Find out more about the diagnostics advisory committee members by reading their biographies.
Dr Brian Shine (chair)
Biography
Brian is a consultant chemical pathologist at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Brian qualified in medicine from the University of Zimbabwe. He trained in chemical pathology at St Bartholomew's Hospital, London, where he did an MD on C-reactive protein. He holds an MSc in Applied Statistics and Operations Research from the Birkbeck College, University of London.
He has been senior lecturer at the Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye Hospital, and consultant at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. Current appointments include consultant chemical pathologist in the Department of Clinical Biochemistry at Oxford University Hospitals, honorary senior clinical lecturer in the Nuffield Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, and the designated individual for one of the licences under the Human Tissue Authority for the Medical Sciences Division at the University of Oxford.
His clinical interests include endocrinology, renal stones, renal tubular disorders, and metabolic disorders of calcium metabolism. Research interests include health economics modelling, the use of biochemical tests in diagnosis and management of malignancies, and the use of big data in medicine.
Professor Neil Hawkins (vice chair)
Biography
Neil is a professor of health technology assessment (HTA) at the University of Glasgow, Scotland. He is deputy director of the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) funded Complex Reviews Support Unit (CRSU). His research interests include methods development for evidence synthesis and decision-analytic modelling and the use of “development focussed” HTA to support decision-making regarding the development of, and investment in, nascent healthcare technologies.
He holds postgraduate degrees in pharmacology, health economics and applied statistics and an MBA. He has worked in the pharma, academic, and consultancy sectors in roles spanning basic pharmacological research, clinical development, epidemiology, and health technology assessment.
Professor Keith R Abrams
Biography
Keith is a professor of statistics and data science, Department of Statistics at the University of Warwick
Biography to follow.
Dr Ghada Ahmed
Biography
Dr Ahmed is a consultant in acute medicine at Barking, Havering, and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust.
Dr Ahmed graduated from the University of Khartoum, Sudan in 1994. She is a clinician with more than twenty years of experience in internal medicine, both in the UK and abroad. She has special interest in medical education, is currently the teaching lead in the department and studying towards an MSc degree in Medical Education.
Dr Joy Allen
Biography
Dr Joy Allen is health economics manager for Roche Diagnostics UK and Ireland, a position she has held since August 2021. The main purpose of this role is to design, inform and manage the UK Affiliate’s approach to reimbursement across the UK. This involves care pathway analysis and value proposition development, designing evidence development and reimbursement strategies as well as health economic modelling.
Prior to joining Roche, Joy was a senior IVD evaluation methodologist for the NIHR Newcastle In Vitro Diagnostics Co-operative (since 2014) where she held positions as a senior lecturer at Newcastle University and an Honorary Contract with Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. During this role, Joy led an independent group of interdisciplinary methodologists who work with companies and academic diagnostic device developers to identify evidence requirements for healthcare system adoption. The group’s research focussed on the development of efficient, robust methodologies for encouraging cost- and time-efficient approaches to device and evidence development.
She still retains guest researcher Status at Newcastle University to allow for collaboration on state of the art methodologies for evaluating diagnostic tests.
Miss Rebecca Allcock
Biography
Rebecca is a consultant clinical biochemist at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Biography to follow.
Professor John Cairns
Biography
John is a professor of health economics at the London School of Hygience and Tropic Medicine.
Biography to follow.
Dr Sam Creavin
Biography
Sam is an NIHR academic clinical lecturer at the University of Bristol and GP partner in Thornbury, South Gloucestershire. He was previously a Wellcome Trust research training fellow from 2015 to 2020 for his doctoral research, 'Approaches to diagnosing dementia syndrome in general practice'. He continues to focus on research relating to diagnostic approaches in general practice, and the care of the older adult. He is a member of the health technology assessment prioritisation committee: integrated community health and social (A), board member of Avon Local Medical Committee, and works as a sessional doctor for the out of hours GP provider in Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire.
Diane Davies
Biography
Lay member.
Diane worked in education, public health and community regeneration roles before leaving to care for members of her family living with complex medical conditions, disabilities and mental health issues.
She currently works as an expert by experience, supporting Care Quality Commission inspections. She is also a patient and public voice partner with NHS England and an experience of care partner with the NHS Leadership Academy. Diane also collaborates as a citizen partner with local health and social care initiatives in Sheffield.
