Dr Isabel Skypala – Co-ChairSince graduating as a dietitian in 1979, Isabel has worked at the Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospital, a world-renowned specialist cardiothoracic centre. In 2014, after 12 years as the Director of Rehabilitation & Therapies and responsible for nine Allied Health services, Isabel was appointed clinical lead for food allergy and the UK’s first consultant allergy dietitian. She is also an honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer at Imperial College London. Isabel gained her PhD at Kings College London in 2009 and continues to specialise in research on plant food allergy in adults. Isabel pioneered the role of dietitians in allergy, including co-founding the International Network of Diet and Nutrition in Allergy, now allied to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. She was the first dietitian to sit on both the Council of the British Society of Allergy & Clinical Immunology (BSACI), and the Executive Committee of the European Academy of Allergy & Clinical Immunology. In 2014, Isabel received the BSACI William Frankland award for services to clinical allergy.
Dr Andrew ClarkAndrew Clark is a consultant in paediatric allergy at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge. His research portfolio explores the underlying mechanisms of food allergy resolution, clinical and epidemiological features of food allergy, use of diagnostic tests and the impact of a comprehensive management approach on food allergy outcome. More recently he has led translational studies of desensitisation for children with severe food allergy.
Dr Emily StaplesEmily Staples is a Consultant Immunologist and Clinical Lead at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge. She also works at the North West Anglia Foundation Trust where she started an adult allergy clinic in Stamford in 2019 and oversees the Trust’s immunology laboratory in Peterborough. Most of her training in Immunology and Allergy was at the Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham University Hospitals. She moved to Addenbrooke’s to take up an NIHR Clinical Lecturer post from where she has developed her research interest in primary immunodeficiency.
She is interested in developing and updating evidence-based guidelines and care pathways for common allergic conditions and in the development of allergy networks.
Dr Nicola BrathwaiteNicola Brathwaite FRCPCH, FCPaed(SA) is a consultant paediatric allergist at Kings College Hospital, London, since 2005. She completed her paediatric and allergy training in South Africa. She is a current member of the BSACI Standards of Care Committee.
She represented the RCPCH on the NICE Pharmalgen Venom Immunotherapy technology appraisal and was the lead for the Latex allergy pathway in the RCPCH Allergy Pathways project. She has an interest in clinical education and leads the Respiratory and Allergy module of the KCL Advanced Paediatrics MSc and is College Tutor for Paediatrics at Kings.
Dr Deepanjali ChoudhuryDeepa Choudhury is a Portfolio GP with an interest in Allergy. She has made the transition to tertiary care in allergy and currently works in the Allergy department at Addenbrookes hospital, Cambridge on the Adult Allergy rotation. She still works in primary care in general practice and as a GP appraiser for NHS England.
Deepa is proactive in developing pathways for use in primary care and has initiated innovative ways of working such as using skype consultations for asthma in teenagers who try to avoid attending surgery. As part of the primary care group she continues to work towards primary care guidelines for common allergic conditions such as Allergic Rhinitis, Anaphylaxis Auto injector guidance which involves re-shaping of tertiary/secondary care guidelines to fit in with the requirements of primary care.
Dr Pam EwanPam Ewan is a consultant Allergist at Addenbrookes Hospital, University of Cambridge Clinical School and set up the Cambridge allergy service. Before this she was Senior Lecturer, Hon Consultant and head of the Allergy Department at St Mary’s Hospital, London. She is interested in all aspects of clinical allergy. Her research in nut allergy, anaphylaxis and venom allergy has led to improvements in patient care. In various national roles she worked to highlight the need to improve NHS allergy services, for which she was awarded the CBE. She is chair of the National Allergy Strategy Group and a past President of the BSACI.
Dr Susan LeechDr Susan Leech has been a consultant and clinical lead for the paediatric allergy service at Kings College Hospital since 2001. As Chair of the Paediatric Group of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology, she established standards for secondary care paediatric allergy services in the UK, which have been instrumental in supporting the development of clinical paediatric allergy services over the last 10 years. As a member of the BSACI Standards of Care Committee, she has participated in the development of numerous clinical guidelines and has recently led an update of the BSACI egg allergy guideline. She is a member of the BSACI penicillin allergy delabelling task force. She is a Director and Treasurer of the BSACI.
Dr Rita MirakianRita Mirakian is a consultant in allergy at the Addenbrookes’ University Hospital (part time) and an Honorary Consultant at the Royal National Throat Nose Ear Hospital/UCLH. She is one of the early members of the SOCC and her main interests relate to the field of drug allergy and rhinology.
She has contributed to the preparation of several national guidelines for the managment of allergic conditions and is the lead author of the BSACI guideline on the ‘management of drug allergy’. Her main interest in rhinology is on the management of ‘Aspirin Exacerbated Airways disease’.
In addition Rita Mirakian has teaching committments; in particular as one of the teachers in the annual BSc course on Immunology, Autoimmity and Transplantation at UCL and as teacher in the annual MSc course in Allergy at Imperial College.
