How ScreenMe started

Here at ScreenMe we are passionate about supporting your journey to parenthood – together we can contribute to improving the health of a whole generation, and generations to follow! To fully understand our passion, come and learn about our story.

ScreenMe was created by Dr Golnoush Golshirazi and Dr Lukasz Ciszewski, two friends who met as PhD students. Golnoush has struggled throughout her life with endometriosis, hormonal imbalance and chronic disease which significantly affected her quality of life. She was left with little direction or help and her quality of life was suffering.

Seeing how much this was affecting his friend, Lukasz suggested that they turn to science for help, and being scientists with access to a university library they were perfectly placed to do exactly that! After many hours of research the pair began to piece together the nutrition and lifestyle changes that led to Golnoush managing her symptoms, addressing the underlying causes and returning to the quality of life she still enjoys today.

Despite many medical investigations, appointments and a diagnosis that took 10 years little medical intervention was offered. At the same time, both Golnoush and Lukasz were experiencing the heartbreak of preventable disease in their wider families.

Lukasz’s mother was told that she would need daily medication for life as a consequence of type 2 diabetes, while Golnoush’s father struggled with cardiovascular disease. In fact, he suffered a stroke. It was only after his two hour surgery that he was told the stroke could have been prevented by diet – but of course by then it was too late!

The final piece of the puzzle was when Lukasz and Golnoush pieced together the research that sheds light on the impacts of todays lifestyle and diet on individuals reproductive health and the consequence of that on their fertility and on the health of the future generation. It became very obvious that the country is facing an epidemic of preventable disease, and that these conditions have a huge impact on people’s lives. Unfortunately the healthcare system is so focused on diagnosing and treating illness that very little is done to prevent conditions or address the indirect causes of symptoms and conditions.

When advice is given, it rarely goes beyond the standard things that we all know. Eat more fruit and veg, less fat and sugar. Lose weight, take up exercise and don’t smoke. But the growing number of cases proves that this advice is not enough! Tailored individualised care is required to get results. As a matter of fact Dr Sami S.David, reproductive endocrinologist, believes that up to 50% of couples who turn to IVF could have conceived naturally if given careful individualised care.

Golnoush and Lukasz were in a very fortunate position: they had access to research studies and the training to help them understand what they read. They also recognised that not everyone had the training or time to go through all the data and turn it into practival advice to benefit their health!

What people needed was good quality information, specific to them and easy to both understand and put into practice. They needed to know exactly what changes to make, to have a way to track their progress, and to have access to that information before it’s too late or before decisions are made for other invasive procedures! In fact, focusing on preventative medicine led the pair directly to work with couples trying to conceive as well as expectant and new mothers. These women play a crucial role in not only their own health, but that of the entire society.

When a woman is able to improve her own eating habits and health before, during and after pregnancy her baby will have better health outcomes in both the short term and the long term. This includes things that aren’t normally associated with diet, like asthma or cognitive development. This pattern can even be passed down through the generations! Who’s behind ScreenMe?