The ARCS Executive Team are elected by the membership to govern the development of the Association. They represent the interests of ARCS in the larger scientific community and make key decisions on behalf of the ARCS membership.
The Executive Team meet as a Committee that also has representation from the other ARCS Committee leads and initiatives as appropriate.
ARCS President
Jane Blower
ARCS President
Jane’s career in the NHS spans over 40 years. Since 1988 until her recent semi-retirement she has worked at the Leicester fertility centre at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS trust where she established the IVF Laboratory service and for 15 years was the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority Person Responsible. Jane was the first UK student to achieve a Masters in assisted reproduction technology in 1992 At the University of Nottingham Jane’s career has been varied and in addition to her IVF work she has undertaken a secondment as deputy chief scientific officer for England, where she worked at a national and strategic level providing leadership and advice to the professional group of over 50,000 healthcare scientists and policymakers across the country. Jane has also worked with Health Education England developing nationally recognised training programs for healthcare scientists. She was a registrant panel member for the HCPC Sitting on fitness to practice committees. Jane was a founder member and executive committee member of the Association of Clinical Embryologists (ACE), and is currently president of the Association of Reproductive and Clinical Scientists (ARCS). As a scientific expert Jane served for six years on the HFEA scientific and clinical advances advisory committee (SCAAC) which is a subcommittee of the authority and meets to consider advances in science and clinical practice Jane has also sat on the IVF NICE guideline committee working to produce guidance for national practice.
Jane Blower
ARCS President
ARCS Executive Committee
Jackson Kirkman Brown
Chair - Andrologist
Jackson is HFEA Person Responsible and Science Lead at the Birmingham Women’s Fertility Centre and an NIHR ICA Reader in Human Reproductive Science and the University of Birmingham. He has worked across academic and clinical Andrology for many years, being well known for his research team’s research into calcium signalling, gamete recognition and control of sperm motility as well as more recently in sperm DNA quality and miscarriage. Clinically Jackson was recognised by an MBE for setting up the sperm salvage (fertility preservation) pathway for UK servicemen and day-to-day leads the PGT service in Birmingham.
Jackson Kirkman Brown
Chair - Andrologist
Rachel Gregoire
Chair - Embryologist
Rachel has worked in the field of embryology for 21 years, starting her clinical training at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee where she completed a PhD in Developmental Medicine. In 2008 she moved to the Hewitt Fertility Centre Liverpool, one of the UK’s largest assisted conception providers, as Senior and then Lead Clinical Embryologist. In 2014 she moved to Glasgow Royal Infirmary as Consultant Embryologist and HFEA Person Responsible where she led the scientific service in delivering cutting edge techniques and achieved a significant improvement in clinical and laboratory success rates. In 2017 Rachel returned to the Hewitt Fertility Centres in Liverpool and Knutsford as the Scientific Director and HFEA Person Responsible, where she continues to strive for excellence in laboratory techniques, and in clinical and laboratory success rates. The Hewitt Centres are leaders in the provision of training for future Reproductive Scientists with 11 Andrology and Embryology STPs currently training at the two centres. Rachel is passionate about the training and professional development of Reproductive Scientists, and is Co-Chair for the ARCS Education SIG who are working together to review and develop all curricula available for the ARCS membership. Rachel is also current Chair for NEQAS Reproductive Science Steering Committee for Embryology.
Rachel Gregoire
Chair - Embryologist
Lucy Wood
Secretary Embryologist
Lucy is a Clinical Embryologist at Jessop Fertility within Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Since graduating from the 2012 cohort of the STP in Reproductive Science, she has been actively involved in the delivery of the training programme including recruitment and workplace training. Lucy's role as STP Curriculum Review Lead is carried out alongside a team of experts from the field of Reproductive Science. The team includes embryologists from both NHS and private clinics, as well as representatives from the HFEA, ARCS and academia.
Lucy Wood
Secretary Embryologist
Stephanie Brooks
Treasurer - Andrologist
Stephanie Brooks has worked at the Hewitt Fertility Centre at the Liverpool Women’s Hospital since 1998. By 2008 the Andrology services had grown to a size where they needed to introduce a supervisory role, a role which Steph has performed for the last 11 years. She has overseen the implementation of UKAS at her place of work which included four, currently three satellite centres and maintained for the last five years. Following the departure of the Quality manager for the Hewitt Fertility Centre, Stephanie was proud to move in to this position and diversify in her skills and move into senior management. As a founder member of the ABA, Stephanie’s involvement in the professional body has been long term holding officer positions as secretary and treasurer.
