James Barry's legacy: 200th anniversary of the first successful caesarean section and a tale of three cities Celebrate the 200th anniversary of Barry’s ground breaking Caesarean, exploring legacy in Cork, Edinburgh, Cape Town, & gender in medicine.About the conferenceBorn in Cork as Margaret Ann Bulkley, James Barry adopted a male identity to attend the University of Edinburgh, graduating in 1812 with a medical degree when women were barred from study. As a distinguished army surgeon, Barry moved to Cape Town in 1816, serving as Colonial Medical Inspector and improving healthcare for both soldiers and civilians. In 1826, Barry performed the first recorded Caesarean section by a European physician in Africa where both mother and child survived, a milestone in surgical history. Upon Barry's death in 1865, it was discovered that Barry had been assigned female at birth, challenging 19th-century gender norms. This international conference will celebrate Barry’s impact across Cork, Edinburgh, and Cape Town - three cities central to Barry’s story. The conference is being held across 3 locations (Cork, Ireland, Edinburgh, Scotland, and Cape Town, South Africa), with in person and online attendance options.There is a YouTube video describing the event: https://youtu.be/dHiWJJLblTgProgramme details for the whole event (including Cork and Cape Town, and their online registration details) can be found here: https://www.ucc.ie/en/npec/newsevents/2026conference/The Edinburgh portion of the conference programme will reflect on milestones in reproductive research and gender in medicine, with contributions from the University of Edinburgh, and NHS Lothian. The in-person component of the Edinburgh portion will be held in Shirley Hall in the Chancellor’s Building at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.Event Schedule09.30 Refreshments on arrival09.45 Welcome and Introduction Prof. Andrew Horne10.00 A scandalously short history of gender and medicine in Edinburgh Dr Karissa Patton10.30 Creating a new global community – healthy pregnancies, healthy world. Obstetric research and innovation from Edinburgh in 2026 Dr Rosemary Townsend11.00 Coffee break (digital poster boards will display selected posters)11.30 Pathways to parenthood for the trans person Prof. Richard Anderson and Dr Karen Edgar12.00 Widening participation at the University of Edinburgh: Understanding and overcoming contemporary barriers to medicine Lesley Stokes12.40 Closing remarks Prof. Andrew Horne12.45 Lunch & digital poster viewing13.30 End Jun 26 2026 09.30 - 13.30 James Barry's legacy: 200th anniversary of the first successful caesarean section and a tale of three cities Celebrate the 200th anniversary of Barry’s groundbreaking caesarean, exploring legacy in Cork, Edinburgh, Cape Town, and gender in medicine. In person: Shirley Hall, Chancellor's Building 49 Little France Crescent Edinburgh EH14 4SB Online: A joining link will be sent to online participants prior to the event Book your place via Eventbrite
James Barry's legacy: 200th anniversary of the first successful caesarean section and a tale of three cities Celebrate the 200th anniversary of Barry’s ground breaking Caesarean, exploring legacy in Cork, Edinburgh, Cape Town, & gender in medicine.About the conferenceBorn in Cork as Margaret Ann Bulkley, James Barry adopted a male identity to attend the University of Edinburgh, graduating in 1812 with a medical degree when women were barred from study. As a distinguished army surgeon, Barry moved to Cape Town in 1816, serving as Colonial Medical Inspector and improving healthcare for both soldiers and civilians. In 1826, Barry performed the first recorded Caesarean section by a European physician in Africa where both mother and child survived, a milestone in surgical history. Upon Barry's death in 1865, it was discovered that Barry had been assigned female at birth, challenging 19th-century gender norms. This international conference will celebrate Barry’s impact across Cork, Edinburgh, and Cape Town - three cities central to Barry’s story. The conference is being held across 3 locations (Cork, Ireland, Edinburgh, Scotland, and Cape Town, South Africa), with in person and online attendance options.There is a YouTube video describing the event: https://youtu.be/dHiWJJLblTgProgramme details for the whole event (including Cork and Cape Town, and their online registration details) can be found here: https://www.ucc.ie/en/npec/newsevents/2026conference/The Edinburgh portion of the conference programme will reflect on milestones in reproductive research and gender in medicine, with contributions from the University of Edinburgh, and NHS Lothian. The in-person component of the Edinburgh portion will be held in Shirley Hall in the Chancellor’s Building at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.Event Schedule09.30 Refreshments on arrival09.45 Welcome and Introduction Prof. Andrew Horne10.00 A scandalously short history of gender and medicine in Edinburgh Dr Karissa Patton10.30 Creating a new global community – healthy pregnancies, healthy world. Obstetric research and innovation from Edinburgh in 2026 Dr Rosemary Townsend11.00 Coffee break (digital poster boards will display selected posters)11.30 Pathways to parenthood for the trans person Prof. Richard Anderson and Dr Karen Edgar12.00 Widening participation at the University of Edinburgh: Understanding and overcoming contemporary barriers to medicine Lesley Stokes12.40 Closing remarks Prof. Andrew Horne12.45 Lunch & digital poster viewing13.30 End Jun 26 2026 09.30 - 13.30 James Barry's legacy: 200th anniversary of the first successful caesarean section and a tale of three cities Celebrate the 200th anniversary of Barry’s groundbreaking caesarean, exploring legacy in Cork, Edinburgh, Cape Town, and gender in medicine. In person: Shirley Hall, Chancellor's Building 49 Little France Crescent Edinburgh EH14 4SB Online: A joining link will be sent to online participants prior to the event Book your place via Eventbrite
Jun 26 2026 09.30 - 13.30 James Barry's legacy: 200th anniversary of the first successful caesarean section and a tale of three cities Celebrate the 200th anniversary of Barry’s groundbreaking caesarean, exploring legacy in Cork, Edinburgh, Cape Town, and gender in medicine.
