Robert Edwards (physiologist) explained

Honorific Prefix:Sir
Robert Edwards
Birth Name:Robert Geoffrey Edwards
Birth Date:1925 9, df=yes
Birth Place:Batley, England
Death Place:near Cambridge, England
Doctoral Advisor:R. A. Beatty
C. H. Waddington
Doctoral Students:Richard Gardner (embryologist)
Martin Hume Johnson
Roger Gosden
Azim Surani[1]
Thesis Title:The experimental induction of heteroploidy in the mouse
Thesis Year:1955
Thesis Url:http://hdl.handle.net/1842/13774
Known For:Pioneering in-vitro fertilisation

Sir Robert Geoffrey Edwards [2] [3] [4] (27 September 1925 – 10 April 2013) was a British physiologist and pioneer in reproductive medicine, and in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) in particular. Along with obstetrician and gynaecologist Patrick Steptoe[5] and nurse and embryologist Jean Purdy, Edwards successfully pioneered conception through IVF, which led to the birth of Louise Brown on 1978.[6] They founded the first IVF programme for infertile patients and trained other scientists in their techniques. Edwards was the founding editor-in-chief of Human Reproduction in 1986.[7] In 2010, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for the development of in vitro fertilization".[8] [9]

Education and early career

Edwards was born in Batley, Yorkshire, and attended Manchester Central High School on Whitworth Street in central Manchester, after which he served in the British Army, and then completed his undergraduate studies in biology, graduating with an ordinary degree from Bangor University.[10] [11] He studied at the Institute of Animal Genetics and Embryology at the University of Edinburgh, where he was awarded a PhD in 1955 under the supervision of R.A. Beatty and C. H. Waddington.[12]

Career and research

After a year as a postdoctoral research fellow at the California Institute of Technology he joined the scientific staff of the National Institute for Medical Research at Mill Hill. After a further year at the University of Glasgow, in 1963 he moved to the University of Cambridge as Ford Foundation Research Fellow at the Department of Physiology, and a member of Churchill College, Cambridge. He was appointed Reader in physiology in 1969.[13]

Human fertilisation

Circa 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 gynaecological surgeon from Oldham. Edwards developed human culture media to allow the fertilisation and early embryo culture, while Steptoe used laparoscopy to recover ovocytes from patients with tubal infertility. Their attempts met significant hostility and opposition,[14] including a refusal of the Medical Research Council to fund their research and a number of lawsuits.[15] [16] Roger Gosden was one of his first graduate students.[3]

The birth of Louise Brown, the world's first 'test-tube baby', at on 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. Nurse Jean Purdy was the first to see Brown's embryo dividing.[17]

Refinements in technology have increased pregnancy rates and it is estimated that in 2010 about children have been born by IVF,[8] with approximately 170,000 coming from donated oocyte and embryos.[18] [19] [20] 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 on in his career as a scientist and an editor of medical journals.

Honours and awards

Edwards received numerous honours and awards including:

Politics

Edwards was a supporter of the Labour Party, and represented Newnham ward on Cambridge City Council for two terms, from 1973 to 1978.[31] He enjoyed the experience enough to consider at one stage standing for parliament, but nothing came of it.[32]

Personal life

Edwards married Ruth Fowler Edwards (1930–2013), also a scientist with significant work, granddaughter of 1908 Nobel laureate physicist Ernest Rutherford and daughter of physicist Ralph Fowler, in 1956.[33] The couple had five daughters and 12 grandchildren.[34]

Death

Edwards died at home near Cambridge, England on 10 April 2013 after a long lung illness.[35] A spokesperson for the University of Cambridge said "He will be greatly missed by family, friends and colleagues."[36] The Guardian reported that, as of Edwards' death, more than four million births had resulted from IVF.[36] Louise Brown said "His work, along with Patrick Steptoe, has brought happiness and joy to millions of people all over the world by enabling them to have children."[37] According to the BBC, his work was motivated by his belief that "the most important thing in life is having a child."[37]

A plaque was unveiled at the Bourn Hall Clinic in July 2013 by Louise Brown and Alastair MacDonald – the world's first IVF baby boy – commemorating Steptoe and Edwards.[38] [39]

