Rate My Professor Stephen Franks

Professor Stephen Franks, MBBS, MD, is Emeritus Professor of Reproductive Endocrinology at Imperial College Faculty of Medicine, London. He trained in internal medicine and endocrinology, forging a distinguished career as a clinical academic who integrates laboratory-based research with clinical practice. Serving as Consultant Endocrinologist at St Mary’s Hospital and Hammersmith Hospital, Franks has directly translated his scientific insights into patient management for reproductive disorders. At Imperial College London, he has been deeply engaged in education, acting as Chair of Examiners and a key member of the organizing team for the MSc in Reproductive and Developmental Biology. He supervises laboratory projects, delivers tutorials, lectures on reproductive science, and teaches in undergraduate medicine clinics, emphasizing interactive sessions and evidence-based approaches informed by his dual research expertise.

Franks' research centers on reproductive endocrinology, with groundbreaking contributions to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), including its pathogenesis, diagnostic criteria, metabolic complications, and infertility treatments. He has co-authored pivotal international consensus statements, such as the Revised 2003 consensus on diagnostic criteria and long-term health risks related to PCOS (2004), Consensus on women’s health aspects of PCOS from the Amsterdam ESHRE/ASRM-sponsored 3rd PCOS Consensus Workshop Group (2012), Consensus on infertility treatment related to PCOS (2008), and the European Society of Endocrinology position statement on PCOS (2014). Seminal earlier works include studies on the prevalence of polycystic ovaries in anovulatory women and normal women (1986, 1988) and improvements in endocrine function during dietary treatment of obese women with PCOS (1992). His publications have amassed over 57,000 citations, profoundly influencing global guidelines and clinical practice. Recognized for his leadership, Franks received the Society for Endocrinology Jubilee Medal in 2023, having previously chaired the society, and the Androgen Excess and PCOS Society award in 2018. He serves on the editorial board of Reproduction and delivers influential lectures, including the Jubilee Medal Lecture.