The Mentorship Programme

Jacob Bloor - Director of the Mentorship Programme

Jacob currently works as an Executive Director at Circle Health Group where he oversees the clinical, operational and financial management of a hospital in the private health sector. Jacob is responsible for over 400 staff and consultants and applies his leadership, strategic thinking, and management skills to ensure the hospital operates efficiently and effectively in delivering high-quality patient care alongside business growth.With a background as an NHS doctor, Jacob has held national and international leadership roles within charity, local government, and the corporate sector. Jacob achieved his MBChB with honours from the University of Liverpool, where he established the first Medical Leadership and Management society and held roles in organisations such as JASME and the FMLM.Jacob went on to teach at the University of Sheffield where he successfully completed a PgCert in Medical Education and examined for medical school assessments. Jacob has also co-founded an award-winning charity called MindHealth where he now sits as a trustee and on the executive board.Within the HLA, Jacob has taken on the Cohort Director role in Amsterdam, Edinburgh and London over recent years, and has influenced changes in curriculum design. He is now the lead Director for the HLA mentorship programme.

Intishar Rashad - Assistant Director

Dr Intishar Rashad is an incoming clinical fellow in medicine at Medway NHS Foundation Trust. He is undertaking MSc Internal Medicine with the University of Edinburgh as a RCPE scholar. He has a strong interest in medical education and medical leadership. He has previously worked as a course moderator for the Duke University US Human Physiology course and mentored medical students and junior doctors studying physiology. His HLA commitments include lead for the HLA mentorship programme. He enjoys golf and painting landscapes.

A Message from the Director About This Programme

Welcome to the Healthcare Leadership Academy!

As the Director of Mentorship, it is my pleasure to introduce you to our exceptional team of mentors. Our academy is committed to excellence, and our mentors play a pivotal role in this commitment.

Our mentors are not only distinguished professionals who bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to their role, but also individuals with a profound passion for nurturing talent and fostering growth.

At the Healthcare Leadership Academy, we understand that true leadership goes beyond technical expertise; it encompasses empathy, integrity, and the ability to inspire. We believe that mentorship is a crucial component in developing the next generation of healthcare leaders.

Our mentors are here to support, challenge, and help scholars achieve their personal and professional goals. Through the transformative power of mentorship, together, we can shape the future of healthcare.

Best,

Jacob Bloor

Meet the Mentors

Vanessa Anna Kocia

Ness is an International Medical Graduate who completed her Master's Degree in Medicine at Kraków's Collegium Medicum in 2017. She has then spent a year travelling and teaching English for the IELTS exam, before commencing Foundation Programme in the North East of England in 2018.

From then on, she has been enjoying a somewhat scenic route across various medical specialties, which included an F3 year, two years of IMT, four miserable attempts at MRCP Part 1 (followed by nailing Part 2 and PACES with ease), as well as her current role which is the ST3 level Acute Rescue Team Fellow - a junior medical registrar tasked with recognising and rescuing acutely unwell patients dotted across the hospital. As rewarding as this role has been, it is soon coming to an end! Ness is now preparing to travel to Japan and study Tropical Diseases and Hygiene at the Nagasaki University, while hoping to secure a training number in Infectious Diseases & Microbiology.

In her scarce free time, Ness trains aikido, tries to learn Spanish, travels as much as she can and sleeps as much as she can (never quite enough). Personal motto: Ignis aurum probat.

Andrea Johnson

Andrea is the chair and co-founder of dental charity Den-Tech, an orthodontic and maxillofacial laboratory manager/highly specialised dental technician, quality improvement coach, healthcare careers ambassador, and clinical research intern at Doncaster & Bassetlaw NHS Foundation Trust. She is an advisory board member, careers pathway reference group member, and fellow of the College of General Dentistry. A Healthcare Leadership Academy (HLA) cohort director and co-lead of the HLA Dental network. She has a PgCert in charity management and 1st class BSc hons in Dental Technology. She is regularly called upon to sit on advisory committees and working groups with bodies such as the General Dental Council, Health Education East Midlands, and many more.

Previous roles include Chair of the Orthodontic Technicians Association (OTA), council member of the Dental Technologists Association (DTA), associate lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU), visiting lecturer at the University of Chester, sessional teacher at Nottingham College, a Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) ambassador, and Chair of the Women in Healthcare Leadership Summit 2022.

Winner of a Star award, Pride of Derby award and the OTA Aldridge Medal
Outside of her work and professional activities, Andrea enjoys running, going to the gym, walking her dogs and adventure travel.

