Biographies of Invited Speakers – Spring 2011
Boot Camp – Sunday 8th May
Dr Heather A Williams Senior Medical Physicist for Nuclear Medicine, Nuclear Medicine
Centre, Central Manchester University Hospitals
After completing the Medical Physics Part I training in 2000, Heather undertook a PhD in
quantitative Positron Emission Tomography before starting work as a Medical Physicist at
Manchester Royal Infirmary in 2004. She remains active in service support, development and
research, and holds an honorary lectureship from the University of Manchester, primarily in
recognition of teaching and supervising students on the IPEM-accredited MSc. Heather is also a
STEM ambassador and regularly contributes to science outreach activities aimed at school and
college students.
Prof A Michael Peters holds the Chair in Applied Physiology at Brighton and Sussex Medical
School, is an honorary consultant in nuclear medicine at the Royal Sussex County Hospital,
Brighton and also Clinical Director of the Clinical Imaging Sciences Centre, Brighton and Sussex
Medical School. His previous appointments include Professor of Diagnostic Radiology at
Imperial College School of Medicine and Professor of Nuclear Medicine at the University of
Cambridge. He has authored or co-authored 250 peer-reviewed journal articles, 46
editorials/reviews, 2 books and 53 book chapters. His academic activities have been recognised
by election to the Academy of Medical Science (2002) and recently the award of a Doctorate in
Science from the University of Liverpool (2009).
Prof Richard Lawson is Chief Medical Physicist in the Central Manchester Nuclear Medicine
Centre where he has worked for over 30 years. He is an Honorary Professor at the University of
Salford where he is involved with teaching nuclear medicine to radiographers and technicians
and Honorary Senior Lecturer at Manchester University where he teaches medical physics
trainees. He also teaches nuclear medicine physicians and radiologists in Manchester and he is
passionate about making learning into an enjoyable experience.
Prof. John Buscombe is Consultant in Nuclear Medicine at Addenbrooke's Hospital,
Cambridge, He has a long time interest in imaging infection and the imaging and radionuclide
treatment of tumours. He has co-authored over 180 peer reviewed papers and written or coedited 5 books. He also has the honour of being appointed extra-ordinary professor of nuclear
medicine to the University of Pretoria in 2010.
Monday 9th May
President Opens Conference
Prof. Alan Perkins
Head of Academic Medical Physics at University of Nottingham.
Over 30 years experience in Medical Physics including nuclear medicine, radiation protection,
radiopharmacology, drug delivery and ultrasound imaging.
Fellow of the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine, Affiliate of the RCP and President
of BNMS. UK delegate for the World Federation for Nuclear Medicine and Biology.
PET I
Prof. M Sathekge Head of Department of Nuclear Medicine University of Pretoria, South
Africa. Honorary Registrar of the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa, Immediate Past Secretary
General of the World Federation of Nuclear Medicine & Biology. Past-President of the South
African Society of Nuclear Medicine.
Prof. NE Avril Professor of Nuclear Medicine Barts and the London School of Medicine.
Norbert Avril joined the Barts Cancer Institute in August 2005 as the academic consultant in
Nuclear Medicine and director of the PET Centre.
PET II
Prof. Dr. Bernd Pichler is Head of the Laboratory for Preclinical Imaging and Imaging
Technology of the Werner Siemens-Foundation at the Department of Radiology, University of
Tübingen, Germany.
PET III
Prof. Dr. Bernd Pichler is Head of the Laboratory for Preclinical Imaging and Imaging
Technology of the Werner Siemens-Foundation at the Department of Radiology, University of
Tübingen, Germany.
L Pike Medical Physicist, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's
College London
PROFESSIONAL MATTERS I
Dr Margaret Hall Trained at the Institute of Nuclear medicine, London and worked as a
consultant at St. Peter’s Hospital, Chertsey. Then spent some time in industry with Amersham
international (now GE healthcare) and had various roles including UK medical director and a
director of strategy. Currently Clinical lead in nuclear medicine at the Royal Free Hospital,
London. Also has an interest in quality improvement and is an elected member of the
Improvement faculty of the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement.
Dr J B Neilly
Has been a Consultant in Nuclear Medicine at a major teaching hospital combining roles as
General Internal Medicine physician and Nuclear Medicine Consultant at Glasgow Royal
Infirmary since 1995. In the past he has served as Secretary and Chairman of the Specialist
Advisory Committee (SAC) of the Royal College of Physicians, and as UK National Training
Programme Director (TPD) for Nuclear Medicine. Currently Chairman of the UK National
Specialist Training Committee (STC), a member of the PET-CT Board, a member of the Joint
Specialty Committee and a member of ARSAC. Within Scotland he is Chairman of the Scottish
Nuclear Medicine Group and Regional Specialty Adviser for Nuclear Medicine. Lead Clinician for
Nuclear Medicine at Glasgow Royal Infirmary and was a member of the Glasgow PET-CT
Implementation Group.
