About the Centre
Established in 2019, the Centre for Reproductive Research & Communication (CRRC) at BPAS exists to develop and deliver a research agenda that furthers access to evidence-based reproductive healthcare and choices. Through rigorous multidisciplinary research and impactful communication, the CRRC aims to inform policy, practice, and public discourse. We draw directly on BPAS’ own work as a reproductive health provider to inform our agenda and work in collaboration and through strategic partnerships to achieve our mission.
As a research team, we have experience of conducting research on abortion, contraception, pregnancy, and public health. We have expertise in clinical practice, medical ethics and law, epidemiology, evaluation research, and the social sciences.
The work of the CRRC is overseen by the Research, Innovation, Campaigns and Advocacy (RICA) Committee which is a subcommittee of the BPAS Board of Trustees.
For more information, please see our Integrated Research and Innovation Strategy (2025- 2030).
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Meet the team
Dr Patricia A. Lohr is Director of Research and Innovation at BPAS and Director of the Centre for Reproductive Research & Communication (CRRC). She is a clinician-researcher with expertise in health services research, education and training, and evidence-informed policy.
Patricia leads multidisciplinary research and evaluation programmes that strengthen the evidence base for abortion care and reproductive health, improve the patient experience and service delivery, and support innovation in practice. She has contributed to national and international policy and clinical guidance through the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH), the World Health Organization, and the Society of Family Planning. Alongside her research and clinical leadership, Patricia has played a key role in developing abortion education and professional training in the UK and internationally. She currently leads the first James Lind Alliance Research Priority Setting Partnership on abortion care.
Patricia is Associate Editor of BMJ Sexual & Reproductive Health, Expert Advisor to NICE, co-founder and Co-Chair of the British Society of Abortion Care Providers, and Associate Member of the FIGO Committee on Safe Abortion. She holds Fellowship ad eundem of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Honorary Fellowship of the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare, and Honorary Associate Professorships at University College London and Monash University.
You can find Patricia Lohr's profile on ORCiD here.
Rebecca is a Research and Engagement Lead and joined BPAS in 2018. She is a multi-disciplinary researcher, drawing on critical public health, epidemiology, sociology, anthropology, and other disciplines. Whilst her research portfolio is very broad, she currently focuses on how structural forces and intersectional inequalities impact people's trajectories to and experiences of abortion care.
Rebecca has degrees from the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London, and is currently undertaking a doctoral fellowship at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), funded by the NIHR and Wellbeing of Women. She has a strong interest in feminist approaches and methodologies in both qualitative and quantitative research and reflects this in her teaching practice at LSHTM. Alongside her work at BPAS and LSHTM, Rebecca is an Associate Editor at BMJ Sexual and Reproductive Health.
You can find Rebecca Blaylock's profile on ORCiD here.
Lucy is a mixed-methods health researcher with a focus and interest in women’s health, including access to, and experience of, healthcare. Her current area of focus is abortion and reproductive health, and previously on breast cancer while at Breast Cancer Now. She is skilled in qualitative and quantitative research and evaluation methods, including interviews, surveys, focus groups, and literature reviews, among others. Lucy was a key researcher in the NHR funded rapid evaluation of Women’s Health Hubs and created the first compendium on breast cancer in the UK.
Lucy holds a Biomedical Science degree from the University of Reading and a Master’s in Child Public Health from Swansea University.
You can find Lucy Hocking's profile on ORCiD here.
Caitlin is the Research and Evaluation Assistant at BPAS. She has a clinical background in sexual health and contraception, having previously worked as a Physician Associate in NHS Integrated Sexual and Reproductive Health services in West London.
Caitlin holds an undergraduate degree in Reproductive Biology from the University of Edinburgh and a Postgraduate Diploma in Physician Associate Studies from the University of Surrey. Through her clinical work, she developed a strong interest in service evaluation and quality improvement, particularly in understanding barriers to accessing SRH services, and she is now focused on developing her skills in research and evaluation to support evidence-based development in abortion care at BPAS.
You can find Caitlin McArthur's profile on ORCiD here.
Po is a multidisciplinary researcher and evaluation specialist. Her research aims to improve reproductive health outcomes and healthcare services, particularly for people living with disability and chronic illness. With a BA in Medical Anthropology from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and an MSc in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), she has worked internationally on ethnographic studies, clinical trials, and mixed-methods evaluations. These include researching menstrual healthcare in China, menopause management in England, and abortion and post-abortion service delivery in Ghana.
