The team

Professor Peter Braude

BSc MB BCh MA PhD FRCOG DPMSA FMedSci
Director of the Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis Programme

I am the Director of the PGD service and coordinate the work of this large and effective team. I offer medical care directly to couples coming through PGD treatment. I am responsible for our Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA)| research licences, and oversee the academic and research part of the team. I strive to ensure that our centre continues to provide good evidence-based medical treatment and that we continue to lead in the field .

Mr Yacoub Khalaf

I am head of the Assisted Conception Unit| which treats both fertility and PGD patients. I am also the Person Responsible to the HFEA| for making sure that the unit complies with the requirements of the Law and HFEA rules. I provide medical care during PGD treatment cycles.

Dr Jan Grace

Consultant in Reproductive Medicine

I see patients at second appointments to get them ready to start treatment, and see them for follow up. I am involved in planning and monitoring cycles and perform egg collections and embryo transfers.

Dr Tarek El-Toukhy

MD MRCOG

Consultant in Reproductive Medicine

I am one of the consultants within the PGD team and am based in the ACU. I see patients to prepare them for their treatment cycle, look after them throughout their cycle and perform their egg collections and embryo transfers. I am responsible for reporting the results of our PGD cycles to the team and to the ESHRE PGD Consortium regularly.

Alison Lashwood

I am a trained nurse and genetic counsellor. I have worked within the PGD team from the beginning and have helped to develop the service over the years. I am responsible for the organisation of the PGD process and I see couples in clinic to discuss the procedure and what is involved so that they can make a decision about whether they wish to proceed.

Dr Frances Flinter

Consultant Clinical Geneticist and Caldicott Guardian

I see couples to discuss the genetic diagnosis in their families and possible ways that we could help them have healthy children in the future.

Sarah Ross and Sara Levene

Sarah is a trained nurse who specialises in genetics and Sara is a trained genetic Counsellor. We work together with Alison Lashwood, Frances Flinter amd Genevieve Say within the Genetics arm of the PGD service. We see couples with genetic conditions who have been referred for PGD to discuss what is involved in treatment. If they wish to proceed we organise the laboratory analysis and help make an application for funding for treatment. We are also available for support before, during and after treatment.

Pamela Renwick

Consultant Clinical Scientist

I have over 17 years experience of working in a diagnostic molecular genetics laboratory and I have been involved with clinical PGD for the past 11 years. I now lead the molecular genetics team which performs DNA amplification based tests for monogenic disease. I was responsible for the development and introduction of the Preimplantation Genetic Haplotyping approach in 2006, which we now use routinely. I advise the team on the testing for monogenic disease.

Dr Paul Scriven

Consultant Cytogeneticist

Clinical Scientist and visiting Research Fellow, Medical & Molecular Genetics, King’s College London. I have 25 years experience in Cytogenetics including 15 years in Clinical PGD. I advise the team on testing for chromosome rearrangements.

Dr Caroline Ogilvie

Consultant Cytogeneticist

I am a consultant scientist within the Cytogenetics Department. I have been part of the PGD team from the beginning. I have helped to develop both the FISH service for chromosome rearrangements and the PGH service for monogenic diseases.

Dr Elaine Ronaldson and Jane Trussler

We work as part of a team of scientists involved in providing the PGD service and our work involves designing and optimising molecular diagnostic assays for genetic disorders.  These tests are initially used to determine whether families can be offered PGD and subsequently in the analysis of a single cell following embryo biopsy. If required, we can see patients to discuss these results.

Toby Kirby

Cytogenetics Medical Technical Officer

I sort the biopsied blastomeres onto slides, set up the  FISH  tests, and analyse the results using a fluorescence microscope.

Assisted Conception Unit nurses

Back row, left to right:
Regina Metzger, Maria Cuento
Front row, left to right:
Rachel Dyer 
Julie Rigelsford 

We form part of a team of 8 nurses who look after both the unit's infertility and PGD patients. We take some of your scans, teach you how to take the medication and look after you during and after the procedures involved in treatment. We also offer support and advice by telephone.

Assisted Conception Unit Embryologists

The embryologists work in the clinical embryology laboratories.

Back row, left to right:
Fiona O'Mahony, Alison Jones, Dr Ahmed Kamal, Eleanor Wharf

Front row, left to right:
Sara Norton, Dr Virginia Bolton, Sandeep Kumari

Vacant

PGD Coordinator, Centre for PGD

I am the Coordinator for the Centre for PGD and am based in the Assisted Conception Unit|. I will help to secure PCT funding for your treatment where possible and organise your initial consultation with the PGD doctors when you are ready to start treatment. I will be your main point of liaison between the doctors, nurses and embryologists from first consultation throughout the treatment cycle and until pregnancy tests and outcome.