In Memory and Honor of the Father of IVF in China
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We mourn the passing of Dr. Zhuang Guanglun, the father of IVF in China. Dr. Guanglun passed away on July 25, a day that has great significance in the IVF world as it is both the birthday of the first IVF baby ever born and World Embryologist Day. Our deepest sympathies to those who knew him and prayers for his journey to the next world.
Dr. Guanglun was a man of many accomplishments. In 1990, struggling alone against the odds under China’s one-child policy, Dr. Guanglun brought into the world China’s first IVF baby. Afterwards, he studied abroad, adopting techniques from countries with more advanced technology. He contributed greatly to the development of IVF in China, helping to put the country on par with the best in the world.
Dr. Guanglun, at one time a professor at the Reproductive Medicine Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, has been known as the father of IVF in China for 30 years. In that time, he has helped countless couples struggling with infertility realize their dreams of having a child.
In 1993, he founded a society for IVF in China, and in 1994, he held the first assisted reproductive technology (ART) workshop in China, openly sharing his techniques with all those who wished to attend the workshop, whether they hailed from China or abroad. Furthermore, Dr. Guanglun was instrumental in establishing many assisted reproductive centers in China.
In 2003, REPROLIFE’s Dr. Kuwayama was invited from Japan to give a lecture at the 10th anniversary celebration of the IVF society established by Dr. Guanglun. From that point on, the two IVF pioneers enjoyed a close friendship. Upon hearing of Dr. Guanglun’s passing, Dr. Kuwayama shared the following:
“Dr. Guanglun was warmhearted and kind to everyone. A wonderful person, despite his status as an eminent figure, he had no desire for materialistic gain and was devoted to his patients. Whenever I met him at international conferences, we always had a smile and a chat. The news of his passing represents a great loss to the world. I am deeply saddened.”
As we remember with gratitude Dr. Guanglun’s many achievements and contributions, we would like to again express our most sincere condolences.