Po is also interested in using public and participatory methodologies and inclusive health communication strategies to advance equitable health outcomes. In 2021, she founded an online journal that published diverse and accessible discussions in global health, leading a team of over 70 editors and contributors across 12 countries. She remains committed to actively decolonizing and (re)distributing health information in her work and activism. You can find Po’s ORCID here: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-0993-8941
Charlotte is a registered nurse with a strong background in contraception and sexual health and a clear passion for women’s health. She holds a BA in English Literature from Queen Mary University of London and an MSc in Adult Nursing from the University of Nottingham.
In 2025, Charlotte joined BPAS’s Centre for Reproductive Research and Communication (CRRC) as a Research and Innovation Nurse, where she leads work exploring the role of nurses and midwives in surgical abortion care. In 2024, she was awarded the prestigious Entry Level Scholarship by Wellbeing of Women and the College of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare to evaluate the use of the London Measure of Unplanned Pregnancy in abortion care.
Alongside her research role, Charlotte is Lead Nurse at BPAS Doncaster Telehub and is a qualified Professional Nurse Advocate. She also works within a local sexual health clinic.
Charlotte is Chair of the Royal College of Nursing Women’s Health Forum Steering Committee, contributing to national guidance and championing nurses across the UK working in women’s health. She also volunteers with the charity Abortion Talk, supporting open, informed, and compassionate conversations about abortion.
You can find Charlotte Glynn's profile on ORCiD here.
Nicole is a biomedical scientist with a passion for women’s health, combining practical clinical experience with research expertise. She holds a Biomedical Science degree from Solent University and has built a foundation in women’s health research through completing courses such as Improving the Health of Women, Children, and Adolescents: From Evidence to Action with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Women’s Health After Motherhood with Trinity College Dublin.
In parallel, Nicole has worked at BPAS since 2024 gaining hands-on experience as an administrative and healthcare assistant in the clinics, where she supports both patient care and clinic operations. Nicole is also a talk line volunteer for Abortion Talk. Her work reflects a commitment to advancing women’s health through both evidence-based knowledge and direct clinical practice.
You can find Nicole Gray's profile on ORCiD here.
Kathryn is an experienced healthcare professional with a strong interest in service improvement and the integration of technology in reproductive healthcare. Since joining BPAS in 2019, she has worked in both client-facing and operational roles, progressing from a bank Client Care Coordinator to her current position as a Support Services Coordinator in Clinic. In this role, she ensures the smooth running of clinic operations, balancing administrative responsibilities with hands-on tasks that support staff and patients.
Alongside her practical experience, she is currently contributing to research on the potential of AI technology to enhance BPAS services for both patients and staff. She is also an active member of the People Forum, helping to shape workplace culture within the organisation.
Hannah McCulloch is a mixed methods researcher with nearly a decade of experience in sexual and reproductive health (SRH) research. She holds an MSc in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and has worked across academic, NHS, NGO, and femtech settings in the UK and internationally. From 2021- 2025, Hannah was an Evaluation Researcher at the CRRC. She led evaluations of clinical and operational changes in BPAS care, with a focus on pain management in medical abortion, young people’s care and telemedicine services. Now an affiliate member of the CRRC, Hannah currently works as an independent SRH research and evaluation consultant. She is particularly interested in person-centred abortion care, self-care innovations in SRH, and improving health equity through inclusive and impactful research.
See Hannah’s LinkedIn and her ORCID for more information, including her publications.
Dr Katherine (Kate) Whitehouse is an American-trained doctor, double board-certified in Obstetrics & Gynaecology and Complex Family Planning. She has over a decade of expertise in abortion care and sexual health research (SRH) as an academic clinician, Medical Officer at the WHO, and working in independent sector abortion care in Britain. She has authored many peer-reviewed publications on SRH and contributed to national and international guideline development in the US, UK and globally. She is an editor for the European Journal of Contraception & Reproductive Health Care and an Evidence Advisor at the British Society of Abortion Care Providers (BSACP). She is passionate about improving women's lives through high-quality medical care, research & healthcare policy. While she always takes an evidence-based approach, Kate aims to put her patient's needs at the center of everything she does. Currently, she works as an abortion provider at MSI Reproductive Choices and NUPAS and also a freelance researcher and medical advisor in femtech.
See Kate's LinkedIn and her ORCID for more information, including her publications.