Stephanie Brooks
Treasurer - Andrologist
Eleanor Wharf
Membership Secretary - Embryologist
Eleanor has worked in the field of Reproductive Medicine since 1999. She is a highly experienced HCPC registered Clinical Embryologist and a Diplomate of the Royal College of Pathologists, having worked in a large London NHS Trust for most of her career. She has always been keen to give back to the profession, volunteering to join the editorial team of 'The Embryologist' produced for the Association of Clinical Embryologist in 2001. She took over as Editor soon after, and has continued in this role, producing a quarterly magazine for the last 20 years, now known as 'The Reproductive Scientist'. She is a Health Ambassador for NHS England, and has organised and volunteered for events promoting STEM careers for school children of all ages, with a particular interest in making science accessible to children of primary school age. Having been elected to the Exec committee in 2021 she is keen to take on new challenges and work with the committee to support ARCS members.
Eleanor Wharf
Membership Secretary - Embryologist
Hannah Newby
Policies & Practice Chair
Hannah has worked in the field of embryology for 16 years. She is currently a Lead Embryologist at the Hewitt Fertility Centres, Liverpool and Knutsford which employ a team of 38 scientists. She became a state registered scientist in 2010 and is currently working towards becoming a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists. The Hewitt Fertility Centre prides itself on delivering high quality scientific training. Hannah is the STP training officer and is experienced in STP shortlisting, interview design and delivery and OSFA assessment. Hannah has successfully trained 7 STP trainees and has another 7 graduating in the next two years. Hannah is particularly proud of her involvement in the setup of the Knutsford clinic. She assisted with project planning, laboratory design, equipment procurement and installation, facility and equipment validation and commencing clinical procedures at a brand new facility. During her time as an embryologist she has spent many years contributing to the work of the ACE executive committee and now leads the practise and policies special interest group of the ARCS Exec.
Hannah Newby
Policies & Practice Chair
Emily Roxburgh
Andrologist
Emily is the Andrology Practitioner at Hull and East Riding Fertility. She has a Masters in Clinical Embryology and Assisted Reproduction Technology and a degree in Medical Sciences from the University of Leeds and is currently working towards Andrology STP equivalence. She has been a member of the Association of Reproductive and Clinical Scientists (ARCs) since her introduction into the field in 2016 during which she has completed 2 logbooks in diagnostic semen evaluation and sperm cryopreservation. Emily plays a key role in ISO15189 inspections; validating equipment, developing SOPs, performing clinical audits and co-ordinating internal and external quality control.
Emily Roxburgh
Andrologist
Meurig Gallagher (ARCS Summer Symposium)
Academic Member Exec
Meurig is an Assistant Professor in the Centre for Human Reproductive Science and Centre for Systems Modelling and Quantitative Biomedicine at the University of Birmingham. He obtained his PhD in Applied Mathematics in 2015, before going on to become an interdisciplinary researcher who integrates mathematical modelling and software with experimental methods to create new diagnostics and treatments for male infertility.
Meurig Gallagher (ARCS Summer Symposium)
Academic Member Exec
Jamie Meadows
Clinical Embryologist (on ARCS Exec as Andrologist)
I am a clinical embryologist working at the CARE Northampton clinic. I started my career as an andrologist in 2014 and subsequently expanded my training in the embryology department. In 2021, I achieved HCPC registration via the STP Equivalence route under the andrology modality with the AHCS. I am the lead andrologist representing my clinic nationwide and play a key role in working towards UKAS accreditation. I am passionate about andrology and have collaborated with a variety of professionals in performing research projects. I am responsible for training STP students and others on their path to obtaining registration. I have lectured and provided practical andrology lessons for a variety of universities.
Jamie Meadows
Clinical Embryologist (on ARCS Exec as Andrologist)
Davina Hulme
Chair of Communications
Davina is currently a Senior Clinical Embryologist at Jessop Fertility in Sheffield. She has worked in the field of embryology for over 20 years, beginning her clinical training at Hull IVF Unit in 2001; where