Celebrating the centenary of the birth of Bob Edwards

By Madelin Evans, Archivist

On Friday 26th September Churchill Archives Centre hosted an evening panel session on the life and legacy of Sir Robert Edwards, IVF pioneer. This was the second part of a two-part day conference Bob Edwards centenary: His life, work and legacy.  

Watch the full recording of the Bob Edwards centenary panel session, including a presentation of images from Bob Edwards’ life shown at the beginning of the session

The afternoon conference session was held at the Physiology Lecture Theatre and was hosted by the Loke Centre for Trophoblast Research. This focused on science and clinical practice (of both Bob Edwards’ work and of later science which builds on his work).

Evening panel session at Churchill College
Evening panel session at Churchill College

Speakers for the evening panel session at Churchill College either knew Bob Edwards or had been personally impacted by his work. The session was chaired by Roger Highfield (Science Director of the Science Museum Group). It featured Emma Barnett (British Broadcaster and Journalist with a young IVF child), Fiona Bennett (former Executive Editor of Reproductive BioMedicine Online journal which Bob started), Louise Brown (the first IVF baby), Professor Sir Richard Gardner (Bob’s PhD student and Oxford University Lecturer), Dr Jenny Joy (Bob’s daughter and creator of his archive), and Dr Mike Macnamee (former CEO of Bourn Hall Clinic who knew Bob well).

Panellists left to right: Mike Macnamee, Louise Brown, Emma Barnett, Richard Gardner, Fiona Bennett and Jenny Joy
Panellists left to right: Mike Macnamee, Louise Brown, Emma Barnett, Richard Gardner, Fiona Bennett and Jenny Joy
Emma Barnett and Roger Highfield chat before the session
Emma Barnett and Roger Highfield chat before the session
Jenny Joy (daughter of Bob Edwards) presenting at the Bob Edwards centenary panel: Life and legacy
Jenny Joy (daughter of Bob Edwards) presenting at the Bob Edwards centenary panel: Life and legacy

The organisation of the conference was a collaboration between the family of Bob Edwards, the Loke Centre for Trophoblast Research (part of the Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience in the University of Cambridge), and Churchill Archives Centre. The conference was supported by Cambridge Reproduction. It was a great opportunity to work with and get to know a different part of the University, and to collaborate with members of the Edwards family. The conference was well-attended with some lively discussion.

Audience for the evening panel session at Churchill College
Audience for the evening panel session at Churchill College

To accompany the session there was a display of copies from the Papers of Bob Edwards and other relevant collections, held at Churchill Archives Centre.

Attendees look at display cases in the Wolfson Foyer
Attendees look at display cases in the Wolfson Foyer
An attendee looks at the display of copies of archive material
An attendee looks at the display of copies of archive material
Louise Brown (the first IVF baby) with the display in the Wolfson Foyer
Louise Brown (the first IVF baby) with the display in the Wolfson Foyer

For further information see:

The Archive of Robert Edwards (IVF pioneer) online exhibition by Churchill Archives Centre

Catalogue of the Papers of Sir Robert Edwards

Research guide on the Papers of Sir Robert Edwards

Or email [email protected] (archivist who catalogued the papers of Bob Edwards and related collections)