Amanda Conquy Amanda joined the AAT's Board of Trustees in April 2020 Expand Amanda is an executive coach, working with leaders and managers, mainly in the arts, education and the third sector. Previously she had been editorial director at Heinemann publisher and MD of the literary estate of Roald Dahl. While there she developed and had responsibility for two charities, Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity, a grant-making foundation working to improve the lives of seriously ill children, and the Museum and Story Centre which bears the author’s name, of which she became chair. Amanda’s commitment to our work is founded on the experience of her daughter, who was diagnosed with Aplastic Anaemia in 2019. She is also a volunteer prison representative for the Shannon Trust, which aims to transform peoples’ lives by encouraging prisoners who can read to teach literacy skills to those who cannot.
Dr Sujith Samarasinghe Sujith joined the AAT's Board of Trustees in November 2019. Expand Dr Sujith Samarasinghe is a consultant paediatric haematologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London. He completed his medical training at Imperial School of Medicine, London in 1998. He did his paediatric haematology training at Great Ormond Street Hospital and University College Hospital, London. He was awarded a PhD in 2010 from University College London in the field of immunotherapy for leukaemia. In 2011, Sujith was appointed as a consultant haematologist in Newcastle but returned to Great Ormond Street Hospital in 2014. His areas of expertise include childhood leukaemia and aplastic anaemia. He is the national lead for childhood aplastic anaemia and supportive care, and a co-investigator on two CAR T-cell studies in childhood leukaemia.
Jane Cozens Jane was appointed to the Board in April 2018 Expand Jane is a communications expert and digital strategist with over 25 years’ experience. She currently serves as Head of Communications at Southern Housing Group, one of England's largest housing associations. She was previously Head of Digital Strategy at the Group. Jane has worked as a freelance consultant and her clients have included major international law firms, digital design agencies and advertising agencies. She has advised on brand, marketing and communications strategies, SEO and other digital communications strategies and specific product development, including traditional messaging and online content development. Jane is a non-practising solicitor and an associate of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
Paul Cossell Paul was Trustee of the Board between 2007-2014 and after a break re-joined in May 2017 Expand Paul has worked in the construction industry for over 30 years, starting as a Quantity Surveyor. The past 21 years have been with ISG plc, a specialist international construction services provider operating in 21 countries and employing approx. 2800 people. Paul was appointed CEO of ISG in early 2016 when the company was privatised following a takeover by an American investor.Paul's commitment to the AAT is motivated by the fact his wife was diagnosed with Aplastic Anaemia in 1983. Initially Paul took part in several charity events organised by the AAT until in 2007 when he became a Trustee of the charity. Paul took a break from being a Trustee between late 2014 and early 2017 but has now recommitted for at least 3 more years. Paul has been married for 28 years and has two grown up daughters. His hobbies include cycling, hiking and running, and he is a season ticket holder of Brentford FC.
Professor Ghulam Mufti Professor Mufti joined the Board of Trustees in May 2017 Expand Ghulam is the head of the department of haematological medicine at Guy’s, King’s and St Thomas’s hospitals, King’s College London, with a team of 13 professors, 6 senior lecturers/lecturers and approximately 100+ research staff. In addition, Professor Mufti is the Clinical Director of Laboratories Sciences and a non-executive director of King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Ghulam has extensive clinical and research expertise in leukaemias, lymphomas and in particular myelodysplastic syndromes, for which he is internationally renowned. His particular area of research has focused on molecular aberrations in MDS/AML and the identification of novel therapies that include gene and cell-based therapies. He has published 400+ papers and chapters in scientific journals and textbooks on leukaemias and MDS. He heads the research groups at King’s working on the molecular genetics of MDS/aplastic anaemia/AML and is a member of the working group that produced national and international guidelines on the treatment and prognosis of MDS. He is a member of the European Bone Marrow Transplantation Group and a founding member of the Board of the International Myelodysplastic foundation, for which his department at King’s College Hospital is a recognised Centre of Excellence. The department is also a centre of excellence for Leukaemia Lymphoma Research and is the largest allogeneic bone marrow transplant centre in the UK, and the only gene and cell-based therapies centre for myeloid leukaemia and allied diseases.
Professor Judith Marsh Professor Marsh joined the Board of Trustees in May 2017 Expand Judith is a Professor of Clinical Haematology and Consultant Haematologist with specialist interest in aplastic anaemia disorders. She qualified from Birmingham University and prior to being appointed at King’s, worked at St George’s Hospital/ St George’s University of London as Professor of Clinical Haematology/Honorary Consultant Haematologist, Kingston University as visiting Professor. Professor Marsh was Co-chairman of the Centre of International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research for nearly 10 years and currently chairs the writing board for British Committee for Standards in Haematology. Professor Marsh is Chairman of the European Blood and Marrow Transplant (EBMT) Severe Aplastic Anaemia Working Party and a member of the CIBMTR for International Affairs.
Professor Peter Hillmen Professor Peter Hillmen joins the AAT's Board of Trustees from the Haematology Team at St James' Hospital in Leeds Expand Peter leads the Experimental Haematology department at the Leeds Institute of Cancer and Pathology and the Translational Haematology Research Group. He is also an Honorary Consultant Haematologist at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Professor Hillmen qualified in Medicine at Leeds Medical School in 1985 and completed his general medical training in Leeds in 1988. He was a Haematology Registrar in Hammersmith Hospital, London between 1989 and 1990 before completing three years as a Wellcome Training Fellow based at the Royal Postgraduate Medical School (1991 to 1993) completing a PhD working on PNH under the supervision of Professor Lucio Luzzatto. He then moved back to Leeds as a Senior Registrar in Haematology, Yorkshire (1994 to 1996). He was appointed as a Consultant Haematologist Mid-Yorkshire Trust and Leeds General Infirmary in 1996 before moving to Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in 2004. He was appointed as Professor of Experimental Haematology, University of Leeds in 2013. Professor Hillmen has research interests in both paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH) and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). Since 1990 he has continued to research into PNH that eventually led to the development of anti-complement therapy for PNH. He was the lead on the trials of eculizumab and now leads the National PNH Service based in Leeds and Kings. The National PNH service looks after over 300 patients with PNH and this provides a unique resource for continued research into the pathophysiology and therapy of PNH.
Sven Moos, Chair of the Board Sven became the Chair of the Board of Trustees in early 2017 Expand Sven has worked in corporate finance and banking for 30 years in the UK, the US and in Germany. He was a trustee of the AAT from 2007 to 2014 and re-joined in early 2017. Sven supports the AAT as he was diagnosed with a related disease to AA, PNH, and was successfully treated at St George’s Hospital, London, by Professors Ted Gordon-Smith, Judith Marsh and their colleagues in 2001. Sven has witnessed the AAT able to make a significant contribution to fighting the disease by funding research as well as easing the anxieties, concerns and worries of patients as they cope with the illness. He is committed to supporting the AAT to allow it to intensify its activities significantly by ensuring it has the structure to grow and to enhance its fund-raising capabilities.
Tracy Stephenson Tracy, a patient advocacy focused Trustee, joined the AAT Board in April 2020. Expand Tracy was a police officer in the Metropolitan Police for 30 years, retiring at the rank of Superintendent. She held a wide variety of roles during her career and built strong bonds with the community and partnerships with key stakeholders. Tracy currently is a part-time lay member for the Bar Tribunal Adjudication Service sitting on a panel hearing discipline cases relating to Barristers. She volunteers for Great Ormond Street Hospital and the Anthony Nolan Trust. Tracy is passionate about the AAT's work as her son was diagnosed with aplastic anaemia two years ago and has had a rocky road through treatment. As the new patient advocate she is keen to help transform patients' and their families’ journey through this disease.