IBMS Congress 2025

Sue Alexander MSc MSc MBA CSci FIBMS CBiol FRSB MIHM MCQI CQP

Chief Examiner Leadership & Management, IBMS

Sue is the Head of Core Pathology at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust. She is a microbiologist by training and her first management post was in microbiology at Great Ormond Children’s Hospital. Sue has long had an interest in continuing personal and professional development and in encouraging others to study.

Sue  become involved in educational and teaching activities over the last few years working with different universities and also developing courses herself She is the Chief Examiner in Leadership & Management for IBMS. Sue is also a technical assessor in Microbiology for ISO 15189:2012 and a member of the UKAS TAC. Her personal interests include adventure travel, skiing, sci-fi / fantasy and cats.

Dr Jackie Kenny PhD MSc CSci FIBMS

Director, Rossendale Mediation Services

Jackie began her career in pathology as a Junior A MLSO in 1979 and retired as a microbiology laboratory manager in 2019, relocating from London to the Northwest. A manager's most valuable source is the staff and laboratory life can be stressful, which in itself requires management, so join a few dots and you can see why mediation became an obvious choice for a retirement career.

In 2020 Jackie set up Rossendale Mediation Services offering workplace, civil and commercial mediation and communication workshops. Mediation offers an independent confidential forum for dispute resolution.

In a civil and commercial mediation Jackie facilitates negotiation. In the workplace, she facilitates communication, bringing in aspects of restorative justice to achieve functional working relationships in a range of settings from factories to the NHS.

Mediation has now become quite mainstream in healthcare and can be very effective as the first resort for dispute resolution but not always. Deciphering where mediation best fits between first action and managerial action can be tricky and this is the area which warrants a greater understanding to achieve the best outcomes.

After a scientific career spanning 40 years Jackie could not quite discard my love of microbiology so in addition to mediation, she took the opportunity to locum during the pandemic and now visits microbiology laboratories around the UK as a UKAS 15189 technical assessor enabling her to have the best of all worlds.

Denise Cook

Head of Governance, Quality and Service Improvement , Berkshire and Surrey Pathology Services (BSPS)

Denise is a member of the Kings Fund Alumni having completed the Top Manager Programme in 2022. She is recognized for leading on leadership development and strategy, transforming individuals, teams, organisations and systems. Her proven techniques are informed by mastery of cutting-edge disciplines applied in real life settings.

Denise has a keen interest in professional values, behavioural styles and emotional agility within the workplace and endeavours to coach and develop team, individual and system potential, particularly in challenging times. She combines these elements to bring about a meaningful shift in people’s motivation and actions. She is also a trained professional coach and mentor working with individuals and teams in varying sectors.

Debra Padgett FIBMS CSci

NENC Pathology Operational Lead, Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Debra is passionate about promoting and recognising excellence in all IBMS members. In her eight years as an IBMS Council member, she has advocated, listened, represented and addressed the issues that are most important to our membership at national, regional and local levels.

Debra started her career as a Medical Laboratory Assistant in Microbiology and has successfully worked her way through the career grades to her current role as Clinical Pathology Lead at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. This means that she understands the many routes to achieve a senior management position within our profession, and how management decisions affect every member of the laboratory.

Her post encompasses provision of leadership and management with accountability for the delivery of cost effective, high quality, safe and sustainable services across the Northumbria health economy. These responsibilities give her a strategic insight to deliver operational priorities both for her own Trust and those of National programmes.
 

Lindsey Brown

Lead Patient, MAHSE (Manchester Academy for Healthcare Scientist Education)

Lindsey is Lead Patient or Public Representative for MAHSE’s STP Blood Science Pathway, and the University of Manchester’s MSc Immunology & Biochemistry courses.

Her work around language has included developing a programme to help students develop the skills to communicate their work to the public, co-leading on the Daily Definition Challenge; a project exploring the public’s understanding of words used by healthcare scientists, and delivering lay language sessions to students, researchers and NHS scientists.

She is also a public contributor in health research, and has assisted with research into patients' experiences, needs and expectations regarding online access to their primary care record, and research investigating the challenges faced by patients from underserved populations in understanding their primary care consultation notes and exploring solutions.

Angela Jean-Francois

NW London Pathology

No bio provided

Sophie Lloyd Davies

Berkshire & Surrey Pathology Services

No bio provided

Saghar Missaghian-Cully MSc FIBMS CSci DBMS MBA FCMI CMgr

Managing Director, North West London Pathology

No bio provided

Daniel Ryan

Senior Biomedical Scientist – Microbiology, Calderdale and Huddersfi eld NHS Foundation Trust

No bio provided

Mehwish Khalid

Pathology Practice Educator, North West London Pathology

With a diverse portfolio spanning over 12 years within NHS Pathology, Mehwish has been a fervent Biomedical Scientist, recognised for her dynamic leadership and proficiency in laboratory management. During her tenure, she has been an ardent proponent for comprehensive training and career development for the Pathology workforce.

