Dr Alexandra Lawrence

Dr. Alexandra Lawrence is a senior clinical research fellow within the ILD service at Guy's and St Thomas'. Alongside her clinical duties, she actively recruits patients for commercial ILD clinical trials and supports the running and delivery of the research. Dr. Lawrence is also pursuing a doctoral degree focused on identifying factors associated with clinical and functional decline in patients with fibrotic ILD.

Claire Walker

Claire Walker leads the Respiratory Physiotherapy Outpatient and Pulmonary Rehabilitation services at University Hospitals Birmingham. I have worked for the NHS for 14 years, now specialising in respiratory with a keen passion for ILD. I am a certified Bradcliff practitioner and have interest in breathing pattern disorders, cough management and exercise prescription. I am passionate about promoting the role that physiotherapists can play in supporting patients to live well with ILD. My role currently includes involvement in ILD MDT clinic, Community ILD MDT and ILD Rapid Access clinic the main focus of which is admission avoidance and facilitation of hospital discharge for patients with ILD.

Naomi Watt

Specialism: Healthcare Professional Engagement Manager

Naomi Watt, Respiratory Specialist Nurse at Asthma & Lung UK, brings over 25 years of expertise in respiratory care. Her diverse background spans emergency and critical care, public health, school nursing, and general practice, where she still runs respiratory clinics.At A+LUK, Naomi leads on the healthcare professional engagement strategy, and is passionate about driving up standards of basic care by developing resources for HCPs at the start of their careers. Naomi also holds teaching and mentoring roles and delivers regular training sessions for a variety of healthcare professionals.When she's not working, you can find Naomi running through the forests near her Sussex home with her beloved dachshund or enjoying family time with her husband and two children.

Niki Avraam

Specialism: Speaker on the Future of Work. Founder of Howat Avraam Solicitors

Niki Avraam's mission is clear: when people are invigorated and engaged by their work, both individuals and organisations thrive.A dynamic speaker, Niki leads the charge in workforce evolution. Using her extensive background in employment law and entrepreneurship, Niki empowers organisations and individuals to exceed their potential and stay ahead in the future of work.Through her energising talks, Niki demonstrates how cultivating adaptability, embracing "preferred discomfort" and fostering a culture of ownership, propels both people and businesses beyond their perceived potential.“When people prosper, organisations thrive”

Lisa Spencer

Specialism: Consultant Respiratory Physician

 Dr Lisa Spencer MBE is an NHS Consultant Respiratory Physician. She leads theRegional Liverpool Interstitial Lung Disease Service serving the people ofMerseyside. She is a member of the Clinical Reference Group for SpecialisedRespiratory Services for NHS England representing ILD nationally (a commissioningcommittee). Lisa has recently held roles of Honorary Secretary of the BritishThoracic Society (BTS) and Chair of the BTS national ILD Registry programme.

Professor Marlies Wijsenbeek

Specialism: Pulmonologist

Marlies Wijsenbeek is pulmonary physician and Professor of Interstitial Lung Diseases at the Erasmus University Medical Centre in Rotterdam, a national expert centre for interstitial lung diseases (ILD) in the Netherlands and member of the European Reference Network for Rare Lung Diseases (ERN-Lung). She is chair of the multidisciplinary ILD centre. Her research interests include e-health, patient centred outcome measures in ILD, cough in ILD and new therapies in ILD and sarcoidosis. She is chair of group 12.01 (Idiopathic Interstitial Pneumonia) of the European Respiratory Society, chair of the functional committee for continued education of the ERN-Lung, member of the scientific advisory boards of different patient associations, Associate Editor of the European Respiratory Journal and member of the international advisory board of The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. She is fellow of the ERS and had the honor to receive the ERS mid-career gold medal.

