Trainees Subcommittee

Hello, my name is Dan and I’m currently a CRUK TRACC Clinical Research Training Fellow in Histopathology at the University of Edinburgh and the Chair of the Trainees’ Subcommittee. PathSoc has had a huge influence on my career in pathology and I’m very happy to be involved with supporting the trainee related PathSoc activities.

I completed undergraduate medicine at King’s College and Imperial College London and undertook academic foundation training in Yorkshire. My current academic work explores the early stages of carcinogenesis in cancers of the hepato-pancreato-biliary tract, primarily hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma. Detecting these cancers early and unpicking the mechanisms of why cancer develops is the key to preventing these awful diseases! I’m a strong advocate for pathology and ensuring there is early and positive exposure to the speciality for those training to be doctors as well as the public.

We are always happy to hear suggestions about our trainee related activities. Feel free to contact me on trainees@pathsoc.org.

Hello I'm Caroline, I am a Leeds-based Academic Clinical Fellow in Histopathology. My research is focussed on investigating the colorectal cancer immune response using artificial intelligence and the microbiome.

I graduated from the University of Leeds in 2019 and completed a Medical Sciences with Gastroenterology and Hepatology iBSc at Imperial College London in 2017. I completed my Foundation Training around Leeds and gained further exposure to pathology, where I discovered it to be a fantastically diverse and exciting specialty, with wide research and teaching opportunities.   

Outside of work, I enjoy being outdoors as much as possible exploring the Yorkshire Dales.

I am motivated, enthusiastic and friendly and would be happy to share my experiences to support others. I am passionate about promoting pathology as a specialty through teaching medical students, leading work in patient/public engagement, as well as encouraging participation for anyone interested in the vast research opportunities available. I know firsthand how beneficial the PathSoc events and resources have been for me so far. It is a privilege to support the society in equipping trainees with an armoury of skills

I am an ST3 Oral and Maxillofacial histopathology trainee, currently out of programme to undertake a PhD at the University of Cambridge/Wellcome Sanger Institute. My research focuses on paediatric cancers, head and neck disease, and developmental biology.

My interest in pathology was sparked during my Dentistry degree, during which I undertook an intercalated degree in pathology that inspired me into the specialty. PathSoc supported a research placement at The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, after which I was sure I wanted to be an academic. I completed foundation training in Newcastle upon Tyne and then became an NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow (ACF) at the University of Manchester. The protected research time during my ACF was invaluable, enabling me to work on a number of projects and generate my own data. I was very fortunate to secure Wellcome funding for my current clinical PhD in developmental biology. Through this work, I have gained experience analysing large whole-genome datasets, applying my pathology skills to laser capture microdissection and supporting post-mortems; all while working with a friendly and remarkably talented team of clinicians and scientists from around the world.

I have been a member of PathSoc since my undergraduate days, benefiting greatly from its friendly community, annual conferences and career development support. I now serve as the trainee sub-committee webmaster, managing trainee-related webpage content. Please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions or feedback on the website or if you want to talk about anything else.

I’m a current ACFST3 in Histopathology at Leeds, commencing training in Diagnostic Neuropathology from August 2024. I studied medicine at Cambridge from 2009-2018, intercalating a BA in neuroscience and a PhD, during which I investigated synaptic mechanisms of cortical network oscillations. Throughout my AFP and ACF, I have worked on various more clinical academic projects including the neuroimmunology of traumatic brain injury and COVID-19, classification of meningiomas, and validation of confocal technologies for intraoperative diagnosis. My current research is carried out in the group of Professor Sheena Radford, a structural biophysicist at the University of Leeds, investigating the pathophysiology of alpha synuclein amyloid structures; I hope to continue this work alongside my training in Neuropathology. I'm also a clinical representative to the management committee of the Leeds Neuropathology Research Tissue Bank, where I review applications for use of surgical tissue in research projects.

Medical education is another area of interest of mine. Having supervised in physiology at St. John's College, Cambridge during my PhD, I now deliver lectures to the medical students in Leeds and facilitate small group tutorials. I'm also always keen to supervise students in the lab environment.

Outside of medicine I'm a palaeontology enthusiast and fossil hunter; I'm particularly interested in marine fossils of the Lower Jurassic, so I can often be found on the North Yorkshire or Dorset coasts, looking closely at rocks!

Hello! I am an ACFST1 in Leeds, born in Hong Kong and raised in Essex. I completed medical school in 2020 and started Foundation Training in Leicester during the COVID-19 pandemic.

I have wanted to be a forensic pathologist since secondary school. However, having completed projects and presented at conferences, my interests evolved towards academic pathology, particularly the application of deep learning for predicting patient outcomes. My current research interests are upper gastrointestinal cancers and artificial intelligence.

Outside of medicine, I enjoy learning new languages, playing the piano and trombone, and following football and combat sports.

Having finished my Foundation Training only a few months ago, I feel my recent experience and knowledge can highlight the educational and academic needs of undergraduates and junior doctors interested in pathology. I have benefitted tremendously from the events and resources provided by the PathSoc.

Furthermore, I have gained valuable experience in event planning and delivery, working collaboratively with individuals from diverse backgrounds, and organising and chairing meetings. My previous leadership roles as deputy representative on the BMA Medical Students Committee, founding president of my undergraduate Surgical Society, and vice president for the Doctors' Mess, have enabled me to hone these skills which I hope will benefit the subcommittee.