She previously contributed to the NICE Diagnostic Advisory Committee as a specialist lay member and is now a lay member on the Steering Group for the NICE Public Involvement Expert Panel.
Mr Rashmi Kumar Agrawal
Biography
Lay mamber.
Biography to follow.
Mr Patrick McGinley ICMA, CGMA
Biography
Patrick is Head of costing and service line reporting at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust.
Patrick started as a trainee accountant at St Bartholomew's Hospital in 1983, and apart from a brief sojourn to the far north-west of Scotland as a postmaster, has worked in the NHS ever since in a variety of roles and institutions including at the Royal London, Homerton, Whipps Cross and Great Ormond Street before moving to Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells
He is currently head of costing and service line reporting, and has implemented an automated system of calculating costs at a patient level, and firmly believes that improved costing can help the NHS to understand its business, and maximise the value of healthcare.
He has direct operational experience as a programme manager of an NHS Breast Screening Unit, to go with experience as a management and costing accountant, and he has successfully completed 2 PFI projects (BLT and TWH) as financial lead to offset the significant number of hospitals that he has helped to shut over his career.
He is an active member of the HFMA Costing Special Interest Group, and is also a member of NHSI's Costing Advisory Group and technical review group, is a reviewer for both NICE and NIHR, and has presented regularly at national events on acute costing standards.
He was a member of tariff calculation groups for NCAT for Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy, is a fellow of the Royal Statistical Society and a member of HSUG. He lectures on statistics for journalists for RSS. He benchmarks costing approaches with international colleagues and is a training mentor for the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.
Dr Brendan Meyer
Biography
Brendan manages the medical affairs function for Becton, Dickinson and Company’s European diagnostics business. His role is focused on scientific exchange and the assessment and generation of evidence within diagnostics pathways.
Brendan’s background includes the development of clinical stage immunotherapeutic agents for cancer and infectious diseases within small biotechnology and primary oncology research at St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Brendan completed his Master’s degree in molecular microbiology in South Africa, followed by a doctorate in immuno-oncology from St George’s University of London.
Professor Michael Messenger
Biography
Michael is the senior regulatory affairs advisor at FIND.
Biography to follow.
Dr Radha Ramachandran
Biography
Radha is a consultant, in chemical pathology and metabolic medicine at Guys and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.
Biography to follow.
Dr Anne Scott
Biography
Dr Scott is a cardiologist working in Scotland and is the training program director for cardiology in south east Scotland. Dr Scott graduated from Edinburgh University in 2000 and undertook her postgraduate training and doctorate between New Zealand and Scotland.
She is a general cardiologist with a subspecialist interest in cardiac imaging. She previously held roles on Scottish Cardiac Society and Royal College of Physicians Edinburgh Council.
Dr Karen Sennett
Biography
Karen was a GP partner and trainer at Killick Street Health Centre, an inner city general practice in King's Cross, London, until August 2022, and is now a locum GP. She graduated in medicine from UCL London in 1984, and is a fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners. She was the primary care trust (PCT) chair, then clinical commissioning group (CCG) board member for Islington for over 10 years. She was member of the North Central London (NCL) diagnostics group until 2020, supporting the 'Right Test, Right Time' programme.
Professor Matt Stevenson BSc, PhD
Biography
Matt studied operational research at Lancaster University where he received his doctorate. He worked for the University of Sheffield for over 20 years, during which time he conducted cost-effectiveness analyses primarily for the National Institute for Health Research.
Matt is director of the School of Health and Related Research Technology Assessment Group, an academic group undertaking modelling work to provide data for NICE technology and diagnostic appraisals.
Dr Jonathan Weir-McCall
Biography
Dr Weir-McCall is a university lecturer in the Department of Radiology at the University of Cambridge, and an honorary consultant cardiothoracic radiologist at Royal Papworth Hospital. He is research lead in the Department of Radiology at Royal Papworth Hospital, with an interest in the development and testing of novel diagnostic approaches in cardiopulmonary disease.
He sits on the Executive Committee of the British Society of Cardiovascular Imaging, and the Guideline Committee of the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography.