Original team members: Rhonda Biedlingmaier, Dr. Richard Worley, Bonnie O’Brien, Dr. William Keye

On September 20, 2008, the University of Utah celebrated the 25th anniversary of IVF at the University.

The University of Utah In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) program was established in 1982 and the first procedures were conducted in 1983. The original members of the IVF team included Ronald L. Urry, Ph.D, A. Marsh Poulson, Jr. M.D., William R. Keye, M.D., Richard J. Worley, M.D., and Rhonda (Bench) Biedlingmaier, R.N, C.N.M., and Marjorie Allen. Dr. Kirtly P. Jones and Dr. Doug Carrell joined the team soon after its inception.

The first IVF procedures were performed after a visit from Dr. Keye, Dr. Poulson and Dr. Urry to Australia to observe, learn, and train to perform the techniques of in vitro fertilization.  After constructing the IVF laboratory and setting up equipment, policies, and procedures, the first IVF procedure was performed in Utah in March 1983. The first pregnancy was obtained shortly after, in June 1983, with a healthy baby girl delivered in February 1984.

 The first pregnancy from cryopreserved embryos at the University of Utah occurred in 1993.  The first micromanipulation pregnancy in Utah occurred in December 1991, with the first ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection) pregnancy in March 1996. The first pregnancy following IVF with preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) was in 2000.

The University of Utah IVF program has contributed broadly to the current practice of IVF throughout the world, including groundbreaking research studies on clinical IVF procedures, in vitro oocyte maturation, and genetic aspects of uterine anomalies, PCOS and endometriosis. The laboratory has become a renowned leader in the field of genetic aspects of male infertility, the contributions of sperm to normal embryogenesis, and embryo culture techniques.

Since the inception of the University of Utah IVF program 25 years ago, over 2500 children have been born as a result of the program and the efforts of all involved. Many thousands of couples have received compassionate care by the staff during the 25 years of service of the IVF program.

Dr. Richard Worley, Dr. C. Matthew Peterson, Dr. Doug Carrell,  Dr. Kirtly Jones, Dr. Mark Gibson, Dr. Ahmad Hammoud, Dr. Harry Hatasaka, Dr. William Keye