PathSoc Subcommittee Profiles

Ian Proctor

I recently took up the post of Clinical Lecturer in Pathology at University College in London and currently split my time between research and being a trainee SPR in the North Thames Histopathology rotation. I studied medicine as a mature student after completing a PhD in molecular biology at King’s College in London. I began my career in Histopathology in 2005 joining the newly established national SHO training school.

I’m fairly new to PathSoc but so far I’ve really enjoyed meeting fellow trainees who share my interest (and frustrations!) in research. The purpose of the Trainees sub-committee is to promote research and education amongst trainee pathologists. We strive to do this by providing useful advice and a forum in which ideas and work can be shared with fellow trainees, experienced researchers and senior clinicians.

Adrian Jubb

During that summer I worked on methods for quantitative immunofluorescence and in situ hybridization on tissue microarrays with Kenneth Hillan.  Genentech invited me back and a year later I embarked on a PhD investigating novel Wnt signaling targets, angiogenesis in colorectal cancer and clinical predictors of response to bevacizumab with Hartmut Koeppen. 

After completing a second clinical year at medical school I returned to Genentech’s Early Clinical Development Group and worked on the phase I-II program for Apo2L and Apomab with Bill Novotny.  Nine years after starting my medical degree I finally graduated in 2007 and completed house jobs in the Oxford Deanery.  I am currently an academic foundation trainee at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, working in Adrian Harris’ laboratory at the Institute of Molecular Medicine.

Ahmad Miremadi

I studied medicine in Tehran University, Iran, and after graduation worked for a couple of years in general practice. I started my Histopathology training as a Senior House Officer in Nottingham City Hospital and later continued my training as a Specialist Registrar in East Midlands Histopathology training rotation.

In October 2005 I was granted a Cancer Research UK Clinical Research Training Fellowship and am currently working towards a PhD under the supervision of Professor Fiona Watt, while holding honorary Specialist Registrar status in Addenbrooke’s Hospital.

Eldo Verghese

I am an Academic Clinical Fellow in Histopathology at the Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust/Leeds University. After my graduation from Calicut University, I had a short stint in clinical medicine in various hospitals in the UK, which enabled me to gain my MRCP. Due to my interest in pathology, I pursed my training in Histopathology as an SHO in Southampton. Here I was involved in a project looking at the Inter-observer variation in the diagnosis of Thymoma under the supervision of Dr Bruce Addis. It was here that I developed an interest in research and decided to follow an academic career path.  

I am presently working with Prof Andrew M Hanby on Epithelial-Stromal Interaction and miRNA  in Breast cancer at the Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine using 25% of my time for research. I have been able to generate sufficient pilot data to apply for full a fledged fellowship.

Raza Ali 

I studied medicine in Cardiff and completed my foundation training in the South Wales area.  Histopathology offered an intellectually satisfying career which encompassed my interests, as well as a field at the forefront of medical research.  I went on to complete two years of specialty training in Histopathology as part of the Wales training programme.

I soon found that my experience of clinical pathology raised an array of interesting questions, and later discovered that the answers to many of these questions could either be attributed torecent research or continued to elude us.
I was sufficiently intrigued to pursue research myself and am now a clinical fellow in the CRUK Cambridge Research Institute where the theme of my work in breast cancer is the discovery of prognostic and predictive markers within formalin-fixed paraffin embedded material.

Histopathology is likely to grow more prominent as an academic discipline and clinical specialty if the discoveries of basic and molecular research are to be translated into real benefits for patients.
There is a need to address the challenges this inevitably presents, from both an academic and clinical perspective.  I would be keen to facilitate communication between trainees actively engaged in researchand dedicated diagnostic
trainees, not only to demonstrate the relevance of research to current diagnostic practice but, equally importantly, to illustrate the value of taking proper account of current diagnostic issues in guiding one’s research.
I’d also encourage other trainees to consider academic pathology as career, and endeavour to make known the plethora of opportunities open to them. 

