SOLVOTRIN - Key Persons
Midwife Avril, brings over 15 years of expertise garnered from diverse public hospitals and private sector roles as both a midwife and fertility nurse. She established her practice, www.avrilflynn.com, offering comprehensive antenatal support, Hypnobirth classes, fertility guidance, mindfulness education, birth and baby preparation sessions, and birth debriefing - a culmination of her extensive knowledge and experience.
A dedicated advocate for women, families, the LGBTQI+ community, Avril staunchly supports equal rights, diversity, and inclusion. She is not only an articulate speaker but also a prolific writer, covering a wide spectrum of topics including pregnancy, pregnancy loss, birth, women's health, menopause, equality, fertility, and entrepreneurship.
Avril Flynn is a Pregnancy Advisor for Active Iron. Avril is also a Midwife, Childbirth Educator & Hypnobirthing Practitioner.
Dr Anne Marie Byrne (Solvotrin) is coordinating the development of this technology towards clinical trials in collaboration with Enterprise Ireland and Trinity, and expert clinicians in the CTCL field.
Dr Harper is an inspiring, forward-thinking menopause and perimenopause doctor who always thinks of the needs of each woman individually.
She is the Author of The Perimenopause Solution & Founder of The Harper Clinic in Harley Street, London.
She graduated from university college and has a combined holistic and medical approach. She understands how hormonal imbalance, weight, skin and ageing can affect both physical and mental health. She believes for a woman to look and feel optimal you have to have a 360-degree mind, body and soul approach, each symptom cannot and should not be addressed on its own. She's also not afraid to talk about subjects such as libido, vulval & vaginal health to help women regain their confidence and sexy back.
Dr Harper herself is often in the media raising awareness on women's health and perimenopause/menopause: Boots magazine, Cosmopolitan Magazine, This Morning TV, Loose Women, Good Housekeeping, Daily Mail, Red Magazine to name but a few, as well as podcasts with Liz Earle, award-winning skincare and wellbeing expert, ex Style Magazine Editor Lorraine Candy for Postcards from Midlife, SheerLuxe podcast, Lisa Snowden, Lets Talk Menopause and is also campaigning with celebrities like Davina McCall, and MP Carolyn Harris to address inequalities in healthcare for midlife women.
She has also given Menopause in the Workplace educational webinars and seminars to employees and staff of businesses and companies such as
Dr. Aoibhe O'Driscoll, a University College Cork Ireland School of Medicine graduate, completed her General Practice Training in Cork, cultivating a keen interest in comprehensive women's health care. Her focus includes contraception, the menopause, and dedicated support for pregnant and postpartum women. Beginning her journey at the Cork Family Planning Clinic, Dr. O'Driscoll acquired certifications in family planning, a Diploma in Women's Health (DOWH), and became a national trainer in Long Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC) methods.
Continuing her commitment to women's health, Dr. O'Driscoll underwent specialised training at the Menopause Clinic, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, accredited by the British Menopause Society (BMS). With over 20 years of reproductive health expertise, she founded the Cork Menopause Clinic in 2012, holding Advanced qualifications in Menopause Care from the Faculty of Sexual & Reproductive Health in London. Recognised as a BMS Menopause Specialist, she actively engages in global conferences and Advisory Boards.
Dr.Kiran is a NHS Doctor, specialising in baby, child and adolescent health. She has worked across many London Hospitals and uses her own experience as a mother and south Asian woman to talk about key issues relating to women and child health. Kiran is a passionate advocate for child health, health promotion in BAEM communities and supporting women to pursue higher education and leadership roles and uses her social media platform to bring taboo topics to the forefront.
She understands that BAEM communities are often poorly represented in healthcare and research. Her goal is to share her knowledge base by providing tips and medical advice in an empathetic and non-judgmental ways well as bridging the gap between healthcare professionals and patients.
Dr. Kiran is a NHS Doctor who uses her own experience as a mother and south Asian woman to talk about key issues relating to women and child health.
Job Titles:
- Obstetrician & Gynaecologist
Dr Ria Clarke is an obstetrics and gynaecology registrar in the South of England.
Throughout her training, she has dedicated herself to learning how to amplify the voices of the individuals and families she cares for. Her clinical work involves training within the hospital environment to care for people with reproductive organs at formative periods in their lives. This includes incorporating medical and surgical interventions into a compassionate model of care.
Outside of the hospital environment, this passion has led to Dr Clarke presenting at international conferences about the impact of severe nausea and vomiting in pregnancy, and working with her alma mater to support non-traditional medical students to become doctors. Her most recent advocacy has focused on the racial disparities in maternal mortality between Black, white and Asian women, and baby loss. This has involved collaborations with agencies such as the BBC, the Positive Birth Company and the charity Tommys. She is currently a trustee for the charity Birthrights, and sits on Tommy's Scientific Advisory Committee as an experienced clinician who also has lived experience of baby loss.
Balancing the demands of raising a family with such an emotionally charged job has equipped Dr Clarke with vital juggling skills, whilst also making her appreciate how important work-life balance is.
Dr Clarke is married with two children and when she isn't working, she enjoys sewing, travel and learning about her heritage.
She can be found sharing her thoughts on medicine and parenthood at @thedoctormummy on Instagram, or via email at thedoctormummy@gmail.com
Job Titles:
- Obstetrician & Gynaecologist
Dr. Sarah Murphy is an Irish doctor specialising in obstetrics and gynaecology. She is a member of the RCSI and RCPI and has a masters in obstetrics and Gynae, and a diploma in women's health. She is passionate about women's health and well-being and ensuring women feel empowered about their own health, specifically gynaecological health.