Rachael Moses

Specialism: Consultant Respiratory Physiotherapist National Clinical Advisor

Rachael Moses is a consultant respiratory physiotherapist working in a portfolio role as a clinician, national clinical advisor (respiratory) and as head of clinical leadership development at NHS England.  She has been a humanitarian aid worker for 20 years having served with the British Army and with Non-Governmental Organisations and charities during this time. In 2021 Rachael was awarded an OBE for her services to the NHS and in 2022 received an Honorary Doctor of Science from the University of Hertfordshire.

Dr Harsha Gunawardena

Specialism: Job title, as you would like it to appear on the agenda Consultant Rheumatologist

Dr Harsha Gunawardena is a Consultant Rheumatologist. He is also a Divisional Clinical Director Neurosciences and Musculoskeletal sciences Division at North Bristol NHS Trust. He leads the North Bristol Connective Tissue Disease and Vasculitis, which provides a tertiary regional service for the southwest. He is an integral member of the Bristol-Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) service that runs regional MDT and combined clinic. This combined service has run since 2010 and manages one of the largest CTD vasculitis-ILD patient cohorts in the UK. He has a clinical academic interest in all aspects of CTD and vasculitis, in particular myositis and ILD. His PhD was on myositis syndromes including ILD phenotypes and this work was the first to describe several novel autoantibody markers. He has published on myositis overlap syndromes, autoantibodies, CTD-ILD reviews and guidelines. He is a lead member of UK Myositis network, Myositis UK patient charity scientific committee, and the British Society of Rheumatology Myositis Guidelines Group. He was British Society of Rheumatology Heberden committee member (2019 – 2023), which is responsible for organising the BSR annual conference and he co-convened and chaired the plenary Essentials sessions. He is a member of the BSR ILD guidelines working group.

Chris Gillespie

Specialism: Advanced Occupational Therapist

Chris Gillespie is an Advanced Occupational Therapist (OT) who has worked for the NHS for over 12 years. He is the first dedicated OT for patients with ILD in the UK after starting his role with Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospital Trust in February 2023.He is passionate about promoting independence and ensuring an enhanced quality of life for patients with ILD. The focus of his role is to apply a supportive care approach to tackle the physical, social, and psychological impact caused by the condition.Prior to starting his ILD role Chris’s main clinical background was working with renal patients and those undergoing a wide range of types of organ transplantation within the inpatient setting. Until recently, he worked as a clinical lecturer for Northumbria University delivering the occupational therapy programme whilst also working on ITU and the Covid wards during the Pandemic

Clare Donohoe

Specialism: Lecturer

Clare Donohoe is wife to Tom, and Mum to Hannah and Ryan.  Clare is a Trustee of Pulmonary Fibrosis Northern Ireland.  Clare has co-written a children’s book to help families navigate the difficult conversations around the diagnosis of Pulmonary Fibrosis with their children/grandchildren.  This book, inspired through her own family’s experience, (her husband Tom was diagnosed with IPF age 43, when her children were aged 15 and 6), aims to raise awareness of PF across the world, as it is believed to be a world first.

Janet Bamford

Specialism: Actress

I have been involved in Pulmonary Fibrosis Northern Ireland (PFNI) pretty much from its inception, becoming an ambassador in 2022. Having lost a number of relatives to Pulmonary Fibrosis and watching my mum and aunt currently living with and battling this awful disease, I am passionate about raising awareness and funds to help the charity with all the amazing work it does.

Dr Carita Bramhill

Specialism: registered nurse and registered systemic psychotherapist

Carita Bramhill is a registered nurse and registered systemic psychotherapist. She is an Irish Research Council scholar undertaking a PhD in Trinity College Dublin. She holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Nursing (General), Trinity College Dublin; Master’s in public health and epidemiology, University College Cork; Master’s in Science, University College Dublin, Postgraduate Higher Diploma in Health Promotion, University College Galway; Postgraduate Higher Diploma in Psychology, Dublin Business School. Caritas research focuses on pulmonary fibrosis, quality-of-life and unmet needs. Carita values PPI in her research recognising the significant contribution patients and carers can make to meaningful research.