See also

Notes and References

  1. PhD. University of Cambridge. Modulation of Implanting Rat Blastocysts to Macromolecular Secretions of the Uterus. M. A. H.. Surani. 1975. . ethos.bl.uk. 500574338.
  2. Gardner. Richard. Sir Robert Geoffrey Edwards CBE. 27 September 1925 – 10 April 2013. Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society. Royal Society. 2015. 61. 0080-4606. 10.1098/rsbm.2014.0020. 81–102. free.
  3. Johnson . M. H. . Martin Hume Johnson. Robert Edwards: The path to IVF . 10.1016/j.rbmo.2011.04.010 . Reproductive BioMedicine Online . 23 . 2 . 245–262 . 2011 . 21680248 . 3171154 .
  4. Fisher . S. J. . Giudice . L. C. . 10.1126/science.1239644 . Robert G. Edwards (1925–2013) . Science . 340 . 6134 . 825 . 2013 . 23687039 . 2013Sci...340..825F . 34150798 . free .
  5. Edwards . R. G. . Robert G. Edwards. 10.1098/rsbm.1996.0027 . Patrick Christopher Steptoe, C. B. E. 9 June 1913 – 22 March 1988 . Patrick Steptoe . . 42 . 435–52. 1996 . 11619339. free .
  6. Multiple sources:
    • Steptoe . P. C. . Edwards . R. G. . 10.1016/S0140-6736(78)92957-4 . Birth After the Reimplantation of a Human Embryo . The Lancet . 312 . 8085 . 366 . 1978 . 79723. 31119969 .
    • News: 1978: First 'test tube baby' born. BBC. 13 June 2009. 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. 25 July 1978.
    • News: World's first test-tube baby Louise Brown has a child of her own. Independent. 22 May 2010. 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.. London. Cole. Moreton. 14 January 2007.
  7. Fraser L. R.. In Appreciation of Professor R. G. Edwards, Founding Editor of the Human Reproduction Journals. MHR: Basic Science of Reproductive Medicine. 6 . 5 . 3 . 2000 . 10.1093/molehr/6.5.3. 10775640.
  8. Web site: The 2010 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine – Press Release . Nobelprize.org . 4 October 2010 . 4 October 2010.
  9. Multiple sources:
    • 23726252. 2013. Jones Jr. H. W.. Professor Sir Robert Edwards, 1925–2013. Fertility and Sterility. 99. 7. 1799–800. Gosden. R. G.. 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2013.04.042. free.
    • 10.1093/humrep/deq155. 20657027. Why the Medical Research Council refused Robert Edwards and Patrick Steptoe support for research on human conception in 1971. Human Reproduction. 25. 9. 2157–74. 2010. Johnson . M. H.. Martin Hume Johnson. Franklin . S. B.. Sarah Franklin. Cottingham . M.. Hopwood . N. . 2922998.
  10. Web site: SLA Biomedical & Life Sciences Division Blog: Robert G. Edwards : 2010 Nobel Prize Winner in Physiology or Medicine . Sla-divisions.typepad.com . 7 October 2010 . 14 April 2013.
  11. Web site: Health Zone 24×7 – Health – Fitness – Medicine – Medical . Healthzone24x7.blogspot.com . 14 April 2013.
  12. PhD. University of Edinburgh. The experimental induction of heteroploidy in the mouse. Robert Geoffrey. Edwards. 1955. . 606113063. 1842/13774.
  13. Web site: Professor Sir Robert Edwards . The Daily Telegraph . 10 April 2013 . 14 April 2013.
  14. Web site: Myers, P. Z. . A surprising Nobel . 4 October 2010 . 4 October 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101007114129/http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/10/a_surprising_nobel.php . 7 October 2010 . dmy-all .
  15. News: The New York Times . Pioneer of in Vitro Fertilization Wins Nobel Prize . Nicholas . Wade . 4 October 2010 . 5 October 2010.
  16. Joseph D. Schulman, M.D., 2010. "Robert G. Edwards – A Personal Viewpoint"
  17. News: Weule . Genelle . The first IVF baby was born 40 years ago today . 25 July 2018 . ABC News . 25 July 2018 . en-AU.
  18. https://web.archive.org/web/20090220015146/http://www.obgmanagement.com/srm/pdf/first_live_birth_donation.pdf First live birth donation
  19. Web site: Home – OBG Management . https://web.archive.org/web/20071008194941/http://www.obgmanagement.com/srm.asp?id=5030 . dead . 2007-10-08 . Obgmanagement.com . 14 April 2013.
  20. Web site: Library . TheAFA.org . 14 April 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130922111227/http://www.theafa.org/library/article/talking_with_children_about_ovum_donation_2009/ . 22 September 2013 . dmy-all .
  21. Web site: 1988 New Year Honours . The London Gazette.
  22. Web site: Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research 2001 . Laskerfoundation.org . 16 September 2007 . 4 October 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101009074739/http://www.laskerfoundation.org/awards/2001clinical.htm . 9 October 2010 . dmy-all .
  23. Web site: Prof. Robert G Edwards - Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences - HMA . 2023-04-05 . www.hmaward.org.ae.
  24. News: Top 100 living geniuses . . 28 October 2007 . 4 October 2010 . London.
  25. News: Nobel in medicine for IVF pioneer . . 5 October 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121104032532/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-10-05/europe/28237946_1_cell-research-ivf-centre-nobel-laureate . dead . 4 November 2012 . 5 October 2010.
  26. News: Vatican official criticises Nobel win for IVF pioneer . . 4 October 2010 . 4 October 2010.
  27. News: Vatican slams Nobel win for IVF doc . . 5 October 2010 . 5 October 2010.
  28. 10.1016/j.rbmo.2013.10.005. Ruth Fowler (1930–2013). Reproductive BioMedicine Online. 28. 3–4. 2014. Fishel . S. . free.
  29. News: Queen's birthday honours list: Knights. The Guardian. 11 June 2011. London. 11 June 2011.
  30. Web site: The New Elizabethans – Robert Edwards. BBC. 29 May 2016.
  31. Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher, "Cambridge City Council Election Results, 1973-2012", pp. 1-2.
  32. Johnson, Martin H., "Edwards, Sir Robert Geoffrey (Bob) (1925–2013)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, online edition, January 2017. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  33. Web site: Index entry . 12 April 2013. FreeBMD. ONS.
  34. News: Robert G. Edwards Dies at 87; Changed Rules of Conception With First 'Test Tube Baby' . Kolata . Gina . Gina Kolata . . 10 April 2013 . 13 April 2013.
  35. News: IVF pioneer dies. Cambridge News. 10 April 2013.
  36. Web site: IVF pioneer Robert Edwards dies aged 87 . . 10 April 2013 . 10 April 2013 . Sam . Jones.
  37. News: Test-tube baby pioneer Sir Robert Edwards dies . BBC News . 10 April 2013 . 10 April 2013 .
  38. Web site: Oldham News | News Headlines | World's first test-tube baby hails pioneers on 35th birthday - Chronicle Online . 2016-11-06 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20161106185309/http://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/news-features/8/news-headlines/81552/worlds-first-testtube-baby-hails-pioneers-on-35th-birthday . 6 November 2016 . dmy-all .
  39. Web site: News and events Bourn Hall.

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