Course Director -
Dr Ratna Chatterjee MFFP,MD,PhD
Based at UCLH, Dr Chatterjee has a special interest in the UCL endocrine problems of people with haemoglobinopathies and with iron overload. She did her PhD in growth and sexual development and hypothalamic-pituitary axis in patients with thalassaemia syndrome at UCL. She is a Clinical Senior Lecturer and a Consultant in chronic and serious disease in the Institute for Women’s Heath at UCLH and UCL and is an international expert in endocrine problems of haemoglobinopathy. Fertility problems are a special interest and offers a unique multidisciplinary service for iron overloaded people with endocrine problems including delayed growth and sexual development and osteoporosis. She is leading the establishing of new global e-MSc course in haemoglobinopathies at UCL.
Deputy Director -
Dr Rekha Bajoria MRCOG, MRCP, PhD
Dr Bajoria, is trained in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and has a long standing interest in high risk Obstetrics and maternal medicine. She has recently been appointed as a Clinical Senior Lecturer in Medical Education in Institute for Women’s Health at UCL to facilitate the setting up and running of an e-MSc course in haemoglobinopathy. She also works as a Consultant in Obstetrics at North Middlesex Hospital, London. Dr Bajoria has been trained in the Imperial School and has worked as Senior Lecturer/Consultant in Manchester, Newham and North Middlesex Hospital. Her main research interest is in perinatal pharmacology and fetal growth in multiple pregnancy. She is interested in obstetric and fertility aspects of haemoglobinopathies and has been involved with the Whittington and UCLH group in clinical and basic science research related to thalassaemia.
Scientific Director - Professor Sir David Weatherall MD, FRCP
Professor Sir David John WEATHERALL is a Regius Professor of Medicine Emeritus, University of Oxford and Chancellor, Keele University. He has received 23 honorary degrees from Universities in the UK and abroad. Major research contributions have been in the elucidation of the clinical, biochemical and molecular characteristics of the thalassaemias and their related disorders, the population genetics of these conditions, and the application of this information to the development of programmes for the prevention and management of these diseases in the developing countries.
Sceintific Director - Professor Charles Rodeck DSC, FRCOG
Professor Rodeck is an international authority in prenatal diagnosis and fetal medicine. He established first Fetal Medicine Unit in the UK at King's College Hospital in 1983 and the second in London at Queen Charlotte's Hospital in 1986. His main research interests are prenatal screening and diagnosis, fetal medicine, fetal gene therapy. He has over 500 publications, mainly on Fetal Medicine. He is a co-editor of "Fetal Medicine: Basic Science and Clinical Practice"
Course Advisor - Professor John Porter MD, FRCP, FRC(Path)
Professor Porter is a Professor of haemoglobinopathy at UCL. He has an international authority in iron metabolism with a special interest in chelating agents. He has an ongoing research programme based at University College London. He runs a multidisciplinary clinic for patients with red cell disorders.
Assistant to Director - Dr Androulla Eleftheriou PhD, MBA
Dr Eleftheriou obtained her graduate and postgraduate degrees (BSc Hons, MSc, PhD) from the University of London, the Centre for Disease Control, Atlanta, USA and the University of Leicester in Biochemistry, Microbiology, Virology and Business Administration. She served for many years as Director of the Virus Reference Centre of the Cyprus Ministry of Health and the WHO Cyprus Collaborating Centre, and recently as Executive Director of Thalassaemia International Federation. In the above capacities, and through serving as a WHO consultant and as author of many publications, she has worked with patients, health professionals in the field and policymakers to serve the cause of haemoglobin disorders for over three decades.
Course Tutors - Dr Farrukh Shah MRCP, MRCPath MD
Dr Shah was awarded her MD thesis for research in iron chelation at University College London. She has already built an international reputation in the management of iron problems and of thalassaemia. She speaks a number of languages, which has enabled her to communicate directly with some of the communities from India and Pakistan and she has been invited to do a number of broadcasts about thalassaemia to ethnic minority groups.
Dr Bernard Davis MRCP, MRCPath
Dr Davis trained in haematology at the Whittington and University College London Hospitals. After four years in clinical and laboratory research in iron chelation treatment for transfusional iron overload at University College London, he joined the consultant staff at the Whittington Hospital in 2001. He has worked in the sickle cell and thalassaemia field for 10 years. His research interests are focused on the contribution of reactive oxygen species to the pathophysiology of iron loading conditions and sickle cell disease.
Dr Norman Parker FRCP, FRCPath
Dr Parker has a keen interest in the holistic approach to all Sickle cell disease patients. He is a member of the British Nutrition Society and has worked with patients to improve their understanding of the importance of healthy eating. Those who have followed the advice have often been surprised by the benefits that this simple measure has brought. In conjunction with Dr. Robins and Dr. Davis and the haemoglobinopathy team he has set up a paediatric sickle clinic. The aim of that clinic is to keep children with sickle cell well so that they will lead long and productive lives.
Dr. Parker is also interested in undergraduate and postgraduate education. He has set up a postgraduate communication skills course and is an MRCP examiner.
Professor Vincent C. Emery PhD
Professor Vincent Emery is currently Pro-Provost for South Asia and the Middle East at University College London (UCL) and, in conjunction with the Vice-Provost (Academic and International), takes the strategic lead on developing relationships with universities, governmental and non-governmental organisations and the business world to further UCL’s global ambitions.
Professor Emery started his scientific career as a biochemist but has been a virologist for the last 23 years. His current research aims to provide a holistic approach to understanding viral infections in immunocompromised hosts such as HIV-infected patients and transplant recipients. During his career he has published over 120 original papers and 52 review articles and obtained in excess of £8.5 million of grant money from Government agencies in the UK and USA, charitable organisations and the private sector. Professor Emery is also a named inventor on 5 patents in the area of biotechnology and molecular diagnostics with two of these patents being licensed in the USA and in the UK. In addition to the aforementioned roles, Professor Emery also chairs a number of senior quality assurance committees within UCL, is a Vice-Head of the UCL Graduate School and regularly sits on advisory boards for the Pharmaceutical industry.
