Robert Geoffrey Edwards, CBE (born 27 September 1925, Leeds) 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. He won the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for the development of in vitro fertilization".
Human embryos developing in vitro. The photos show a fertilised egg, 8-cell stage, cell adhesion, a compacted morula, a blastocyst and zona hatching.
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 1955. In 1963 he joined the University of Cambridge.
Human fertilization
About 1960 Edwards had 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 the 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.
1978
The birth of Louise Brown at 11:47 p.m. on 25 July 1978 at the Oldham General Hospital made medical history: with in vitro fertilization being successful, a new way had been opened to help infertile couples who had formerly no chance of having a baby.
Consequences
Main article: in vitro fertilization
Bourn Hall ClinicRefinements in technology have increased pregnancy rates and it is estimated that in 2005 about 2 million children have been born by IVF. 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 productive career as a scientist and editor of noted 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."
In 2007, Edwards was ranked 26th in The Daily Telegraph's list of 100 greatest living geniuses.
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.
代表教廷响应医学道德问题的宗座生命学院院长鲍拉(Ignacio Carrasco de Paula)周一向意大利通讯社ANSA指出：“我肯定选择爱德华兹为得主是完全不恰当。”鲍拉称：“没有爱德华兹，世上便没有售卖数以百万卵细胞的市场，也没有大量放满胚胎的冷冻库。”他续称：“在最好的情况下，那些胚胎会植入子宫内，但他们最有可能的下场却是遭弃置或死亡，这个问题要由新出炉诺贝尔医学奖得主负责。”
本次获奖者Robert G. Edwards于1925年9月27日出生于英国，现年85岁，因为“体外受精发育（development of in vitro fertilization）”的工作荣获本届诺贝尔生理医学奖。1978年，Edward与妇科医生Patrick Steptoe等人成功利用体外受精技术孕育了第一个试管婴儿Louise Brown（本该同时获奖的Patrick Steptoe，已经于1988年去世）。
Robert Edwards（右图）于1955年取得博士头衔。2001年，以和本次诺贝尔奖同样的获奖理由，获得医学界大奖艾伯特·拉斯克医学研究奖（Albert Lasker Clinical Medical Research Award）。
1895年11月27日，瑞典人诺贝尔签署了最后的遗嘱，将自己的财富用于设立一系列奖项，其中一项就是奖给在生理学或医学领域做出最重要发现的人的。从1901年开始到去年，诺贝尔生理/医学奖已经颁布了100次，共有195人获奖，其中女性10人。其间有9次没有颁奖，分别是1915、1916、1917、1918、1921、1925、1940、1941和1942年。
