Robert Edwards (1925

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Biography

Sir Robert Geoffrey Edwards was a British physiologist and pioneer in reproductive medicine, and in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) in particular. Along with obstetrician and gynaecologist Patrick Steptoe and nurse and embryologist Jean Purdy, Edwards successfully pioneered conception through IVF, which led to the birth of Louise Brown on 25 July 1978. 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. In 2010, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for the development of in vitro fertilization".

Source: Wikipedia · AI-summarized

Timeline

The story of Robert Edwards, told in moments.

1968 Event

Partnered with gynecologist Patrick Steptoe. Together they began trying to fertilize a human egg outside the body. The medical establishment was hostile. Funding was denied.

How did you keep going when the medical establishment was hostile? What made Patrick Steptoe the right partner? Did denied funding make you angrier or more creative?

1978 Event

Louise Brown, the world's first baby conceived through in vitro fertilization, was born in Oldham, Lancashire. Edwards and Steptoe had worked for ten years to reach this moment.

What was in the room when Louise Brown was born? How did ten years of work feel in that moment? Did you know it would change millions of lives?

2010 Event

Won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine at 85. Over four million IVF babies had been born by then. Steptoe had died in 1988 and couldn't share the prize.

Was the Nobel at 85 bittersweet without Steptoe? Do four million IVF babies feel like enough acknowledgment? What would Steptoe have said at the ceremony?

Artifacts (13)

Robert Edwards Carter

Sarah C. Frothingham, born 1821-died New York City 1861

ca. 1840 · watercolor on ivory

Smithsonian View

The Olde Daunce: Love, Friendship, Sex, and Marriage in the Medieval World

In this volume a variety of perspectives reevaluate the nature of friendship, desire, and the olde daunce of love in the Middle Ages. Challenging earlier scholarly notions about medieval marriage,...

1991

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The Loss of Happiness in Market Democracies

Despite the fact that citizens of advanced market democracies are satisfied with their material progress, many are haunted by a spirit of unhappiness. There is evidence of a rising tide of clinical...

2000

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American Hauntings

"A collection of more than 100 true ghost tales set in locales throughout the United States. This travelogue takes the reader behind the creaky doors of the most haunted places in America. -- Back...

2005

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White Death: Russia's War on Finland, 1939-40

The Russian invasion of Finland in November 1939 was a critical turning point in world history. Only now, with the opening of the Russian archives can this extraordinary story be told in full.

2006

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White Death: Russia's War with Finland 1939-1940

Stalin's invasion of Finland: The turning point of World War II

2007

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The Winter War

"Edwards recounts events, both shameful and heroic, with insight, conviction and considerable wit." —Publishers Weekly On November 30, 1939, the Soviet Union's Red Army invaded the young...

2009

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The Eastern Front: The Germans and Soviets at War in World War II

Stackpole’s Battle Briefings series offers accessible and insightful summaries of battles, commanders, and other military history topics. This volume covers the epic clash between the Germans and...

2018

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Panzers Forward: A Photo History of German Armor in World War II

Panzers Forward collects photos of all varieties of German armor, from the smaller tanks of the early war to the gigantic Tigers that came later, on all fronts—North Africa, Sicily and Italy,...

2018

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Providence and Narrative in the Theology of John Chrysostom

"This book is the first major study of providence in the thought of John Chrysostom, a popular preacher in Syrian Antioch and later archbishop of Constantinople (ca. 350 to 407 CE). While...

2022

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Providence and Narrative in the Theology of John Chrysostom

John Chrysostom consoles his suffering flock by employing biblical narratives that carry a distinctive theology of God's loving providence.

2022

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Woodrow Wilson: A Character Study

1924

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The Fear of Equality

1959

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