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History
In 1980 Professor Winston began his pioneering work in a small laboratory housed in a portakabin in the grounds of Hammersmith Hospital. He and his team made a number of groundbreaking discoveries relating to the diseases and conditions affecting women and babies including the improvement of technology which resulted in a highly successful IVF service at the Hospital.
In 1985, Professor Winston and the team built on the success of the unit and founded the charity, Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Trust, which is now Genesis Research Trust. Their vision and objectives were to provide vital support for ground-breaking medical research and the training of scientists to find diagnosis and treatments of devastating conditions affecting women and babies.
In 1998, Professor Winston launched the Queen Charlotte’s Appeal, which raised over
£13 million to build and equip the most advanced research institute in Europe with space for over 130 scientists and doctors working tirelessly to improve the lives of future generations. The Institute is now named, Wolfson and Weston Research Institute for Family Health, after its major donors and also trains the largest number of female scientists in Europe empowering them to lead in this field.
Our successes include:
* One of the first screening programmes for cervical cancer
* One of the first pregnancy ultrasound screening programmes
* Early advances into placental physiology
* The prevention of premature labour
* Investigation into the genes involved in female cancers and embryo implantation
* The reduction of brain damage in babies born in a vulnerable state