Colin Matthews, key to reproductive medicine world/Australian firsts, on Adelaide's Robinson institute honours list
Colin Matthews (at left) was one of four members of the Adelaide’s Robinson Research Institute (others, from left) Alastair MacLennan, John Mulley and John O'Loughlin who ware officers of the Order of Australia for their work in reproductive medicine and science. They opened the way for hundreds of other researchers at the institute, including the group below right.
Colin Matthews, who won global renown for his pioneering role reproductive science and medicine, was one of five honoured as officers of the Order of Australia as members of Adelaide’s Robinson Research Institute that grow into the 21st Century.
From 1960s United Kingdom medical training in Liverpool, Colin Matthews was appointed in 1971 to Adelaide University obstetrics and gynaecology department and became a senior consultant in obstetrics at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. For three decades, Matthews led clinical and scientific advances in managing human infertility with Australian and world firsts. He helped set up one of the world’s first sperm banks, pioneered intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection, and using IVF (in vitro fertilisation) to prevent the transmission of genetic diseases, such as Huntington’s disease. He helped to deliver the world’s fifth IVF baby in 1993.
As founder, head and professor in the university’s reproductive medicine unit, commercialised its advances through Repromed Matthews also set up The Pippette Company, providing IVF instruments to clinics in 50 countries.
Other Robinson Research Institute pacesetters made officers of the Order of Australia were:
• Alastair MacLennan, Adelaide University professor and third head of obstetrics and gynaecology, school of paediatrics and reproductive health from 2006 until 2012. His cerebral palsy research team helped reverse the myth that cerebral palsy is usually due to lack of oxygen at birth. In 2009, MacLennan was awarded the South Australian government's science excellence award for public good in for his work in cerebral palsy and other reproductive health research.
• Professor John Mulley, as chief medical scientist with SA Pathology at Adelaide’s Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide. started a genetic testing laboratory to service for a range of human genetic disorders while leading research projects in various aspects of human genetics. His laboratory was heavily involved in mapping genes for intellectual disability and pioneered the discovery of genes that cause epilepsy.
• Dr John O'Loughlin, as a clinical and research registrar working under professor Lloyd Cox at Adelaide University, he was involved in the early days of the ovulation induction programme using human pituitary gonadotrophin. He became a full-time research fellow at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, investigating the stimulatory effect of low-dose equine oestrogen on pituitary function in amenorrhoeic women. His main clinical research interest while at Adelaide’s Women's and Children's Hospital was the role of ascending genital tract infection in the initiation of preterm labour.