Meet the team
Ian came to the world of fertility in a very different way to Mike and Toby. After a rather varied career he eventually settled into life as an acupuncturist in 2007. Through this he completed some advanced fertility training with Zita West and developed a predominantly fertility based practice.
After many years in practice and having supported hundreds of women he had a bit of a light bulb moment where he realised very few men ever came for treatment. Where were they and why weren't they getting any support? With a bit of research and having spoken to many men he realised just how little there was in terms of awareness and support for the men.
One thing led to another and before he knew it, in 2020, Ian was paired up with Toby to setup the 1st ever online support group for men struggling with fertility issues. This became the catalyst that inspired Toby, Ian and Mike to get their heads together and do some thing different!
In 2023 after 16 years of being an acupuncturist, Ian hung up his needles to focus purely on testhim. Now he brings his wealth of knowledge and experience supporting couples to all that he does for testhim.
Toby was that patient. He was that guy with a "normal" semen analysis who was ignored during fertility treatment. 2 rounds of IVF over 6 years with no luck. Poor quality embryos meant that even getting to transfer day was tricky and it took its toll!
Toby is incredibly open about how his fertility struggles impacted his mental health and how in his darkest days he'd considered ending his life! It was this moment that turned him to motorsport as a release. From that 1st day on the go kart track he realised he had a natural talent to drive fast. Still battling through fertility treatment he launched his "racing for fertility" campaign with Fertility Network UK using motorsport to break the stigma and taboo of infertility.
Toby, along with Ian, founded the 1st ever online support group for men through FNUK which led him to understand his infertility in more detail.
The result being the right investigations which highlighted that actually he had the problem all along. With the right treatment from the right people he went on to conceive naturally and now has a gorgeous son Ollie.
Through all of this Toby is keen to make sure no other couple or man experience what he experienced. He continues his racing campaign and his work with testhim and is a huge advocate for male fertility support and mental health.
Michael has an impressive background as a bio medical scientist and extensive experience in the pharmaceutical industry. He's worked for some of the big pharma giants before launching his own pharma company Logixx. He has experience in commercialisation of products and services, logistics, medicines and medical devices. He has also developed an in depth knowledge of male fertility diagnostics, supplements and testing equipment.
But for Michael our work with testhim is personal. Michael had undiagnosed undescended testicles which had a serious impact on his fertility. Despite knowing so much and all the right people he still fell through the gaps in the system. Investigations and treatment were too late for him meaning he wasn't able to go on and have the family he wished for.
Now he puts his passion and drive into all that he does with Logixx and testhim to make a lasting difference to the world of male fertility.
He has a unique understanding of the science behind male fertility testing and brings a multitude of tests and equipment to the UK fertility industry.
The extended team
Shaun is a senior clinical scientist embryologist with a wealth of experience of laboratory management skills. A skilled Andrology scientist, since 1992, with the ability to perform and supervise protocols for all World Health Organisation primary andrology tests, including secondary and tertiary diagnostic assays.
Shaun is an ICSI practitioner and is also accredited to perform egg, embryo and blastocyst biopsy with over 25 years dedicated IVF laboratory experience.
A Clinical Scientist, registered with the Health and Care Professions Council and the Royal College of Pathologists Shaun is the clinical scientist overseeing the testhim DNA fragmentation service.
Marie Claire is a senior scientist with a special focus on male infertility. She holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry, with her doctoral studies focusing on sperm DNA damage testing. Her research played a crucial role in establishing the testhim DNA fragmentation service at the University of Kent. Marie Claire is actively involved in the day-to-day running of the testhim DNA fragmentation service, ensuring its efficient operation and maintaining the highest standards of quality.
Additionally, she conducts research in the field of male infertility with the team at the University of Kent.
Prof. Ralf Henkel studied Biology and Chemistry in Germany, and obtained his PhD in 1990. He went on to work in the Department of Dermatology and Andrology in Giessen, Germany, and had a post-doctoral stay at Tygerberg Hospital South Africa, in 1994. In 1998 he obtained his Habilitation, the highest academic qualification in Germany to become a professor. Ralf went on to become Assistant Professor in 1998, Associate Professor in 1999 and Extraordinary Professor for Reproductive Biology in 2004 at the University of Giessen, Germany. He has worked in many roles as a professor in Germany and South Africa before joining Logixx Pharma in 2020.
Ralf is also a member of Editorial Boards of several international journals, Associate Editor of Reproductive Science, and Editor-in-Chief of Andrologia.
Ralf has published >300 articles, chapters and books, graduated 76 postgraduate students (BSc Hons, MSc, PhD, and MD), and received 16 awards. His special research interest is oxidative stress, DNA fragmentation and herbal medicine.
Debunking fertility myths
True or false?
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False – Obesity plays a significant role in a man’s fertility through oxidative stress, heat stress, DNA fragmentation and hormonal imbalances.
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False – Evidence has shown that although the true mechanism isn’t understood exposure to electromagnetic fields can impact sperm quality
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True – Sitting for long periods of time will negatively affect your sperm health through a number of mechanisms.
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True – It is now well researched that plastics in our environment and food chain are impacting men’s hormones and their fertility.
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True – The testicles are outside the body for a reason, that is to keep them a bit cooler than core body temperature. High temperatures damage sperm.
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True and false – Some caffeine is ok for you but too much can be detrimental to your fertility.
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True – Although men produce millions of sperm per ejaculation only around 200 will make it all the way to the egg. This is why it’s about numbers as well as quality
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False – Whilst it may increase your semen volume the quality of sperm will decline if it is stored up for too long. Men should be ejaculating every 2 -3 days.
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False – Men experience changes in many aspects of their health as they age including their fertility.
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Fertility does decline faster in women due to the aging of eggs, while men may retain fertility longer, though quality can decline.
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While genetics play a role in fertility, environmental factors, lifestyle choices, and health conditions also significantly impact fertility.
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While men can father children later in life, advanced age can affect sperm quality and fertility.
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Fertility treatments can increase the chances of conception in some cases, but they do not guarantee pregnancy, as success rates vary.
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Moderate exercise is beneficial for overall health and can support fertility. However, excessive exercise may have the opposite effect.
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Excessive heat exposure, such as from hot baths or saunas, can negatively affect male fertility by impacting sperm production.
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Infertility can affect both men and women. Male factors contribute to infertility in about 30-40% of cases.
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Stress can indeed affect fertility. High levels of stress may disrupt hormonal balance and sperm production
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