IBMS Congress 2025

Doyinsola Olajide

NHS Blood and Transplant, Molecular Diagnostics - H&I

No bio provided

Sarah Albon

Cellular Therapy Centre Director, Cambridge Cellular Therapies Laboratory, Cambridge University Hospitals Foundation Trust

Sarah graduated from the University of Nottingham with a First Class Honours Degree in Biology with specialisation in Immunology and Parasite Immunology. She began her career training as a Clinical Scientist in Immunology at the London Royal Free Hospital, and during the 3 year period gained a Masters Degree in Medical Immunology from the University of London. After a further year of experience in Immunology and Cell Therapy at Great Ormond Street and The Royal London, Sarah was awarded her HCPC Registration and moved into a Cell Therapy Research position at the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health. Sarah spent 10 years at ICH, and during this time built a team of scientists manufacturing novel cell therapy products to GMP and facilitating the delivery of clinical trials for a range of conditions including ALL, PTLD and post-transplant immunodeficiency.

In November 2019, Sarah was appointed Director of the Cambridge Cellular Therapy Laboratory at Addenbrooke's Hospital, and despite the pandemic, over the past 2 years Sarah has made it her goal to rebuild the department and accelerate it towards the very cutting edge of Cell Therapy in the UK.

Anna Mamwell

NHS Blood and Transplant

No bio provided

Calvin Cambell

NHS Blood and Transplant

No bio provided

Chigozie Onuba

Barts Health NHS Trust

No bio provided

Kenneth Amenyah

Synnovis at King’s College Hospital

No bio provided

Christine Gallagher

NHSBT Transfusion 2024/Blood Stocks Management Scheme

No bio provided

Richard Haggas

Scientific Director, UK NEQAS Blood Transfusion Laboratory Practice

Richard is currently the Scientific Director of UK NEQAS Blood Transfusion Laboratory Practice and has been working in the field of blood transfusion for over 35 years, initially in the Blood Service in the UK and then in a hospital laboratory environment. He was the Chief Biomedical Scientist and Quality Manager in Blood Transfusion at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust for over 15 years.

Richard is a member of the Transfusion Task Force of the British Society for Haematology (BSH) and has been on the writing groups for a number of BSH guidelines, and is currently involved in the redrafting of the Pre-transfusion compatibility guidelines in the UK.  He is currently on the organising committee for the BGS Transfusion conferences and a Trustee of the BGS Transfusion charity.

Richard is currently Honorary Treasurer of the British Blood Transfusion Society and a member BBTS Abstract Reviewing Committee. He is chair of the Immunohaematology working group for European Quality Assurance in Laboratory Medicine (EQALM)

Dr Matt Hazell

Senior Clinical Scientist, NHS Blood and Transplant

Matt gained his PhD through the development of immunoassays for the detection of adipokines and their use to investigate obesity related disorders.

Shortly after graduation, he gained employment with NHS Blood and Transplant, where he has enjoyed a range of roles over the past 14 years. First, he worked as a member of the International Blood Group Reference Laboratory in the Protein Development and Production Unit. This role saw him produce reagents that are used as therapeutic, diagnostic, CE marked and research grade products in clinical and research practice.

Later, Matt became a Post-Doctoral Research Scientist in the Antigen Engineering Team. This saw him undertake genetic manipulation of mammalian cell lines and purification of red blood cell membrane proteins for the development of diagnostic assays to be used in antibody identification.

Matt made the leap from research to clinical and is currently registered as a Clinical Scientist in Transfusion. He is enrolled on the Higher Specialist Scientific Training programme to become a Consultant Clinical Scientist for the Red Cell Immunohaematology Department.

Helen Thom

RCI Development Lead – Transfusion 2024, NHS Blood and Transplant

No bio provided

Martin Maley

Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences, University of Sunderland

Martin is senior lecturer in biomedical science in the Bioscience team at University of Sunderland, specialising in Haematology and Transfusion. He has previously worked for NHSBT, and NBS before it, for over 30 years, the last 25 of which was spent in the Red Cell Immunohaematology Laboratory.

