Professor William Ledger
Professor William Ledger is a Radcliffe Common Room Member at Green Templeton College, University of Oxford. Professor Ledger is Head of Discipline of Women’s Health, Faculty of Medicine at the University of New South Wales, Director of Reproductive Medicine and Senior Staff Specialist at the Royal Hospital for Women and a fertility specialist at City Fertility in Sydney. He founded the Fertility and Research Centre (FRC), a joint venture between University of New South Wales and South East Sydney Local Health District as a centre for translational research in reproductive biology and reproductive medicine.
The FRC has Australian Government funding to provide a Statewide service in oncofertility: preservation of sperm, oocytes and embryos for young people prior to gonadotoxic chemotherapy or radiotherapy. The centre is unique in Australia and is currently running three randomised trials, two observational studies and an early stage translational project to improve techniques for in vitro maturation of human oocytes. The work of the centre has generated two patents.
He is Chair of the RANZCOG Research Committee and a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Fertility Society of Australia. Recently, he was a member of an NHMRC Working Party to review national guidelines on ethics and ART and Chair of the MBS Working Party on costs of ART.
He is Chair of the Postgraduate Board of the Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, which manages Masters programs in Reproductive Medicine and in Women’s Health Medicine. He is author of 344 journal articles and 17 books (6 authored, 11 edited). He supervises Honours and PhD students and is actively involved in clinical training of junior clinicians.
Professor Ledger was a medical student and DPhil student at Christ Church and Green College University of Oxford, being one of the earliest students at the newly formed college. Following graduation and award of DPhil in 1983, his research and medical training was at the Jessop Hospital for Women, University of Sheffield, Simpson Memorial Maternity Pavilion, University of Edinburgh and Queen Elizabeth Hospital, University of Adelaide.
He returned to Oxford as Reader in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Oxford/ John Radcliffe Hospital from 1993 to 1999. During this time he was a Fellow and Dean of Green College. He then took the position of Professor in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Sheffield. He was a Member of the UK Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, Chair of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Examinations and Assessment Committee and a Member of Council and Vice President of the RCOG. He moved to Sydney in 2011
His research interests focus on in vitro fertilisation and assisted reproduction, impacts of reproductive ageing and disorders such as endometriosis, premature ovarian failure and polycystic ovary syndrome on fertility and quality of life, reproductive effects of cancer treatment and onco-fertility and health economic and demographic aspects of infertility.
