What happens when one of the most emotional journeys a woman can take meets one of the most powerful technologies of our time?
In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Cristina Hickman, embryologist, scientist, and founder of Avenues, a clinic reimagining fertility care through the integration of artificial intelligence. With over two decades of experience shaping IVF laboratories around the world, Cristina is now focused on a singular question: how do we move beyond guesswork in reproductive medicine, while continuing to honour the human experience?
Dr Cristina’s path into fertility care is anything but traditional. Beginning in marine biology and oceanography, her early fascination with how life begins, and how it can be predicted, led her into molecular biology and embryology, where she trained on pioneering techniques at the very forefront of the field. What followed was a global career spent building labs, advising clinics, and quietly influencing the systems that underpin modern fertility treatment today.
Fertility is deeply personal to Dr Cristina and this is reflected by the philosophy of 'omotenashi' which underpins the patient experience at Avenues: a clinic designed to feel calm and human, anticipate every need/preference, give patients access to their own data in real time, and provide care that treats emotional wellbeing as essential, not secondary.
At the heart of the episode is a powerful reframe of what AI can actually do in medicine. Rather than replacing clinicians, Cristina describes it as a tool that enhances human judgement, bringing clarity to a process historically shaped by subjectivity and inconsistency. With embryos generating billions of data points, AI offers a way to see patterns the human eye simply cannot, helping to personalise treatment and improve outcomes.
We also explore the bigger picture: Dr Cristina speaks candidly about why trust, explanation, and human oversight must remain central as the technology evolves, and the urgent need for more equitable, transparent care.
This is a conversation about innovation, but also about responsibility. About building systems that are not only smarter, but kinder. And ultimately, it’s a reminder that even in the most advanced corners of medicine, this work is, and always will be, deeply, profoundly human.
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To learn more about Avenues, visit the website here.