LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FERTILITY
PROFESSOR CHRISTOPHER CHEN
Professor Christopher Chen is the founder and chairman of the Advanced Centre for Reproductive Medicine ( ACRM ) at Gleneagles Hospital Singapore and an in vitro fertilisation ( IVF ) pioneer who ’ s made several important contributions to advance the cause of fertility medicine . His expertise stems from 50 years in practice treating patients from around the world who have travelled to see him in his clinic in Singapore . Over the years , Professor Chen and his associates have treated and assisted thousands of couples and put them on the path to fertility .
Since a young age , Professor Chen has always been interested in medicine . His determination to be successful in the field was evident as he became an accredited specialist after spending only three and a half years studying obstetrics and gynaecology in Edinburgh and Glasgow , Scotland . By the time he was 28 , he had received such extensive training and experience that he was conferred a fellow of the following medical associations : The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists , London ; Royal Australian & New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists ; and the American College of Surgeons .
Professor Chen soon after returned to Singapore , where he was appointed an Associate Professor at the National University of Singapore . It was here that he worked closely with Professor Shan Ratnam , another pioneer in obstetrics and gynaecology , and where Professor Chen made important
Professor Christopher Chen
breakthroughs in his research into immunological infertility . Before long , he was recruited by Flinders University in Adelaide , Australia to lead their research into infertility . At Flinders , Professor Chen made history with the world ’ s first IVF-conceived triplets in 1983 . The siblings , Chenara , Aaron , and Jessica Guare , were a sensation in the medical world when they were born .
Shortly after , in 1986 , Professor Chen experienced yet another breakthrough , becoming the first person to successfully freeze the human egg . The development of this technique enabled women all over the world to circumvent age-related fertility issues by banking their eggs at a younger age and thawing them out later in life when ready to have children . One of the most important uses of this technique comes in the case of cancer treatment . Young women who have to undergo infertility-causing chemotherapy or radiation treatment for cancer are now able to freeze their eggs before embarking on their treatment .
The accolades that Professor Chen has received throughout his life are numerous . The University of Queensland named its chair of reproductive medicine after Professor Chen , who is an honorary professor at the university . He has been appointed the World President , Chair of Surgery and Max Thorex Professor of the International College of Surgeons as well as the Chief Editor of the journal , International Surgery , all in Chicago , USA . Professor Chen is a professor and doctor of medicine ( MD ) honoris causa at the University of Newcastle Sydney , Australia ; and a honorary professor at the Ricardo Palma University , Peru . His contributions to medicine have earned him the titles , the Lord of Stokes , UK and the Baron of Warter , UK .
Professor Chen continues to advocate for more fertility treatments for patients across the globe . His life work speaks for itself , and his dedication towards advancing the state of reproductive medicine continues to be an inspiration to fertility specialists around the world .
GlobalHealthAsiaPacific . com 2020 AWARDS SPECIAL
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