The Progress Educational Trust podcast
PET (the Progress Educational Trust) is an independent charity that improves choices for people affected by infertility and genetic conditions. On this podcast, you can hear the latest PET discussions of scientific, ethical, legal and policy issues in fertility, genetics, genomics and embryo/stem cell research. These discussions feature experts and advocates from around the world, as well as contributions from patients and the broader public.
Episodes
December 15, 2025 • 91 mins
This episode of the Progress Educational Trust (PET) podcast discusses how to improve diagnosis, treatment and support for people affected by rare and inherited metabolic diseases.
The discussion is chaired by Sarah Norcross (Director of PET), with contributions from:
⚫ Jonathan Gibson (Lead for Campaigns and Communications at the charity Metabolic Support UK)
⚫ Dr Srividya Sreekantam (Consultant in Paediatric Metabolic Medicine at Bi...
The discussion is chaired by Sarah Norcross (Director of PET), with contributions from:
⚫ Jonathan Gibson (Lead for Campaigns and Communications at the charity Metabolic Support UK)
⚫ Dr Srividya Sreekantam (Consultant in Paediatric Metabolic Medicine at Bi...
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November 24, 2025 • 94 mins
This episode of the Progress Educational Trust (PET) podcast discusses how we might improve access to genetic and genomic testing, and related services, for people and families affected by rare disease.
The discussion is chaired by Sarah Norcross (Director of PET), with contributions from:
⚫ Dr Sarah Wynn (Lead for Genetics and Genomics at the NIHR Exeter Biomedical Research Centre)
⚫ Miranda Durkie (Chief Medical Officer at Genomics ...
The discussion is chaired by Sarah Norcross (Director of PET), with contributions from:
⚫ Dr Sarah Wynn (Lead for Genetics and Genomics at the NIHR Exeter Biomedical Research Centre)
⚫ Miranda Durkie (Chief Medical Officer at Genomics ...
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November 3, 2025 • 84 mins
This episode of the Progress Educational Trust (PET) podcast discusses the use of mitochondrial donation to avoid mitochondrial disease, with speakers including two of the pioneers whose work has resulted in the birth of eight UK babies with donated mitochondria.
The discussion is chaired by Sarah Norcross (Director of PET), with contributions from:
⚫ Professor Mary Herbert (pioneer of mitochondrial donation, and lead author of the f...
The discussion is chaired by Sarah Norcross (Director of PET), with contributions from:
⚫ Professor Mary Herbert (pioneer of mitochondrial donation, and lead author of the f...
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October 6, 2025 • 105 mins
This episode of the Progress Educational Trust (PET) podcast marks the 100th birthday of the late IVF pioneer Professor Sir Robert Edwards, known widely (and affectionately) as 'Bob'.
The podcast explores Bob's life and legacy, including the dramatisation of his work with Patrick Steptoe and Jean Purdy in the film Joy.
The discussion is chaired by Sarah Norcross (Director of PET), with contributions from:
⚫ Dr Jenny Joy (Bob's daughte...
The podcast explores Bob's life and legacy, including the dramatisation of his work with Patrick Steptoe and Jean Purdy in the film Joy.
The discussion is chaired by Sarah Norcross (Director of PET), with contributions from:
⚫ Dr Jenny Joy (Bob's daughte...
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September 4, 2025 • 93 mins
This episode of the Progress Educational Trust (PET) podcast marks 40 years since the UK introduced dedicated legislation to govern surrogacy, and explores whether and how this law might be updated.
The discussion is chaired by Sarah Norcross (Director of PET), with contributions from:
⚫ Kim Cotton (founder of Childlessness Overcome Through Surrogacy)
⚫ Sarah Jones (Chief Executive of Surrogacy UK)
⚫ Paul Morgan-Bentley (Head of Invest...
The discussion is chaired by Sarah Norcross (Director of PET), with contributions from:
⚫ Kim Cotton (founder of Childlessness Overcome Through Surrogacy)
⚫ Sarah Jones (Chief Executive of Surrogacy UK)
⚫ Paul Morgan-Bentley (Head of Invest...
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August 4, 2025 • 92 mins
This episode of the Progress Educational Trust (PET) podcast features leading figures in health-related policy, research and ethics discussing the long-term impact of the UK's Our Future Health programme, and what can be learned from the experience of the USA's All of Us programme.
Topics explored include whether, when, why and how participants in these programmes might be re-contacted, following their initial participation.
The disc...
Topics explored include whether, when, why and how participants in these programmes might be re-contacted, following their initial participation.
The disc...