CARDIAC I - PET
Dr Ashley Groves is Reader in PET/CT at the Institute of Nuclear Medicine, UCL
W Burchert Institute for Molecular Biophysics, Radiopharmacy and Nuclear Medicine, Heart
and Diabetes Centre, North Rhine Westfalia Bad Oeynhausen, Germany
CARDIAC II – HEART FAILURE
Dr Kelion is an expert in cardiology with a particular interest in imaging, nuclear cardiology,
echocardiography and Cardiac CT (computed tomography).
Dr N Sabharwal is a Consultant Cardiologist at the Oxford Heart Centre with a specialist
interest in cardiac imaging. He is also treasurer of the BNCS.
CARDIAC III – MYOCARDIAL PERFUSION
Prof. Richard Underwood is Professor of cardiac imaging at the National Heart and Lung
Institute, Imperial College London, and honorary consultant and director of nuclear medicine at
Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospitals. External commitments include past-chairman of the ESC
working group on nuclear cardiology and magnetic resonance, past-chair of the British Nuclear
Cardiology Society and the International Congress of Nuclear Cardiology, and current member
of the European Council on Nuclear Cardiology.
Dr Eliana Reyes is a post-doctoral senior clinical fellow in cardiac imaging at the Royal
Brompton Hospital in London. Dr Reyes is currently a lecturer and tutor for a number of
medical courses at Imperial College London and the Royal Brompton Hospital, and member of
the ESC working group on nuclear cardiology and cardiac CT. She has numerous publications
to her name in the field of nuclear cardiology with special research interests in stress
myocardial perfusion imaging.
INTERACTIVE CASE I
Dr Thomas Grüning MD MSc FRCP graduated from the University of Dresden in 1994. He
trained in nuclear medicine in Dresden and at Hammersmith Hospital. He obtained an MSc in
Immunology from Imperial College. He was appointed a Consultant in Nuclear Medicine in 2002
and is an Honorary Clinical Lecturer at Peninsula Medical School
INTERACTIVE CASE II
Prof. S Vinjamuri Sobhan Vinjamuri is Consultant in Nuclear Medicine, Royal Liverpool
University Hospital from 1998. He is also Chairman of Liverpool Research Ethics Committee and
deals regularly with issues of audit v research. He serves on the Fitness to Practice Panes of the
General Medical Council with a view to uphold the high standards expected of doctors in their
activities. As Editor of Nuclear Medicine Communications, he participates in decisions of
editorial and publication integrity and ethics.
Dr P Arumugam, Consultant in Nuclear Medicine, Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS
Foundation Trust. President of the British Nuclear Cardiology Society
RENAL I
Prof Richard Lawson is Chief Medical Physicist in the Central Manchester Nuclear Medicine
Centre where he has worked for over 30 years. He is an Honorary Professor at the University of
Salford where he is involved with teaching nuclear medicine to radiographers and technicians
and Honorary Senior Lecturer at Manchester University where he teaches medical physics
trainees. He also teaches nuclear medicine physicians and radiologists in Manchester and he is
passionate about making learning into an enjoyable experience.
GENERAL
Prof. Philip Hawkins FMedSci is Head of the National Amyloidosis Centre at UCL, Royal Free
Hospital, London. His research interests span the pathogenesis, diagnosis, monitoring and
treatment of systemic amyloidosis and related disorders. He developed SAP scintigraphy for
quantitative imaging of systemic amyloid deposits and currently offers this service to 40
patients per week.
Prof. Alan Perkins
Head of Academic Medical Physics at University of Nottingham.
Over 30 years experience in Medical Physics including nuclear medicine, radiation protection,
radiopharmacology, drug delivery and ultrasound imaging.
Fellow of the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine, Affiliate of the RCP and President
of BNMS. UK delegate for the World Federation for Nuclear Medicine and Biology.
YOUNG INVESTIGATOR PRIZE
Dr B Drake SpR The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust.
Tuesday 10th May
THYROID-PARATHYROID
Prof. Andreas Bockisch MD PhD is head of Department of Nuclear Medicine of the University
Hospital at Essen, Germany. He introduced PET/CT in 2001 in Germany and developed the
joined use of both PET and diagnostic CT in one examination. Together with Michael Phelps he
is this year’s winner of the Röntgenplakette awarded by city of Remscheid. His special interest
besides PET/CT is thyroid cancer and nuclear medicine therapy focussing on dosimetry. Both
are combined in the still ongoing 124I-PET/CT studies in thyroid cancer treatment.
Professor Val Lewington trained in Nuclear Medicine in Southampton and London. She has
extensive experience in targeted isotope therapy for thyroid cancer including medullary thyroid
cancer, neuroendocrine tumours, bone pain palliation and radioimmunotherapy for lymphoma.
Professor Lewington is a member of several national and international advisory committees on
diagnostic nuclear medicine and radioisotope therapy and is the new Course Director for the
King’s College London MSc in Nuclear Medicine.
Dr Andrew G Kettle is the Principal Medical Physicist in Nuclear Medicine for the East Kent
Hospitals University NHS Trust and holds an Honorary Senior Lectureship at the University of
Kent. He recognised the potential of using Tc99m sestamibi for parathyroid imaging during the
clinical trials of this agent for myocardial imaging – but at the time the development company
did not see any commercial potential for pursuing a product license for parathyroid imaging. He
is one of the co-authors of the 2009 EANM parathyroid guidelines.
ANNUAL LECTURE
Prof. A Michael Peters holds the Chair in Applied Physiology at Brighton and Sussex Medical
School, is an honorary consultant in nuclear medicine at the Royal Sussex County Hospital,
Brighton and also Clinical Director of the Clinical Imaging Sciences Centre, Brighton and Sussex
Medical School. His previous appointments include Professor of Diagnostic Radiology at
Imperial College School of Medicine and Professor of Nuclear Medicine at the University of
Cambridge. He has authored or co-authored 250 peer-reviewed journal articles, 46
editorials/reviews, 2 books and 53 book chapters. His academic activities have been recognised
by election to the Academy of Medical Science (2002) and recently the award of a Doctorate in
Science from the University of Liverpool (2009).
PET IV
Dr A Loft Consultant in Clinical Physiology & Nuclear Medicine at PET & Cyclotron Unit,
Rigshspitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Dr Ashley Groves practices at the Institute of Nuclear Medicine University College Hospital,
specialising in Nuclear medicine
PHYSICS
Dr A Britten is head of the Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering Department at St George’s
Hospital in South London. He has been active in the EANM where he was part of the Medical
Physics Committee working group that published guidelines on QA and Acceptance testing in
Nuclear Medicine. He has an interest in gamma probes, and general medical imaging
involvement has been in evaluation programmes for X-ray CT and PACS through supervising the
ImPACT and PACSnet evaluation groups.
RADIATION PROTECTION
Steve Ebdon-Jackson Head of the Medical Exposure Department at the Health protection
Agency
INTERACTIVE CASE III
Dr Lorenzo Biassoni Consultant in Nuclear Medicine, Honorary Senior Lecturer, UCL.
Department of Radiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children.
Dr G Gnanansegaran is Consultant Physician in Nuclear Medicine at Guy’s & St Thomas
Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Dr S Hughes, Consultant in radiology and nuclear medicine, Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast
Health and Social Care Trust, Belfast
PAEDIATRIC
Dr Lorenzo Biassoni Consultant in Nuclear Medicine, Honorary Senior Lecturer, UCL.
Department of Radiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children.
BONE I
Dr P Suresh Consultant Radiologist, special interest in musculoskeletal radiology, in Plymouth
Hospitals NHS Trust. Initial training in Manchester Training Scheme, followed by fellowship in
Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore.
Dr G Gnanansegaran is consultant Physician in Nuclear Medicine at Guy’s & St Thomas
Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
RADIOCHEMISTRY I
Dr K Al-Jamal Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London
Prof Steve Mather is Emeritus Professor of Radiopharmacy at the Bart's Cancer Institute
having recently retired after 35 years working in Radiopharmacy initially as a Hospital
Radiopharmacist and thereafter as an academic involved in Radiopharmaceutical R&D and
teaching.
RADIOCHEMISTRY II
Dr Jim Ballinger is Chief Radiopharmaceutical Scientist in the Department of Nuclear Medicine
at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust and Honorary Senior Lecturer in the Division
of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering at King's College London. He has a PhD in PET
radiochemistry from the University of Toronto. After 15 years experience in Ottawa and
Toronto, he came to the UK in 1999 and has worked in Cambridge and London. He has
published more than 100 peer reviewed scientific papers.
Prof. Dewi Lewis is Head of Physics with General Electric Healthcare R&D in the UK. He served
as a member of Council for the Council for the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council
(PPARC) from 200 to 2006 and for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils (CCLRC)
from 2006-2007; he sits on various advisory panels for STFC, EPSRC and the Medical Research
Council (MRC).
He studied for a PhD in experimental positron physics at the University of Swansea and then as
an Applied Science & Computing Fellow at CERN, Geneva. After his Fellowship he became
Engineer in Charge of the CERN Intersecting Storage Rings before returning to the UK to work
on accelerators applications in industry with Amersham International plc. His industrial
experience has included being head of the Amersham Cyclotron department, business manager
for cyclotron and reactor pharmaceuticals, director of the Reviss joint venture, strategy
manager for the company’s operations, and he is a former chairman of the European industry
association (AIPES) committee on reactors and isotopes.
