Robert G. Edwards
Sir Robert Geoffrey Edwards, CBE, FRS[1] (born 27 September 1925) is a British physiologist and pioneer in reproductive medicine and in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) in particular. Along with surgeon Patrick Steptoe,[2] Edwards successfully pioneered conception through IVF, which led to the birth of the first test-tube baby,[3] Louise Brown, on 25 July 1978.[4][5] He was awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for the development of in vitro fertilization".[6]
Early career
Edwards was born in Manchester. After finishing Manchester Central High School on Whitworth Street in central Manchester, he served in the British Army, and then completed his undergraduate studies in agriculture at the Bangor University.[7][8] Subsequently he studied at the Institute of Animal Genetics, University of Edinburgh. In 1955 he received his Ph.D. and in 1963 he joined the University of Cambridge, where he has been a fellow at Churchill College.
Human fertilisation
In about 1960 Edwards started to study human fertilisation, and he continued his work at Cambridge, laying the groundwork for his later success. In 1968 he was able to achieve fertilisation 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 fertilisation and early embryo culture, while Steptoe utilized laparoscopy to recover ovocytes from patients with tubal infertility. Their attempts met significant hostility and opposition,[9] including a refusal of the British government to fund their research and a number of lawsuits.[10] Additional historical information on this controversial era in the development of IVF has been published.[11]
The birth of Louise Brown, the world's first 'test-tube baby', at 11:47 pm on 25 July 1978 at the Oldham General Hospital made medical history: in vitro fertilisation meant a new way to help infertile couples who formerly had no possibility of having a baby.
Refinements in technology have increased pregnancy rates and it is estimated that in 2010 about 4 million children have been born by IVF,[6] with approximately 170,000 coming from donated oocyte and embryos.[12][13][14] 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 continued a career as a scientist and an editor of medical journals.
Honours
- In 1984, Edwards was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society.[1]
- In 1994, Doctor Honoris Causa, University of Valencia (Spain).
- In 2001, he 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."[15]
- In 2007, he was ranked 26th in The Daily Telegraph's list of 100 greatest living geniuses.[16]
- In 2007, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Huddersfield.
- On 4 October 2010, it was announced that Edwards had been awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the development of in-vitro fertilization.[6] The Nobel Committee praised him for advancing treatment of infertility and noted that IVF babies have similar health statuses to ordinary babies.[17] Göran K. Hansson, secretary of the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, announced the news.[17] The first child of IVF Louise Brown described the award as "fantastic news".[18] A Vatican official condemned the move as "completely out of order".[18][19]
- Edwards was knighted in the 2011 Birthday Honours for services to human reproductive biology.[20][21]
Family
His wife is Ruth Fowler Edwards, the granddaughter of physicist Ernest Rutherford and daughter of physicist Ralph Fowler.
References
- ^ a b Barfield, N. (2004). "Sir George Robert Edwards OM CBE. 9 July 1908 -- 2 March 2003: Elected F.R.S. 1968". Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society 50: 73. doi:10.1098/rsbm.2004.0007. edit
- ^ Edwards, R. G. (1996). "Patrick Christopher Steptoe, C. B. E. 9 June 1913-22 March 1988". Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society 42: 434–426. doi:10.1098/rsbm.1996.0027. edit
- ^ Steptoe, P. C.; Edwards, R. G. (1978). "Birth After the Reimplantation of a Human Embryo". The Lancet 312 (8085): 366. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(78)92957-4. PMID 79723. edit
- ^ "1978: First 'test tube baby' born". BBC. 1978-07-25. http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/july/25/newsid_2499000/2499411.stm. Retrieved 2009-06-13. "The birth of the world's first "test tube baby" has been announced in Manchester (England). Louise Brown was born shortly before midnight in Oldham and District General Hospital"
- ^ Moreton, Cole (2007-01-14). "World's first test-tube baby Louise Brown has a child of her own". London: Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/worlds-first-testtube-baby-louise-brown-has-a-child-of-her-own-432080.html. Retrieved 2010-05-22. "The 28-year-old, whose pioneering conception by in-vitro fertilisation made her famous around the world ... The fertility specialists Patrick Steptoe and Bob Edwards became the first to successfully carry out IVF by extracting an egg, impregnating it with sperm and planting the resulting embryo back into the mother."
- ^ a b c "The 2010 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine - Press Release". Nobelprize.org. 2010-10-04. http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/2010/press.html. Retrieved 2010-10-04.
- ^ http://sla-divisions.typepad.com/dbio/2010/10/robert-g-edwards-2010-nobel-prize-winner-in-physiology-or-medicine.html
- ^ http://healthzone24x7.blogspot.com/2011/05/robert-g-edwards-great-physiologist-to.html
- ^ Myers, PZ (2010-10-04). "A surprising Nobel". http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/10/a_surprising_nobel.php. Retrieved 2010-10-04.
- ^ Wade, Nicholas (October 4, 2010). "Pioneer of in Vitro Fertilization Wins Nobel Prize". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/05/health/research/05nobel.html. Retrieved October 5, 2010.
- ^ Joseph D. Schulman, M.D., 2010. "Robert G. Edwards - A Personal Viewpoint"
- ^ http://www.obgmanagement.com/srm/pdf/first_live_birth_donation.pdf
- ^ http://www.obgmanagement.com/srm.asp?id=5030
- ^ http://www.theafa.org/library/article/talking_with_children_about_ovum_donation_2009
- ^ "Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research 2001". Laskerfoundation.org. 2007-09-16. http://www.laskerfoundation.org/awards/2001clinical.htm. Retrieved 2010-10-04.
- ^ "Top 100 living geniuses". The Daily Telegraph. 2007-10-28. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1567544/Top-100-living-geniuses.html. Retrieved 2010-10-04.
- ^ a b "Nobel in medicine for IVF pioneer". The Times of India. 2010-10-05. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/Nobel-in-medicine-for-IVF-pioneer/articleshow/6686973.cms. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
- ^ a b "Vatican official criticises Nobel win for IVF pioneer". BBC News. 2010-10-04. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11472753. Retrieved 2010-10-04.
- ^ "Vatican slams Nobel win for IVF doc". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2010-10-05. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/vatican-slams-nobel-win-for-ivf-doc-20101005-164n0.html. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
- ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 59808. p. 1. 11 June 2011.
- ^ "Queen's birthday honours list: Knights". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/jun/11/queens-birthday-honours-knights. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
External links
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| Persondata |
| Name |
Edwards, Robert Geoffrey |
| Alternative names |
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| Short description |
Physiologist |
| Date of birth |
1925-09-27 |
| Place of birth |
Manchester |
| Date of death |
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| Place of death |
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