IVF pioneer Edwards awarded Nobel Prize

Published on Monday 4 October 2010 14:31

PROFESSOR Robert Edwards, who has helped millions of infertile couples to have children by developing in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), yesterday won the 2010 Nobel Prize in medicine.

The scientist has credited his early work at Edinburgh University in the 1950s as laying the groundwork for the breakthrough, which revolutionised fertility treatment.

Prof Edwards, 85, devised IVF with Patrick Steptoe, who died in 1988, in which egg cells are fertilised outside the body and implanted in the womb.

Their pioneering research at Cambridge University led to the birth of the first "test tube baby" - Louise Brown in 1978.

In its citation, the Nobel medicine prize committee in Stockholm said: "His achievements have made it possible to treat infertility, a medical condition afflicting a large proportion of humanity, including more than 10 per cent of all couples worldwide. Approximately four million individuals have been born thanks to IVF. Today, Robert Edwards' vision is a reality and brings joy to infertile people all over the world."

The technique means the probability of an infertile couple having a baby after a cycle of IVF today - one in five - is about the same that healthy couples have of conceiving naturally.

Dr Steptoe and Prof Edwards founded the first IVF clinic at Bourn Hall in Cambridge in 1980. The clinic said one of Prof Edwards' proudest moments had been discovering 1,000 IVF babies had been born there since Louise Brown, and relaying that information to a seriously ill Dr Steptoe, shortly before his death.

"I'll never forget the look of joy in his eyes," Prof Edwards said. The clinic said Prof Edwards was not well enough to give interviews yesterday.

The Manchester-born scientist undertook postgraduate, then post doctoral, research at the Institute of Animal Genetics at Edinburgh University from 1951-57. He said: "Edinburgh is where it all started - everything was in my head, but not on paper, by the time I left."

Hugh Edmiston, the university's College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine registrar, said: "Professor Robert Edwards began his research career in Edinburgh and we are delighted to see the importance of his work has been recognised by the Nobel committee.

"The University of Edinburgh has a long history of excellence in reproductive sciences and this award demonstrates the world leading qualities of our teaching and research staff"

Ms Brown, now 32, said of the award: "It's fantastic news.Me and mum are so glad one of the pioneers of IVF has been given the recognition he deserves.

"We hold Bob in great affection and are delighted to send our personal congratulations to him and his family."

The medicine prize announcement will be followed by physics today, chemistry tomorrow, literature on Thursday, the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday and economics next Monday.

Recipients of the awards, created by Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, in 1901, are given 1 million, a diploma and a gold medal.

Profile: Bright future started slowly

THE scientist who went on to fundamentally change human reproduction has admitted his faltering academic start left him with "no future ahead of me".

Professor Edwards said he had "mistakenly" initially studied agriculture in Cardiff, which "didn't work out all that well". His course was interrupted by a spell in the Army, and when he came out, he "made a mess" of his degree.

However, Prof Edwards recalled that he got back on the straight and narrow by winning a place to study genetics at Edinburgh University - and loved every minute.