Our team of fertility scientists
Our fertility scientists also have a clinical role within the centre. You will see a scientist to discuss your treatment prior to the procedure and again following the procedure to discuss the results of your treatment. It is the scientists who look after your sperm, eggs and embryos within the laboratory and perform IVF, ICSI and other laboratory treatments. You may also see a scientist to discuss test results or review a treatment.
Professor Jason Kasraie
Consultant Clinical Embryologist & Andrologist. Person Responsible for the Centre with the HFEA
Jason Kasraie is the Head of Fertility Services and Consultant Embryologist & Andrologist. He is a Clinical Scientist with 25 years’ experience in the field. He is also the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority (HFEA) ‘Person Responsible’ for the service, taking legal responsibility for all work in the Centre.
As the scientific lead for the service, Jason works to ensure that patients and their embryos receive the highest quality of care and that the latest evidence based techniques are used in order to maximise the chance of pregnancy for patients. You may see Jason when you attend the department for your egg collection or embryo transfer or in a treatment review clinic to discuss embryo quality and future treatment plans.
Read More..
Jason is a visiting Professor at the University of Chester/ University Centre Shrewsbury and is the Organisational Lead Scientist for the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust.
After completing his undergraduate degree at Sheffield Hallam University he was awarded an MSc with Distinction in reproduction and development at the University of Bristol and received the ‘Gordon Stirrat’ prize for achievement during his studies.
He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists (FRCPath), a co-author of the college’s Higher Specialist Scientific Training (HSST) curriculum in Reproductive Science and a member of the examination committee for Reproductive Science at the college.
Jason is Chair of the Association of Clinical Embryologists (ACE), the professional body for embryologists in the UK and a past Chair of the joint executive committees of ACE, the British Fertility Society and the Society for Reproduction and Fertility.
He is an external advisor to the HFEA, a director of and examiner for the Association of Clinical Scientists, a member of the Academy for Healthcare Science (AHCS) professional council and an assessor for the AHCS higher specialist register. He works with the National School of Healthcare Science as an OSFA examiner for their scientific training programme.
Jason has led the development of the Shropshire and Mid-Wales Fertility centre, working with the team to introduce IVF on-site at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital in 2003 and, most recently, the movement of the centre to new purpose built facilities in the Severn Fields health village.
He has published and presented on many aspects of assisted conception and fertility and his special interests are fertility preservation, the aetiology of infertility and the non-invasive maximisation of embryo developmental potential.
Sharon Binnersley
Senior Clinical Embryologist
Sharon is one of our Senior Clinical Embryologists she completed a BSc (Hons) degree in Biological sciences in 1998 and later the same year joined our team as a Fertility Laboratory Assistant.
Since joining the team Sharon has undertook training in both andrology and embryology and she completed the post graduate certificate in Clinical Embryology in 2008 with the Association of Clinical Embryologists before becoming State Registered as a Clinical Embryologist with the Health and Care Professions Council in 2009.
While being skilled in all aspects of embryology, Sharon has a particular interest in laboratory quality and equipment maintenance as well as fertility treatments using donated gametes. Sharon is currently the donor sperm coordinator which involves both the recruitment of sperm donors and also coordination for matching patients with appropriate sperm donors for their treatments. She is committed to enhancing the development of the service offered to you and believes in the individualised care aimed at promoting the best possible outcome.
Amy Henderson
Senior Clinical Embryologist
Amy is one of our Senior Clinical Embryologists after graduating University with a First Class degree, Amy joined the team as a trainee embryologist in 2009. In 2011 she completed the post graduate certificate in Clinical Embryology with the Association of Clinical Embryologists before becoming State Registered as a Clinical Scientist with the Health and Care Professions Council in 2013.
Amy is our Andrology Lead with special interests in donor sperm recruitment and sperm cryopreservation.
Sarah Wallbutton
Senior Clinical Embryologist
Sarah is one of our senior clinical embryologists and has worked for the Shropshire & Mid-Wales Fertility Centre since 2006. Prior to this Sarah undertook a 4 month voluntary work experience placement in the Unit after graduating from Nottingham University with a First-Class honours degree in Animal Science.
