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Baby Love: The Newcastle Fertility Story

Special ticketed free event
Adults (18+)
Thursday 16 October 2025, 6:30pm - 8:45pm
Baby holding adults hands with illustrated Newcastle backdrop in blue.

6000 babies have been born as a result of treatment at NHS Newcastle Fertility Centre, which has been a cornerstone of the Life story since the very beginning. It has been responsible for some world firsts and global headlines, most recently in July 2025, the Newcastle team announced that 8 babies, all at risk of mitochondrial disease had been born and show no signs of the disease.

Beyond the headlines are countless personal stories of people whose lives have been transformed. 

The event will take place in the science centre underneath the luminous planet Earth – Luke Jerram’s stunning Gaia artwork. Fittingly, Gaia is regarded as the Mother Goddess. Before the discussion, visitors are welcome to enjoy some hands-on activities and visit the exhibition The Story of Life. 

And have a celebratory drink on us! 

Terms and conditions

Life concludes its 25th birthday celebrations with this very special - and free - event.

Running order

6:30pm
Doors open. Grab a free drink! Before the discussion, there’ll be an opportunity to get hands-on with activities. There will also be an opportunity to see our new exhibition, Story of Life.
Activities include:
Swab your cheeks to examine cells under a microscope and compare them to sperm and egg cells.
Take on the challenge of counting sperm cells – how close can you get? (A take on ‘how many sweets in the jar?’, but with sperm!)
Take on the role of embryologist and hone your pipetting skills.
7:30pm
Discussion starts.
8:45pm
Event ends.
This is an after-hours event so the science centre will be closed to the general public. Tickets are capped at 4 per order.
Buy tickets

During this informal panel discussion, topics will include:

Why Life became the hub for fertility treatment in the city at the turn of the millennium and the people who made it happen

The barriers the centre faced - from legal obstacles to public opinion - and how they overcame them

The big breakthroughs that have changed lives

Emerging technologies and potential breakthroughs that could change fertility treatment in future

Meet our panel

Professor Alison Murdoch

Professor Alison Murdoch

Alison founded the Newcastle Fertility Centre in 1991 and organised the relocation of the regional service from the RVI to the Centre for Life in 1999.  She was a Consultant Gynaecologist and Professor of Reproductive Medicine until her retirement in 2016.  As Chair, then President, of the British Fertility Society, she was influential in developing practice standards in the UK and ensuring strict adherence to ethical principles that placed Newcastle and the UK at the forefront of embryo-based research.

Louise Hislop.

Dr Louise Hyslop

Louise is a Consultant Embryologist at Newcastle Fertility Centre and is also an Honorary Senior Lecturer at Newcastle University.  She leads the clinical embryology laboratory and is named on the clinic HFEA licence as a Mitochondrial Donation Practitioner.  She has a long-standing research interest in developing treatments to reduce the risk of women passing on mitochondrial DNA disease to their children.

Kevin McEleny

Mr Kevin McEleny

Kevin trained as a Urologist in the North East on England, before setting up a Supra-Regional Andrology service, treating couples from across the UK who are affected by severe male factor problems. Working closely with his Reproductive Medicine colleagues, Kevin has introduced a number of microsurgical sperm retrieval procedures (MicroTESE, MESA) to Newcastle and elsewhere; and offers other novel procedures for conditions like chronic orchalgia.

He is currently the BFS Chair and before this, was BFS Secretary after serving as the British Fertility Society’s Chair of Training, setting up the BFS’s Male Fertility training program, the Mentorship Program and STEM program for school students. His research interests include, the genetics of male fertility and psycho-social aspects of male infertility.

Jacqueline Blackett is a patient of Newcastle Fertility Centre.

Jacqueline Blackett

Jacqueline has been a patient with the Newcastle Fertility Centre, based at Life, since May 2022 and is currently almost 20 weeks pregnant with her first baby. Her journey to parenthood has been long and challenging, but the expertise and support of the Newcastle Fertility team have made it possible for her and her husband to start their family together. She feels immense gratitude for the care she has received and looks forward to the next chapter of her life as a parent.

Elin Roberts (Chair)

Elin is Life’s Head of Public Engagement.

Getting here

Life is located in Times Square, just a two minute walk from Newcastle Central train and Metro station.

Driving? Times Square Car Park is just around the corner. The sat nav reference for the car park is NE1 4AD (opposite Jurys Inn hotel). Look out for Centre for Life and/or Times Square Car Park signage to direct you.

Times Square, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4EP
0191 243 8210
info@life.org.uk