Robert Geoffrey Edwards
Robert Geoffrey Edwards, CBE (born 27 September 1925, Manchester) is a British physiologist and pioneer in reproductive medicine, and in-vitro fertilization (IVF) in particular. Along with surgeon Patrick Steptoe (1913 – 1988), Edwards successfully pioneered conception through IVF, which led to the birth of the first test-tube baby, Louise Brown, on 25 July 1978. He won the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for the development of in vitro fertilization"
Early career
After finishing Manchester Central High School, he served in the British Army, and then completed his undergraduate studies in agriculture at the University of Wales, Bangor. Subsequently he studied at the Institute of Animal Genetics, University of Edinburgh. He received his Ph.D. in 1955 and joined the University of Cambridge in 1963.
Human fertilization
In about 1960 Edwards started to study human fertilization, and he continued his work at Cambridge, laying the groundwork for his later success. In 1968 he was able to achieve fertilization of a human egg in the laboratory and started to collaborate with Patrick Steptoe, a gynecologic surgeon from Oldham. Edwards developed human culture media to allow the fertilization and early embryo culture, while Steptoe utilized laparoscopy to recover ovocytes from patients with tubal infertility. Their attempts met significant hostility and opposition. The birth of Louise Brown at 11:47 pm on 25 July 1978 at the Oldham General Hospital made medical history: in vitro fertilization meant a new way to help infertile couples who had formerly had no possibiliy of having a baby.
Bourn Hall Clinic
Refinements in technology have increased pregnancy rates and it is estimated that in 2010 about 4 million children have been born by IVF.[3] Their breakthrough laid the groundwork for further innovations such as intracytoplasmatic sperm injection ICSI, embryo biopsy (PGD), and stem cell research. Edwards and Steptoe founded the Bourn Hall Clinic as a place to advance their work and train new specialists. Steptoe died in 1988. Edwards has continued a career as a scientist and an editor of medical journals.
Honours
- In 2001, Edwards was awarded the Albert Lasker Clinical Medical Research Award by the Lasker Foundation "for the development of in vitro fertilization, a technological advance that has revolutionized the treatment of human infertility."
- In 2007, he was ranked 26th in The Daily Telegraph's list of 100 greatest living geniuses.
- In 2010, he was awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the development of in vitro fertilization.