In 2008 she completed the post graduate certificate in Clinical Embryology with the Association of Clinical Embryologists before becoming State Registered as a Clinical Scientist with the Health and Care Professions Council in 2009.
You may see Sarah on the day of your egg collection or embryo transfer. Sarah is an Andrology Lead and is also designated sperm storage co-ordinators and has a special interest in time-lapse incubation.
Victoria Gittins
Clinical Embryologist
Victoria is one of our Clinical Embryologists. She has worked for the Shropshire and Mid Wales Fertility Centre since 2006 after graduating from Nottingham University with a BSc in Biology. In 2010 she completed the post graduate certificate in Clinical Embryology with the Association of Clinical Embryologists.
You may see Victoria on the day of your egg collection or embryo transfer. Victoria is also one of our designated embryo and sperm storage coordinators.
Helene Cloete
Clinical Embryologist
Helene has been a member of the fertility team since 2012, first training as an embryologist under the NHS Scientist Training Programme. She went on to work as the department’s Quality Manager before returning to her role as a clinical embryologist.
Helene completed a bachelor’s degree (Human Life Sciences) and bachelors with honours degree (Human Genetics) in South Africa, and two masters degrees at the University of Bristol (Reproduction and Development) and the University of Nottingham (Embryology).
Her experience as both quality manager and embryologist has resulted in her special interest in quality and continuous improvement, which she hopes to use to the advantage of patients and their future children.
Stacy Parry
Clinical Embryologist
Stacy is one of our clinical embryologists. She has worked for the fertility unit since 2008, prior to this she worked as a biomedical scientist in histology at Wrexham Maelor hospital. In 2011 she completed the post graduate certificate in Clinical Embryology with the Association of Clinical Embryologists before becoming State Registered as a Clinical Scientist with the Health and Care Professions Council in 2018.
You may see Stacy when you attend for your egg collection and embryo transfer. Stacy is also our designated embryo storage coordinator, so will be your point of contact if you have embryos frozen during your treatment cycle.
Natasha Athanasiou
Trainee Embryologist
Natasha joined the team as a trainee Embryologist on the NHS Scientific Training Programme. She previously worked as a Reproductive Practitioner and Andrologist for 3 years in various private clinics in London and Hove before joining the SMWFC team. Natasha obtained a bachelor’s with honours degree in Biomedical Sciences and a first-class Master’s Degree ub Reproductive Medicine: Science and Ethics at the University of Kent.
Elaine Dean
Reproductive Science Practitioner
Elaine is one of our Reproductive Science Practitioners. She has worked at the centre since 2019; previous to this she worked here in andrology from 2014 to 2017. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Cardiff University and a Master’s degree in Assisted Reproduction Technology from the University of Nottingham. She has previously worked for UK NEQAS helping to monitor the quality of laboratory testing.
Nikky Marshall
Trainee Andrologist
Nikky is a trainee Andrologist. She has worked for Shropshire and Mid Wales Fertility Centre since 2016 as a Semenologist and prior to this she worked as a therapeutic radiographer. Nikky did an undergraduate in Medical Sciences and completed a Masters module in Assisted Reproduction Technologies. She is also a member of Association of Biomedical Andrologists (ABA).
Ana Luisa Vasconcelos
Trainee Embryologist
Ana Luísa is a trainee embryologist on the Scientist Training Programme, having joined the team in 2022. Prior to joining us, she obtained an MSc in Human Clinical Embryology and Assisted Conception at the University of Dundee, where she graduated with Merit with a dissertation about the adherence to the WHO basic semen analysis guidelines. Her interest in reproduction started in her undergraduate studies, in Biology (Hons) at the University of Lisbon, during an Embryology & Histology course. Recently, she volunteered with the Male Reproductive Health Initiative (ESHRE group) to help disseminate scientific information about male reproductive health.
Kirstie Penny
Andrology Practitioner
Kirstie is our Andrology Practitioner. She has worked for Shropshire and Mid Wales Fertility Centre since 2021.You may see Kirstie when you attend semen analysis clinic. Kirstie achieved a first-class degree in medical science locally at University Centre Shrewsbury.