Georgeanna Seegar Jones
Encyclopedia
Georgeanna Seegar Jones was part of the husband and wife team which pioneered in vitro fertilization in the United States. Her husband was Dr. Howard Jones.
She was one of the United States' first reproductive endocrinologists. She was best known for her work with in vitro fertilization, but is also credited with numerous other discoveries, one of which allowed women with a history of miscarriages to carry their children full term. Dr. Jones authored several textbooks and more than 350 infertility research papers.
and later her medical degree from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 1936. She became the director of Johns Hopkins' Laboratory of Reproductive Physiology and was the Gynecologist-in-Charge of the hospital's gynecologic endocrinology clinic in 1939.
As a resident at Johns Hopkins, she discovered that the pregnancy hormone hCG
was manufactured by the placenta
, not the pituitary gland
as originally thought. This discovery led to the development of many of the early over-the-counter pregnancy test kits currently available. Dr. Jones is also credited with using progesterone
to treat women with a history of miscarriages, thus allowing many of them to not only conceive, but to deliver healthy babies.
to teach at the newly founded Eastern Virginia Medical School
.
Shortly after their arrival in Virginia, the world was shocked by the announcement of the world's first in vitro fertilization birth in 1978 by a British team of doctors and scientists.
The Drs. Jones began work on the first IVF project in the United States, funded primarily by a $5000 grant. On December 28, 1981, their work culminated in the first US IVF birth; it was, importantly, the first to use controlled ovarian hyperstimulation. The birth of Elizabeth Jordan Carr
, the first American "test tube baby" helped change the lives of many women who, prior to IVF were unable to conceive.
She was one of the United States' first reproductive endocrinologists. She was best known for her work with in vitro fertilization, but is also credited with numerous other discoveries, one of which allowed women with a history of miscarriages to carry their children full term. Dr. Jones authored several textbooks and more than 350 infertility research papers.
Birth
She was born July 6, 1912 in Baltimore, Maryland and obtained her B.A. from Goucher CollegeGoucher College
Goucher College is a private, co-educational, liberal arts college located in the northern Baltimore suburb of Towson in unincorporated Baltimore County, Maryland, on a 287 acre campus. The school has approximately 1,475 undergraduate students studying in 31 majors and six interdisciplinary...
and later her medical degree from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 1936. She became the director of Johns Hopkins' Laboratory of Reproductive Physiology and was the Gynecologist-in-Charge of the hospital's gynecologic endocrinology clinic in 1939.
As a resident at Johns Hopkins, she discovered that the pregnancy hormone hCG
Human chorionic gonadotropin
Human chorionic gonadotropin or human chorionic gonadotrophin is a glycoprotein hormone produced during pregnancy that is made by the developing embryo after conception and later by the syncytiotrophoblast .. Some tumors make this hormone; measured elevated levels when the patient is not...
was manufactured by the placenta
Placenta
The placenta is an organ that connects the developing fetus to the uterine wall to allow nutrient uptake, waste elimination, and gas exchange via the mother's blood supply. "True" placentas are a defining characteristic of eutherian or "placental" mammals, but are also found in some snakes and...
, not the pituitary gland
Pituitary gland
In vertebrate anatomy the pituitary gland, or hypophysis, is an endocrine gland about the size of a pea and weighing 0.5 g , in humans. It is a protrusion off the bottom of the hypothalamus at the base of the brain, and rests in a small, bony cavity covered by a dural fold...
as originally thought. This discovery led to the development of many of the early over-the-counter pregnancy test kits currently available. Dr. Jones is also credited with using progesterone
Progesterone
Progesterone also known as P4 is a C-21 steroid hormone involved in the female menstrual cycle, pregnancy and embryogenesis of humans and other species...
to treat women with a history of miscarriages, thus allowing many of them to not only conceive, but to deliver healthy babies.
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
She continued working in reproductive medicine until the 1970s, when Johns Hopkins enforced its mandatory retirement clause, forcing both Dr. Jones and her husband, Dr. Howard W. Jones, Jr., out of the hospital. The Drs. Jones moved to NorfolkNorfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
to teach at the newly founded Eastern Virginia Medical School
Eastern Virginia Medical School
Eastern Virginia Medical School commonly referred to as EVMS, in Norfolk, Virginia is a public-private medical school founded by the citizens of Hampton Roads, Virginia...
.
Shortly after their arrival in Virginia, the world was shocked by the announcement of the world's first in vitro fertilization birth in 1978 by a British team of doctors and scientists.
The Drs. Jones began work on the first IVF project in the United States, funded primarily by a $5000 grant. On December 28, 1981, their work culminated in the first US IVF birth; it was, importantly, the first to use controlled ovarian hyperstimulation. The birth of Elizabeth Jordan Carr
Elizabeth Jordan Carr
Elizabeth Jordan Carr was the United States' first baby born from the in-vitro fertilization procedure and the 15th in the world. The technique was conducted at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk under the direction of Doctors Howard Jones and Georgeanna Seegar Jones, who were the first to...
, the first American "test tube baby" helped change the lives of many women who, prior to IVF were unable to conceive.