Emeritus Professor William Ledger

Qualifications: MA, DPhil (Oxon), MB, ChB, FRCOG, FRANZCOG, CREI

Professor William Ledger is the Head and Professor of the Discipline of Obstetrics & Gynaecology in the School of Women's & Children's Health. He is a senior fertility specialist, obstetrician and gynaecologist and was the Chair and Head of the Academic Unit for Reproductive and Developmental Medicine at the University of Sheffield, UK until 2011. 

Research Interests:  I am interested in all aspects of reproductive medicine and surgery. Research projects range from clinical studies to improve safety and efficacy of IVF to molecular biology of the implanting embryo. The over-arching theme of this aspect of our work is to assess the developmental impact of conception "in vitro" in comparison with natural conception. We study ectopic pregnancies obtained after salpingectomy, embryonic tissue and samples collected at delivery from cord blood and placenta. Collaborative studies include work on cost effectiveness and health economics of assisted conception, implantation and embryonic genomic activation as a model of carcinogenesis, fertility preservation for young patients with cancer, and management of recurrent implantation failure.

ILP Research Interests (Will supervise ILP students):   Reproduction

Project Topics for current Honours Students:   MicroRNAs in pregnancy and parturition

Teaching Interests:    We actively participate in all three phases of the undergraduate curriculum of the UNSW Medical School. I also supervise Honours and ILP students and postgraduates sitting Membership and CREI examinations.    

Society Memberships & Professional Activities:  Member of British Fertility Society, American Society for Reproductive Medicine, European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Royal Australian College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Medical Defence Union, Gynaecological Visiting Society,

Professional Activities:

Chair – Miscarriage Misdiagnosis Clinical Review Team. Irish Health Service Executive 2010 –
Member, Editorial Board, Clinical Endocrinology 2004 -
Member - Editorial Board, Current Obstetrics and Gynaecology 2001 –
Member – Editorial Board, British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 2003 –
Member – Editorial Board, Women’s Health 2006 -
Member – Editorial Board, Reproductive Biomedicine Online 2008 -
Member – Pituitary Foundation Clinical Advisory Committee

Research Keywords:

Assisted reproduction, particularly ‘Mild’ IVF, and gynaecological disorders including endometriosis,polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and premature menopause