Country advisors

Dr Miguel Perez-Machado moved to London after finishing his PhD in Immunology. He studied medicine in his country of origin (Cuba) where he used to teach and lead a research group dedicated to developing monoclonal antibodies. In London, he became a histopathologist and full member of the Royal College of Pathologists. He underwent a period of specialist training in FNA cytology at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. Dr Perez-Machado moved from Madrid after finishing his PhD.

He has years of experience reporting histopathology (gynaecological and thyroid) and cytopathology specimens. He has published his research in international journals and is actively involved as speaker and organiser in national and international meetings. Dr Perez-Machado is the lead cytopathologists at the Royal Free Hospital, UK, where he works as a consultant; he is also an Associate Professor at University College London, UK. He is passionate about teaching and developing new diagnostic tools in cytopathology, particularly in pancreas, effusions and thyroid gland.

I am currently a Consultant Histopathologist and the Head and Neck Pathology Lead for Pathology DNA, which is the largest private histopathology and molecular pathology practice in the Netherlands, encompassing approximately 20% of all pathology diagnostics of the country. My subspecilisations are head and neck pathology, soft tissue and bone pathology, gastrointestinal pathology and pulmonary pathology. I completed my training as a pathologist and a PhD in Nasopharyngeal Cancer at the University Medical Centre Utrecht in the Netherlands. After this, I did a 2-year fellowship at the Amsterdam University Medical Centre, where I focused on head and neck pathology and additionally gained experience in gastrointestinal pathology, lung pathology, cytology and the associated molecular pathology diagnostics. I subsequently worked in London, UK, for 2.5 years at King's College Hospital (KCH) as Head of Department, Head of Molecular Pathology and as the Pathology Coordinator of the colorectal cancer screening program.

My role at KCH gave me significant insight into NHS England and Genomics England. Working in the UK and being part of the Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath) has also given me significant insight into the inner workings of RCPath. Additionally, I am an active member of the Dutch Society of Pathology (NVVP), which is the Dutch equivalent of RCPath, I am in multiple national subcommittees (i.e. national guideline committees on unknown primary carcinomas, and national committee on benign salivary gland tumours) representing the Dutch Society of Pathology and I am in the governing board of the Dutch Head and Neck Pathology expert group.

Dr Fatima Al-Hashimi is a Consultant Histopathologist at King Hamad University Hospital (KHUH) in Bahrain. She undertook her undergraduate education at the Arabian Gulf University (AGU) through the Prime Minister’s Court scholarship programme. After which, she completed her histopathology training at London's NHS Hospitals for 5 years. After qualifying with the fellowship of the Royal College of Pathologists (FRCPath), she pursued 2 fellowships in urological pathology and renal pathology from Johns Hopkins University and the University of North Carolina, respectively. Dr Al-Hashimi is also a Senior Lecturer at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI-Bahrain). In November 2022, Dr Al-Hashimi was confirmed as an examiner for RCPath.

She was the recipient of a 2022 RCPath Annual Achievement Awards for teamwork alongside her colleagues for their work on the IHistopathology online teaching project. Dr Al-Hashimi has a number of publications and is interested in teaching and collaborative research work.

Dr Raja Alyusuf is a graduate from the College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudia Arabia, and is a fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists, UK. Dr Alyusuf completed her pathology training in Edinburgh, UK, has 23 publications in peer-reviewed journals, including original research, has more than 30 years of experience in diagnostic pathology and has 19 years of experience in healthcare management. Dr Alyusuf chaired the Department of Pathology, Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC), Bahrain, from February 2003 to February 2013; served as the Deputy Chief of Medical Services for Diagnostic Affairs, SMC, from February 2013 to December 2017; and was the Head of Al-Shamil Field Hospital for COVID-19 from June 2020 to December 2020. She has been the Government Hospitals Autonomy Project Manager since October 2014, the Head of Government Hospitals Project Management Office since September 2022 and the Chief of Medical Services for Medical Specialities since February 2023. She is currently a part-time Clinical Associate Professor in Pathology at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Medical University Bahrain. Dr Alyusuf was a founding member and past-President of the Bahrain Association of Pathologists.

Dr Hala Kandil is a Consultant Microbiologist at West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, UK. She is also a Senior Academic Visitor at the Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Sciences, University of Oxford, UK. Dr Kandil has obtained higher qualifications in two different but related specialties – clinical immunology and medical microbiology and virology.

After graduation from Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Egypt, in 1991, she began her career in immunology and obtained an MSc, MD in Clinical Immunology from Alexandria University; she was appointed as lecturer in the Department of Immunology and Microbiology at the Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Egypt.

Dr Kandil was awarded her PhD in Clinical immunology from Imperial College, London University, UK, in 2004. She then joined the Medical Microbiology training program at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, UK, during which she obtained her MSc in Microbiology from Queen Mary University of London, UK, and her FRCPath in medical microbiology and Virology, Royal College of Pathologists, UK. In 2010, Dr Kandil started her consultant career in microbiology at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust.

She is currently the chair of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee and the microbiologist leading on diabetic foot infections, outpatient antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) and sepsis at West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Part of her role is to lead on microbiology laboratory diagnostics and innovation. She is also a member of the Supreme Council Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee of University Hospitals in Egypt.

Dr Kandil has received several awards from different UK organisations in recognition of her achievement in the field of antimicrobial stewardship. Her most recent award was at the National BAME Health and Social Care Awards where she was nominated and awarded the title of 'The Clinical Champion Of The Year 2021’' in recognition of her clinical, laboratory and academic achievements in UK during COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr Nadia Mahmoud Mokhtar is a Professor of Pathology at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cairo University, Egypt. She received her PhD degree in Pathology from London University, St  Bartholomew's Hospital, UK, in July 1978. She was appointed Chair of the Department of Pathology at NCI from August 2001 to July 2007. She held the position of Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the Egyptian National Cancer Institute (JENCI) from 2004 to 2020. In 2014, she collaborated to establish the Egyptian Committee for Pathology Training (ECPT) in association with the Royal College of Pathologists (UK) and the Supreme Council of Universities (SCU) in Egypt. She is the first President of the ECPT, helping to promote training and education in the fields of laboratory sciences. She helped to introduce the holding of FRCPath Part 1 exams in Egypt, which started in 2015, and Part 2 in 2018. She was awarded a fellowship of the Royal College of Pathologist in November 2019 as an appreciation for her devoted help in establishing the connection in education and training of pathologists between Egypt and UK.

From April 2007 until July 2014, Dr Abdulsalam was based at Al-Yarmouk Teaching Hospital, Iraq, working as a specialist haematopathologist with interest in both diagnostic and research work in various fields of haematopathology with some focus on haemato-oncology. From late 2007, he started teaching in the Department of Techniques of Medical Investigations at Al-Ma’amoon University College, Iraq, as an external lecturer in haematopathology. Dr Abdulsalam has been a staff member Al-Ma’amoon University College since October 2014. He was affiliated to the National Center of Hematology, Baghdad, Iraq, from 2007 to 2018, and from 2019 was affiliated with the Baghdad Teaching Hospital as a Specialist Hematopathologist and supervisor and teacher of the candidates of the Commission of Arab Board of Hematopathology (clinical pathology). Dr Abdulsalam became an Assistant Professor of Hematopathology in July 2019 and in October 2022, started teaching in Al-Turath University College, Iraq.

Dr Sana Dlawar Jalal is Professor of Haematology and Head of the Pathology & Forensic Medicine Department at the Sulaimani School of Medicine, University of Sulaimani, Iraq. She is a medical graduate of the University of Baghdad and undertook her pathology training at the Baghdad Teaching Laboratories, Baghdad Medical City. She gained her fellowship of the Iraqi Board of Pathology in Haematopathology in 2004 and her fellowship of the Royal College of Pathologists in 2015. She is largely involved in delivering pathology lectures and practical sessions to undergraduates and postgraduate students at Sulaimani College of Medicine. She helped to establish a successful premarital screen clinic for thalassemia and haemoglobinopathies in 2006 and later became the acting Head of the Molecular Haematology Department.

In 2011, she established an immunophenotyping service in Sulaimani for leukaemia and lymphoma. Dr Jalal’s main research interests are in thalassaemia and leukaemia and lymphoma immunophenotyping. She is member of several professional bodies and has published over 25 scientific papers. She is keen to strengthen the link between the International team of Royal College of Pathologists and the Kurdistan Association of Pathologists, and has hosted the Clinical Director of International Activities at Sulaimani College Medical Conference.

