In-Vitro Fertilization and Assisted Reproduction: A History

The birth of Louise Joy Brown - the world's first baby born following in-vitro fertilization - heralded a medical revolution. Forty years later, many thousands of babies are born each year following IVF. Assisted reproduction is a global industry with a multi-billion dollar turnover. It is a complex mix of science, clinical management, bioethics, and commercial imperatives. Many of the pioneers of IVF are still with us and have a fascinating tale to tell. Here, they relate the story of the development of IVF and related technologies in a way that will prove invaluable to future generations of practitioners seeking to understand the genesis of the specialty. This is not an academic history: rather it takes an informal and anecdotal approach; informing and entertaining for generations of past, present and future medical and scientific specialists of IVF, alongside the millions of parents, who celebrated the successes of IVF treatment worldwide.

Gabor Kovacs, A.M., is Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Australia. He was a foundation member of the Monash IVF team and International Medical Director of Monash IVF until his retirement in 2015. He is an Honorary Member of International Federation of Fertility Societies (IFFS) and Life Member of The Fertility Society of Australia as well as Family Planning Australia.

Peter Brinsden is a Consultant Medical Director of Bourn Hall Clinic. He has Honorary Professorships at the Capital Medical University, Beijing, Peking Union Medical College, and China Southern Medical University, Guangzhou. He served as President of the British Fertility Society from 2009 to 2012.

Alan DeCherney has been Director of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Yale University, Connecticut, and has chaired the department at Tufts University, Massachusetts, and University of California, Los Angeles. Dr DeCherney has been an Associate Editor of the New England Journal of Medicine and Editor-in-Chief of Fertility and Sterility. He has been president of American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), Society for Reproductive Investigation (SRI) and Society of Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART). He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.