ARCS Awards
ARCS offers the following awards throughout the year to recognize excellence and innovation in the field of reproductive health, encompassing various aspects from research and patient care to organisational achievements. These awards celebrate individuals and research projects that have made significant contributions to improving fertility treatments, support and outcomes.
The Brian Setchell Medal
The Brian Setchell Medal was introduced in 2007 to commemorate 30 years of the British Andrology Society (BAS) being a learned society & to recognise outstanding contributions to the field of Andrology. Brian Setchell was a founding member of the BAS with a long illustrious career in the field of andrology. ARCS continues to support The Brian Setchell Medal and recognise outstanding contributions to the field of Andrology.
Professor Brian Setchell
Professor Brian Setchell has a long-standing interest in the physiology, biochemistry and endocrinology of the testes and epididymis with particular reference to the blood-testes barrier, testicular fluids and blood flow, the descent of the testis, cryptorchidism and the effects of motility, fertilising ability, and the development of embryos in normal females made pregnancy by males whose testes had been heated.
Until the end of 1996, he was Professor of Animal Sciences in the Faculty of Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences at eh Waite Campus and spent 1997-8 as a Nobel Foundation Fellow and 2000 as a STINT fellow at the Paediatric Endocrinology Unit, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm. He has published a book ‘The Mammalian Testis’, and 69 major reviews and chapters in books, 136 original research articles, and 203 abstracts on the work of his group, as well as translations of de Graaf’s two books on Male and Female Reproductive Organs. He was given the Distinguished Andrologist award for 1997 by the American Society of Andrology.
Previous recipients of the Brian Setchell Medal are:
Claire Gillott Prize
This award was set up in 2008, in Claire’s honour to recognise an individual every year that has delivered an outstanding contribution to their place of work. This can be for any reason, perhaps for research, leadership, service development, or for being an amazing & supportive team member. Nominees are put forward by ARCS members and the Executive committee vote on the winner which is awarded at the annual Fertility Conference. The recipient receives registration, dinner & accommodation at the ARCS Symposium.
Claire Gillott
Claire Gillott was an exceptional leader and a true professional in the field of embryology. She began her career during the formative years of UK clinical embryology and found her feet under the guidance of Professor Gedis Gruzinskas at The Royal London Hospital, where her passion for reproductive science quickly became evident. Claire’s expertise and dedication was not only appreciated in the UK, but her work with clinics overseas continued to advance clinical standards and share her knowledge globally.
As Laboratory Manager at St Bartholomew’s Hospital Centre for Reproductive Medicine, Claire led with vision and compassion. She was deeply committed to supporting her team and fostering collaboration across disciplines. Under her leadership, the embryology team worked hand in hand with nursing and clinical colleagues, setting a benchmark for multidisciplinary excellence in patient care.
Claire was not only respected within her own team but admired throughout the UK IVF community. She championed initiatives to strengthen and support other IVF teams, ensuring best practices were upheld across the country. Her influence extended far beyond the laboratory—she inspired those around her with her professionalism, kindness, and unwavering dedication. Her legacy lives on in the countless professionals she mentored and the patients whose lives were touched by her commitment to excellence. Claire Gillott will always be remembered as a leader, a visionary, and a cherished member of our field.
Previous recipients of the Claire Gillott Prize are:
Andy Glew People’s Prize
A prize launched in 2021 in honour of Andy Glew, a giant in the field of embryology. This is awarded annually at the ARCS Symposium to the most promising and engaging early career presenter. The prize winner receives free registration and accommodation for the following ARCS Summer Symposium.
Andy Glew
Andy was undoubtedly a giant in the field of Embryology. He was a founder member of the Association of Clinical Embryologist (ACE) and a member of its first executive committee. For many years, as an external HFEA inspector, he helped to ensure that clinics operated within HFEA guidelines and the law. Andy was responsible for introducing many innovative changes and a man of great vision. He thought of a system to prevent the accidental mix up of gametes between patients in IVF and approached an instrument manufacturing company with his ideas. This saw the birth of “IVF Witness” the first electronic tagging system in the UK. This was announced in a presentation at the Annual American Society for Reproductive Medicine in Louisiana in 2006.
