Meet the Team
We are a multi-disciplinary team from across the world, with many of us currently studying at the University of Edinburgh. As members of the Buchanan Institute, a student-led think tank which facilitates pursuits to enact change, we have followed our shared passion for reforming current contraceptive care and health in Scotland.
 Rebecca Gascoigne (she/her)President |
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 Charlotte Cuffley (she/her)Secretary |
 Kate Astbury (she/her)Vice-President |
 Sharan AtwalTreasurer |
 Jenny Macfarlane (she/her)Welfare Director |
 Lucy WellmanOutreach Director |
 Alice JacksonOutreach Director |
 Yu NakamuraBiomedical Research Director |
 Sophie BuijsenSocial Science Research Director |
 Niamh RobertsCampaigns Director |
 Mairi BruceCampaigns Director |
Committee
The committee oversees the organisational strategy, vision and direction of CERT. We discuss the outputs of each of CERT’s teams and collaboratively create solutions to any issues that may arise alongside setting goals for future projects.
This year, we have been working on our ‘Make Stealthing Illegal’ campaign and laying the foundations for a second CERT branch in Glasgow. It’s wonderful to work so closely with such passionate, determined and all round brilliant humans!
Outreach
Lucy Wellman (she/her)Outreach Director |
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Alice Jackson (she/her)Outreach Director |
 Lucy Beck (she/her)Copywriter |
 Lauren Macphail (she/her)Social Media Manager |
 Emily King (she/her)Content Creator |
 Victoria Causley (she/her)Content Creator |
 Charlotte O'Connor (she/her)Web Manager |
Outreach is responsible for all external communications and CERT’s public-facing presence. We research, create and manage CERT’s social media to disseminate our core messages in a creative and accessible way.
We collaborate with other related organisations to champion the diversity of voices in the contraceptive and sexual health field.
Fundraising and Events
The Events & Fundraising team is responsible for organising events to promote CERT, collaborate with organisations that align with our core values, connect to the wider Edinburgh community, and raise money for charitable initiatives. This year we ran a round table discussion event at Peanut Press Cafe, a creative workshop at August 21 Cafe in collaboration with Clitbait Zine, and several CERT member socials.
The most rewarding event we ran in 2022 was the ‘Gossip Ball’ at the Caves in April in collaboration with Girls Against, Girl Up Edinburgh, Sanitree, Sexpression, and Edinburgh University Feminist Society. We hosted 200 guests, raised over £2000 for Shakti Women’s Aid, and had a fabulous time! In April we also launched CERT Glasgow and held a launch event with live music and poetry performances, in support of Glasgow Women’s Aid.
Sharan AtwalTreasurer |
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 Dara Minogue (she/her)Fundraising & Events Team Leader |
 Rebecca Kerr (she/her)Events Coordinator |
 Charmaine Smethurst (she/her)Fundraising Team |
 Camille Green (she/her)Events Coordinator |
 Sarah Cooper (she/her)Fundraising Team |
Campaigns are responsible for progressing CERT’s campaign recommendations. This year we have worked on ‘Make Stealthing Illegal’; turning a research paper with a recommendation to explicitly criminalise stealthing into roundtable discussions and meetings with MSPs; a petition with over 500 signatures;
Campaigns
Niamh Roberts (she/they)Campaign Director |
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Mairi Bruce (she/her)Campaign Director |
 Eilidh Tannett (she/her)Campaigns Team |
extensive research and planning as to the best political route; legal, political and media contacts; and plans to begin a bill, host a launch event and release radio programmes this summer.
Social Science Research Teams
 Bella Henricks (she/her)Emergency Contraception Research Team Leader |
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 Amelia Lockhart-Hourigan (she/her)Emergency Contraception Research Team |
 Katie Swann (she/her)Emergency Contraception Research Team |
 Emily Holden (she/her)Emergency Contraception Research Team |
 Katie Leeming (she/her)Emergency Contraception Research Team |
 Nastya Kabeleva (she/her)Emergency Contraception Research Team |
Morning
After Pill
The Morning After Pill Project is researching how education about emergency oral contraception could be made more effective in Scotland. More specifically, we are looking into how Scottish Secondary schools engage with this in sex education, and how they could improve. Ultimately, we will make recommendations for changes in Scottish school curricula to include a more comprehensive and accurate explanation of emergency oral contraception. We hope to end stigma and misconceptions around the Morning After Pill.
The Libido project is examining how hormonal contraceptive methods affect libido. We are aiming to understand the different experiences of pill users and combine our knowledge to produce a comprehensive policy paper that can influence better informed decision making by all parties.
 Anastasia Nairne (she/her)Contraception and Libido Research Team Leader |
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 Jodie Coyte (she/her)Contraception and Libido Research Team |
 Imogen Rixon Gibb (she/her)Contraception and Libido Research Team |
 Erica Grauso (she/her)Contraception and Libido Research Team |
Libido
Biomedical Research Teams
 Suzanna Hammersley (she/her)Secondary Uses Research Team Leader |
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 Coco Zhang (she/her)Secondary Uses Research Team |
 Clara Hopkins (she/her)Secondary Uses Research Team |
 Elizabeth Krull (she/her)Secondary Uses Research Team |
Secondary Uses
of Contraception
We are looking at the various non-contraceptive uses of hormonal contraception. We are examining the social and scientific ideas which have led to hormonal contraceptives being used to ‘treat’ many gynaecological and hormonal conditions. Currently we are writing our literature review and discussing the lack of research into why people suffer from
certain gynaecological conditions, something which we feel would allow more appropriate treatments to emerge, helping the root cause of hormonal problems, such as PCOS, Endometriosis, hormonal Migraines and menorrhagia.
We are excited to move into the next phase of our research which will involve speaking to the public and targeted groups about their experiences with gynaecological diseases and the prescription of hormonal contraceptives.
Mental Health
The Mental Health Research Team works to explore whether there is a clear link between mental health well-being and contraceptive use, specifically hormonal contraceptives. Our research is taken from a biomedical perspective but considers the personal experience of users, as well. Through this research, we hope to expand on existing information surrounding the topic and determine whether or not mental ill health should be listed as a side effect so contraceptive users can make more informed decisions around their contraceptive choices.
 Beth Price (she/her)Contraception and Mental Health Research Team Leader |
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 Paula Bradley (she/her)Contraception and Mental Health Research Team |
 Zena Spiers (she/her)Contraception and Mental Health Research Team |
 Gaby Calvert (she/her)Contraception and Mental Health Research Team |
 Imogen Boyd (she/her)Contraception and Mental Health Research Team |
 Maisy Bextor (she/her)Contraception and Mental Health Research Team |