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July 14, 2025 • 95 mins
This episode of the Progress Educational Trust (PET) podcast explores what needs to be done – and why – to ensure that people of diverse ancestries and social backgrounds are represented in genomic data, and in health-related data more generally.
The discussion is chaired by Sarah Norcross (Director of PET), with contributions from:
⚫ Anika Ladva (Head of Community Engagement at Our Future Health)
⚫ Sasha Henriques (Researcher at Well...
The discussion is chaired by Sarah Norcross (Director of PET), with contributions from:
⚫ Anika Ladva (Head of Community Engagement at Our Future Health)
⚫ Sasha Henriques (Researcher at Well...
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July 4, 2025 • 60 mins
This episode of the Progress Educational Trust (PET) podcast discusses implications – for patients, practitioners and policymakers – of health conditions, and aspects of lifestyle, that can affect fertility treatment outcomes.
The discussion is chaired by Sarah Norcross (Director of PET), with contributions from:
⚫ Dr Antony Nicoll (Senior Medical Officer for Maternal and Women's Health for the Scottish Government)
⚫ Professor Rebecca...
The discussion is chaired by Sarah Norcross (Director of PET), with contributions from:
⚫ Dr Antony Nicoll (Senior Medical Officer for Maternal and Women's Health for the Scottish Government)
⚫ Professor Rebecca...
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June 16, 2025 • 95 mins
This episode of the Progress Educational Trust (PET) podcast discusses pregnancy loss in relation to fertility treatment, including how to identify and reduce risks and how to provide appropriate support.
The discussion is chaired by Sarah Norcross (Director of PET), with contributions from:
⚫ Dr Andrea Woolner (Early Pregnancy Lead for NHS Grampian)
⚫ Dr Cheryl Dunlop (Consultant in Gynaecology and Reproductive Medicine at the Royal ...
The discussion is chaired by Sarah Norcross (Director of PET), with contributions from:
⚫ Dr Andrea Woolner (Early Pregnancy Lead for NHS Grampian)
⚫ Dr Cheryl Dunlop (Consultant in Gynaecology and Reproductive Medicine at the Royal ...
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June 5, 2025 • 98 mins
This episode of the Progress Educational Trust (PET) podcast explains and explores the different approaches of the UK's largest genomics projects, and the impact of these projects on healthcare, research and society.
The discussion is chaired by Sarah Norcross (Director of PET), with contributions from:
⚫ Professor Dame Sue Hill (Chief Scientific Officer for England)
⚫ Dr Adam Lewandowski (Deputy Chief Scientist at UK Biobank)
⚫ Chris ...
The discussion is chaired by Sarah Norcross (Director of PET), with contributions from:
⚫ Professor Dame Sue Hill (Chief Scientific Officer for England)
⚫ Dr Adam Lewandowski (Deputy Chief Scientist at UK Biobank)
⚫ Chris ...
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May 1, 2025 • 92 mins
This episode of the Progress Educational Trust (PET) podcast is the second instalment in a two-part discussion exploring whether assisted conception can address challenges posed by falling birthrates, and by decreasing population sizes.
The discussion is chaired by Sarah Norcross (Director of PET), with contributions from:
⚫ Professor Ann Berrington (Director of the Fertility and Family research group at the Centre for Population Cha...
The discussion is chaired by Sarah Norcross (Director of PET), with contributions from:
⚫ Professor Ann Berrington (Director of the Fertility and Family research group at the Centre for Population Cha...
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April 25, 2025 • 95 mins
This episode of the Progress Educational Trust (PET) podcast is the first instalment in a two-part discussion exploring whether assisted conception can address challenges posed by falling birthrates, and by decreasing population sizes.
The discussion is chaired by Sarah Norcross (Director of PET), with contributions from:
⚫ Professor Geeta Nargund (Lead Consultant for Reproductive Medicine at St George's University Hospitals)
⚫ Profes...
The discussion is chaired by Sarah Norcross (Director of PET), with contributions from:
⚫ Professor Geeta Nargund (Lead Consultant for Reproductive Medicine at St George's University Hospitals)
⚫ Profes...
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March 10, 2025 • 95 mins
This episode of the Progress Educational Trust (PET) podcast discusses lessons for the fertility sector from the UK's infected blood scandal, and from the subsequent Infected Blood Inquiry.
The discussion is chaired by Sarah Norcross (Director of PET), with contributions from:
⚫ Professor Abha Maheshwari (Lead Clinician at Fertility Scotland)
⚫ Professor Marc Turner (Director of the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service)
⚫ Profes...
The discussion is chaired by Sarah Norcross (Director of PET), with contributions from:
⚫ Professor Abha Maheshwari (Lead Clinician at Fertility Scotland)
⚫ Professor Marc Turner (Director of the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service)
⚫ Profes...
