Celebrations at the University of Cambridge honour the life, work and legacy of Sir Robert Edwards, whose work revolutionised fertility treatment through the invention of in vitro fertilisation.
The placenta and the hormones it produces may have played a crucial role in the evolution of the human brain, while also leading to the behavioural traits that have made human societies able to thrive and expand, according to a new hypothesis proposed by researchers from the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford.
A study in mice has found that the bacteria Bifidobacterium breve in the mother’s gut during pregnancy supports healthy brain development in the fetus.
Five Cambridge researchers join the community of over 2,100 leading life scientists today as the European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO) announces its newest Members in its 60th anniversary year.
The University of Cambridge, in partnership with the Progress Educational Trust, has led work to create the first ever UK guidelines for the generation and use of stem cell-based embryo models in research.
Eight researchers from the University of Cambridge have won European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator Grants
New model embryo, using mouse stem cells, reaches a further point in development than has been achieved in any other stem cell-derived model.
Researchers studying mice have found the first evidence of how a mother’s gut microbes can help in the development of the placenta, and the healthy growth of the baby.
Scientists have identified the biochemical signals that control the emergence of the body pattern in the primate embryo. This will guide work to understand birth defects and pregnancy loss in humans.
The nine Cambridge researchers were all selected for their exceptional contributions to science.
© 2026 University of Cambridge