Members of the Virtus Group network have played important roles in many of Australia’s fertility treatment breakthroughs. Here are just a few examples:
A/Prof John McBain, fertility specialist at Melbourne IVF, was part of the Melbourne Egg Project team responsible for the conception and birth of Australia’s first IVF conceived child,
Emeritus Professor Doug Saunders and Dr Ric Porter, fertility specialists with IVF Australia, were part of the team responsible for the first IVF birth in NSW,
Founders of Queensland Fertility Group helped to achieve the state’s first IVF conception, and Dr Doug Keeping (fertility specialist with QFG) delivered this baby,
A/Prof Kate Stern (Melbourne IVF) leads the team that achieved the world’s first pregnancy from ovarian tissue grafted in the anterior abdominal wall of a woman
This timeline demonstrates just how far-reaching our pioneering work has been. The bold purple events represent achievements from within the Virtus Health Group, light grey events represent achievements in the field of IVF generally:
IVF Scientific Firsts
1972
Establishment of Melbourne Egg Project
1978
World's first IVF baby born
1979
Candice Reed conceived in Melbourne's Royal Women's Hospital IVF laboratory
1980
The world's third and Australia's first IVF conceived baby born
1981
World's first birth from a stimulated cycle
1983
First IVF baby born in NSW
Melbourne woman without ovaries gives birth to the world's first donor egg baby
1984
Queensland's first IVF baby born
World's first frozen embryo pregnancy and birth
1986
World's first pregnancy after egg freezing
QLD's first pregnancy from frozen embryo transfer
1988
First permanent regional IVF centre established in Albury
Australia's first IVF surrogacy birth
First embryo screening for genetic disorders
First two births from fertilisation with sperm that was surgically removed
1989
Melbourne IVF first IVF clinic in Australia to limit number of embryos transferred to 2 - reducing the chance of triplets
1992
First pregnancy after use of intracytoplasmic injection of a single sperm into an egg
1998
First full karyotype from single cell embryo biopsy by Melbourne IVF
2000
Restoration of fertility after successful transfer of frozen and thawed ovarian tissue
2000
Federal court case removed 'marriage requirement' in Infertility Treatment Act
2004
IVFAustralia has first pregnancy using the Polscope
2005
QLD's first pregnancy after egg freezing
2008
Lesbian and single women granted access to donor sperm and additional IVF services in VIC
2010
QLD's first IVF conceived child has a child of her own
Australia'a first IVF conceived child, Candice Reed, celebrates her 30th birthday
2013
Melbourne IVF first team in the world to help a woman achieve pregnancy from ovarian tissue grafted onto the anterior of her abdominal wall
