Reproduction

Topic description and stories

From exploring ancient ideas of generation to understanding new frontiers in fertility, Cambridge researchers are working across disciplines to study reproduction from multiple perspectives.

"Reproduction matters to us all": latest issue of Horizons magazine

20 November 2020

Professor Kathy Niakan talks about why it’s vital to take a multidisciplined approach to understanding the urgent challenges posed by reproduction today – and introduces our Spotlight on some of this work, highlighted in the latest issue of Cambridge's Horizons magazine.

‘Battle of the sexes’ begins in womb as father and mother’s genes tussle over nutrition

27 Dec 2021

Cambridge scientists have identified a key signal that the fetus uses to control its supply of nutrients from the placenta in a tug-of-war between...

Human embryo in the lab 9 days after fertilisation.

Study identifies trigger for ‘head-to-tail’ axis development in human embryo

17 Jun 2021

Scientists have identified key molecular events in the developing human embryo between days 7 and 14 - one of the most mysterious, yet critical...

Scientists can predict which women will have serious pregnancy complications

08 Jun 2021

Women who will develop potentially life-threatening disorders during pregnancy can be identified early when hormone levels in the placenta are tested...

Simple treatment during pregnancy can protect baby from memory problems in later life, study in rats suggests

21 Apr 2021

A new study in laboratory rats has discovered a direct link between low oxygen in the womb and impaired memory function in the adult offspring. It...

Giving life to research

19 Mar 2021

A special online symposium will celebrate the archive of IVF pioneer, Sir Robert Edwards, and seek ways that this extraordinary archive can be used...

Medieval English Birth Scroll. MS.632 (c. 1500), Wellcome Collection, Credit: Image courtesy of Wellcome Collection

Medieval ‘birthing girdle’ parchment was worn during labour, study suggests

10 Mar 2021

Scientists have used emerging proteomic techniques to find traces of ancient vaginal fluid, honey and milk on a rare manuscript from the late 15th...

Tales from the edge of modern fertilities

15 Dec 2020

A major research project sees sociologists situated at emerging hot spots of reproductive change, investigating the new ‘haves and have-nots’ in our...

Surviving birth

10 Dec 2020

Researchers at one of the busiest maternity hospitals in the world aim to help more women survive complications giving birth.

(When) are you going to have children?

01 Dec 2020

The decision about if and when to have children can be one of the most significant many people will ever make. But – for those who have the choice –...