Edwin Carlyle "Carl"Wood,ACCBEFRCS,FRANZCOG (28 May 1929 – 23 September 2011) was a prominentAustraliangynaecologist, best known for his pioneering work developing and commercialising the technique ofin-vitro fertilisation (IVF).^[1] He gained considerable international and national attention for his wide-ranging contributions in the field of women's health over a period of almost 50 years, although not all of it was positive given the controversial nature of many of his endeavours.^[2]

Carl Wood
Born	(1929-05-28)28 May 1929
Died	23 September 2011(2011-09-23) (aged 82)
Nationality	Australian
Scientific career
Fields	Medicine
Institutions	Monash University

After completing his education atWesley College,Melbourne, Wood graduated in medicine with honours atMelbourne University in 1952. He then held positions as Research Associate at theRockefeller Institute inNew York, and Senior Lecturer in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Queen Charlotte's andChelsea Hospital for Women inLondon before becoming the Foundation Professor and Chairman of theMonash University Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at theQueen Victoria Hospital andMonash Medical Centre in 1964.^[1]

Wood received international acclaim in the 1970s for his pioneering work in the fields of obstetric physiology and foetal monitoring as well as inpsychosomaticobstetrics and gynaecology,birth control and finally inin-vitro fertilisation. In 1988 he was recognised with theAxel Munthe Award in Reproductive Science.^[1]

Wood led the Monash University IVF team in the development of the IVF technique during the late 1970s and early 1980s. His team were responsible for a number of innovations including the world's first IVF pregnancy 1973, world's first IVF baby developed using a frozen embryo 1983, world's first donor egg baby 1983, world's first IVF baby using sperm retrieval surgery 1986 and world's first Microinjection Intra Fallopian Transfer (MIFT) IVF baby 1992.^[3] The most important development, however, was the use of pharmaceutical and hormonal stimulation of ovaries for more control of egg maturation and collection, which transformed IVF from an experimental technique to a successful clinical treatment.^{[4][better source needed]}

Wood held many wide-ranging positions while Chairman of Obstetrics and Gynaecology atMonash University. These included, among others, Foundation Chairman Medical Advisory Committee, Family Planning Association ofVictoria 1970–72, ChairmanArtificial Insemination by Donor (AID) Service, Melbourne Family Medical Centre, Monash University 1976–78, Foundation President of Victorian Association for the Study ofSex Education, Research and Therapy 1982, and President, International Society for Gynaecologic Endoscopy 1997–98. He was Chairman and Director, In Vitro Fertilisation Program Melbourne Family Medical Centre Monash University 1978–86, where he carried out most of his pioneering work in this field. He also jointly established theEndometriosis Care Clinic of Australia (ECCA) in 1998, a charitable foundation to assist Australian women suffering from this disease.

Wood was an invited speaker at over 90 national and international meetings, and wrote 23 books, 59 chapters and 400 papers in refereed medical and scientific journals.

The Carl Wood Endowment was established by the Monash University Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology to provide funds for the research development of young clinicians. More recently the Carl Wood Chair was established by the same department.

Wood has been called variously thefather,^[1]grandfather^[5] and godfather^[6] of IVF.

He died on 23 September 2011 after suffering from anAlzheimer's-type dementia.

• Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1982 Medicine,^[7]
• Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) in 1995 for his services to women's health and as a pioneer of in-vitro fertilisation.^[8]

• The Infertile Couple, By Roger J. Pepperell, Bryan Hudson, Carl Wood, 1980,ISBN 0-443-01727-1
• Artificial Insemination by Donor, By Carl Wood, Monash University, 1980,ISBN 0-86746-030-X
• In Vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer ByAlan O. Trounson, Carl Wood, Published 1984,ISBN 0-443-02675-0
• Atlas of Fine Structure of Human Sperm Penetration, Eggs, and Embryos Cultured in Vitro, by A. Henry Sathananthan (Author),Alan O. Trounson (Author), Carl Wood (Author), November 1985,ISBN 0-275-91308-2
• In Vitro Fertilization: By Carl Wood, Ann Westmore, 1987,ISBN 0-85572-177-4
• Prematurity, By E. Carl Wood, Victor Y. H. Yu, 1987,ISBN 0-443-03480-X
• The A-Z of Pregnancy & Birth, By Michael D. Humphrey, Susan Gumley, Carl Wood, 1989,ISBN 0-14-012195-1
• Clinical in Vitro Fertilization, by Carl Wood (Author),Alan O. Trounson (Editor), 1989,ISBN 0-387-19534-3
• I.V.F. In Vitro Fertilisation, by Professor Carl Wood and Robyn Riley, First published in 1983, New Edition, 1992,ISBN 0-85572-212-6
• Illustrated Textbook of Gynaecology, By Eric Vincent Mackay, Norman A. Beischer, Roger J. Pepperell, Carl Wood, 1992,ISBN 0-7295-1211-8
• Gynaecological Operative Laparoscopy: Current Status and Future Development, By Carl Wood, David J. Hill, Peter J. Maher, 1994,ISBN 0-7020-1869-4
• Infertility: All Your Questions Answered, By Gab Kovacs, Carl Wood, 1996,ISBN 0-85572-263-0
• Hysterectomy By Carl Wood, Published 1997,ISBN 0-7020-2262-4
• The Treatment of Fibroids, By Carl Wood, 2000,ISBN 0-85572-305-X
• Sexual Positions: An Australian View, By Carl Wood, 2001,ISBN 0-85572-314-9

• Should we try to supplement the growth retarded fetus? A cautionary tale, BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 100 (10), 972–972.doi:10.1111/j.1471-0528.1993.tb15133.x, by:J. H. Drew Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, N. A. Beischer Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Carl Wood Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (1993)^[9]

• IVF
• Gynecology
• laparoscopy
• cyto
• Monash University
• Infertility