He is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics and the Royal Astronomical Society and has visiting
chairs at the University of Liverpool and the Cockroft Institute and advisory roles at Cardiff and
Oxford Universities. His fields of interest include accelerator applications, radioisotope
technology, nuclear science, software and medical imaging; he is currently active in medical
imaging R&D with GE Healthcare.
NURSES
A van Leeuwen Senior Nuclear Medicine Technologist, Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge
Louise Causer Clinical Nurse Specialist Nuclear Medicine is an Oncology trained nurse with
10years Nuclear Medicine experience both diagnostic and therapy. Most recently her main role
has involved the assessment of patient’s pre radionuclide therapies, administration and post
treatment surveillance.
Wednesday 11th May
THERAPY
Dr Glenn Flux is Head of Radioisotope Physics at the Royal Marsden Hospital and Institute of
Cancer Research in Sutton, UK. He is a member of the EANM Dosimetry Committee and chair of
the BIR working group on Molecular Radiotherapy and the UK CTRad group on Molecular
Radiotherapy. He also and chair of the Dosimetry and Radiobiology working group of an EU
COST action on Targeted Radionuclide Therapy. He has authored over 50 papers and several
book chapters concerned with internal dosimetry and molecular imaging for Molecular
Radiotherapy.
Prof. John Buscombe is Consultant in Nuclear Medicine at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge,
He has a long time interest in imaging infection and the imaging and radionuclide treatment of
tumours. He has co-authored over 180 peer reviewed papers and written or co-edited 5 books.
He also has the honour of being appointed extra-ordinary professor of nuclear medicine to the
University of Pretoria in 2010.
Dr S E M Clarke Honorary Consultant Physician at Guys and St Thomas' Hospital, recently
retired Senior Lecturer, King’s College London. Lead Clinician for Thyroid Cancer in South East
London Cancer Network until March 2010. Member of NCRI Thyroid Subgroup of Head and
Neck Cancer Group and on HiLo Study Group. Member of EANM Thyroid Cancer Guidelines
Group 2008, Member of SNM Thyroid Cancer Guidelines Group 2010. Course Director for M
Sc in Nuclear Medicine, KCL until March 2011.
PROFESSIONAL MATTERS II
Claire Greaves is a Consultant Clinical Scientist in the University Hospitals of Leicester with 25
years of Nuclear Medicine experience from different NHS Trusts. Claire is a member of BNMS
council and Chair of the Professional Standards Committee and has been involved in the
development of professional standards and guidelines for Nuclear Medicine practice within the
UK. Claire has also been a member of the IPEM Nuclear Medicine Special Interest group and
edited the recent IPEM Report – Mathematical Methods in Nuclear Medicine. Claire was a
member of the Administration or Radioactive Substances Advisory Committee and is currently
on the ARSAC working party and was involved with the strategic report on the impact of
Molybdenum-99m shortages. Her interests include radiation protection in nuclear medicine,
quality systems and service improvement.
Dr Des Green Consultant in Radiology and Nuclear Medicine at Nottingham University
Hospitals. Associate Postgraduate Dean East Midlands Healthcare Workforce Deanery, BNMS
Council Member, BNMS Lead for Revalidation (RCP), BNMS Chair for Education on Professional
Standards and Education Committee
LUNG
Mr. Andrew G Kettle Andrew Kettle is the Principal Medical Physicist in Nuclear Medicine for
the East Kent Hospitals University NHS Trust and holds an Honorary Senior Lectureship at the
University of Kent. He has had a longstanding interest in Nuclear Medicine Computing and
advocates in-house software to support the ongoing development of Nuclear Medicine practice.
After 38 years of Nuclear Medicine he retires in June.
BONE II
Dr S Hughes, Consultant in radiology and nuclear medicine, Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast
Health and Social Care Trust, Belfast
NEUROLOGY
Dr S Hughes, Consultant in radiology and nuclear medicine, Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast
Health and Social Care Trust, Belfast
Dr P Kemp is a Consultant and Honorary Senior Lecturer in the Nuclear Medicine Department
at Southampton University Hospitals Trust. His major interests are neuro-nuclear functional
brain imaging in dementia and movement disorder. To this end, Paul is the National Advisor on
brain imaging to the British Nuclear Medicine Society. In addition, the Department of Nuclear
Medicine at Southampton University Hospitals Trust was appointed as one of the 15 European
Centres of Excellence for clinical, and research, brain imaging by the European Association of
Nuclear Medicine. Paul has published widely on dementia and movement disorders in
numerous journals in conjunction with his neurological and psychiatric colleagues.
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