Health Sciences, Media Release, Research Story

Public event celebrates 30 years of IVF

A free public event at the University of Adelaide on Thursday 21 June will celebrate the ultimate in Life Impact: 30 years of helping couples to start a family thanks to IVF technology.

The event, Celebrating 30 Years of IVF in South Australia [1], will be held at Elder Hall and will feature public talks by some of Australia's leading IVF experts.

"This event celebrates the enormous success of IVF technology in helping couples to realise their dreams of becoming parents. It also gives us a chance to discuss some of the key issues surrounding IVF, and to look to the future and find out where IVF is heading," says Professor Rob Norman [2], Director of the Robinson Institute [3] at the University of Adelaide.

Over the past 30 years, more than 15,000 babies have been born in South Australia thanks to IVF (in vitro fertilisation).

"IVF will continue to play an important role in couples' ability to overcome infertility and start a healthy family," Professor Norman says.

"We encourage all IVF families from the past 30 years, as well as couples who are currently trying to start a family, to come along and hear about the greatest fertility success story of modern times."

Topics and speakers:

• Adelaide's contribution to modern IVF - Professor Rob Norman (Robinson Institute, University of Adelaide)
  
• What happens to IVF children? - Associate Professor Jane Halliday (Murdoch Children's Research Institute)
  
• Ethical challenges in IVF - Professor Andrew Dutney (School of Theology, Flinders University/Principal, Uniting College for Leadership and Theology)
  
• What's the future going to look like in IVF? - Professor William Ledger (University of New South Wales and IVF Australia)
  
• Expert panel discussion - Speakers will be joined by IVF pioneer from SA Dr Christine Kirby (Repromed) to provide an opportunity for questions and discussion from the audience.

WHAT: Celebrating 30 Years of IVF in South Australia
WHERE: Elder Hall, North Terrace Campus, University of Adelaide
WHEN: 5.30pm for a 6.00pm start Thursday 21 June 2012 - following the talks, join us for food and drinks and meet the IVF professionals.
COST: Admission is free - all welcome. Gold coin donations will be accepted to support fertility and IVF research at the Robinson Institute.
RSVP: to Anne Jurisevic: anne.jurisevic@adelaide.edu.au [4] or call 08 8313 8222

This event is hosted by the Robinson Institute at the University of Adelaide and Healthy Development Adelaide [5] (HDA), with support from Fertility SA [6] and Flinders Reproductive Medicine [7].

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"Celebrating 30 Years of IVF in South Australia"
5.30pm for a 6.00pm start, Thursday 21 June 2012
Elder Hall, North Terrace Campus, University of Adelaide.
Full Image (139.25K) [12]