Dr Susana MarinhoFRCP, MD, PhD
Consultant Allergist & Clinical Lead of the Allergy Service – Wythenshawe Hospital, MFT
Susana graduated from Medical School at University Nova de Lisboa, Portugal, and completed Specialist Training in Allergy in Lisbon.
Susana was appointed as Consultant in 2009 and has been instrumental in the development of the Wythenshawe Allergy Service, which has since expanded considerably, providing comprehensive allergy care for adults, with close links with the Paediatrics Service; it is also an integrated clinical and research unit with an active research programme. Susana is PI in an urticaria study and co-investigator in several studies, mainly on food allergy.
Susana has extensive experience in all aspects of clinical allergy, her specialist areas of interest being drug hypersensitivity, anaphylaxis and food allergy.
Susana is a Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Manchester and has a keen interest in education in Allergy, being a member of the Allergy Specialist Advisory Committee from the Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Training Board, Training programme Director for Allergy at HEE-NW and regularly teaching foundation and core medical trainees, GPs, and other clinicians/AHPs; she is co-lead for the Hypersensitivity Module of the Immunology MSc from the University of Manchester and is Educational Supervisor to 2 Allery STRs.
Deborah MarriageDeb Marriage is the Consultant Nurse for Allergy and Asthma at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, UK where she has worked since the allergy service opened in 2002. She previously worked in allergy at St Mary’s Hospital, London. Deb successfully completed the MSc in Allergy at Southampton University in 2010 and a Professional Doctorate in Health at the University of Bath in 2017.
Deb manages the Paediatric Allergy Service and is involved in local training programmes for GPs and practice nurses, and asthma and allergy teaching in schools and primary care. She is an advocate for nurse-led services and in promoting the extended role of nurses. She enjoys research and her particular interests are in egg and peanut allergy.
Deb was previously the Chair of the Nurses in Allergy Committee and became a member of SOCC in 2018. She is also involved in the Paediatric Allergy Group.
Prof Richard PowellMB, BS, DM, FRCP, FRCPath
Emeritus Professor of Clinical Immunology and Allergy – Nottingham University
Richard Powell was Professor of Clinical Immunology and Allergy at Nottingham University Hospitals, Queens Medical Centre until 2007. Since 2008, he has worked predominantly in the private sector but continues to pursue his research interests at Nottingham University related to autoinflammatory diseases. He has been a member of SOCC since its inception and has taken the lead in the development of urticaria and angioedema guidelines.
Nicola RewGraduate of Nottingham University (MNutr) Nutrition and Dietetics. Working as Clinical Lead Dietitian in Paediatric Allergy in the children’s services at Nottingham Children’s Hospital where I work as part of the allergy service and wider multidisciplinary team, comprising of Consultant Paediatricians with interest in allergy and dermatology and Paediatric Allergy and Respiratory Specialist Nurses.
Specialises in the diagnosis and dietary management of infants and children with multiple food allergies, offering practical dietary advice to support parents and children. Involved in the provision of multi-professional outpatient allergy clinics, hospital-based food challenges, service development and both patient and professional education sessions, patient-information and resource development and individualised support with infants and children with complex multiple food allergies.
Member of the British Dietetic Association, Food Allergy Specialist Group (FASG).
Dr Prathap PillaiDr Prathap Pillai is a Consultant in the Department of Adult Allergy at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
He underwent his specialist training in Allergy at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. During the same period, he also completed a research fellowship programme, and a clinical trial investigating the effects of anti-IgE therapy (Omalizumab) in non-atopic asthma and was awarded PhD by King’s College London.
He has been a member of BSACI for over 10 years and sat in the RCP Expert Advisory Group on clinical commissioning as a BSACI representative in the past.
He has clinical background and experience in the management of a range of allergic disorders at secondary and tertiary level. He conducts out-patient clinics in Allergy, including drug allergy, specialist joint clinics with ENT and drug & food allergy challenge sessions. His special interests include airway and drug allergies.
Dr Leonard SiewDr Leonard Siew is the lead consultant for the adult allergy immunotherapy service at Guy’s Hospital.
He graduated from Bristol University Medical School and read for a PhD in Immunology at King’s College London, investigating the effects of cigarette smoking on the inflammatory process in asthma, graduating without corrections. He then graduated with Merit with the MSc in Medical Leadership.
Leonard has over nine years clinical trials experience and worked on over 50 clinical trials. As a senior research physician at Quintiles Drug Research Unit at Guy’s Hospital, he was principal investigator for trials in asthma, COPD and challenge models of obstructive airways disease.
He trained and completed his allergy specialist qualification at Guy’s Hospital, London. He currently sits on the Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Training Board specialist advisory committee in allergy as the vice chair as well as the curriculum and assessment lead. He is also the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology Representative on the Joint Committee on Immunology and Allergy of the Royal College of Physicians (London) and The Royal College of Pathologists.
