Find cutting edge cancer clinical trials near you using the new Victorian Cancer Trials Link.

Search now

Dr Gook’s career history in women’s fertility

1989

Dr Debra Gook embarks on a career to preserve women’s fertility after her close friend’s cancer treatment destroys her option to have children.

Dr Gook convinces her boss to let her study the mechanics of egg-freezing – something considered almost impossible at the time.

1990

Dr Gook discovers a process for successfully freezing eggs.

Her next challenge is overcoming Victoria’s laws around embryonic research, forcing her to move to Sydney and then California. After relocating twice, she finishes her experiments with success.

1994

Dr Gook opens the world’s first egg bank at the Royal Women’s Hospital – freezing eggs for women with cancer.

1994

Dr Gook starts working on techniques for freezing ovarian tissue . The delay required for egg freezing is prohibiting women needing urgent cancer treatment from using the technology.

A better strategy for both girls and women whose fertility is threatened by urgent cancer treatment is freezing ovarian tissue .

1997

Under her guidance, an Italian IVF clinic enables the first birth of a baby using new methods of egg freezing.

2004

Thanks to the work of Dr Gook and other researchers, the first baby conceived from the transplantation of frozen and thawed ovarian tissue is born.

To date, this process has led to 140 successful births.

Join 101 Women Against Cancer to support Dr Gook’s pioneering work.