Anne McLaren was a leading figure in reproductive biology whose early discoveries paved the way for the development of IVF, transforming reproductive medicine and the lives of women and families.
I was not a born scientist…I possess certain qualities such as curiosity and determination, which are useful in science, but I am also interested in the world around me and the organisation of society.
While working as a postdoctoral researcher at UCL, Professor Dame Anne McLaren (1927 – 2007) conducted some of her most innovative experiments with Professor John Biggers, developing techniques for cultivating mouse embryos in vitro (outside of the womb).
Upon moving to the Royal Veterinary College in 1958, the pair had their landmark breakthrough; demonstrating that mammalian embryos developed in vitro and implanted into surrogate mothers would result in a healthy birth. This discovery laid the foundations for the first successful clinical application of IVF, two decades later.
Born into a wealthy family, Anne was raised in wartime North Wales with little formal schooling. Yet she grew up in a vibrant intellectual household, frequented by figures such as author H. G. Wells, who inspired her early interests in science and socialism. Encouraged by her mother, she applied to study zoology at Oxford, earning a first-class degree and doctorate.
As a student she became active in the peace movement, along with her husband and collaborator Donald Michie. She remained politically engaged for the rest of her life, campaigning for social justice in the UK and internationally.
In 1959, following her postdoctoral work, Anne moved to Edinburgh, now divorced and raising her three children largely as a single parent. She understood the challenges faced by women in science and was dedicated to supporting their advancement. She co-founded the Association for Women in Science and Engineering (AWISE), becoming its president in 1995.
When I see the appalling problems that other women are having to face, not only in this country but all over the world, the contrast with my own life strikes me very forcibly.
She was deeply engaged with the ethical and social implications of emerging reproductive technologies, contributing to Pugwash and the Warnock Committee, and championing the involvement of the whole population in scientific decision-making.
Anne returned to UCL as director of the MRC’s Mammalian Development Unit (MDU), a post specifically created for her. She remained there for the next 18 years. She also became the first woman to hold office in the Royal Society’s 330-year history, becoming its Foreign Secretary in 1991 and, a year later, its Vice President.
Anne believed that science should be used to shape a better world, and her work has transformed countless lives. In the words of her daughter:
She was interested in finding out about every aspect of and every interconnection within the cycle of life that links one generation to the next. Anne always believed that science did not exist in a vacuum but should be used for the benefit of humanity.
She believed in taking science to the people and in engaging the breadth of society in shaping the scientific agenda.
Sources and explore further
- Anne Laura Dorinthea McLaren DBE. 26 April 1927—7 July 2007, Biogr. Mems Fell. R. Soc.74: 309–33 (2023)
- Dame Anne McLaren, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge
