Reflections on Bob Edwards and IVF

52 pursue our efforts to achieve success. Thank you God for giving us such a humble, kind and unassuming scientist as Bob Edwards. I was not surprised when I learnt from the internet that they have awarded him the Nobel Prize for Medicine. It was long overdue. I am disappointed that he did not get the similar recognition for his later achievements and also Patrick Steptoe for his work. Bob continued on his search for scientific discovery and scientific knowledge but by his pursuit there was no thought of any personal gain whatsoever in view. I am greatly honoured by his mentorship, guidance and of all his friendship. Reflections on Bob Edwards and IVF Sammy Lee Visiting Professor, Cell and Developmental Biology, UCL, London, UK I had first heard of Bob Edwards and Patrick Steptoe round about 1980, when working with chick and frog embryos, whilst studying for my PhD at UCL. After my post-doc, in 1984 I first thought about working in the field they pioneered. I met ‘Steppy’ first, in 1986, at several conferences, when I was working with Ian Craft at the Wellington Hospital. During this time, I exchanged letters with Bob in his capacity as Editor in Chief of Human Reproduction. He came across as a very kind man and a person with great dignity and integrity. I was honoured to meet him face to face in 1987 in Cambridge. Even though he was very busy and much sought after, he took the time to stop and talk and showed a genuine interest in our discussion. Since then, I have bumped into Bob in venues ranging from Churchill College to Bourn Hall to Serono UK and numerous conferences; in all these encounters, he has always stopped for a chat, is never hurried, always has a kind word and always carries himself with great dignity. In my career, I have been lucky to rub shoulders with many of the great and good, amongst whom Bob is the most gentle modest giant of a man I have ever met. After working on mouse embryos and being lucky enough to work with and publish a paper with Anne McLaren, I was unsure where my future as a scientist lay. The opportunity to work in IVF was just a diversion whilst I worked out what was next. Little was I to know that the field Bob and ‘Steppy’ created would hold me in thrall for over 20 wonderful and exciting years. Much of my introduction to IVF methodology was provided by Jacques Cohen, one of Bob’s prot´ eg´ es at Bourn Hall. I inherited many formulations, protocols and laboratory forms from Jacques. These items represented ‘treasure’ to me, as they were just one step away from the great man. In the generous way this ‘treasure’ entered my life, it was always passed on in likewise fashion. Bob is an inspiration and a wonderful role model. His pioneering work has helped millions and paves the way for regenerative medicine. He thoroughly deserves his Nobel Prize.

Bob Edwards Nobel Laureate Celebrating Robert G Edwards CBE Martin Lees University of Cambridge, UK I have known Bob over many years and was present when he gave his lecture to the President and Council of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists on the History and Development of IVF. His work on IVF is quite unique and has brought so much input not only to the resolution of clinical infertility but has led to our understanding of embryogenesis at the subcellular level. Perhaps the most striking thing about Bob is his immense modesty and gentle ways with no sense of bombast. This is reflected not only in his lifestyle but especially in the way he received his Nobel Prize. Although the nation has rewarded him with a CBE I personally hope that this may be converted to a Knighthood. He is more than deserving of this. The other striking feature of Bob’s work is that his scientific activities have embraced research not only into the typing of embryos for inherited defects but the use of embryo cells to replace the bone marrow killed by radiation during treatment for cancer. He has been the Editor of Human Reproduction, which is the official journal of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), and of Reproductive BioMedicine Online, and in both journals he has ensured that all the recent developments throughout the Western World should have access to publication of all the latest trends. Bob Edwards, along with Jean Cohen, founded ESHRE and this has brought together all the strands of the new developments both theoretical and clinical in every area of oogenesis, spermatogenesis and fertilization. Bob Edwards has examined intellectually all the great aspects with which research in this field has come about and has not only improved success rates in IVF in the more elderly patient but has considered in the greatest intellectual detail all the consequences of advances in molecular development. His scientific integrity is such that he is wholly aware of the difficulties that there are in human reproduction at the cellular level. He also understands the ethics of all that is being done and for that reason he must remain the outstanding figure of our time. I am very privileged and proud to know him. Reminiscence about Bob Edwards Henry Leese Professor Emeritus, Hull York Medical School, University of Hull, UK [Written a couple of years after the event] I was having tea in the concourse of the Biology Department at York University on October 12th 1984 when there was a message from the general office. Professor Robert Edwards, the ‘test-tube’ baby pioneer from Cambridge was on the telephone and wished to speak to me. I remember taking the call amidst the clattering of typewriters and having difficulty in hearing what Edwards had to say. The gist of it was that he had seen one of my papers, with Alison Barton, in the Journal of Reproduction and Fertility reporting