PROFESSOR CARL WOOD AC, CBE, FRCS, FRCOG, FRANZCOG 28/5/1929- 23/9/2011
PROFESSOR CARL WOOD AC, CBE, FRCS, FRCOG, FRANZCOG
28/5/1929- 23/9/2011
Carl Wood has died at the age of 82. Internationally Carl was best known for his work of developing and commercializing techniques of in vitro fertilization. In Australia , in the 70s he was a leader of the movement towards better management of women’s health issues and in particular birth control.
Carl was educated at Wesley College Melbourne, graduating in medicine with first class honours at Melbourne University in 1952. He obtained membership to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons in London in 1958. He was a research assistant at the Rockefeller Institute in New York before becoming a senior lecturer in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Queen Charlotte’s in Chelsea Hospital in London.
Carl was appointed as a foundation professor and chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Queen Victoria Hospital in Melbourne in 1964. This hospital later transferred to the Monash Medical Centre at Monash University. He delivered the Blair Bell Lecture at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in the same year.
Professor Wood achieved international acclaim in the 1970’s for pioneering work in foetal physiology, foetal monitoring, birth control and in vitro fertilization. For these achievements he was awarded the Axel Munthe Award in Reproductive Science in 1988. He was been honoured by Her majesty the Queen with the award of Commander of the British Empire (CBE 1982). Although all who knew him were quick to recognize his humility and unassuming nature, many were unaware of his finest achievements.
These included the first clinical IVF pregnancy in 1973, the first IVF baby from a frozen embryo in 1983, the first IVF baby from donour egg in 1983, the first baby from sperm retrieval from failed vasectomy reversal in 1986 and the first micro-injection intra-fallopian transfer (MIFT) baby in 1992. He and his team from Monash IVF have been instrumental in the use of pharmaceutical hormone stimulation of ovaries which transformed IVF from an experimental technique to a successful clinical and commercial treatment. His ever-inquiring mind was again stimulated by advances in endoscopic gynaecological surgery in the late 80s.He visited with his friend the late Professor Semm and together with members of the Melbourne Gynoscopy Group co-pioneered many laparoscopic surgical procedures in the early 90s in Australia.He took a keen interest in women with endometriosis and co-founded the Endometriosis Care Centre of Australia in 1997.
He was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) in 1995 for his services to women’s health and a pioneer in in-vitro fertilization. He was a life member of the International Society for Gynecologic Endoscopy (also president 1999-2000), the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists, The Australian Fertility Society and the Australian Society of Reproductive Biology.
