Our Team

Iona is a postgraduate medical student with a background in nursing and a strong interest in reproductive medicine, sexual health, and women's health. Through her work in clinical practice, she has supported individuals and couples experiencing infertility and gained insight into the emotional, physical, and psychological impact it can have. These experiences have shaped her desire to contribute to better care, improved access to support, and meaningful progress in fertility research. Outside of medicine, she is a keen runner and values spending time with family and friends.

“I am involved in FRUK because I believe advancing research is essential to improving understanding, treatment options, and support for the rising number of individuals and couples affected by infertility. ”

Catriona Hepburn is a final year postgraduate medical student. She previously worked as a lawyer, initially in public law litigation before moving to the Civil Service to advise the UK Government on disability and health policy. She has experience volunteering across the third sector with an ongoing interest in gender and reproductive issues. She has continued that focus into her clinical practice and has spent time working with patients in the fields of fertility, obstetrics and gynaecology, most recently on a placement in New Zealand. She enjoys yoga, running and spending time outdoors.

Why are you involved in FRUK? “Both my legal and medical experience have demonstrated the need for high quality fertility research and recent personal experience of fertility services has reinforced my commitment to supporting improvement. ”

Hira is a PhD student at the University of Edinburgh, working within the Adams group at the Institute of Genetics and Cancer and the Davies group at the Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology. Her research aims to deepen our understanding of how errors in meiosis, the process that produces eggs and sperm, can result in miscarriage and infertility. Before starting her PhD, Hira worked as a Clinical Research Practitioner at St Thomas' Hospital in London, supporting clinical trials in pregnancy complications. She completed her Master's in Reproductive and Developmental Biology at Imperial College London in 2022. Outside of research, she enjoys running and playing the piano.

Why are you involved in FRUK? “I am passionate about addressing the rising infertility rates in the UK and believe that better-funded research is critically needed to overcome current barriers in the field and improve clinical outcomes for patients. ”

Janice Linne is a PhD student in the Adams lab at the University of Edinburgh and the Izsvák Lab at the Max Delbrück Center, investigating the genetic causes of infertility by studying chromosome segregation in early human embryos. Before she started her PhD, Janice worked for Novartis in Basel, Switzerland, and completed a Masters in Biomedicine at Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. Her master's thesis was conducted at the Harvard Medical School studying endometrial cancer which sparked her interest in the overall topic of reproductive health, and ultimately drove her to pursue a PhD in fertility research. Outside of the lab, she enjoys playing tennis, running and reading.

Why are you involved in FRUK? “I decided to volunteer with Fertility Research UK because I strongly believe that addressing the research gap surrounding infertility and advancing reproductive health requires not just scientific discovery but also systemic support for research and spreading awareness by bringing together researchers, clinicians, and people with lived experience. ”

Anton Petrov is a bioinformatician specialising in RNA biology. He has led widely used international data resources, including RNAcentral and Rfam, and coordinated multidisciplinary teams to develop tools and shared infrastructure for RNA research. His work has centred on curating, organising and maintaining RNA data for the research community. He is also co-founder of an RNA biotechnology startup developing data-driven approaches to RNA discovery. Outside work, he enjoys rowing and playing guitar.

“Having been personally affected by infertility, I feel strongly that advancing research is one of the most meaningful ways to improve outcomes, deepen understanding, and help reduce the impact of infertility for future families. ”

Joris Veltman is a Dutch human geneticist and Chair of Reproductive Genomics at the University of Edinburgh, where he also serves as Director of the Institute of Genetics and Cancer. His work has advanced understanding of the genetic causes of rare disease, and helped embed genomic approaches in clinical medicine. In 2016, he and Han Brunner received the King Faisal International Prize for Medicine. He was elected a Fellow of the UK Academy of Medical Sciences in 2021. Outside work he enjoys running and spending time with family and friends.

“I'm passionate about advancing fertility research, and I believe that setting up this charity will fill a critical funding gap—supporting high-impact studies and giving researchers the backing and opportunities they need to thrive in this vital biomedical field. ”

Margot Wyrwoll is a German clinician specialising in Clinical Genetics and Andrology. She works as a Senior Clinical Research Fellow at the Institute of Genetics and Cancer at the University of Edinburgh and as an honorary NHS Consultant in Clinical Genetics. She has identified several genetic causes of infertility and has translated these discoveries into clinical practice. Outside of work, she is a keen runner and loves spending time in nature.

“I believe there is a clear unmet need, as no other charity in the UK is dedicated to supporting fertility research, putting the field at a significant disadvantage compared with other areas of medicine. By supporting FRUK, I hope to help strengthen the research environment and improve conditions for those working in this area. ”