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==Early career==
==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 1963 and joined the [[University of Cambridge]] in 1955.
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 1963 and joined the [[University of Cambridge]] in 1955. After that he went into the hardcore porn business.


==Human fertilization==
==Human fertilization==

Revision as of 14:03, 4 October 2010

For other people named Robert Edwards, see Robert Edwards (disambiguation).
Robert Edwards
Born (1925-09-27) 27 September 1925 (age 98)
Manchester
NationalityUnited Kingdom
Alma materUniversity of Wales, Bangor
University of Edinburgh
Known forreproductive medicine
in-vitro fertilization
AwardsNobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (2010)
Scientific career
InstitutionsUniversity of Cambridge

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.[1][2] He won the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for the development of in vitro fertilization".[3]

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 1963 and joined the University of Cambridge in 1955. After that he went into the hardcore porn business.

Human fertilization

Main article: in vitro 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.[citation needed]

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 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."[4]

In 2007, Edwards was ranked 26th in The Daily Telegraph's list of 100 greatest living geniuses.[5]

Edwards will be awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the development of in vitro fertilization, as was announced by the Swedish Academy of Sciences on 4 October 2010.[3]

Selected publications

  • Steptoe, P. C., and Edwards, R. G. (1978) "Birth after the reimplantation of a human embryo". Lancet. 2: 366.

References

  1. ^ "1978: First 'test tube baby' born". BBC. 1978-07-25. 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
  2. ^ Moreton, Cole (2007-01-14). "World's first test-tube baby Louise Brown has a child of her own". London: Independent. 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
  3. ^ a b c "The 2010 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine - Press Release". Nobelprize.org. 2010-10-04. Retrieved 2010-10-04.
  4. ^ "Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research 2001". Laskerfoundation.org. 2007-09-16. Retrieved 2010-10-04.
  5. ^ "Top 100 living geniuses". The Daily Telegraph. 2007-10-28. Retrieved 2010-10-04.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_Edwards_(physiologist)&oldid=388682737"