We are profertility
Meet the team
“Together, we’re working to make preventable infertility a thing of the past.”
We stand against the reactive approach to fertility care that’s unaffordable and inaccessible. We’re creating a new, proactive way for people to take control of their family planning, with affordable access to healthcare and treatment.
Toyin Lawal
Founder & CEO
Toyin is an experienced and visionary leader in the UK fertility industry, with a decade of experience transforming healthcare systems and processes. She holds an Honours degree in Biomedical Science and an MBA.
As a founding member of the largest egg and sperm banks in the country, she has made significant strides in making egg and sperm donation more accessible to patients. Her unique approach to matching donors with recipients has enabled thousands of people to become parents. She also launched the first online donor matching websites for sperm and egg donation in the UK, licensed by fertility regulators, The HFEA.
Toyin's work with donors revealed a significant lack of reproductive health education among donors and the general population, including intending parents. Many intending parents had been preoccupied with avoiding pregnancy for years and were often unaware of age-related fertility decline and other reproductive health issues until actively trying to conceive. Donors, while not attempting to conceive, were also often uninformed about their reproductive health and the factors that could impact their fertility. She noticed that a considerable number of donors had been on hormonal birth control for a prolonged duration, leading to a lack of knowledge about their natural menstrual cycles and any potential problems.
This realisation inspired Toyin to create ProFertility. Through ProFertility, Toyin aims to empower individuals and couples with the knowledge and tools they need to make informed decisions about their reproductive health and family planning.
Charlotte McDonald
Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer
Charlotte is a highly experienced women's healthcare professional with over eight years specialising in fertility, menopause care, gynaecology, and obstetrics.
Her focus and strength is in her ability to see the world from the customer’s point of view.
As a former leader of patient enquiry teams at top fertility clinics, she has a deep understanding of the emotional and practical struggles of women, men, and couples dealing with infertility.
Charlotte is highly regarded for her ability to build excellent customer care teams from scratch and provide exceptional clinical patient support.
Her passion for creating a positive impact in women's healthcare has led to an expertise in developing clinical care pathways, building effective teams, and ensuring compliance with industry regulations.
She has honed these skills with the ultimate goal of improving the customer experience for women, men, and couples dealing with infertility and those wanting to learn more about their reproductive health.
David O-Rourke
Co-Founder & Chief Scientific Officer
David is an experienced senior embryologist with over 10 years of clinical experience. He has worked at some of the world's leading fertility clinics and fertility start-ups, with extensive knowledge of embryology laboratory management, developing new fertility treatments, and quality management.
He is driven by innovation and has successfully launched several ground-breaking fertility tech products, including a leading venture capitalist backed fertility tech product.
He is an expert in cryobiology, with a particular focus on vitrification techniques for oocytes and embryos. He served as a senior embryologist and lab director for a leading UK fertility clinic, where he managed the embryology laboratory and oversaw the clinical embryology team.
In addition to his clinical work, he’s an active member of the embryology community, frequently speaking at international conferences and publishing articles in scientific journals. He also actively engages with the wider community, having volunteered with several organisations that focus on fertility education and awareness.
Dr Justin Chu
Clinical Lead, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist
Dr Justin Chu, our Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, completed his medical training at the University of Birmingham. He received specialised training in obstetrics and gynaecology, followed by sub-specialty training in Reproductive Medicine and Surgery.
With his extensive knowledge and experience, Dr Chu provides invaluable support and guidance to individuals and couples on their fertility journey. He addresses surgical interventions, fertility issues, and lifestyle modifications, ensuring comprehensive care for his patients.
Recognising the critical role of men in the fertility journey, Dr Chu advocates equal attention and investigation to optimise fertility outcomes for both men and women. He is actively involved in the UK Fertility Education Initiative Specialist Interest Group at the British Fertility Society, serving as the deputy chair, and also contributes to the Specialist Interest Group for Andrology for both the British Fertility Society and UK Endocrine Society.
Dr Chu actively delivers lectures and small group teaching sessions on reproductive physiology and clinical aspects of reproduction to undergraduate and postgraduate medical students.
With an impressive publication record, Dr Chu has contributed significantly to the field of reproductive medicine and surgery. With over 40 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, his research focuses on embryo implantation, male fertility, and fertility education. Dr Chu is frequently invited to speak at national and international conferences, playing an active role in advancing the field of reproductive medicine and surgery.
Meet our specialists
We believe that doing things the way we’ve always done them is no longer good enough. We believe in taking action and making change happen.
Dr Khaled Aba-oub
Consultant Gynaecologist, MD FRCOG
Dr Chong Lim
Endocrinologist, MB ChB, FRCP, PhD
Katherine Pleace
Fertility & Menopause Nurse , MSc, DipHE
Douglas Twenefour
Specialist Dietitian, MPhil, PGDip, HCPC
Ciaran Hannington
Personal Trainer ( Men’s fertility health) BSc Sport Studies
Natasha Anderson
Psychotherapist, MSc, BACP, UKCP, COSRT
Clair Engelbrecht
Genetic Counsellor, MSc (Med)
Maria McMaster Howells
Personal Trainer ( fertility), MPhil ( Psychology)
Jennifer Bloxham
Nutritional Therapist (Women’s Health & Fertility) BSc, Dip
Annie Perry
Fertility Yoga Specialist
Gail Marra
Clinical Hypnotherapist, BSCH, NCH, APHP, NRPC
