Nobel Prize for Scientist Professor Robert G. Edwards, Editor Emeritus of Reproductive BioMedicine Online

CAMBRIDGE, England, October 5, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Elsevier congratulates Cambridge scientist and Editor Emeritus of Reproductive BioMedicine Online (RBMOnline), Robert G. Edwards, who has been awarded with the 2010 Nobel Prize in Medicine for the development of in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), a breakthrough that has helped millions of infertile couples worldwide to have children. Professor Edwards, 85, started working on IVF, a procedure in which egg cells are fertilised outside the body and implanted in the womb, in the 1950s.

Professor Edwards founded the journal Reproductive BioMedicine Online (http://www.rbmojournal.com/) in 2000 and published it independently for 10 years. Having developed it and ensured its place amongst the leading journals in the field of Reproductive Medicine, he began handing over the reins for the journal in 2009, becoming Editor Emeritus of RBMOnline. In 2010 Elsevier became the Publisher of this innovative journal, which promises to develop from strength to strength under its guardianship. Professor Edwards also cofounded the first IVF clinic in the world, Bourn Hall, where embryologists and doctors who received training went on to establish clinics worldwide.

According to a statement released by the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine committee in Stockholm, Robert G. Edwards's achievements have made it possible to treat infertility, a medical condition afflicting a large proportion of humanity - more than 10% of all couples... Approximately four million individuals have been born thanks to IVF... Today, Robert Edwards' vision is a reality and brings joy to infertile people all over the world[1].

"We offer our heartfelt congratulations to Professor Edwards on this most distinguished recognition of his achievements in medicine. As the publisher of Reproductive Biomedicine Online, Elsevier is honoured to build on Professor Edwards' legacy and many contributions to the medical literature," said Glen Campbell, Executive Vice President, Global Medical Research Journals at Elsevier.

Martin Johnson, Professor of Reproductive Sciences at the University of Cambridge and Editor at RBMOnline, said, "As one of Bob's first research students I'm naturally delighted that he has been awarded the Nobel Prize. Bob is delighted, as are all his friends, family, and work colleagues at the journal office of Reproductive BioMedicine Online." "It is truly wonderful that such an engaging, warm and generous person, as well as a visionary in science, can be acknowledged in this way for all his many achievements. He was a man much ahead of his time not just in IVF, but in preimplantation genetic diagnosis, the derivation of embryonic stem cells and also for his publications and lectures on ethics in science and the role of regulation. He transformed the whole approach to research and care in reproductive medicine and gynecology," he remarked.

The medicine award was the first of the 2010 Nobel Prizes to be announced. The prestigious awards were created by Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, and first handed out in 1901, five years after his death. Each award includes 10 million Swedish kronor (about GBP1 million), a diploma and the Nobel Prize medal.

About RBMOnline

Reproductive BioMedicine Online (http://www.rbmojournal.com/) covers the formation, growth and differentiation of the human embryo. It is intended to bring to public attention new research on biological and clinical research on human reproduction and the human embryo including relevant studies on animals. It is published by a group of scientists and clinicians working in these fields of study. Its audience comprises researchers, clinicians, practitioners, academics and patients.

It is an official publication of the American College of Embryology (ACE) http://www.embcol.org; The Global Chinese Association for Reproductive Medicine (GCARM) http://www.gcarm.com; the International Society for In Vitro Fertilization (ISIVF) http://www.isivf.com; the Mediterranean Society for Reproductive Medicine (MSRM) http://www.medreproduction.org; the Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis International Society (PGDIS) http://www.pgdis.org; and the Turkish Society of Reproductive Medicine (TSRM) http://www.tsrm.org.tr

About Elsevier

Elsevier is a world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. The company works in partnership with the global science and health communities to publish more than 2,000 journals, including The Lancet (http://www.thelancet.com/) and Cell 9 http://www.cell.com/), and close to 20,000 book titles, including major reference works from Mosby and Saunders. Elsevier's online solutions include SciVerse ScienceDirect (http://www.sciencedirect.com/), SciVerse Scopus (http://www.scopus.com/), Reaxys (http://www.reaxys.com/), MD Consult (http://www.mdconsult.com/) and Nursing Consult ( http://www.nursingconsult.com/), which enhance the productivity of science and health professionals, and the SciVal suite (http://www.scival.com/) and MEDai's Pinpoint Review (http://www.medai.com/), which help research and health care institutions deliver better outcomes more cost-effectively.

A global business headquartered in Amsterdam, Elsevier ( http://www.elsevier.com/) employs 7,000 people worldwide. The company is part of Reed Elsevier Group PLC (http://www.reedelsevier.com/), a world-leading publisher and information provider, which is jointly owned by Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV. The ticker symbols are REN (Euronext Amsterdam), REL (London Stock Exchange), RUK and ENL (New York Stock Exchange).

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    [1] http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/2010/press.html

SOURCE Elsevier