Martin has a keen interest in mentoring, and overseeing placement students and of course lecturing and teaching the newer / younger potential biomedical scientists of the future.

Cassandra Hemmings

Betsi Cadwaladwr University Health Board

No bio provided

Dr Matthew Hazell

NHS Blood and Transplant

No bio provided

Martin Maley

Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences, University of Sunderland

Martin is senior lecturer in biomedical science in the Bioscience team at University of Sunderland, specialising in Haematology and Transfusion. He has previously worked for NHSBT, and NBS before it, for over 30 years, the last 25 of which was spent in the Red Cell Immunohaematology Laboratory.

Martin has a keen interest in mentoring, and overseeing placement students and of course lecturing and teaching the newer / younger potential biomedical scientists of the future.

Jaz Marwood

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust

No bio provided

Rachael Denham

South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

No bio provided

Professor Lise Estcourt

Associate Professor of Haematology and Transfusion Medicine, University of Oxford, Director of NHSBT Clinical Trials Unit , NHSBT

Lise is a Consultant in Haematology and Transfusion Medicine at NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), Oxford and an Associate Professor in Haematology and Transfusion Medicine at the University of Oxford. She is the Director of NHSBT’s Clinical Trials Unit, the Clinical Lead for the National Comparative Audit in Blood Transfusion, Clinical Tutor for NHSBT, and the Co-ordinating editor for Cochrane Haematology. She has authored and co-authored more than 100 papers in peer-reviewed journals.

 Lise led the convalescent plasma transfusion trials on behalf of NHSBT (transfusion aspects of RECOVERY and REMAP-CAP trials) with Professor David Roberts. Her other interests include: the safe and appropriate use of blood components; alternatives to blood transfusion; risk factors for bleeding in haematology patients; and systematic reviews.

Kerry Dowling

Transfusion Laboratory Manager and Chair of UKTLC , University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust

Kerry has 10 years experience working in transfusion science and a total of 21 years experience in Biomedical Science.  Kerrys passion for safe transfusion practice and support for laboratory staff led her to take on the role as the UKTLC chair.

Dr Caroline Evans

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board

No bio provided

Dr Marquita Camilleri

Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

No bio provided

Helen Thom

RCI Development Lead – Transfusion 2024, NHS Blood and Transplant

No bio provided

Katherine Philpott

NHS Blood and Transplant

No bio provided

Martin Maley

Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences, University of Sunderland

Martin is senior lecturer in biomedical science in the Bioscience team at University of Sunderland, specialising in Haematology and Transfusion. He has previously worked for NHSBT, and NBS before it, for over 30 years, the last 25 of which was spent in the Red Cell Immunohaematology Laboratory.

Martin has a keen interest in mentoring, and overseeing placement students and of course lecturing and teaching the newer / younger potential biomedical scientists of the future.

Jill Caulfield

Lead Scientist, Blood Stocks Management Scheme, NHSBT

After starting her career as an MLA in 1995 in Haematology and Blood Transfusion, Jill qualified as a Biomedical Scientist in 2000. Later, she became a Blood Transfusion senior, then Technical Manager to three sites in the North East of England.

Although Jill found this both challenging and rewarding, she really wanted to make a difference nationally. She was fortunate enough to secure a position as Lead Specialist within the Blood stocks management scheme team in April 2021, where she now provides a service to over 300 hospitals in the UK. The scheme runs alongside NHSBT and together they help to monitor and preserve their precious blood stocks.

Aimee Burtenshaw

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust

No bio provided

Jennifer Rock

NHS Blood and Transplant

No bio provided

Dr Josephine McCullagh

NHS Blood and Transplant and Barts Health NHS Trust

No bio provided

Cerian Thomas

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board

No bio provided

Ashleigh Davies

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board

No bio provided