Kate Shepherd Cohen - CEO & Founder
Multi award winning menstrual health pioneer
After struggling with her own cycle and finding the simple practice of 'menstrual cycle awareness' helped ease her suffering, she was compelled to innovate mainstream menstrual healthcare so that patients could easily receive the same supportive information alongside any medical treatment and investigations. Kate was awarded Innovator of the Year for the Menstrual Cycle Support pilot at the International Social Prescribing Awards, and is recipient of the Millennium Unltd Award for social entrepreneurs.
Kate sits on the James Lind Steering Group for Problematic Menstrual Bleeding, is a member of the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research, the National Academy for Social Prescribing and the College of Medicine & Integrative Health. She is an independent researcher, currently researching tools to destigmatise the menstrual cycle under the supervision of Dr Lara Owen. In 2024, Kate presented abstracts at the leading academic menstrual health conferences in the UK and is a keen public speaker, offering her insights into menstrual health, education and systemic change at several international events.
Kate is on LinkedIN
Watch Kate's TedX talk - Period Problems: why there's hope
Kate calls herself a 'menstrualist' and the global menstrual movement, 'menstrualism'
Meet the rest of the team
Rosaria Marraffino
Instructional DesignFor the last decade Rosaria has helped international organisations to imagine and develop meaningful learning experiences. Clients have including CERN, Geneva University Hospitals, HUG, Centre hospitalier universitaire vaudois, CHUV, University Hospital Zurich, USZ, Institut de Radiophysique, IRA. She has an MSc in Learning and Teaching Technologies (MALTT) at the University of Geneva. www.rosariamarraffino.com
Neelam Heera
Equality Diversity Inclusivity ConsultantNeelam Heera is the CEO of Cysters charity and a campaigner for improved menstrual health in marginalised communities. She founded Cysters after facing her own battles around diagnosis and care for PCOS, Endometriosis and PMDD. She saw first-hand the disparities in healthcare for people of colour and other marginalized groups, thus Cysters was born. www.cysters.org
Gani Naylor
Film & FacilitationGani is an international creative facilitator and filmmaker specialising in short form online content, using a variety of art forms to create a safe space for connection, self expression and community empowerment. He's worked on a number of initiatives that explore trauma, social connection and reducing isolation and depression. www.ganinaylorproductions.com
Humie Webb
EDI ConsultantHumie Webb is an award-winning EDI practitioner working with Welsh gov funded health and social care-based projects & issue-based youth work in schools & community settings. She contributed to Unite the Union's response to the Welsh Gov's Period Dignity Strategic Action Plan and works closely with the Trade Union Congress to deliver its Black Activist and Women Activist Development Plan.
Emily Stewart
Clinical Content ConsultantEmily Stewart is a primary healthcare nurse and one of the UK's leading menstrual cycle educators. She is founder of The Real Period Project CIC and has worked with young people, parents, teachers, school nurses and youth workers, promoting period friendly practices in schools, universities and homes since 2016. She brings a brilliant combination of clinical practice and menstrual education to our team.
Kathryn Pratt
Education ConsultantKathryn Pratt BSC MSc PGCE is an educational consultant specialising in adolescent and primary education. She is founder of Soweni, a social enterprise project that reimagines education with a focus on personalised learning pathways to address individual learning needs and preferences.
Trudi Holden
Community & Group Facilitation Consultant (Teen Support Group Toolkit)Trudi Holden is a natural health therapist and experienced facilitator of women's circles, with a focus on sharing menstrual cycle stories. She is a shamanic womb healer, reiki master and trauma-informed women's massage therapist and founder of Wild Samsara.
Clinical / Research Advisory Board
Dr Stewart Smith
Senior Partner GP (Primary care social prescribing specialist)Under the care of Dr Stewart Smith, St Austell Healthcare was an early adopter of social prescribing, which has now become available in every UK GP surgery and grown to become an international movement. Menstrual Cycle Support ran our pilot programme with St Austell Healthcare patients in 2021.
