Natasha Metcalf – Co-Founder and Chair
Natasha’s health started declining around the age of 16. She was misdiagnosed multiple times and initially experienced periods of relapsing and remitting illness, which interrupted her life and education frequently. After graduating, things took a turn for the worse in 2008. Overall, it took 12 years and a trip to America to discover that she had been battling Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections. She co-founded Lyme Disease UK as a patient support group in 2013 and it became a registered charity in 2019.
Julia Knight – Trustee, Press and Community Outreach Manager
Julia is a retired Paediatric nurse and Specialist Nurse Practitioner in Children’s Community Nursing. Julia became ill in 1999 and was misdiagnosed with ME for some years. After finding the correct cause of her illness, Julia joined the LDUK team as the charity’s Press and Community Outreach Manager. Julia has delivered awareness talks to many organisations, has written articles about Lyme disease for medical and nursing journals and has been involved in raising the profile of Lyme disease via the media doing TV, radio and online interviews. Julia became a trustee of LDUK in 2022.
James Herbert – Trustee, Business Development Manager
James Herbert is an entrepreneur with a track record of building and scaling technology businesses. His interest in Lyme disease is shaped in part by his daughter’s experience of the disease, giving him a personal perspective on its impact. As a trustee of Lyme Disease UK, he is committed to raising awareness and improving outcomes for those affected.
Sarah Herbert – Trustee, Accountant
Sarah came to volunteer at LDUK after meeting Natasha when her daughter was undergoing treatment for Lyme.Now an LDUK Trustee and Accountant, Sarah is using her day job skills to support the charity and hopefully by doing so helping to raise awareness and help all those in Lyme community.
Ann Gregson – Charity Advisor
Ann has over 20 years of experience in marketing, events and communications. Following her own diagnosis and treatment for Lyme disease, Ann joined the LDUK team as a founding trustee. Ann helped to establish the charity, developing educational resources, managing the ‘Wake Up to Lyme’ and ‘Be Tick Aware’ campaign over a number of years and organising online and in-person events. Ann is passionate about raising awareness of Lyme disease, breaking down the stigma of late disease and improving the patient experience including access to accurate diagnosis, treatment and recovery.
Joanne Lee – Communications Manager
Jo struggled with chronic infections and fatigue from age 18, managing to complete her degree and travel before her health worsened. Diagnosed with Post Viral Fatigue/ME in her late 20s, she continued to look for answers until a tick bite at age 40 led to the eventual discovery of late-stage Lyme disease. Now LDUK’s Communications Manager, Jo is committed to helping empower patients on their path to better health.
Jen Taylor – Social Media Manager
With over 10 years’ experience in social media, Jen specialises in creating clear, engaging communications. Her background includes work within Liverpool’s science community, bringing a strong understanding of how to translate complex information into accessible, impactful content.
Harriet Warren – Online Community and Awareness Manager
Harriet is passionate about leading change, solving complex challenges, and helping organisations grow. She combines a background in online community management and moderation with healthcare experience in both the UK and US, supporting impactful work at LDUK.
Paul Denson – Video Editor
With a background in TV production and video editing, Paul applies his technical skills and creative expertise to producing high-quality video content for the charity’s YouTube channel, including patient support webinars that provide valuable information and guidance.
John Eoin Healy MSc PhD – Scientific Advisor
Eoin Healy is a zoologist and microbiologist who began to research ticks (Ixodes ricinus) even before Lyme disease was identified. His early work focused on the genetics of European tick populations and he has conducted extensive fieldwork in Ireland, UK, France and Scandinavia. More recently, he turned his attention to analysis of the microdistribution and ecology of ticks. His research work has been published in peer-reviewed journals. Since retirement from University College Cork, Eoin has been providing support for State bodies regarding tick control and for the general public in order to increase awareness of Lyme disease, ticks and the risk of tick bites. Eoin’s hobbies include wood-carving, writing children’s fiction and watching Munster playing rugby.
We also have a team of Lyme Disease UK Patient Ambassadors.