As embryologists, Andy & his wife Sarah dreamt of building a clinic in Chelmsford and together they achieved their dream. Andy was dedicated to supporting patients and was immensely proud of Simply Fertility and the team that looked after their patients and colleagues with such passion and dedication.
Previous recipients of the Andy Glew Prize are:
Iwan-Lewis Jones Prize
Professor Iwan Lewis-Jones Memorial Prize is to remember his support for patients, his incredible gift for teaching students and, of course, his speciality of male fertility. Iwan Lewis-Jones Young Scientist Prize is awarded for the best oral scientific presentation in Andrology. Sponsored by the patient organisation Fertility Network UK.
Iwan-Lewis Jones
Professor Iwan Lewis-Jones was both an exceptional teacher and clinician and had a tremendous impact on many people. He was a national lead in the field of andrology and training junior doctors in fertility medicine. As a popular lecturer, students appreciated Iwan’s insight and attention to detail which helped ensure any struggling students were supported and helped back on track. Iwan was instrumental in the foundation of the Hewitt Fertility Centre, which is now part of the Liverpool Women’s Hospital, and it is very fitting that the first two prizes were awarded at the Fertility 2018 Conference in Liverpool.
Iwan was also a passionate supporter of the patient charity Fertility Network UK which his wife, Clare Lewis-Jones, ran for over 30 years. When Iwan passed, Clare and the family asked that donations be made to the charity. Fertility Network UK is proud to remember him by using those donations to sponsor two prizes in his honour.
Previous recipients of the Iwan-Lewis Jones Prize are:
Jean Purdy Prize
The Jean Purdy Prize is awarded by ARCS at the annual Fertility Conference, specifically for the pre-registration oral presentations. The prize is named in honour of Jean Purdy, a key figure in the development of in vitro fertilization. The award recognizes outstanding contributions from pre-registration scientists and researchers in the field of reproductive science. This prize helps to highlight the importance of all team members involved in pioneering scientific advancements and ensures that their contributions are not forgotten.
Jean Purdy
Jean Purdy was a British nurse and clinical embryologist who worked alongside Robert Edwards and Patrick Steptoe in the development of IVF. She was a key member of the team at Bourn Hall Clinic and was instrumental in the fertilization process of the first IVF baby, Louise Brown. She defined the embryologist role, described the early human blastocyst, and co-authored numerous papers, making essential contributions to the processes now standard in fertility treatments.
She is remembered as a determined scientist and compassionate figure who supported patients, making IVF a robust medical treatment. The British Royal Society of Biology recently acknowledged her contribution by adding her name to a plaque alongside Edwards and Steptoe.
Previous recipients of the Jean Purdy Prize are:
Bob Edwards Memorial Lecture
The Bob Edwards Memorial Lecture is a lecture at the annual fertility conference held in honour of Robert Geoffrey Edwards, a British physiologist and Nobel laureate who is best known for his pioneering work in IVF. These lectures commemorate his significant contributions to reproductive biology and medicine and often focus on advancements and future directions in the field. The lectures highlight the scientific advancements made in the field of reproductive medicine since Edwards’s pioneering work and acknowledge the impact of IVF on millions of people worldwide. These are typically delivered by leading scientists and researchers in the field, showcasing the latest developments and perspectives.
Bob Edwards
Professor Sir Robert Geoffrey Edwards, was a British physiologist and a pioneer in the development of IVF. He is best known for his work with Patrick Steptoe, which led to the birth of the first IVF baby, Louise Brown, in 1978. Edwards was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2010 for his contributions to the development of IVF. Edwards dedicated over a decade to researching and developing the techniques for IVF. Following the success of Louise Brown’s birth, Edwards and Steptoe established the Bourn Hall Clinic in Cambridgeshire in 1980, which became the first IVF clinic. Edwards’s work has had a profound impact, enabling millions of couples worldwide to have children through IVF.
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