How it all started.
The Howard and Georgeanna Jones Institute for Reproductive Medicine in Norfolk, Virginia, was established by its founders in 1983 as advancements were made in in vitro fertilization. In 1984, the Howard and Georgeanna Jones Foundation for Reproductive Medicine was established to provide financial and advisory support to the Institute. The Foundation is no longer exclusively associated with the Jones Institute. In 2009, the Foundation expanded its focus to support scientists and organizations across the country.
Our co-founders, Drs. Howard and Georgeanna Jones, provided training to numerous physicians in assisted reproductive technology. They provided training to numerous physicians, which indirectly led to the birth of over 250,000 IVF babies in the United States, including more than 3,800 infants born from treatments at the Jones Institute.
In 1978, British doctors Robert Edwards and Patrick Steptoe successfully achieved the conception of the world's first IVF baby. On the same day as Louise Brown's birth in England, Drs. Howard and Georgeanna Jones relocated to Norfolk. When a local newspaper reporter inquired if the in vitro fertilization procedure could be carried out in Norfolk, the Joneses confirmed that it was possible.
OUR STORY
Elizabeth Carr's birth in 1981 marked a significant advancement in the field of reproductive medicine, paving the way for the innovative work that would be carried out at the newly established Institute.
A team of young scientists, backed by financial support from a former patient, formed and leveraged the advancements in hormonal stimulation pioneered by Dr. Georgeanna Jones. This team spearheaded the implementation of in vitro fertilization at Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS). In December 1981, Judy Carr gave birth to Elizabeth Carr, the first test tube baby born in the United States. The Joneses and their team of physicians continued to achieve notable milestones, leading to the establishment of the Howard and Georgeanna Jones Institute for Reproductive Medicine in 1983 at an EVMS-sponsored symposium.
The field of assisted reproductive technologies has expanded to include various advanced techniques such as ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection), PGD (preimplantation genetic diagnosis), GIFT (gamete intrafallopian transfer), donor egg programs, and surrogacy. The rapid technological advancements in the 1980s and 1990s propelled the Institute to the forefront of this field, enabling it to make significant progress in translational medical research which is now globally pursued.
