Meet the team

Medina has worked in the domestic violence and abuse sector since 2004. She was part of the original IRIS research trial from 2007-2011. She holds an honorary contract with Bristol University, is a board member of ARC West and has collaborated on a number of academic research projects nationally and internationally. She is passionate to improve the healthcare response to gender violence and to improve the associated care pathways and support for those affected.

In 2017, Medina was part of the team that set up and established IRISi. Medina’s background is in education and training and she has worked as a secondary school teacher, regional trainer for a large national charity, managed a project for single homeless people, and managed a resettlement service for women in housing need with mental health problems. She has an MA in European Business Management Outside work, Medina is a trustee of a small UK charity supporting a children’s home in Kenya and visits her African family each year.

Medina lives in Monmouthshire and enjoys spending time in the garden with her hens and growing vegetables.

Annie Howell is Director of Income Generation at IRISi and is passionate about improving the healthcare response to gender-based violence. Annie is deeply committed to centring the voices of victim-survivors in her work understanding that their lived experience is critical to informing best and future practice and bringing vital change to the healthcare response to GBV. She is driven by hope and resilience to creating a future where every survivor of GBV has access to the care and support needed to thrive.

Annie has worked in the domestic violence and abuse sector for 23 years. Her experience began in Sydney, Australia, where she worked for the Attorney Generals Government. During this time Annie worked in various roles including case supervisor for survivors of domestic violence, case manager for family members of homicide victims and subsequently working as a telephone counsellor on the victim support helpline, New South Wales.

On returning to the UK Annie worked for the LGBT charity Galop before she started work at nia in 2007 as part of the IRIS research team. She was one of the original two IRIS Advocate Educators before becoming one of the National Implementation Managers for the project in 2010. The focus at this time was to implement IRIS as a commissionable model nationally. Annie co-founded IRISi in 2017.

Annie is also a qualified Chair of Independent Domestic Homicide Reviews. She has a BA (Hons) in Criminology. Annie enjoys spending time with her three young children, her dog and her friends. She has a passion for music and dance, enjoys reading and loves to exercise.

With a decade of experience in the domestic abuse sector, Melanie has worked on the frontline supporting survivors, training clinicians to identify and respond to abuse, and has led the development of IRISi's national programmes, campaigning for and strengthening the healthcare response to domestic abuse.

Before joining IRISi, Melanie worked as a Probation Service Officer supporting offenders and delivered youth programmes for at-risk young people. Drawing on both professional and personal experience, Melanie is deeply passionate about ensuring that no survivor goes unnoticed, and that systems and practitioners are equipped to respond effectively and compassionately.

In her spare time Melanie loves to travel and explore, get lost in a good book and make the most of the great Bristol music and arts scene.

Sal joined IRISi in February 2022 and is responsible for day-to-day office operations and HR support, alongside organising team training and events. She works closely with SLT to ensure the organisation runs smoothly whilst creating a positive and supportive workplace.

Prior to joining IRISi, Sal worked at a women’s mental health charity co ordinating support and housing for vulnerable women. She has experience working across the charity, youth service, and education sectors, with a background in administration, coordination and people-focused support roles.

Sal completed her MSc in International Development at the University of Bristol, taking a particular interest in the impact of conflict on women and children, and holds a BA(Hons) in International Relations at the University of the West of England.

Outside of work, Sal loves running, music, camping, exploring Bristol’s cafes, and spending lots of time with her daughter and dog, Mackie.

Christabel joined the IRISi team as a Project Support Officer, working to support various projects geared towards improving the healthcare response to domestic violence and abuse and gender-based violence. She holds an MSc in Psychology from the University of Aberdeen. Coupled with her psychology background, Christabel has worked within the NHS and other diverse settings to promote impactful projects. Christabel is passionate about advancing a course that amplifies the voices of underrepresented groups. In her spare time Christabel loves to bake, engage in content creation, and photo capture beautiful sights and memorable moments.

Becky has recently joined the IRISi team as Contracts & Programme Manager and is passionate to be a part of IRISi’s mission to improve the healthcare response to gender-based violence. Becky’s career started in Law and as a qualified Solicitor, she worked in litigation for several years before moving into programme and project management work. Becky most recently worked as a programme manager for NHS England on a national programme, working to improve the care and treatment for individuals who had a diagnosis of autism and/or a learning disability and were admitted to secure mental health hospitals. Becky lives in Wiltshire and enjoys spending time with her husband, friends, cats, and dog. Outside of work, Becky enjoys the outdoors, gardening, reading, and cooking. When she isn’t working you will probably find her in her garden or exploring the countryside with her springer spaniel, Olive.

