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Following my medical degree from St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London I began training in headache medicine. Noticing an important link between the menstrual cycle and migraine, I furthered my knowledge with additional training in Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare.
Current Employment
I am Honorary Professor, Centre for Neuroscience and Trauma, Blizard Institute of Cell and Molecular Science, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, having been Honorary Senior Lecturer since 2004. I am also a specialist in Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare at Barts Sexual Health Centre and Visiting Speaker at the School of Medicine, Keele University.
Past Employment
I worked at the City of London Migraine Clinic from 1988, becoming Director of Clinical Research in 1999, until my resignation in 2011. I was responsible for all research portfolio at the City of London Migraine Clinic, writing protocols and running clinical trials of in-house research, securing research funding, ethical approval and running sponsored pharmaceutical research. I employed seven specialty doctors to run the service and was responsible for their initial and continuing training.
I ran the Menopause Clinic at St Bartholomew’s Hospital from 1993 to 2005 and was a Medical Advisor at the Margaret Pyke Memorial Trust from 1999 to 2004.
Professional Memberships
I am registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) and am a member of the Institute of Clinical Research (MICR). Society memberships include the American Headache Society (AHS), Anglo-Dutch Migraine Association (ADMA), Association of Reproductive Healthcare Professionals (ARHP), North American Menopause Society (NAMS), British Menopause Society (BMS), British Pain Society (BPS), International Headache Society (IHS) and Institute of Psychosexual Medicine (IPM).
Media
I speak on radio and television and have written several features for the lay and medical popular press.
She writes for and lectures to healthcare professionals and lay groups both nationally and internationally. She has published over 180 research papers and book chapters, five single author books, co-authored five books and co-edited three books. She was an expert advisor for the NICE headache guidelines and is a co-author of British Association for the Study of Headache (BASH) Headache Management Guidelines, now in their 3rd edition.
Research and Publications
I have published over 180 research papers and book chapters, five single author books, five co-authored books and have co-edited three books. I have extensive experience of trials in drug treatments for migraine and cluster headache as well as my personal research interest in menstrual migraine. My Doctorate thesis explored the role of oestrogen in migraine. The results of my research led to the development of research criteria for menstrual migraine, adopted by the International Headache Society in 2004. Currently collaborative research is with the Pain and Anaesthesia Research Centre at Barts Health NHS Trust, the Genomics Research Centre, Griffith University, Australia, and the University of Oslo, Norway.
In 2002 I received the Elizabeth Garret Anderson Award, which is awarded to women whose work over time has made an extraordinary contribution to relieving those affected by the burden of headache.
In 2011 I received the Special Recognition Award and Honorary Life Membership from the International Headache Society.
In 2013 the book Contraception: Your Questions Answered, co-authored with Professor John Guillebaud was Highly Commended in the British Medical Association Book Awards.