Dr Julia Bilinska – Chair
Julia Bilinska is a Consultant in HIV, Sexual Health and General Medicine at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London. Her clinical interests include maternal medicine, complex PrEP and complex genitourinary infections. She completed an Obstetric Medicine Fellowship and holds Higher Specialty Training credentials in Obstetric Medicine.
Julia is passionate about education, service development and tackling stigma in HIV and sexual health. She has completed a Postgraduate Diploma and is currently undertaking a Master’s in Clinical Education at King’s College London. She leads the HIV Charter initiative at GSTT and is committed to advancing equitable, patient-centred care across services.
Dr Max Kelen – Vice Chair
Max is a GP working in South London who has always had a strong interest in sexual health. He maintains a diverse portfolio career across the specialties; working both at Camberwell Sexual Health Centre and at GP surgeries in Southwark and Lambeth. He is an experienced LARC fitter and is working towards the BMS Advanced Menopause Certificate.
He also has a strong interest in Trans Health working at CliniQ, based at Kings College Hospital, and setting up the innovative Bridge@Southwark primary care service for trans and non binary people.
Max is passionate about recruiting a wide network of people to LSCaSH: especially GPs, nurses and those working in primary care.
Dr Francesca Paltenghi – Treasurer
Dr Francesca Paltenghi is a trainee in Community Sexual and Reproductive Health (CSRH) at The Mortimer Market Centre sexual health clinic, Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust. She has a particular interest in contraception after pregnancy and has been heavily involved in setting up the postnatal contraceptive service at University College Hospital. Francesca has five years’ experience working as sexual offences’ examiner at The Havens, London’s sexual assault referral centres. She joined the LSCASH committee in 2021, and has recently taken on the role as Treasurer.
Dr Annette Thwaites
Annette Thwaites is a consultant in Sexual and Reproductive Health at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and an Academic Clinical Fellow at the Institute for Women’s Health, University College London. She was awarded her MD (Res) in 2022 on the contraceptive needs of women post successful in vitro fertilisation, was lead author on the FSRH CEU statement on contraception for women with eating disorders and is on the UKMEC guideline development group. Prior to studying graduate medicine, Annette worked as a business analyst for Andersen Business Consulting/Deloitte and has masters’ degrees in Engineering (Cambridge University) and Computing (Imperial College London).
Dr Gabriella Fine
Gabriella is a Sexual and Reproductive Health Consultant working in Community Gynaecology at Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. Her interests include complex contraception, menopause, gynaecological ultrasound and psychosexual medicine. She holds a Diploma in Psychosexual Medicine from the Institute of Psychosexual Medicine and is currently working towards full membership. She is passionate about holistic women’s health and improving access to care, with a particular focus on developing innovative community services and integrated pathways across primary and secondary care. Her work includes introducing social prescribing into women’s health hubs and improving access to postnatal contraception.
Ms Alexa Mason
Alexa has worked in sexual and reproductive health since 2022, and is the clinical support worker in the Complex LARC referral clinic at King’s College Hospital.
She additionally works in abortion care, and has particular interest in contraception and vulval health.
Prior to entering healthcare in 2020, Alexa worked as a soloist in performing arts, and in online retail management. She holds bachelor’s and masters degrees in Music from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Ms Stephanie Rashbrook
Steph is an Advanced nurse practitioner working in GUM/SRH at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS foundation trust. She has worked in sexual health for over 16 years working in a variety of clinics and roles, including as short stint as a health adviser. Steph has an interest recurrent BV and thrush management along with LARC and nurse education. She had a MSc in Advanced Practice in Sexual Health from Edinburgh Napier university. Steph is keen to widen the availability of affordable, easy to access CPD for nurses. Outside of work, you can often find Steph running or escaping locked rooms/puzzle solving.
Dr Lewis Lau
Lewis Lau qualified from Cardiff. He is currently a SAS doctor in Sexual Health based in Mortimer Market Centre and Archway Centre (Central & North West London NHS Trust). Lewis loves his spicy food and is passionate about his foreign travels.