IVF pioneer wins award

Professor Robert Edwards, the pioneer whose work led to the birth of the world's first IVF baby, was given a lifetime achievement award at this year's Pride of Britain event. He may be in his early eighties, but Professor Edwards still maintains an active interest in infertility and treatment.

He faced condemnation when he began experimenting with in vitro fertilisation, and even after the birth of Louise Brown, the first IVF baby, in 1978 there was still widespread criticism from many other scientists as well as in the press. He weathered the storms, and was soon treating patients from across the world at the clinic he set up in Cambridgeshire. It wasn't long before others were achieving success with IVF, and more than three million babies have been concevied using the methods he perfected. This award is a much-deserved recognition of his pioneering work.