Raihan Mohammed

Raihan is doctor and operational manager in the NHS, currently managing c. 90 WTE staff across 3 services and a budget of over £7m at the Royal Free London hospital. He graduated from the University of Cambridge, during which he had a range of experiences in the private sector including investment banking, private equity and management consulting at McKinsey. After completing his Psychiatry-specialised Foundation Year in Nottingham, Raihan then moved to London for the NHS Management Training Scheme, which culminated with his current operational role at the Royal Free. He has a keen interest in research, publishing over 20 peer-reviewed papers, and continues to work clinically in A&E and through his aesthetics medicine work. Raihan has coached and mentored both medical students and junior doctors for several years, in particular with those looking to expolore portfolio and alternative careers.

Zack Hassan

Dr. Zack Hassan is a dedicated medical registrar and a proactive voice in healthcare leadership. renowned for his practical approach to healthcare delivery and patient safety within the NHS. Zack is an influential voice in healthcare discourse through his Healthy Discussions podcast and a YouTube channel, which promotes critical thinking in medicine to over 600 subscribers and has garnered 30,000 views. He teaches break downs of concepts in critical thinking, public speaking and debate, allowing professionals to shape meaningful dialogue about the future of healthcare.

Zack's contributions to Quality Improvement (QI) have streamlined clinical processes, notably in surgical paperwork and pregnancy test protocols, directly enhancing patient care. His policy work, particularly in advocating for doctors' rights within BMA committees and modernising gender identity pathways with the Scottish Public Health Network, showcases his policy acumen and dedication to inclusive healthcare reform.

His unwavering belief in the NHS's potential drives him to seek reforms that ensure its sustainability and public ownership, making him a vital voice for the 21st-century healthcare system.

Ahmed Kerwan

Dr. Ahmed Kerwan graduated from the University of Oxford and King’s College London before starting as an NHS Academic Medical Doctor and Clinical Supervisor at the University of Cambridge. During his programme, Ahmed co-authored a series of peer-reviewed papers on Covid, surgery, and health economics which were amongst the globally most cited publications of their respective years. After completing his Clinical Academic training, Ahmed joined the first NHS-backed Venture Capital fund as an Investor, where he sourced, screened, and conducted due diligence on early-stage healthcare technology companies. Ahmed is currently embarking on his next chapter at Harvard as a Knox Fellow, where he will dive deeper into the confluence of public health, technology, and entrepreneurship whilst exploring the USA.

Alasdair Anderson

Alasdair is a GP trainee from the North of England. Before becoming a doctor Alasdair completed a PhD in skin cancer and worked in higher education, teaching and mentoring students and managing research. He has served as a director of a mental health charity and worked on the Mental Health Act review in Westminster. He has a strong interest in medical education and medical leadership. He has completed a PGCert in Medical Eduction and works with as a panel member for various organisations including deans quality committee and trainee forums. Alasdair still mentors students at Durham University and is president of the University College Senior Common Room at Durham University.

Rafia Miah

Rafia Miah is currently a GP trainee based in the West Midlands. She graduated from the University of Southampton, and prior to that completed BSc Pharmacology from King's College London. She is an HLA Alumni (2019-2020). Rafia has an interest in women's health and global health. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she led a health education initiative called Amar Doctor which delivered virtual workshops focused on improving health awareness among immigrant Bangladeshi women.

Araya Medhanyie

Araya Abrha Medhanyie (PhD) is researcher and associate professor at Mekelle University in Tigray, Ethiopia. His academic and research interests focus mainly in Global Health. He is an expert in implementation research, diffusion of innovations and scale –up of proven health interventions. He has led a number of implementation research projects which are multidisciplinary and internationally funded projects. He has authored and co-authored about 85 articles which are published in international, reputable and peer reviewed journals. Currently, he is serving as head of the Maternal, Adolescent, Reproductive and Child health (MARCH) Research Center of Mekelle university. He is a senior researcher at the Digital Health and Innovation Center at the same university. He advises and mentors PhD students in global health, health systems, digital health and innovations affiliated with Mekelle University in Ethiopia, Leiden and Tilburg Universities in the Netherlands and University Stavanger in Norway. He is Health Care Leadership scholar of the Year 2022-23 at the Healthcare Leadership Academy (HLA) of the University of Lancashire (UClan) in London, UK.

Kieran Robinson

Kieran graduated as a Paramedic in 2017 and has worked in a variety of settings across the public, private, international, and voluntary sectors. Kieran has primarily worked for the East of England Ambulance service in a variety of positions and is currently employed as a Specialist Paramedic in Urgent Care while training as an ACP. Other employment has included working as a Senior Practitioner in a Virtual Ward, an associate lecturer, a Clinical Team Educator with a private ambulance service, and a temporary contract as a Senior Operations Manager for the ambulance service in Qatar.
Outside of work Kieran has completed an MSc in Critical Care and written chapters for two textbooks aimed at student paramedics as well as exam questions for Pearson. He is currently undertaking his second MSc in Advanced Clinical Practice.
Kieran completed the HLA Scholarship in 2020 before working with the HLA as a Cohort Director for a few years and gaining Fellowship of the Institute of Leadership & Management. More recently he has stepped back from this role to focus on his current training, but continues to support the HLA as a mentor and faculty on an ad hoc basis.

Richard Anderson

Richard currently works as an intensive care registrar in New Zealand. After being ranked as the second-highest scoring applicant nationally for Anaesthetics training, he is planning on returning to the UK. He graduated from the University of Cambridge where he held a range of leadership positions focusing heavily on developing educational initiatives and widening participation.

He joined the HLA as a scholar in 2020 and has been a mentor since 2021. During his scholar year, he implemented a novel exit interview programme to drive quality improvement work and enhance trainee experiences in emergency medicine. His most recent work has concentrated on improving patient safety and staff experience in the aeromedical service in rural New Zealand. He has also established sustainability practices in ICU aiming to reduce unnecessary testing.

Richard has additional interests in sports medicine. He has previously worked in professional sport for Team Sky and led programmes prioritising athlete health and welfare. He has completed award-winning research and has several publications and international presentations.

Rebecca Lissman

Dr. Rebecca Lissmann is an Academic Clinical Fellow in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and part of the Women’s Health Unit Research Team at the Centre for Public Health and Policy, Queen Mary University of London. Rebecca has an MSc from LSHTM and has worked internationally at both the MRC unit The Gambia and as a Public Health Research Fellow at Mahidol University, Thailand. Rebecca’s research interests and expertise focus on intersectional feminism, gender as a social determinant of health and global health.

Vafie Sheriff

Vafie Sheriff is an incoming Academic Foundation Doctor 2024, with interest in Global Health, Public Health and Leadership. He sits on the BMA London Regional Council, and the St Georges University of London Course Validation Panels. Vafie is also the Chair & Director of Student MedAid London, an award winning CIC, and a Trustee for Students for Global Health. He started his global health and leadership journey in 2014 with a 3 month placement in Chittagong, Bangladesh with Volunteering Services Overseas. Since then he has worked and completed projects in Kenya, Morocco and Sierra Leone and worked with various organisations such as Polygeia, Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Sierra Leone, and Tripoli General Hospital Lebanon. He’s in the final year of his medical degree having completed his BSc in Biomedical Science with special interest in Global Health, and an MSc in Global Health and Conflict.

Katherine Aldersley

Katherine is an IMT with interests in Infectious Diseases and Public Health. She graduated from BSMS in 2019 and completed MSc Public Health in 2017. She was an HLA scholar in cohort 2 in 2017/18 and has been the Research Lead for the FMLM Medical Student Group. She has conducted research in health promotion, medical leadership education, and barriers to research responses in pandemics. She is currently a LTFT trainee with two young children.

Jack Wellington

Dr. Wellington MBBCh (Hons) MSc (LSHTM) FGMS FRSA completed his medical degree at Cardiff University, where he finished within the top 10% of his cohort, awarding honours status as a result. Dr. Wellington intercalated at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine for MSc in Medical Microbiology and undertook his neurosurgical elective at the University of Oxford.

Dr. Wellington is extremely eager to pursue a career in academic neurosurgery, where he has accepted an incredibly competitive Specialised/Academic Foundation Programme (SFP/AFP) at the Yorkshire and Humber Deanery, securing both vascular surgery and neurosurgery posts.

Dr. Wellington has an exceptionally prolific academic profile, where in his pursuit of academic/surgical success as an undergraduate, he was appointed to a diverse range of leadership positions comprising the Co-Director of the Abdulrauf University of Neurosurgery Research Institute, the Royal Society of Medicine Student Section’s Academic Chair, the founding Walter E. Dandy Neurosurgical Society UK Student Club's Vice President, and the past president of the Cardiff University Research Society (CUReS), among others.

Alongside his current duties, Dr. Wellington has dedicated plentiful time to his research endeavours through these roles which have facilitated experience in both clinical/surgical academia. Mr. Wellington has ascertained >50 publications concerning neurosurgical practice, topical global/public health issues, neurology, and neuropsychiatry. Additionally, he has currently undertaken 9 oral presentations and >30 poster presentations at national/international conferences alongside being a research advisor, editor, and writer in global committees dedicated to advancing clinical/surgical research advocacy.

Moreover, Dr. Wellington dedicates his spare time to improving medical and surgical education internationally, having guest lectured and providing tutelage to the next generation of aspiring surgeons and clinicians through national mentoring initiatives and widening access to pursuing careers in medicine. In addition to his extracurricular pursuits, Dr. Wellington has attained international fellowship status at the Guild of Musicians and Singers as an avid violinist, violist, pianist, and organist.

Dr. Wellington hopes to attain a DTM&H for clinical practice globally and achieve a Ph.D. in Surgical Sciences (specialising in academic neurosurgery).

Jonathan Leegwater

Jonathan is a former HLA scholar from the Netherlands and a Physician Assistant. He is experienced in radiology and nuclear medicine. Jonathan's personal interests are broadly oriented and aimed at themes around leadership, innovation, medical imaging, inclusivity, education and writing.

Vassili Crispi

Vassili is a Brain Tumour Junior Research Fellow at Leeds Teaching Hospitals, having recently completed his academic (specialised) foundation training in West Yorkshire. He is originally from Italy, has trained at Hull York and is an aspiring academic neurosurgeon. He has an interest in leadership. As an LGBTQ+ doctor, he is passionate about equality and inclusion within the profession, and especially in surgery.

He is also a trade unionist, having achieved significant changes at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, enhancing student representation, developing UKMLA policy, calling for changes to UKFP recruitment, and fighting for better pay, safe rotas, working conditions and industrial action.

He currently holds a number of positions, including Member of BMA UK Council and BMA Board of Science, and Cohort Director at the Healthcare Leadership Academy.

In his free time, he enjoys cooking, travel and photography.

Eleanor Morris

Dr. Eleanor Morris is an Academic Clinical Fellow and Core Trainee in Psychiatry. She is currently developing her research interests, which include: global mental health, and the interaction between physical and mental health. She is also interested in how we can improve Medical Education in Psychiatry. As part of her academic role, she is undertaking a Postgraduate Certificate in Health Research at the University of Leeds. She also has a 1st-class BSc in Anatomy, Developmental and Human Biology from King's College London. Beyond this, Elle is a Trustee for a Global Health charity called Students for Kids International Projects (SKIP), which aims to provide evidence-based interventions to improve the health of children internationally. Elle is also one of the current HLA Cohort Directors for Leeds, having joined The HLA as a Scholar in 2020.

Solomon Kamal-Uddin

Solomon KAMAL-UDDIN MBBs, BMedSci (Hons), MRCPCH
Board certified speciality Medical Consultant with unique cross sector senior experience in healthcare, research, education, industry and patient organisations. Department Head responsible for managing all specialities including oncology, rare and infectious disease. Senior consultancy for Worldwide Paediatric and Rare disease clinical development. Focused Biotech specialising in therapies for lysosomal storage disorders. Passionate about working with high-performing teams delivering exceptional patient focus, targeted successful research and collaborative engagement to deliver management options to those who need it most. Father of a child with a rare disease.

Geetu Bhandoria

Dr. Bhandoria is an experienced Gynecologist and Gynecologic Oncologist. He is leading the Early career, Networking & Publications group under International Gynecologic Cancer Society, whereby he is helping and guiding 'early-career' gynecologic oncologists in their academic journey. He has keen academic interest in social media, enhanced recovery program, advanced ovarian cancer and access to clinical trials in India.

Harriet Leyland

Physician and healthcare consultant leading in the health technology sector. Authoritative clinical leader promoting use of cutting-edge technology and innovation in service development in a range of healthcare settings. Harriet uses bridging strategic, clinical and technical expertise to support safe innovation in healthcare delivery, and to deliver improved patient experience, improved health outcomes and better staff satisfaction.

Ali Jawad

Ali is currently a junior doctor in north-west London and an NHS Clinical Innovation and Entrepreneur Fellow as part of the first ever cohort under the National Clinical Director for Innovation at NHS England. He has a background in graphic design, innovation, charities, management, and education. He regularly gives talks on innovation in medical education and has presented his research internationally.

He continues to teach locally and also leads a national teaching course for medical students. Currently he is developing a student selected component for students at Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry encouraging students to innovate in the healthcare field.

Arian Arjomandi Rad

Dr. Arian Arjomandi Rad is a distinguished figure in the realm of healthcare leadership and research, currently serving as the Research Director at The Healthcare Leadership Academy.

With a robust academic background, he commenced his journey as an Academic Foundation Doctor at the prestigious University of Oxford, where he laid the groundwork for his illustrious career. Holding dual distinctions of MBBS and BSc (Hons) from Imperial College London, Dr. Arjomandi Rad further honed his expertise at Maastricht University, where he is pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree. Currently he is an incoming national trainee in Cardio-Thoracic Surgery.

His scholarly pursuits have yielded over 70 publications, including seminal works, showcasing his profound insights and contributions to the field. Beyond his professional endeavours, Dr. Arjomandi Rad epitomises altruism through his commitment to volunteering, embodying a holistic approach to healthcare and leadership.

Carina Dowson

Carina is an Acute Medicine Consultant and Clinical Lead at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation trust. Originally an HLA scholar in 2019, she is currently a cohort director for Newcastle and the network lead of the Women in Healthcare Leadership (WIHL).

She is passionate about improving flexible and LTFT working, focusing on this during her MSc in Medical Leadership and setting up the HEENE LTFT forum, which continues to aim to improve LTFT training across all specialties in the North East.

Carina is also an Honorary Clinical Tutor for UCLAN, teaching on the Core Principles of Healthcare Leadership PGCert module.

Christina Uwins

Christina’s research interest centres on robotic surgery and its applications in Gynaecological oncology for which she is currently undertaking an MD at the University of Surrey. Christina has designed and coordinated 𝗠𝗜𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗥𝗦 (Robotic Surgery for Advanced ovarian cancer): a prospective cohort feasibility study from its conception, through to study implementation and now successful completion of recruitment under the supervision of Mr Simon Butler-Manuel Professor Agnieszka Michael.

Christina has been awarded the NIHR CRN KSS Greenshoots fellowship award, a GRACE charity grant and most recently an Intuitive Foundation grant funds her clinical research.

Christina is passionate about her work in Robotics in Gynaecological Oncology and excited to move MIRRORS on to the next step.

Hiba Khan

Hiba Khan is a Doctor in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, NHS England Clinical Entrepreneur, Honorary Lecturer at The University of Central Lancashire and Chief Revenue Officer at Medics.Academy.

She has a background in entrepreneurship, innovation and solutions in healthcare and was recently awarded an Innovation Fellowship at Mid and South Essex NHS Trust to continue this work. Hiba runs the development function at Medics.Academy and oversees a global team of executives.
As a recently selected member of the UK Young Academy, Hiba works in this national research collaborative to influence policy and raise awareness of science and research in the UK.

She also has experience in governance as Vice-Chair of the Board at Queen Mary University Students’ Union and Chair of their Audit and Risk Committee as well as being Governor on the Board of the University of West London Workforce Committee.

Hiba has won several awards for research and performance in her clinical roles, a national award in quality improvement, two consecutive “Outstanding Trainee” awards and a gold medal in regional weightlifting.

Johann Malawana

Johann, with over 15 years of leadership experience, founded Medics Academy and The Healthcare Leadership Academy (HLA) to address systemic issues in healthcare and support early-career development.
He is renowned for his role as the former chair of the Junior Doctors Committee of the British Medical Association and has held significant positions such as President of Barts and The London Students’ Association and University of London Medical Students’ Officer.
Johann played a pivotal role in negotiating improvements for junior doctors after the Modernising Medical Careers (MMC) crisis, including the Inter Deanery Transfer System. His leadership and advocacy led to appointments on the boards of the General Medical Council and the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board, representing medical students and junior doctors.

Leila Ellis

Leila is a NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow in Paediatrics based in Bristol with a research interest in childhood cancer. She is also undertaking an MSc in Healthcare Management, Leadership and Innovation. Leila joined the HLA in 2020 as a scholar and co-founded the HLA Café and HLA Clubhouse international networking sessions. She is currently a Cohort Director, mentor and lead for HLA Community activities.

Milan Makwana

Dr Milan Makwana completed his doctorate in Neuroscience and medical school at UCL. He subsequently completed medical Foundation Training in 2014 at the Royal Free Hospital in London. He is currently a Specialist Trainee in Neurosurgery at University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff.

Milan completed his PGCert in Clinical Leadership, Management and Education as part of the Healthcare Leadership Academy (HLA) and has continued to be part of the HLA community and its development with a current role as lead tutor for the IL-1 course.

His journey in academia has been marked by a dedication to empowering students to reach their full potential. As an Academic Module Tutor, he meticulously crafts engaging curriculum frameworks, leveraging her expertise to cultivate dynamic learning environments that inspire and challenge his students.

His pedagogical approach is characterised by its inclusivity and adaptability, as he recognizes the diverse needs and learning styles of her students. Beyond the classroom, he is a staunch advocate for educational reform, actively participating in initiatives aimed at enhancing teaching practices and educational policies.

Pedra Rabiee

Pedra is the Director of Communication for The HLA and is an Academic Clinical Fellow in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. She acts as a Junior Advisor for the Gender Equity Initiative in Global Surgery and serves as a Trustee at Students for Global Health. With previous experience at international health organisations such as The World Health Organization, Doctors of the World UK, and THET, Pedra conducts research on global health.

Rajan Madhok

Rajan is a public health doctor who worked in senior medical management positions in the NHS until his retirement. He took a major interest in racial discrimination in the NHS throughout his career, and continues to promote discussions about ways to tackle all discrimination and promote EDI. His focus these days is on capacity building and leadership development, and he is keen to promote reflective practice – further details of his work are at www.ramareflections.com

Amongst many other positions he was the Chairman of British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin and a Council member of the GMC, and presently serves as a non-executive director on the boards of Wirral University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and Llais (Citizen Voice Body) in Wales, as a governor on the Council of Coleg Cambria and as trustee of some voluntary organisations. He lives in North Wales.

Sonia Ike

Sonia is a Registrar in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery in the NHS. She currently serves on the Women in Surgery (WinS) Forum committee for the Royal College of Surgeons, England.

She has keen interests in Health Policy (chiefly burns injury policy and management) and Medical Education. To compliment this, she successfully completed a Masters in Health Policy, Planning & Financing.

