Endocrine Abstracts

Alan McNeilly, MRC Human Reproduction Sciences Unit, Edinburgh, UK Abstract

After graduating from Nottingham (BSc) and Reading (PhD) Universities with degrees in animal physiology, Dr McNeilly joined Tim Chard at Barts for 4 years developing gonadotrophin and prolactin assays for clinical application. During those 4 years he gained experience in clinical endocrinology. Collaborations with Roger Short and David Baird led to a transfer in 1976 to the MRC Reproductive Biology Unit in Edinburgh after a year's sabbatical in Winnipeg with Henry Friesen, the inventor of human prolactin. His research has focused on the pituitary control of ovarian function. There have been many exciting developments including the role of breastfeeding in regulating fertility, the application of inhibin assays, and utilizing transgenic animals and, in particular, sheep, to understand the role of gonadotrophins and growth factors in the maturation of the follicle, and control of pituitary development and function. The role of prolactin has remained a background feature of the research as has research in a wide range of species, and new developments in imaging have added tremendously to the research programme. The MRC has provided continuous support for his research to understand how things work and he has collaborated with many excellent friends around the world.