as recurrent miscarriage, pre-eclampsia (dangerously high maternal blood pressure), fetal growth restriction (small babies), and stillbirth.

The International Federation of Placenta Associations (IFPA) is the international body bringing together researchers from around the globe who are passionate about working to understand the placenta in health and disease so we can give every baby a healthy start to life.  IFPA is an international “umbrella” organization comprised of four member societies; the European Placenta Group (EPG), the Placenta Association of the Americas (PAA), the Japanese Placenta Association (JPA) and the Australian New Zealand Placental Research Association (ANZPRA).

IFPA supports and promotes excellence in the field of placental and pregnancy research via its annual 3-4 day meeting. This meeting brings together clinicians and scientists of all career levels from our member societies across the globe to provide a melting pot of ideas, tools and knowledge. People are central to the success of IFPA, which strives to create an interactive atmosphere conducive to frank yet amicable exchange and network development. Importance is also placed on providing inclusive opportunities to enable the development of early career researchers – the future of pregnancy research.