In pursuit of her vision to facilitate broader impact, Mehwish embraced the innovative role of Pathology Practice Educator, a position introduced by NHS England to address workforce challenges intensified by the burgeoning demand on Pathology services amidst the pandemic.

Collaborating with an expansive national network of Practice Educators, Mehwish's mission focuses on highlighting the significance of Pathology and its associated workforce concerns at both regional and national forums. Her enthusiasm for pioneering novel strategies in workforce training and development culminated in her spearheading a successful IBMS Specialist Portfolio training project in London, an initiative that was subsequently implemented across the nation due to its impressive outcomes.

Mehwish's dedication to nurturing the future workforce is tangible in her engagement with public outreach activities, her support for public engagement, and her contribution as a lecturer at London South Bank University.

Sue Alexander MSc MSc MBA CSci FIBMS CBiol FRSB MIHM MCQI CQP

Chief Examiner Leadership & Management, IBMS

Sue is the Head of Core Pathology at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust. She is a microbiologist by training and her first management post was in microbiology at Great Ormond Children’s Hospital. Sue has long had an interest in continuing personal and professional development and in encouraging others to study.

Sue  become involved in educational and teaching activities over the last few years working with different universities and also developing courses herself She is the Chief Examiner in Leadership & Management for IBMS. Sue is also a technical assessor in Microbiology for ISO 15189:2012 and a member of the UKAS TAC. Her personal interests include adventure travel, skiing, sci-fi / fantasy and cats.

Zanell Lategan

Pathology Quality Manager, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust

A registered biomedical scientist with over 10 years international experience in both public and private settings. Zanell has a strong quality assurance background with a passion for training and developing staff.  She has a drive for efficiency and strategic approaches. 

The interest in staff wellbeing came as a result of the staffing levels during the pandemic, combined with pressures on staff to maintain quality.

Sue Alexander MSc MSc MBA CSci FIBMS CBiol FRSB MIHM MCQI CQP

Chief Examiner Leadership & Management, IBMS

Sue is the Head of Core Pathology at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust. She is a microbiologist by training and her first management post was in microbiology at Great Ormond Children’s Hospital. Sue has long had an interest in continuing personal and professional development and in encouraging others to study.

Sue  become involved in educational and teaching activities over the last few years working with different universities and also developing courses herself She is the Chief Examiner in Leadership & Management for IBMS. Sue is also a technical assessor in Microbiology for ISO 15189:2012 and a member of the UKAS TAC. Her personal interests include adventure travel, skiing, sci-fi / fantasy and cats.

Dr Jim Taylor SFHEA, FIBMS, MRSB CSciTeach

Head of Digital Education, IBMS

Jim joined the IBMS in January 2023 after a successful 20-year career in further and higher education. He has taught on a range of bioscience qualifications from GCSE to Masters level, and most recently led an IBMS Accredited BSc Biomedical Science programme.

Jim has extensive experience of digital education and digital pedagogy, working across the professional life science sector developing and delivering digital learning solutions for students in practice, and for pre-registration professionals seeking state registration. In his current role, Jim will lead all aspects of digital education for the IBMS.

Denise Cook

Head of Governance, Quality and Service Improvement , Berkshire and Surrey Pathology Services (BSPS)

Denise is a member of the Kings Fund Alumni having completed the Top Manager Programme in 2022. She is recognized for leading on leadership development and strategy, transforming individuals, teams, organisations and systems. Her proven techniques are informed by mastery of cutting-edge disciplines applied in real life settings.

Denise has a keen interest in professional values, behavioural styles and emotional agility within the workplace and endeavours to coach and develop team, individual and system potential, particularly in challenging times. She combines these elements to bring about a meaningful shift in people’s motivation and actions. She is also a trained professional coach and mentor working with individuals and teams in varying sectors.

Denise Cook

Head of Governance, Quality and Service Improvement , Berkshire and Surrey Pathology Services (BSPS)

Denise is a member of the Kings Fund Alumni having completed the Top Manager Programme in 2022. She is recognized for leading on leadership development and strategy, transforming individuals, teams, organisations and systems. Her proven techniques are informed by mastery of cutting-edge disciplines applied in real life settings.

Denise has a keen interest in professional values, behavioural styles and emotional agility within the workplace and endeavours to coach and develop team, individual and system potential, particularly in challenging times. She combines these elements to bring about a meaningful shift in people’s motivation and actions. She is also a trained professional coach and mentor working with individuals and teams in varying sectors.