Emma joined IRISi in May 2022. She joins our team having worked in the Domestic Abuse field for over 25 years. Her work has been primarily as a researcher and lecturer looking at various forms of Gender Based Violence. She volunteered on the National Domestic Abuse Helpline in the early 2000s, and from 2004-2006, worked as the Research and Membership Manager at Women’s Aid England.

She was, until recently, a co-editor on the Journal of Gender Based Violence. Her early research, and PhD, focused on Domestic Violence and Health, and she has continued to be part of various consortia looking to improve the health response to domestic violence and abuse. In her spare time, Emma likes spending quality time with friends and family and recently moved back to the North to be closer to them.

Hayley is the Network, Innovation and Training Manager at IRISi Interventions, bringing over 12 years of experience managing services for adult and child victims of domestic abuse. Her work spans refuge provision, children and young people’s services, and adult victim support.

A qualified Therapeutic Play Practitioner since 2016, Hayley has delivered Play Therapy interventions for children and young people affected by domestic abuse and living in safe accommodation. She is passionate about raising awareness of gender-based violence and has developed bespoke training and intervention packages for a wide range of professionals. She has a particular interest in supporting health professionals to recognise the critical role they play in identifying and ending domestic abuse.

Outside of work, Hayley can often be found exploring the countryside with her dogs, Shelby and Cassidy, or planning her next travel adventure. She loves reading, discovering new places, and spending time in nature whenever she can.

Sallie has spent her career in advice and advocacy services in the third sector. As a self-described ‘grumpy feminist’ it has been fitting that most of this work has been in the VAWG sector. Her work initially focused on service delivery, working in both front line and senior management roles. At IRISi, she does all things data related, especially a good spreadsheet. Alongside her role at IRISi, she is studying a Master’s degree in Geographic Data Science (otherwise known as MAPS!) and in her spare time she does consultancy work around domestic abuse. When not doing these things, she enjoys building Lego, eating food, and watching her chickens.

Jacqueline Gantley is a recently retired GP who worked in central Cardiff for over 30 years. She was appointed as the IRIS Clinical Lead for two areas in South Wales in late 2014. Now, as a Board Member of IRISi, she will help to build on and sustain the already very successful rollout of the IRIS Programme.

Gene is Professor of Primary Health Care at the Centre for Academic Primary Care, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol Gene qualified at Guy's Hospital medical school, following a BSc in Biology and Philosophy from the University of Sussex. He trained as a GP and was a principal in Hackney for 21 years until moving to Bristol. His research started with the health and healthcare of Traveller Gypsies, followed by studies on the development and implementation of clinical guidelines, management of chronic respiratory and cardiovascular conditions in primary care and the health impact of domestic violence. Current research focuses on healthcare responses to domestic violence globally. Gene’s methodological expertise is in randomised controlled trials and systematic reviews, collaborating with epidemiologists and social scientists on cohort and qualitative studies respectively. He has chaired four NICE guideline development groups and led the WHO intimate partner violence guidelines. In 2017 was awarded an OBE for services to healthcare and victims of domestic abuse.

Gene was the principal investigator on the original IRIS trial and has been closely involved with the development of the programme and IRISi ever since. He was also one of the team that set up and established IRISi in 2017 and is a Director.

Andrew is a Senior Research Commercialisation Manager at the University of Bristol and works with academics and clinicians from the University’s Faculty of Health Sciences to facilitate the transfer of a range of technologies and healthcare interventions to commercial organisations. This includes licensing and new company creation. Andrew joined University of Bristol from UWE, where he worked in Technology Transfer for 10 years. In the more distant past he was a plant sciences researcher at Bristol.

Andrew worked with the IRIS team and other stakeholders to create IRISi and is a non-executive director, providing oversight of company activity alongside his fellow directors.

Rowan is a Chartered Accountant and currently works as Commercial Finance Manager at The Crown Estate leading on budgeting, reporting and investment appraisals for a £1.2bn portfolio. Prior to working at The Crown Estate Rowan spent 7 years at PwC working in Financial Audit and Commercial Assurance working with clients in a wide range of sectors and internationally. Rowan is also a Charity Trustee for both Fusion and Shift Nation and has led multiple courses on male mental health and addiction recovery in his spare time. Rowan has joined IRISi as a non-executive director to bring oversight of company activity, with particular financial and commercial expertise, alongside his fellow directors.