Her research interests lie in the journey of burns care and scarring. This holistically includes relevant policies, education and preventative measures; to the traumatic injury itself; wound care science and scar management.

As such, her research is heavily complemented by my theoretical and practical knowledge of aesthetics and scars. She is undertaking a Level 7 Diploma in Clinical Aesthetic Injectable Therapies.

She is passionate about leadership, advocacy, mentoring, quality improvement across healthcare, and academia. Her MSc research for her thesis was conducted at the Global Surgery Policy Unit (LSE and the Royal College of Surgeons, England).

With over a decade of leadership experience, she is also the founder and director of ‘Motivating Medics’, an organisation created to teach, coach, mentor and empower young people of lower socioeconomic backgrounds, in order to help widen access into medical school.

Christine Muhota

Christine is currently an Academic Foundation Year 2 doctor in the West Midlands. She is a CTF in Medical Education and completing her PgCert whilst working full time.

She holds a First Class Honours in Medical Pharmacology (2018). She is also a co-founder & the CEO of a charity namely Mind Health For Medical Students which is a UK national charity (Number 1196946) that led by a fantastic team of doctors and medical students. Mind health focuses on promoting and protecting the well-being and mental health medical students. For more info see www.mindhealthuk.org / @mindhealthuk on Instagram.

Christine envisions a more compassionate and equitable world, to leave it better than we found it. She is an advocate for equality and social justice including the the empowerment of young people, who may struggle to see a role model succeed and know they too can make a real difference in the world.

Heer Shah

Alongside his clinical work, Heer is working with MediShout to disrupt the industry and build smarter, more efficient hospitals. His job involves leveraging medical insights to build digital solutions for the next generation of NHS hospitals.

Outside of work commitments, He is passionate about widening access to secondary education and reducing socioeconomic inequalities. He volunteers as a governor for Ark Academy and mentor doctors aspiring for specialty training posts with the Portfolio Clinic.

Radhika Thakrar

Radhika is a paediatric registrar and has completed her membership exams. She works full time in South London and she loves the excitement, challenges and satisfaction that each day in the hospital brings.

On the side, she has a successful Instagram page @DoctorRadhika with over 30k followers where she posts honest and reflective content about life as a doctor. She aims to encourage medical students and younger doctors and show them a realistic view of what life as a doctor is like. She also has a YouTube channel where she posts videos about life as a doctor.

In 2022 she created a podcast called “She’s The Doctor” where she interviews women in medicine and hears about their life and career so far. This was very successful and she is planning season 2.

Sarika Grover

I am an Internal Medicine Trainee (IMT1) with a deep passion for dermatology, having recently completed my foundation training in the West Midlands. Originally from Singapore, I completed my A-Levels there before moving to the UK to attend King's College London for medical school, where I developed a strong foundation in clinical skills and patient care. Throughout my medical training, I initially pursued an interest in surgery, exploring specialties like plastic and maxillofacial surgery through various electives and placements. These experiences solidified my love for procedural work.

However, my exposure to dermatology revealed an exciting opportunity to bridge my interests in both medicine and surgery. The chance to combine clinical care with procedural expertise, along with the rapidly advancing technology in dermatology, captivated me and guided my decision to specialise in this field. I am particularly drawn to cosmetic dermatology and dermatological surgery, where I can help patients feel confident in their own skin. I am also deeply committed to research, having been involved in diverse projects ranging from systematic reviews to cohort studies. These experiences have honed my analytical skills and reinforced my commitment to evidence-based medicine. As a Healthcare Leadership Scholar in 2023-2024, I had the opportunity to meet and learn from inspiring individuals, further fuelling my ambition to be involved in healthcare leadership and make a difference beyond clinical practice. Outside of work, I enjoy going to the gym, dancing, and travelling, which help me maintain a balanced and holistic approach to my career as a doctor.

Ahmed Hefnawy

I am an obstetrics & gynaecology trainee at East Midlands North and a gynaecologic oncology research fellow at Nottingham University Hospitals. Also, I am the British Society of Gynaecological Endoscopy (BSGE) representative for East Midlands and on the scientific board of Middle-Eastern College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (MCOG).

I was originally trained in Egypt and completed a gynaecology oncology research fellowship at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center (UHCMC), Ohio, the United States. I did a few short term travel fellowships at University of Cape Town, South Africa, Polyclinico Gemelli, Italy and King Hussein Cancer Center, Jordan. I am a UICC Young Leaders Alumni and AORTIC-AFRICA African Cancer Leaders Institute alumni.

Ifan Jenkin

Oxford grad since 2020. Worked in various clinical jobs including fellow in cardiac surgery at St Thomas’. More recently as research fellow in PH at the Royal Brompton. Concurrent roles with biotech startup and investment funds. Now a Fulbright scholar at Stanford studying Translational Medicine and working in the Bay Area’s biotech ecosystem. Keen to help those navigating the move from clinical medicine and interested in biotech/life sciences industry.

