UCL Connect: Menopause and Perimenopause – How to Support Yourself and Those Close to You

Professor Joyce Harper (Chair)

Professor of Reproductive Science, Institute for Women’s Health at UCL

Joyce is passionate about empowering women to live their best lives through good health and happiness. She is an internationally renowned, award-winning scientist.

Her last book, Your Fertile Years, published by Sheldon Press, 2021, explores women’s health from puberty to menopause. She is working on her next book, drawing on insights from interviews with 52 inspiring women over the age of 50, who share their wisdom on health and happiness. 

Her podcast, Why didn’t anyone tell me this? is listened to in over 90 countries.

Joyce is co-founder and co-lead of the UK Menopause Education and Support Programme (InTune), the International Reproductive Health Education Collaboration, and SWIMHER, a research network looking at women’s health and cold-water swimming.

She’s worked in the fields of fertility, genetics, reproductive health and women’s health for almost 40 years.  She is passionate about education and discussion of all aspects of women’s health but especially at three key stages: the menstrual cycle, the fertile years and menopause.

Dr Olivia Hum

GP and BMS accredited Menopause Specialist, and Director at Myla Health

Dr Olivia Hum is an NHS GP with 25 years' experience, and specialises in women's health and sexual health.  She is one of a small number of British Menopause Society (BMS) accredited menopause specialists. She sits on the BMS Medical Advisory Council, and contributes to national and international guidance and teaching on menopause and women's health. She is the Co-Founder of Myla Health, an organisation offering clinical care for women all over the UK, as well as education for doctors, patients and workplaces. 

Dr Itunu Johnson-Sogbetun MBBS (UCL) MRCP MRCGP DFSRH DRCOG

General Practitioner and BMS certified Menopause Specialist

Dr Itunu Johnson-Sogbetun is a General Practitioner with specialist expertise in women’s health, menopause care, and weight management. She is a BMS-certified menopause specialist and holds postgraduate qualifications in sexual and reproductive health, alongside Membership of both the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of General Practitioners.

With over a decade of clinical experience, Dr Johnson-Sogbetun delivers holistic, evidence-based care focused on bio-psycho-social wellbeing. She is an expert in the use of hormonal treatments, including HRT & testosterone therapy, non-hormonal therapies, as well as, personalised strategies for women’s health issues, menopause care, weight management and cardiovascular risk reduction.

She is a GP tutor at Queen Mary University of London, a committee member of the Primary Care Women’s Health Society, and a founding member of the RCGP Women’s Health Special Interest Group. Her commitment to education and inclusive empowerment is reflected in her published book, “A Personal Guide to Menopause for Black women”. Her broader leadership includes her work as Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Lead for RCGP North West London Faculty, as well as regular contributions to national and international panels, conferences, professional training programmes, and public engagement campaigns.

Dr Aimee Spector

Professor of Clinical Psychology of Ageing & Director of the Menopause Mind Lab at UCL

Aimee's research primarily focuses on the development and evaluation of psychosocial interventions for ageing, with a particular interest in global health, cultural inclusivity and implementation research in low-and-middle-income countries. She directs the UCL ‘Menopause Mind Lab’; a research hub focusing on the impact of menopause transition on both cognition and mental health. Current menopause research includes exploration of cultural differences in symptoms and help-seeking, and the development and evaluation of interventions to improve cognition. She also directs the International Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) centre at UCL and the UCL Dementia Training Academy. She has published over 180 peer-reviewed papers, 9 book chapters and 14 books; and is international lead for University College London’s Clinical Psychology doctorate course.