Our team

Kamal Ahuja gained his PhD at Cambridge under the supervision of Professor Robert Edwards, which sparked his lasting interest in clinical IVF. The ethics of IVF and its cost effectiveness continue to be part of his research interests. Dr Ahuja is Chairman of Reproductive BioMedicine Online, an international medical journal, and the Scientific and Managing Director of the London Women's Clinic Group.

Safwat Ashour is a Consultant IVF Specialist responsible for running the service in the North East. Dr Ashour graduated in 1979 in Cairo, Egypt, and has been a member of the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists since May 1997.

Jackie Biro, Senior Fertility Nurse at LWC has been with the team since 2008.  She co-ordinates the closely knit team of nurses and healthcare assistants, providing personal and attentive care.  Jackie is also responsible for the egg-sharing programme, taking patients through their initial enquiries, to co-ordinating donor and recipients, right through to their treatment. She carries out most of the scanning as well as all aspects of patient care and treatment, theatre procedures and quality audits. 

Peter Bowen-Simpkins is a Consultant Gynaecologist and Medical Director of the London Women’s Clinic Group. He qualified from Cambridge University and Guy’s Hospital Medical School and obtained the Hancock Prize for Surgery from the Royal College of Surgeons. After completing his training in London, he was appointed to a Consultant post in Swansea. His main interests have been fertility, the menopause and menstrual disorders. He was on the Council of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists for 13 years, the latter seven as the Honorary Treasurer.  He is a Trustee of Wellbeing of Women and is a spokesman for both the college and the charity. He is a regular broadcaster and lectures all over the UK and abroad. Currently he is also the Honorary Treasurer of the Royal Medical Benevolent Fund.

Karen Conyers joined the LWC in January 2011 as the Senior Embryologist/Lab Manager.  She has been an embryologist for 19 years working in the UK, USA and most recently Australia.  She has a PhD in Reproductive Physiology and served with ACE (the UK body for Embryologists) for several years on their training committee. She completed a Post Doctoral Fellowship in the USA studying freezing of ovarian tissue and has published and presented clinic and scientific work in the UK, USA and Australia.  She describes her job as an embryologist as 'priveledged and facinating'.  

Sarah Day is the Business Co-ordinator for LWC North East, where she has worked since 2007. Her duties include patient reception and booking appointments and helps with the clinic's marketing activities.

Shailaja Nair is Deputy Clinical Director of the LWC and has more than 20 years experience in fertility and assisted reproduction. Before joining the LWC, she worked as Associate Professor in a large teaching hospital and the Cromwell IVF programme before joining the LWC in 1993. Dr Nair has extensive experience in all aspects of assisted conception, with a special interest in the egg-sharing and gamete donation programmes. Dr Nair is the Person Responsible to the HFEA for the LWC programme in Darlington.

Janet Owen, Fertility Counsellor,came in to fertility counselling in 2000 after completing her MA in 2000. She joined the LWC in 2004 and is an accredited member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy and British Infertility Counselling Association. 'The value of counselling is paramount in infertility,' says Janet. 'Patients often feel that they have no one else to share their experience with.'

David Williams is the Chairman of the London Women's Clinic Group.  He has spent his career in healthcare management.  His initial training was at the King's Fund in London.  Following this his career allowed him to work not only in the UK but also in a variety of overseas locations working in both the public and commercial sectors.  In the late 80's he returned to his native Wales where he became Chief Executive of one of the largest NHS organisations in the country.  He was awarded an OBE for 'Services to Healthcare in Wales' in 2000.