Emily Palmer

Emily Palmer is a Registered Nurse and Project Manager, currently leading initiatives centered on the implementation of integrated neighbourhood teams across Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire, aiming to enhance community healthcare services through strategic collaboration and innovative approaches.

Emily's charitable initiatives have garnered accolades such as the British Citizen Award for Volunteering (BCA(v)), the Coronation Champion award, and the Wiltshire Life Award. During her time at Oxford Brookes University, Emily served as Co-Chair of the Student Nurse Council, where she spearheaded impactful initiatives. Notably, she was recognised with the highest award for 'Outstanding Contribution' at Oxford Brooke's Research showcase for her project, 'Empowering Nursing Students: Giving voice to the next generation'. Emily champions sustainability, EDI, mental health, and well-being support. Currently, she is leading a project to celebrate the diversity of roles in nursing, aiming to highlight the various paths and contributions within the profession. Her accomplishments include speaking engagements at Buckingham Palace and the 5th Universia International Rector’s Summit in Valencia.

She was awarded a prestigious scholarship to participate in the Santander Women Emerging Leaders Programme at LSE, where she refined her leadership skills and expanded her capacity for driving positive change.

Taiwo Oki

Dr Taiwo Oki is a GPST1 based in Surrey. She graduated from University of Bristol where I also intercalated in Biochemistry. She was an HLA Scholar in 21/22 where I was part of the HLA Global Expansion team.

During her medical school years, she cofounded BME Medics- an organisation built on building community, raise aware and inspire others which lasted 4 years and resulted in various outreach events.She has special interests in medical education, social prescribing and emergency medicine where she hopes to further develop in the upcoming years. She enjoys connecting with like-minded individuals and supporting people where possible.

Ifeoluwa Esther Okome

I am Ifeoluwa Esther Okome an ST5 dual trainee in Adult and Old Age Psychiatry, currently working in the Older Adult Community Post at Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT). I am a Mentor for East of England training scheme.

As a senior trainee representative in my trust, I advocate for my peers and contribute to the continuous improvement of our training programs. I was honored to be a Healthcare Leadership Academy (HLA) scholar in the 2023 cohort and benefited from the mentoring scheme. During my time with HLA, I initiated the IMG Buddy Group within my trust. This group aims to support new international medical graduates, helping them integrate smoothly and transition effectively into their roles in the NHS. My passion for medical education and tutoring has led me to pursue a Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Education at the University of Hertfordshire. I am also one of the coordinators for the ABP-UK CASC Free Preparatory Course, where I help organize and deliver training sessions to assist candidates in their exam preparations. I am a strong advocate for work-life balance and mental well-being, recognizing the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle amidst the demands of a medical career. I am a mother of two and enjoy engaging in DIY projects, which allow me to express my creativity and unwind.

Will Broughton

Will is a Professor of Paramedicine and Director of Education in the School of Health and Social Care Professions at Buckinghamshire New University. He is a paramedic by profession and continues to engage in clinical practice in London and Oxfordshire. After completing his BSc (Hons) in Paramedic Science, Will went on to complete a PGCert in Learning and Teaching, a PGDip in Business Administration and an MSc in Paediatrics and Child Health. Alongside his clinical and academic work, Will is a paramedic expert witness commenting on breach of duty and clinical negligence cases involving paramedics and ambulance staff. Will is a professional advisor to the NHSE/RCPCH Systemwide Paediatric Observation Tracking (SPOT) project and is Deputy Chair of the NIHR Health Technology Assessment (HTA) committee for community-based care. Since 2016, Will has given advice and delivered education projects for the 1990 Suwa Seriya Foundation, the National Ambulance Service for Sri Lanka. He has previously been a Trustee and Director of the College of Paramedics and became a Fellow of the College in 2021.

Beryl De Souza

I am a Plastic Surgeon specialising in skin cancer and am a committed medical educator and enjoy providing career guidance. I have worked in different organisations to provide mentoring and coaching support and enjoy the process. I am particularly keen on providing guidance for career progression.

Nitish Nachiappan

Nitish is an academic clinical fellow at the primary care and population health unit at UCL. His interests are around global health research and medical innovation. He has experience leading projects with tangible impact in this space.

