In 2000 Rowan qualified from the University of Wales Institute Cardiff, with an MSc in Nutrition and Dietetics. Rowan immediately took up a post at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Trust and whilst moving sites and specialities, have remained in Sheffield since.

The last 17 years have seen her working in the clinical areas of neurosurgery, neuro critical care and dipping in and out of various neuro-medical roles.

Rowan’s first introduction to ketogenic diets was in 2011, after receiving a referral for a patient with retractable epilepsy. The quick realisation of the time, complexity and investment required to manage this diet, was soon equalled by the ‘light bulb’ moment when the diet started to reward with both clinical and non-clinical benefits to the patient.

The following 7 years were spent primarily working with her in-patient neurosurgery caseload, but with an ongoing interest in ketogenics and attempts to secure funding for an adult service in Sheffield. In 2018 Dr Stephen Howell (Consultant Neurologist in Sheffield) proposed funding for a two year research project into Low Glycaemic Index diets for Epilepsy, with scope for offering other forms of ketogenic diet to patients, where appropriate. They are now reaching the end of their research period and hoping to retain their adult service with the support of Matthew’s Friends, so that ketogenic diets may continue to become a more widely available treatment option for adult epilepsy patients in the UK.