Medical & Scientific Advisor  ·  FemTech Strategist

Reproductive health,
clinically grounded.
Globally minded.

MBBS Medicine
MSc — UCL Reproductive Science & Women's Health
MSc — Sheffield Reproductive & Developmental Medicine
Dr. Ashlesha Patwardhan
London, UK  ·  Advising Globally
Available for new advisory projects

I work at the intersection of reproductive medicine, evidence-based research, and digital health — helping FemTech companies build products that are clinically rigorous, human-centred, and built to scale.

Book a Call View Work
5+FemTech advisory roles
4+Years clinical practice
2Master's degrees
ESHRE2026 — Poster accepted
Medical AdvisoryFemTech StrategyReproductive ScienceFertility Awareness ResearchScientific CommunicationsEvidence SynthesisGlobal Women's HealthIVF & Clinical PracticeESHRE 2026Medical AdvisoryFemTech StrategyReproductive ScienceFertility Awareness ResearchScientific CommunicationsEvidence SynthesisGlobal Women's HealthIVF & Clinical PracticeESHRE 2026

Women's health data exists.
The problem is — nobody acts on it.

Symptoms are dismissed. Data is collected but never interpreted. Science exists but doesn't reach patients at the right moment. Most solutions aren't built with clinical insight at the core — it's added as an afterthought.

I work at the point where all of this breaks down — bridging the gap between evidence, technology, and the real lives of women.

That gap is where I do my best work.

About

Science that speaks to
real women.

I'm a medical doctor with dual master's-level training — in Reproductive Science and Women's Health at UCL, and Reproductive and Developmental Medicine at the University of Sheffield — currently based in London.

My work sits at the intersection of clinical care, research, and digital health. With hands-on experience in IVF clinics, public health research at the Indian Council of Medical Research, and advisory roles across FemTech platforms, I bring scientific rigour and real-world clinical perspective to every engagement.

I'm particularly interested in the space between "normal" and "pathological" in women's health — where symptoms are dismissed, misunderstood, or poorly translated into care. And I believe that problem isn't just local. It's global.

MBBS MSc UCL MSc Sheffield IVF & Fertility FemTech Strategy ICMR Research Scientific Writing Systematic Review Global Reproductive Health
◇
Poster Presentation · Abstract Accepted
ESHRE Annual Meeting 2026 — London
Fertility Awareness: Knowledge, Attitudes & Behaviours in South Asian Populations
European Society of Human Reproduction & Embryology London, UK  ·  2026
Advisory Work

Current & recent
engagements

Two active advisory roles in women's health and FemTech, two further engagements in pipeline, alongside ongoing research and clinical experience.

Sibyl Active · 2024–present Med & Sci
Medical & Scientific Content Reviewer
  • Reviewed and edited patient-facing content for medical accuracy and clarity
  • Ensured alignment with current clinical evidence and guidelines
  • Contributed to development of structured, evidence-based knowledge libraries for AI use
AI Health
Hera Conceive Active · 2024–present Clinical Advisor
Clinical & Scientific Advisor
  • Reviewing clinical frameworks and health categorisation models
  • Supporting evidence validation across fertility-related domains
  • Providing input on interpretation of health data and clinical relevance
Preconception
In Pipeline
01 Women's health startup — clinical advisory engagement in early-stage negotiation.
02 Women's health startup — medical and scientific advisory role in discussion.

Details available on request. Open to further engagements aligned with my clinical and research expertise.

Background & Clinical Experience

Fertility Awareness Research — South Asia
Lead Researcher
  • Conducting PRISMA-based systematic review on fertility awareness (knowledge, attitudes, behaviours)
  • Analysing gaps across multiple South Asian populations
  • Translating findings into clinically and socially relevant insights
IVF & Women's Health — Clinical Practice
Clinician · 4+ years
  • Experience in reproductive medicine and women's health
  • Involved in fertility treatment pathways, menstrual health, and patient counselling
  • Strong focus on patient communication and real-world clinical application
Lead Researcher · Abstract accepted — ESHRE 2026

Fertility Awareness —
a global knowledge gap

A PRISMA-based systematic review examining fertility awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours across South Asian populations — with implications that extend far beyond any single geography.

The data reveals not just what women don't know, but why that knowledge never reaches them at the moment it matters most. This research aims to turn those findings into practical education frameworks and policy-level recommendations.