Job Titles:
- General Practitioner
- Health Advisor for Active Iron
Dr. Stephanie is a highly esteemed GP known for her personalised approach to patient wellbeing. Her special interests lie in assisting patients with specific concerns pertaining to paediatrics, fertility, women's health, and allergies. In addition to her full-time practice, she leverages her extensive background and medical expertise to advocate for crucial health-related issues and educate the public. Guiding people with accurate information is a gratifying aspect of her work, enabling them to make well-informed decisions about their health.
Dr. Stephanie's insights have been featured in numerous online publications, and she co-hosts a medical podcast. Her influence extends to social media, where she engages as a social media GP.
Dr. Stephanie is a Women's Health Advisor for Active Iron as well as a General Practitioner. Dr Stephanie is also a host of The Medic Mum Podcast.
Job Titles:
- Advisor for Active Iron
- Midwife & Author
Marie Louise, a seasoned midwife with over 12 years of experience and a mother of two, is the accomplished author of ‘Pregnancy, Birth & Beyond' and ‘The Modern Midwife's Guide To The First Year'. Additionally, she excels as a hypnobirthing and Childbirth Educator.
Marie's mission is to demystify clinical terminology and transform complex scientific information into a welcoming, easy-to-understand format. Her inclination for employing relatable analogies serves to make the journey through pregnancy and parenthood feel more approachable and less intimidating.
Marie Louise is a Pregnancy Advisor for Active Iron as well as a Prenatal Course Educator & experienced Midwife for the NHS and Author of ‘Pregnancy, Birth & Beyond'.
John Gilmer is a pharmaceutical chemist with a diverse array of interests encompassing drug properties, mechanisms, and discovery. In 1995, he achieved his PhD in bile acid chemistry at TCD, paving the way for an extensive career in drug development with Unimed PLC, a prominent pharmaceutical R&D company affiliated with TCD and QUB.
John is intrigued by the prospect of redesigning drug types to limit their absorption from the intestine post-oral administration, thereby localizing their impact within the intestine. Notably, his team made a groundbreaking discovery in the realm of aspirin prodrugs, a development poised to advance colorectal cancer metastasis prevention. This achievement culminated in the establishment of the drug development enterprise, Solvotrin Therapeutics.
Alongside Professor Mark Ledwidge & Professor John Gilmer, Solvotrin Therapeutics was founded by CEO, Pat O Flynn. Pat is a highly successful entrepreneur with over 20 years' experience and an educational background in Engineering.
PROFESSOR JOHN GILMER
Quals…
Prof. John Gilmer is a Co-Founder of Solvotrin Therapeutics and Professor in the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at Trinity College Dublin.
Prof. Mark Ledwidge (BSc Pharm, PhD, DBS, MPSI) is a distinguished figure in the pharmaceutical realm. With a background rooted in pharmacy, he earned his BSc in Pharmacy and completed a PhD in pharmaceutics at Trinity College, Dublin, collaborating closely with Elan Corporation. Mark's career subsequently led him to pivotal roles at Baxter Healthcare and Servier Laboratories, where he applied his expertise in technical and marketing capacities. Complementing his pharmaceutical acumen, he pursued a Diploma in Business Strategy.
Today, as Co-Founder and Director of the Heartbeat Trust, H&L Pharma, and Solvotrin Therapeutics, Prof. Ledwidge continues to merge his pharmacy foundation with groundbreaking ventures. Alongside his academic role as UCD Professor in the School of Medicine at University College Dublin (Adjunct), he spearheads initiatives that drive innovation and advancement in the pharmaceutical landscape.
Professor Mark Ledwidge and his research team continue to investigate new applications in oral iron and the leading asset, Active Iron 2.0, is a novel iron formulation. It has been developed from a range of non-protein carriers, designed to provide strong efficacy, tolerability and stability while additionally presenting in a soluble and palatable solution.
PROFESSOR MARK LEDWIDGE
(BSc Pharm, PhD, DBS, MPSI, MRSPharms)
Prof. Mark Ledwidge is a Co-Founder of Solvotrin Therapeutics and Professor in the School of Medicine at University College Dublin.
Renee stands as a leading Sports and Eating Disorder Specialist Dietitian, boasting two decades of expertise in clinical and performance nutrition. Her impactful journey includes supporting athletes globally and contributing to Olympic (London, 2012), Paralympic (Rio, 2016), and Commonwealth (Queensland, 2018) teams. As the Nutrition Lead for the English and Scottish National Ballet, she guides nutritional and clinical aspects for both performance and health. Renee's influence extends to major organisations such as The North Face, Strava, and Asics, emphasising the crucial role of nutrition in optimising performance.
Beyond her clinical work, she manages Team Renee McGregor, a group of specialists dedicated to enhancing sports performance and managing eating disorders. A bestselling author with five books, Renee's commitment to education shines through her social media presence, providing a valuable resource for both professional and everyday athletes. As a recognized figure, she contributes a monthly column to Runners World and offers technical support in various media, including the BBC documentary "Freddie Flintoff: Living with Bulimia." In her personal pursuits, Renee dominates the trails, recently earning the title of British Trail Running Champion in her age group over the short course and securing the third spot among females at The Spine Sprint.
Renee stands as a leading Sports and Eating Disorder Specialist Dietitian, boasting two decades of expertise in clinical and performance nutrition. Her impactful journey includes supporting athletes globally, contributing to Olympic (London, 2012), Paralympic (Rio, 2016), and Commonwealth (Queensland, 2018) teams.
Dr. Stephanie is a Women's Health Advisor for Active Iron as well as a General Practitioner. Dr Stephanie is also a host of The Medic Mum Podcast.