Nelly Auersperg, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Nelly Auersperg, M.D., Ph.D., the 1997 recipient of the Society for In Vitro Biology (SIVB) Lifetime Achievement Award, passed away on January 15, 2023, at the age of ninety-four. In 1955, Dr. Auersberg graduated from the University of Washington with an M.D. degree. She then joined the Cancer Institute in Vancouver, British Columbia and established a research program aimed at establishing in vitro research models to study the growth and differentiation of cervical cancers. This innovative research program resulted in the development of the first human cervical cancer cell lines with defined differentiation. These research efforts contributed to the identification of HPV as the main cause of cervical cancer. In 1968, she graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Ph.D. in Zoology (Cell Biology). Dr. Auersperg remained at the University of British Columbia as an Associate Professor and was promoted to Professor in 1974. She continued her research in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of British Columbia after receiving Professor Emerita status in 1994. Since 1980 her research focused on ovarian epithelium biology. She first reported the culture of ovarian epithelium, and her research in this area included the following: growth regulation and differentiation, EMT, production and response to bioactive factors (autocrine/paracrine factors), effects of BRCA1 mutations, ovarian carcinogenesis, ovarian stem cells, and early detection markers. Her important research contributions are evident by her numerous peer-reviewed publications included on PubMed.
Dr. Auersperg joined the Tissue Culture Association/Society for in Vitro Biology in the 1960s. She was an active member of the Society and served as Secretary from 1975 – 1977. In 1997 she received the SIVB Lifetime Achievement Award which is the highest honor given to SIVB members who have made exemplary contributions to science, in vitro biology, and teaching.
The Society for In Vitro Biology sends their sincere condolences to the family and friends of Dr. Nelly Auersperg.
Submitted by Michael J. Fay