Hello, I’m Hattie, and I am currently an ST2 trainee in Bristol. Following my upbringing in North Yorkshire, I went to medical school in Cambridge, where I intercalated in pathology (virology and immunology). I then completed an academic foundation programme in Guildford (although most of the academic part was spent in redeployment). Continuing my clockwise migration around the country, I started my histopathology training in Bristol in 2021. Outside of work I enjoy playing the violin and singing in choirs.

I’m passionate about the work PathSoc does, particularly in inspiring medical students and foundation doctors into the profession (as happened to me!). Having attended an undergraduate summer school, I was lucky enough to receive PathSoc funding for my elective, which solidified my interest in histopathology. I hope to bring my enthusiasm to this role. The PathSoc events I’ve attended, including the Winter School and Academic Trainee meetings, have been fantastic. As somebody interested in research but not a full-blown academic trainee, I can offer a different perspective and encourage other people like me to get involved with the society.

Hello I’m Lucy, a ST3 trainee currently based in London having started my training in Brighton. I graduated from Newcastle University in 2018 and completed my foundation training in Northwest London. Prior to entering histopathology training I spent a year as a teaching fellow at Imperial College London and I really enjoy the many opportunities there are to teach in histopathology.

During ST2 I took 6 months out of programme for a project kindly funded by the Jeans Shanks Foundation and Pathological Society Predoctoral research bursary and this propelled me to investigate further academic opportunities. I plan to start a PhD in Autumn 2024 investigating the axillary lymph node response following treatment in breast cancer using deep-learning methods and spatial transcriptomics.

PathSoc are a crucial support to my academic work and attending their events and conferences has widened my understanding of the exciting developments happening in pathology research. Having navigated an alternative academic pathway, which began at a less academic centre, enables me to share and advocate that the routes to academic pathology are achievable for trainees in all centres. Being a National Academic Trainee Network Meeting rep, I hope I can make these meetings a valuable opportunity to connect with others interested in pathology research, whilst feeling accessible no matter your prior experience or level.

Hello I'm Sarah and I'm currently an ST3 at the Christie in Manchester. My current interests include Postgraduate Medical Education and the use of Artificial Intelligence in Mesothelioma. I'm looking forward to helping arrange the Pathsoc Winter Schools, and hopefully provide further Educational Content for Histopathology trainees at all levels. Outside of work I love exploring the Bollin Valley where I live and playing football with my two children. Please don't hesitate to get in touch if you have any ideas or suggestions for future PathSoc Educational events.

I am one of the Education Trainee Sub-Committee Reps and have been  a member of PathSoc since starting Foundation Training. I completed my medical degree in Glasgow and Foundation   Training in Edinburgh, where I now work as a Histopathology Registrar.  Outside my specialty I find working as a peer mentor and trainer in mentorship skills highly rewarding work and look forward to bringing these skills to the work of the Sub-Committee. I took a scenic route into medicine, having first completed a Master's Degree in French literature. After that I spent several years working in the government and charity sectors in a variety of roles.  I still love all things French, so when I am not working, I am happiest strolling around the food markets somewhere in Normandy.  I want to get involved in collaborative research and teaching. As a member of the Sub-Committee my goal is to help people with an interest in pathology to link up and take advantage of the full range of opportunities we have to offer. 

I am an ST3 histopathology trainee based in Edinburgh. I am a relative latecomer to the specialty, having graduated from Univerity College London, completed core medical training and undertaken a year as a Clinical Teaching Fellow beforehand. Feeling disillusioned and intellectually unchallenged during my experiences in clinical medicine, I considered different avenues. Fortuitously, attendance at haematology microscopy meetings piqued my interest and led me to discover diagnostic medicine. 

Applying for histopathology has been an excellent decision for me. Given my trajectory, I feel strongly about undergraduate and foundation engagement and hope others can discover the appeal of the specialty too!

At present, I am pursuing a career in haematopathology and medical renal pathology. These areas, where the bridge between clinical medicine and pathology is especially well formed is particularly attractive to me. Unfortunately, owing in part to their difficulty and complexity. these subspecialties are not viewed in the same light for many trainees. I hope to break down some of these barriers by connecting members to valuable resources and facilitating teaching events. I am hard working and dependable individual, and will endeavour to promote opportunities that PatSoc can provide for trainees across the board.  

Ciao, I’m Lucia, an ST2 trainee currently based in London. Originally from Italy, I moved to the UK and completed a BSc in Medical Sciences with a research year at Exeter, studied Graduate Entry Medicine at Southampton and worked as an Academic Foundation Doctor in Oxford. During my F1, I did a taster week, attended a few events run by PathSoc and ended up falling in love with histopathology.

I am passionate about the society’s work as they have heavily influenced my career trajectory. I have been involved with teaching and public engagement, the latter in social prescribing for several years. Although my experience is not pathology-specific, I believe in the importance of widening engagement and I am excited to apply what I have learned to improve opportunities for trainees, students and strengthen the society’s involvement with the general public. As a research enthusiast I have completed both primary and secondary research. Being a non-academic trainee, I hope to alleviate some of the barriers perceived by trainees when considering research.