Tributes pour in for beloved Bournemouth University lecturer who died from cancer

Bournemouth University is mourning the loss of Dr. Elpida Fragouli, a beloved and respected lecturer in biomedical science.

Dr Elpida passed away at the end of December 2023 after a short battle with cancer.

Tributes have since poured in, with longtime collaborator to Dr. Fragouli, Professor Joyce Harper, writing in ESHRE News: “Elpida will be missed by many of us on a personal level and leaves a huge gap in the field.”

Dr. Fragouli has been a key scientist in the PGT field for over two decades. Her contributions to academic and clinical literature has been of huge importance and she was “responsible for the development and validation of several key PGT techniques.”

“It is with great sadness that Elpida Fragouli passed away after a very short illness due to cancer at the end of December 2023.She has been a key scientist in the field of PGT for over 20 years. Her contribution to the academic and clinical literature has been of global importance….  She leaves behind her young son, Alexander.'”

Darren K. Griffin’s obituary on LinkedIn reads: “Born in Thessaloniki, Greece, Elpida was a graduate in Molecular Biology from the University of Surrey (BSc), and in Biochemistry from the University of Sussex MSc. She obtained another MSc from University College London. For her PhD in human genetics, she was supervised by Prof Joy Delhanty.”

Her research has played a vital role in the development of pre-implantation genetic testing, publishing over 150 scientific paper and serving as a member on the editorial boards of Human Reproduction, Fertility and Sterility and RBM Online.

Her work was highly celebrated; Dr. Fragouli won several awards including the New England Fertility Society-Pacific Coast Reproductive Society Exchange Prize for best submitted abstract (2007), Basic Science Award for oral presentation at ESHRE (2011), and the SART prize for oral presentation at ASRM, (2015).

Dr. Fragouli’s contributions will forever be remembered by all who had the privilege of knowing her. She will be remembered as the highly regarded academic and self proclaimed fashionista she was. Her memory will live on as an inspiration to her students, and her legacy will continue to influence the field of PGT for years to come.

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Featured image via LinkedIn