Kate Williamson
Osteopath (allied health professions) & Healthcare Outreach ConsultantKate Williamson provides consultancy for our Healthcare Outreach Campaign and is a Registered Osteopath with nearly twenty years' experience and a particular interest in working with those experiencing chronic pain. A strong feminist and a mother to teenage girls, she has always had an interest in women's health, not just within her clinical setting.
Michael Dooley
NHS Consultant Gynaecologist (secondary care), Fellow of the RCOGMichael provides an integrated patient-centred approach to women’s healthcare offering the most appropriate evidence-based choice of conventional and complementary treatments to address the patients’ wishes, beliefs and needs.
He leads on Women's Health for the College of Medicine and Integrated Health.
Amy McKeown
Mental Health StrategistA pioneer for Women’s Health and activist for women's rights in the workplace (currently campaigning to change the Equality Act 2010), Amy is an award-winning mental health and women's wellbeing strategist. She has spent 20 years helping organisations to implement evidence-based, measurable and sustainable mental health programmes, including global strategies for FTSE 100s. In 2021, she set up the first digital conference combining Women's Health, Mental Health and Business. She holds MSc distinction in Health Informatics and is an Honorary Research Assistant at UCL. www.amymckeown.com
Dr Helena Tucker
Clinical PsychologistDr Helena Tucker brings a wealth of clinical experience and specialism in premenstrual difficulties, as well as a lived experience of PMDD. Alongside her clinical work she runs a coaching business that specifically supports entrepreneurs experiencing PMS & PMDD using scientifically backed psychological methods.
Dr Gemma Sharp
Associate Professor of Reproductive & Mental Health EpidemiologyDr Gemma Sharp is a specialist in women's mental and reproductive health and early life influences on health and wellbeing, currently based in the School of Psychology at the University of Exeter where she teaches undergraduate, postgraduate and CPD courses in molecular epidemiology and reproductive health. She is founder of the Menarche, Menstruation, Menopause & Mental Health (4M) Consortium, (University of Bristol, Bath, Cardiff and Exeter) and holds an honorary position at the University of Bristol MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit.
Advisory Board
James Harrison
Tech EntrepreneurJames is a tech entrepreneur and seasoned tech executive who has built 2 companies from inception to exit. He has >11 years CEO and board experience leading global VC backed companies. James is passionate about fighting climate change and equality.
Clare Shephard
Tech CommunicationsClare has worked in the PR industry for 25+ years, and now specialises in coaching ambitious brands on how to define, develop and amplify their stories.
Dr Richard Pratt
GP and Health Tech SpecialistRich is a GP in Cornwall with a background in digital health. He’s been focused over the last 8 years on the deceptively simple question - how can we use tech to improve the quality of conversations with healthcare providers? This has led him to his current roles of Clinical Director at Eva Health Technologies and Primary Care Lead at ORCHA.
Thomas Podkolinski
EntrepreneurSerial entrepreneur, award winning designer, and company executive, with nearly 20 years’ experience in successfully starting, developing and commercialising projects within a range of different sectors. Has a profound passion for natural history, technology, and philosophy, with positive environmental and human change a founding principle in every venture.
Simon Cohen
Communications SpecialistSimon is an international peace and compassion activist working with high profile individuals and charities to spread messages of hope. He is a keynote speaker and broadcaster, as well as having led many high profile communication campaigns for social justice. He has worked with HH Dalai Lama, King Charles III, HH Karmapa, Gandhi's grandson and currently leads the Compassion and Civility Index for the Mohammed Ali Foundation.
Jennifer Parkin
Systemic Change SpecialistJen works with groups of people from a range of communities and organisations, helping them to work together to solve deep rooted systemic issues. Jen draws from systems thinking and group dynamics theory to facilitate experiential group work that shifts both personal mindset and collectively held beliefs. Jen believes that systems can consciously and intentionally change and she holds the space for this to happen.
Youth Advisory Board
We work closely with our Youth Advisory Board to ensure young people drive the services designed for young people.