People

Trustees

Our trustees include respected professors, charity leaders, and PAO patients, among others, bringing hundreds of years of collective knowledge. Their skills span medical care, fundraising, marketing, legal, and patient support. Based across the UK, they are committed to improving awareness, diagnosis, and care for those affected by PAO.

Kathryn Berg

PAO RESEARCHER – PAO PROJECT RESEARCH TRIAL LEAD

Caroline Craig Driscoll

PAO diagnosed mother & Governance professional

Tessa Gooding

PAO diagnosed mother &
Journalist

James William Green

Lawyer, pao specialist knowledge

Prof. David Macauley Reid MBE

PAO Specialist & Clinician

Prof. Stuart Hamilton Ralston

PAO UK CO-CHAIR

PAO Researcher, Specialist & Clinician

Jane Victoria Kent

PAO diagnosed mother

Anne Catherine Southcombe

Marketing Specialist & “Independent” Non-PAO Diagnosed Mother

Karen Whitehead MBE

PAO UK CO-CHAIR

PAO Diagnosed Mother & PAO Patient Researcher

Professor Graham Williams OBE

Researcher, Specialist & Clinician

Morag Park

PAO Diagnosed Mother & Health Visitor / Healthcare professional

Medical and Scientific Committee

Our charity is supported by a group of renowned clinicians who generously review all content published on our website. We treat the well-being of our community with the utmost care and ensure that the information we share adheres to the highest scientific and ethical standards. As research evolves, so too will the content we provide.

Dr Sarah Hardcastle

Consultant Rheumatologist, Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Bath (chair)

Professor Stuart H Ralston

Versus Arthritis Professor of Rheumatology, Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, University of Edinburgh

Professor Richard Keen

Consultant in Metabolic Bone Disease, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore

Professor Jennifer Walsh

Consultant in Metabolic Bone Disease and Professor of Clinical Education, Northern General Hospital, Sheffield

Professor Alexander Comninos

Consultant Endocrinologist, Endocrine Bone Unit, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust

Dr Claire Holmes

Consultant Rheumatologist, University Hospital Southampton

Dr Hannah Irvine

ST6 in Rheumatology with an interest in obstetric medicine, Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust

Lynn Hammond

Chartered Physiotherapist and APPI Certified Pilates Instructor

Morag Park

Health visitor and PAO Mum

Dr Kirsten Furley

Paediatrician and PAO Mum

Charity Patron: Lucy Rose

Lucy Rose, Patron of Pregnancy Osteoporosis UK, is a renowned musician whose debut album was released in 2012. In October 2023, she returned with “Could You Help Me”, the lead single from her fifth studio album “This Ain’t The Way You Go Out”, released in April 2024. The album was deeply personal, inspired by Lucy’s experience with Pregnancy Associated Osteoporosis (PAO) during her first pregnancy—a condition that left her in severe pain, with eight fractured vertebrae, struggling to care for her newborn while facing disbelief and delayed diagnosis from healthcare professionals.

During this incredibly difficult time, Lucy found comfort in playing piano to her baby, reigniting her creative spirit. That intimate connection became the heart of a powerful and uplifting record—one that tells a story of resilience, motherhood, and the strength to persevere.

Although Lucy didn’t tour extensively in 2024 due to her second pregnancy, she actively promoted the album and used her platform to raise much-needed awareness of PAO. She gave birth to her second child in late 2024, with this pregnancy unaffected by the disease—a common occurrence, as PAO may only impact one pregnancy.

In early 2025, Lucy released a new album, featuring the song “Pale Blue Eyes”, a tribute to her son and the emotional anchor he provided during her darkest days: “the one person who kept me believing in myself at my lowest time, who was of course my little boy. When I felt like my body was failing and no one around believed me, he still loved me for me.”

Lucy’s music and story offer hope and inspiration to other mothers navigating PAO—many of whom worry about bonding with their baby, recovering from the condition, pursuing their careers, or expanding their families.

She continues to raise awareness and recently announced a new UK tour set for early 2026.

For more about Lucy and her music, visit: https://www.lucyrosemusic.com

"How terribly lonely illness is..."

Lucy Rose

Musician, Mother, and Advocate for PAO Awareness