Gordon Hutchins  

I began my medical career at Bart’s between 1998 and 2004. During this time I gained both MBBS and BMedSci and undertook several spells of research at the William Harvey Research Institute and at Dartmouth College, USA.  
Following completion of a PRHO / pilot FY2 program, I started histopathology training at the Leeds Training School in late 2006. In 2007 I was appointed to a funded Academic SpR post and am currently working towards a part-time PhD in parallel to diagnostic histopathological training.

Having joined the Society in 2007, I am now keen to represent and defend the interests of all trainee members. If appointed to the Trainees Sub-committee, I can assure my dedication and commitment.I will aim to be open to all trainee members at all times regarding any aspect of the Pathological Society, how it represents them and how such representation can be improved. I will try and engage both non-members and non-pathologists to promote membership and Society activities. I will try to ensure that all concessionary trainee benefits are maintained and enhanced at every available opportunity. 

Kay Lawson 

I am an ST3 level Histopathology trainee in London with interests in research and education, though I am not in a research programme. I have passed my Part 1 exam, and will be doing Part 2 in 2011.I trained in London, and after house jobs did 3 years of Surgery, gaining my MRCS before changing to Pathology, which I find much more intellectually stimulating! I gained some experience in research,presenting, publishing, and teaching during my intercalated BSc in Neuroscience, and in my short surgical career, and am enjoying the opportunities in these disciplines which Pathology provides. 

The 2009 National Pathology Week event which the trainee sub-committee ran at the Hunterian Museum (which I was also involved in) was a great way to see how PathSoc can be involved with educationand public engagement.
Also, presenting at the 2010 Winter Conference showed me how the organization supports trainees in research. This is so important at a time when Academic Medicine is under so much pressure, and when trainees are completing a shorter training programme, and as a consequence becoming very exam-orientated. I would look forward to representing the interests of trainees and PathSoc in these matters.

Ashirwad Merve

I am Ash, ST3 academic trainee in histopathology in London. I passed the FRCPath part 1 examination in Spring 2009. I was recently awarded MRC CRT Fellowship to commence from November 2010.  

My previous management experience includes being a regional ST1 trainee representative to HTSB and a local trainee representative to BMA. My friends know me as gentle, assertive and approachable.  

I have regularly attended and presented at Pathsoc meetings since 2007. I have eagerly participated in RCPath activities such as National Pathology Week.
I undertake medical students’ teaching at Barts and the London SMD. 

With this background, I look forward to your support in my application for the position of trainee representative.

I am enthusiastic and dynamic with a good research and teaching background. I possess appropriate management and communication skills necessary for the post.
I understand the essence of research in Pathology training nd intend to form a strong collaboration between Pathological Society and the trainees who are keen in research and teaching activities.

I feel that it is vital to safeguard our preferences and high standards of training. I intend to be fair and address all issues raised by the trainees across every region in the UK and to communicate clearly and effectively between the trainees and the committees.    

Nick West 

I am currently a Clinical Research Fellow in histopathology at the University of Leeds undertaking a PhD. My research is centred on improving outcomes in colorectal cancer through pathological assessment of the macroscopic specimen and assessing the response to neoadjuvant therapy. I studied medicine in Leeds before starting histopathology training in 2005 and was subsequently appointed to an Academic Clinical Fellowship (ACF) at the first round of recruitment in 2006. I came out of programme in January 2009 after successfully obtaining 3 years of funding from Yorkshire Cancer Research.

Having been through the NIHR ACF programme and obtained external PhD funding, I am keen to put my experience to good use and get involved in the trainees' subcommittee to further promote academic pathology amongst trainees of all levels. I have regularly attended and thoroughly enjoyed Pathsoc meetings since starting histopathology training, and particularly recognise the educational importance of the dedicated trainee sessions. If elected, I would continue to develop the excellent work of the subcommittee in supporting trainees who are interested in actively pursuing teaching and research either within or outside of a formal academic post.