Education and training
Dr Amruta Fulmali is a paediatric trainee commencing subspeciality (GRID) training in paediatric allergy and immunology at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge. She has previously worked as a research fellow in paediatric allergy at Southampton Children’s Hospital and is studying for MSc in Allergy at the University of Southampton. She believes guidelines are useful for everyone, particularly novice trainees. Therefore, she would like to engage trainees to provide their input in the guideline-making process and provide trainee perspective on the BSACI guidelines.
Dr Nasreen KhanNasreen Khan leads the Adult Allergy service in Leicester. She is a Consultant Allergist and Respiratory Physician and proud of the multidisciplinary team at UHL (Leicester). The Leicester Adult Allergy service provides a comprehensive package of care and works closely with its local network (Trent Regional Immunology and Allergy Consortium). As a founder member of the SOCC and co-author of the beta lactam guidelines Nasreen was delighted to be reappointed and looks forward once more to serving the BSACI. A former Editor of Allergy Update and member for 20 years, she is committed to the society. She is currently CESR lead for the Allergy SAC and has been involved in the development of the new ACI (ACIL) specialty. Nasreen looks forward to welcoming trainees to the new curriculum at a time when the pandemic has presented new challenges and opportunities for change to the speciality.
Dr Eleanor MinshallDr Eleanor Minshall is currently working as a Consultant in Paediatric Allergy at Sheffield Children’s Hospital. She gained her specialist qualification in Children’s Allergy in 2012 and has trained in a number of prestigious paediatric hospitals including Great Ormond Street, Imperial College, Addenbrookes, Southampton, and The Royal London. Before going into medicine, Dr Minshall did a PhD at King’s College, London and subsequently a post-doctoral fellowship in Montreal, Canada. During this time, she investigated the profile of inflammatory mediators in various allergic conditions including atopic asthma and allergic rhinitis. Dr Minshall’s current interests include ‘active’ allergy management, cow’s milk allergy and non-IgE mediated food allergies.
Dr Jose Maia e CostaJosé is a Consultant Paediatrician in Allergy and is the Paediatric Allergy Services lead at University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire. He graduated from Coimbra’s Medical school, in Portugal and did his post-graduate training in England. He holds two post-graduate certificates; one in Paediatric Allergy, from Instituto de Ciências da Saúde da Universidade Católica in Lisbon/Portugal and the other in Allergy, undertaken at the Imperial College in London.
In April 2020 he was appointed an Honorary Clinical Lecturer in Allergy at Warwick Medical School.
His interests in Allergy are in immunotherapy, oral desensitization, MCAS, spontaneous urticaria and angioedema.
Dr Judith ClaytonDr Judith Clayton is a GP partner at Lensfield Medical Practice in Cambridge. She has an interest in both paediatric and adult allergy and in 2015 she completed an Msc in Allergy at Imperial College London with distinction. She serves on the BSACI Primary Care Group and joined SOCC in 2021.
Jill EdmondsJill Edmonds is the senior immunology and allergy specialist nurse at Manchester Foundation Trust where she has worked since 2016. Jill successfully completed the MSc in Allergy at Imperial College, London in 2020 where she undertook a research based dissertation on the effectiveness of the Anaesthetic Reaction Clinic on patient’s psychological well-being. Jill has sat on the nursing committee for BSACI where she has assisted in developing and reviewing SOPs and nurse competencies as well as helping to organize education sessions. She is a trustee on UKPINs steering committee and is leading on developing UK Immunology nursing competencies. She has a special interest in drug allergy and developing the nurses role within this area.
Dr Lavanya DiwakarDr Lavanya Diwakar is a consultant immunologist at the University Hospital of North Midlands. She has been awarded a PhD in health economics by the University of Birmingham in 2018. Lavanya has an interest in health pathways, particularly those related to allergy services in the UK. She is currently working on a Wellcome Trust-funded project aimed at better understanding allergy services and the burden of allergies in the UK. She has previously been a NICE scholar and has recently been awarded a scholarship by the West Midlands Clinical Research Network.
Kerrie Kirk is the senior allergy specialist nurse at the Leicester Children’s Allergy Service. After initially having her interest in paediatric allergy sparked while working on a Children’s Daycare unit performing food challenges, she went on to successfully study an allergy degree module at the National Respiratory Training Centre (now Education for Health). Since then, she has further developed her allergy knowledge and skills particularly since 2006 when she became an allergy specialist nurse. She now manages and develops a small team of allergy specialist nurses in this busy service and shares her allergy knowledge of allergy with anyone who will listen! She is also a source of information and support for allergy clinics and services in counties local to Leicestershire.
While experienced in all aspects of children’s allergy, Kerrie’s main interests lie in allergic rhinitis and its impact on the child and family. She currently leads on both sublingual and subcutaneous immunotherapy as well as the treatment of urticaria using subcutaneous omalizumab.