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February 20, 2025 • 97 mins
This episode of the Progress Educational Trust (PET) podcast discusses how to improve access to – and quality of – fertility treatment for LGBTQ+ people, families and communities.
The discussion is chaired by Sarah Norcross (Director of PET), with contributions from:
⚫ Dr Carole Gilling-Smith (founder, Medical Director and Chief Executive of the Agora Clinic)
⚫ Professor Nick Macklon (Medical Director of the London Women's Clinic)
⚫ Na...
The discussion is chaired by Sarah Norcross (Director of PET), with contributions from:
⚫ Dr Carole Gilling-Smith (founder, Medical Director and Chief Executive of the Agora Clinic)
⚫ Professor Nick Macklon (Medical Director of the London Women's Clinic)
⚫ Na...
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February 3, 2025 • 92 mins
This episode of the Progress Educational Trust (PET) podcast discusses access to and funding for preimplantation genetic testing (PGT), specifically in relation to monogenic conditions (PGT-M) and chromosomal structural rearrangements (PGT-SR).
The discussion is chaired by Sarah Norcross (Director of PET), with contributions from:
⚫ Charlotte Tomlinson (Clinical Genetics PGT Lead at Guy's Hospital)
⚫ Dr Melanie Nana (Clinical Research...
The discussion is chaired by Sarah Norcross (Director of PET), with contributions from:
⚫ Charlotte Tomlinson (Clinical Genetics PGT Lead at Guy's Hospital)
⚫ Dr Melanie Nana (Clinical Research...
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January 6, 2025 • 94 mins
This episode of the Progress Educational Trust (PET) podcast features the medical pioneers responsible for the world's first live birth following a uterus transplant (in 2014), and for the UK's first live birth following a uterus transplant (in 2025).
The discussion is chaired by Sarah Norcross (Director of PET), with contributions from:
⚫ Professor Mats Brännström (pioneer of uterus transplantation and leader of the team responsible...
The discussion is chaired by Sarah Norcross (Director of PET), with contributions from:
⚫ Professor Mats Brännström (pioneer of uterus transplantation and leader of the team responsible...
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November 1, 2024 • 96 mins
This episode of the Progress Educational Trust (PET) podcast discusses the Generation Study – an NHS-embedded research study which is sequencing the whole genomes of 100,000 newborn babies, in order to understand whether we can improve our ability to diagnose and treat genetic conditions.
The discussion is chaired by Sarah Norcross (Director of PET), with contributions from:
⚫ Amanda Pichini (Clinical Director at Genomics England)
⚫ P...
The discussion is chaired by Sarah Norcross (Director of PET), with contributions from:
⚫ Amanda Pichini (Clinical Director at Genomics England)
⚫ P...
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July 29, 2024 • 80 mins
This episode of the Progress Educational Trust (PET) podcast discusses the use of artworks to improve understanding and advance knowledge of the causes of infertility, and of future prospects for IVF and other assisted reproductive technologies (ART).
The discussion is chaired by Sarah Norcross (Director of PET), with contributions from:
⚫ Professor Adèle Marston (Director of the Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology), discussing her artw...
The discussion is chaired by Sarah Norcross (Director of PET), with contributions from:
⚫ Professor Adèle Marston (Director of the Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology), discussing her artw...
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July 1, 2024 • 94 mins
This episode of the Progress Educational Trust (PET) podcast discusses how to address challenges raised by 'add-ons' to IVF treatment, while taking account of the perspectives of clinics, regulators and – most crucially of all – patients.
The discussion is chaired by Sarah Norcross (Director of PET), with contributions from:
⚫ Professor Manuela Perrotta (Professor of Sociology of Technology and Organisation at Queen Mary University o...
The discussion is chaired by Sarah Norcross (Director of PET), with contributions from:
⚫ Professor Manuela Perrotta (Professor of Sociology of Technology and Organisation at Queen Mary University o...
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June 3, 2024 • 94 mins
This episode of the Progress Educational Trust (PET) podcast discusses whether there should be limits on the number of people – worldwide – who can be created from the sperm or eggs of the same donor.
The discussion is chaired by Sarah Norcross (Director of PET), with contributions from:
⚫ Professor Jackson Kirkman-Brown (Chair of the Association of Reproductive and Clinical Scientists)
⚫ Christina Sommerlund (Business Development Man...
The discussion is chaired by Sarah Norcross (Director of PET), with contributions from:
⚫ Professor Jackson Kirkman-Brown (Chair of the Association of Reproductive and Clinical Scientists)
⚫ Christina Sommerlund (Business Development Man...
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