Collaborate on this research
Methodology
PRISMA Systematic Review
Focus
Knowledge, Attitudes & Behaviours (KAB)
Population
South Asian women · expanding globally
Conference
ESHRE Annual Meeting 2026 — London
Output
Education frameworks & policy recommendations
Status
Active · Poster presentation confirmed

A research agenda with
global ambition

Fertility awareness isn't broken in one country. The same patterns of dismissal, silence, and misunderstanding appear across geographies — different cultural contexts, the same systemic failures.

The goal: build a body of research that makes these gaps undeniable, and collaborate with health systems, FemTech platforms, and educators to address them at scale.

Research scope expanding across

South Asia
MENA Region
Sub-Saharan Africa
South-East Asia
Latin America
Diaspora (UK)
Services

What I bring to
your organisation

Tailored advisory engagements for FemTech startups, digital health platforms, and healthcare organisations — from concept validation through to clinical positioning and scale.

01
Clinical

Medical Advisory

Clinical oversight and strategic guidance for digital health platforms — ensuring safety, accuracy, and real-world clinical relevance throughout development and communications.

02
Communications

Scientific Communications

Translating complex reproductive science into clear, clinically accurate content for patients, platforms, and stakeholders — without sacrificing rigour.

03
Education

Medical Education

Evidence-based educational materials for patients, clinicians, and health-tech users — designed to improve awareness, trust, and informed decision-making.

04
Research

Evidence Strategy

Literature reviews, evidence synthesis, and research frameworks to guide product development, publications, and clinical positioning with robust scientific backing.

05
Strategy

FemTech Product Strategy

Working with early-stage and scaling startups to shape clinically sound, user-centred reproductive health products — from concept through validation and launch.

06
Regulatory

Clinical & Regulatory Writing

Medically accurate documents, protocols, and content aligned with clinical standards and regulatory expectations for healthcare and digital health contexts.

Differentiator

Why my work is
different

01

Clinically trained, not just academically informedHands-on experience in IVF clinics and reproductive health care — not just research and theory. I've sat with patients, made clinical decisions, and seen what genuinely works.

02

Bridges patients, clinicians, and product teamsRare ability to translate between medical science, patient reality, and digital product logic — simultaneously. Most advisors operate in one of these dimensions.

03

Specialised in women's health gapsDeep focus on the space where symptoms are dismissed, data is misread, and science doesn't reach practice. This is where most solutions fail — and where I do my best work.

04

A genuinely global perspectiveResearch at ICMR India, dual UK academic training, and a research agenda now presented at ESHRE 2026. Women's health is not a Western problem — and my work reflects that.

Work With Me

Let's talk about
your project

I work with founders, product teams, and organisations building in women's health, reproductive medicine, and digital health. My engagements range from focused content reviews to ongoing strategic advisory roles.

Rather than a fixed rate card, I prefer to understand your project first — scope, stage, and what you actually need — and then propose something that fits.

Typical engagements include: medical content review, clinical advisory retainers, evidence strategy projects, and scientific communications support. Day rates and project rates available on request.

Typical engagement types
Medical content review
Per piece or per project
On request
Advisory retainer
Monthly · ongoing
On request
Evidence strategy project
Fixed scope
On request
Day rate
Ad hoc & consultancy
On request
Send an enquiry

Tell me about your project and I'll respond within 2–3 business days.

Or book directly: calendly.com/drashleshardm

Perspectives

Thinking on women's health
& FemTech

Short-form thinking on the gaps, opportunities, and systemic challenges in reproductive health — for founders, clinicians, and anyone building in this space.

FemTech

Why most FemTech products fail clinically

Clinical insight is often added as an afterthought — a validator at the end of a build cycle, not a co-designer at the start. Here's what that costs.

Coming soon →
Research

The gap between symptom tracking and diagnosis

Most period apps collect data. Very few help women understand what that data means — or when it should matter to a clinician.

Coming soon →
Global Health

Fertility awareness is broken — everywhere

A PRISMA review of South Asian populations reveals systemic gaps in how knowledge reaches women at the moment it matters most. This pattern repeats globally.

Coming soon →

Let's build better women's health — together.

Most women's health solutions don't fail because of lack of intent — they fail because clinical insight isn't integrated early enough. If you're building in this space, I'd love to help you get it right from the start.

Book a Call Work With Me
LocationLondon, United Kingdom
Available globally for advisory
Emaildrashleshardm@gmail.com
Bookcalendly.com/drashleshardm
LinkedIndr-ashlesha-patwardhan
ConferenceESHRE Annual Meeting 2026 — London
Poster presentation · Fertility Awareness, South Asia
ResearchOpen to global collaborations on fertility awareness research