International Women’s Day 2025: Celebrating pioneering women in the world of fertility

Alison McTavish: Miriam Menkin (1901-1992)

“Not many people outside the fertility sector have heard of Miriam Menkin – despite her playing an integral role in the early stages of IVF research.

“Born in Latvia, Menkin’s family immigrated to America where she excelled academically but struggled to secure a place at medical school. After marrying a Harvard medical student, she got a job working in John Rock’s lab. Rock would go on to be a co-developer of the contraceptive pill but, at the time, was trying to work out how to fertilise an egg outside the human body.

“Her role was to find an egg within a follicle, mix it with sperm, and see if they combined. It was six years before the first success, which she was able to replicate three more times – managing to achieve two- and three-cell zygotes, a revolutionary step forward in the world of assisted reproduction.

“However, these early successes were brought to a complete halt after her husband lost his job and the family had to relocate, meaning none of Rock’s team ever definitively succeeded in fertilising an egg in vitro ever again and, by the time she reunited with Rock years later, the focus of his research had shifted to contraception.

“While it’s impossible to know where Menkin’s work may have taken her had her life turned out differently, there’s no doubting that she was a trailblazer in the early days of IVF research.”

Tim Child: Anne McLaren (1927-2007)

“A pioneering scientist who studied the development of embryos and helped shape the legislation that guides the HFEA’s work, Anne McLaren’s research contributed to the development of IVF.

“In the 50s, she co-authored a landmark paper showing it was possible to culture mouse embryos outside the body for subsequent transfer leading to live birth – a vital part of the IVF process. Professor McLaren was the first female officer in the Royal Society’s 330-year history and she became increasingly involved in debate around scientific ethics and early questions raised by the development of IVF, such as whether embryos should be screened for genetic disorders or whether children conceived through anonymous gamete donation should be able to trace their donor’s identity.

“These topics, and many more, were discussed during her time as a member of the Warnock Committee, the recommendations of which led to the development of the Family Law Reform Act 1987 and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990. The Warnock Report also recommended that a new statutory licensing authority be established to regulate research and fertility services, resulting in the creation of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority in 1991 – of which McLaren was a founding member and served on until 2001.”

Geeta Nargund: Jean Purdy (1945-1985)

“Jean Purdy, the world’s first clinical embryologist, was brought back into the spotlight last year following the premiere of Netflix’s film ‘Joy: The Birth of IVF’. The drama told the true story of the world’s first IVF baby, Louise Brown, and the journey of the three people behind the creation of IVF – Jean Purdy, Patrick Steptoe, and Robert (Bob) Edwards.

“Often referred to as the ‘forgotten’ IVF pioneer, Purdy worked as a lab technician with Edwards and Steptoe as they researched how to collect eggs from the ovaries, fertilise them in vitro, and then place them into the womb. Purdy was responsible for managing the laboratory, recording data, supporting patients, and much more – she quickly became an integral part of the team.

“She also co-authored several academic publications between 1970 and 1985 and has been credited as being the first person ever to recognise and describe the formation of the early human blastocyst, which is a cluster of dividing cells made by a fertilised egg. Her role with Steptoe and Edwards also meant she witnessed the successful cell division of the embryo that went on to become Louise Brown, the first IVF baby born in 1978. Following the first successful IVF births, Purdy co-founded the world’s first IVF clinic, Bourn Hall, in 1980 before sadly dying from malignant melanoma five years later, aged 39.

“Despite her significant contributions to fertility, she went largely unnoticed for decades and was even left off the commemorative plaque placed at the site of the original clinic, despite lobbying from Edwards. However, in 2015, the trio were posthumously recognised together with a Royal Society of Biology blue plaque.”

Stephen Troup: Louise Joy Brown (1978-present)

“There can only be few people that don’t know the name ‘Louise Brown’, famously as the first-ever human born following IVF treatment on 28 July 1978. It is Louise’s subsequent fame, and the way in which she has handled this, that I have found particularly remarkable.

“There was an understandable inevitability about the publicity and concern surrounding her birth and early years and, of course, Louise could do nothing about this and has certainly since been exposed to it. But it is as an adult, now 46-years-old, that The recent film ‘Joy: The Birth of IVF’ is a case in point as I watched Louise’s smiling face on the TV talking openly, and with obvious pride, about who she is, her own two kids, the way in which she came about, and those that made it all possible.

“I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Louise on several occasions over the years and I wish I’d asked her what drives her to be so open, a sense of duty perhaps, or just simple pride? Either way, I have no doubt that Louise’s delightful public presence has provided much needed reassurance to many of the millions of IVF parents and children around the world.”