Arrash Yassaee

Arrash is a paediatric registrar in London, currently pursuing a PhD at Imperial. His research focuses on developing methods to appraise and validate new-generation digital technologies. He has over a decade's experience across policy, transformation and digital health roles, most recently as Global Clinical Director, Caldicott Guardian and Clinical Safety Officer at a global digital health company. Through his industry work, Arrash has been a key architect for world-first medical device certifications in Europe, USA, and the Middle East, with several projects winning national and international awards. His expertise in developing novel regulatory pathways has seen him present internationally, advise and consult extensively, and invited to contribute to digital health guidance. Prior to his industry work, Arrash held multiple national responsibilities in transformation and health policy, across organisations including NHS England, NHS Improvement, and the Department of Health. In recognition of his contributions to the 7-day hospital services programme, Arrash was awarded Founding Associate Fellow status of the Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management, the youngest recipient of this award.Outside of his academic and innovation roles, Arrash enjoys teaching and mentoring, including as a Faculty member of the Healthcare Leadership Academy. For the last 5 years he has also been a Local Authority Governor at Stephen Hawking school, which supports children and young people with profound, multiple and severe learning, health and care needs.

Olamide Dada

Dr. Olamide Oguntimehin is an award-winning NHS resident doctor, medical education fellow and charity leader. She is the founder and chief executive of Melanin Medics, a national charity that advocates for racial equity in medicine. Dr. Oguntimehin authored a report about racial bias and pulse oximetry during the COVID-19 pandemic which garnered national attention and subsequently led to a government review of racial bias in medical devices. She has served on the British Medical Association Equality & Diversity Advisory Board and recently finished as a Marx Leadership Fellow at the General Medical Council, working within professional standards and ethics. She is currently working as a Medical Education Fellow in Social Determinants of Health. She is an alumnus of the Healthcare Leadership Academy and a fellow of the Institute of Leadership and Management.

Riddhi Shenoy

Riddhi studied medicine at Imperial College London and completed her intercalated BSc in Management at Imperial College Business School. Riddhi completed her foundation training in East of England, undertaking an academic foundation project in ophthalmology.
As Editorial Registrar at The BMJ, through the National Medical Director’s clinical fellow scheme 2022-2023, she developed skills in editing, critical appraisal and journalism.
This scheme developed her interest in research and she is currently an academic ophthalmology trainee in the East Midlands, working on projects in artificial intelligence and paediatric ophthalmology.
Riddhi is particularly interested in implementing change to improve patient care and focuses her research and quality improvement work on reducing health inequalities.

Jim Deitermijer

Jim is a Medical Doctor and Global Health PhD-candidate who grew up in various African countries and The Netherlands. His goal is to create sustainable opportunities for others, build inclusive communities for people at all levels of society and bring local and international experts together to spark innovation. Within The HLA, Jim was part of the second HLA cohort in London and subsequently set up the first International Cohort in Amsterdam together with Ilse Blomberg and Emma Oostenbroek. With the desire to expand the opportunities of The HLA to more healthcare professionals around the world and diversify its community, Jim created The HLA: International Expansion.

Outside The HLA, Jim works on a Global Health PhD with the preliminary title: “Family participation to enhance care, support family caregivers and tackle health worker shortages in resource-limited hospitals”. He has also been involved in The Dutch National ThinkTank to improve the quality and equal opportunities of primary and secondary education in The Netherlands. Before starting his PhD Jim worked as a doctor in internal medicine.

Yusuf Karmali

Yusuf is a Medics.Academy Programme Manager, Clinical Lead for the Medics.Academy Fellows Programme and a Foundation Year doctor, graduated from Barts and The London School of Medicine. Throughout medical school, Yusuf was awarded numerous prizes for outstanding academic achievement and he delivered high-quality peer-teaching through student-led societies, in which he held various positions of leadership. His passion for education led to him joining Medics.Academy in July 2018, where he started as a fellow and lead author on the clinical genetics course. He went on to become a member of the Medics.Academy team as a Clinical Programme Manager and then has been the Clinical Lead on the highly successful Medics.Academy Fellowship Programme. He is also part of the FIDocs Faculty where he leads teaching sessions for foundation year doctors, and also enjoys teaching medical students as part of the S|Docs Programme. His other interests include medical technology and health policy.

Valli Muthukumar

I am an alumnus of the Healthcare Leadership Academy (HLA) and a Consultant in Trauma and Orthopaedics with a special interest in lower limb arthroplasty and soft tissue knee surgery. My journey through the HLA has been transformative, equipping me with essential leadership and management skills that I have applied in clinical practice, service improvement, and teaching.

I have actively contributed to healthcare sustainability by leading initiatives aimed at optimizing elective surgery pathways, improving efficiency, and reducing the environmental impact of surgical practices. My experience in leadership roles, including healthcare management projects and multidisciplinary collaborations, has reinforced my passion for mentoring future leaders in sustainability within healthcare.

As a mentor, I aim to guide and inspire HLA scholars interested in integrating sustainability into their leadership journey. Whether through quality improvement projects, innovative surgical practices, or broader system changes, I am eager to support mentees in developing impactful, sustainable solutions. My experience in NHS service development, research, and teaching will enable me to provide practical insights and strategic advice to help them navigate their leadership goals.

I look forward to contributing to the HLA community by sharing my experiences and supporting the next generation of healthcare leaders in driving sustainable change.