Oct. 4: After the British test tube baby pioneer, Prof. Robert G. Edwards, was on Monday awarded the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine, his wife Ms Ruth and his family said in a statement on Monday:
“The family is thrilled and delighted that Professor Edwards has been awarded the Nobel Prize for medicine for the development of IVF. The success of this research has touched the lives of millions of people worldwide. His dedication and single minded determination despite opposition from many quarters has led to successful application of his pioneering research.”
Professor Edwards’ pioneering research on early human embryos has been responsible for many medical advances, according to his former graduate student Prof. Azim Surani, who is the professor of physiology and reproduction at the University of Cambridge said.
“Bob’s work has been critical for many other important medical advances, including preimplantation genetic diagnosis for diseases, and for the derivation of the first human pluripotent stem cells, which hold great promise for advances in medicine in the future,” he said.
Paying tribute to Prof. Edwards, the world’s first test-tube baby Ms Louise Brown said, “It’s fantastic news, me and mum are so glad that 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 at this time.”
Professor Robert G. Edwards, born in September 1925 near Leeds, was educated at the University of Bangor and the University of Edinburgh.
In 1963, he joined the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, as the Ford Foundation research fellow at the department of physiology, and a member of Churchill College.