Dr Nour Hemali qualified from University College Tripoli/Libya in 2008 and trained as a pathologist at the West Midlands deanery, UK. She was appointed as a Consultant Histopathologist at the Royal Stoke University Hospital, UK, in 2023. She is currently a tutor at Keele University Hospital, UK, and supports visiting doctors for clinical attachments, and FY2 foundation doctors. Dr Hemali is a member of the Pulmonary Pathology Society, British Division of International Academy of Pathology and The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Dr Hemali is interested in dermatopathology, thoracic pathology and respiratory cytology.

Stephanie has been a Consultant Medical Microbiologist at Manchester University Foundation Trust (MFT), UK, since 2010 and is Head of Service for the Manchester Medical Microbiology Partnership (MMMP). She carried out undergraduate training at St Andrews University and Dundee University, Scotland. She completed her Specialist Registrar training in the North West of England, where she completed a Masters degree in Diagnostic and Medical Virology (University of Manchester) and a Diploma in Tropical Medicine & Hygiene (Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine). She holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Education.

In 2017, Stephanie undertook an Observership at the WHO/UN City Copenhagen with the European Society for Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases. In 202,1 she undertook a sabbatical in the Laboratory & Testing Cell of Public Health Scotland (PHS), working on the COVID-19 response. Stephanie has published widely, been invited as speaker to scientific conferences nationally and internationally, and contributed to textbook chapters on infection and infection prevention. Her research interests lie in the management of sepsis. She has a particular interest in infectious risks associated with climate change. Stephanie has close links with several institutions in the MENA region and has recently been appointed as Adjuvant Assistant Professor at the Institute of Public Health, UAEU.

Professor Karim is Division Chief, Hematology/Immunology/Transfusion, at Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar, and Clinical Professor in Immunopathology, Qatar University. He studied medicine at Cambridge University, UK, with clinical training at Guy’s & St Thomas’ Hospitals, UK, qualifying in 1993 with Distinctions in Medicine and Pathology. He was Clinical Lecturer in Immunology at King’s College London, UK, from 1998 to 2004, Consultant Immunologist at Surrey Pathology Services, UK, from 2004 to 2018 and Clinical Lead in Immunology at Guy's & St Thomas' Hospitals from 2006 to 2014.

He worked in the NHS for 25 years before moving to establish the immunology laboratory at Sidra Medicine, Qatar – a new tertiary paediatric and maternity academic center. His current research concerns early recognition and diagnosis of primary and secondary immunodeficiency. He has authored over 85 publications and chapters, and received grant awards in autoimmunity and immunodeficiency, totaling £1.75 million. He was Chair of the Clinical Immunology Committee of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology from 2014 to 2017, an Expert Member for the NICE Quality Standards on Drug Allergy in 2015 and on the Guidelines Committee of UK-Primary Immunodeficiency Network from 2016 to 2018.

Professor Ali Hajeer is a highly accomplished medical scientist and academic from the University of Manchester, UK. He has a PhD in Immunology, is a fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists (FRCPath) and is a fellow of the American College of Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics Specialist (FACHI). He currently serves as the Director of the Immunopathology Laboratory in the Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, Saudi Arabia, and is the Chair of the Student Research Board at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Professor Hajeer is an esteemed member of the scientific community, with more than 200 peer-reviewed publications to his name and 5 textbooks.

Dalal Mohideen Nemenqani is a Professor and Consultant of Pathology and Cytology, and previous Dean of the College of Medicine, Taif University, Saudi Arabia. She served as the Chair of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at King AbdulAziz Specialist Hospital in Taif. She graduated from the College of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia, in 1991 and became a member of the Royal College of Pathologists in 2000, and gained fellowship (FRCPath) in 2008. Professor Nemenqani gained her Masters in Health Profession Education in 2018 and is currently an item writer, examiner and clinical case designer for Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS). She is a member of several international professional societies. She has more than 40 published articles in international peer-reviewed journals, in addition to many scientific presentations in local and international conferences. Currently, Professor Nemenqani is the Editor-in-Chief of the Saudi Journal for Health Sciences.

Dr Mohammed Altohami is a haematologist working at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, UK, with special interest in diagnostic and general haematology, HLH, CLL and myeloma. Dr Altohami completed his undergraduate medical training at University of Khartoum, Sudan, in 2009. He was appointed as a teaching assistant in the Department of Pathology, based on his outstanding academic performance. He started pathology training in late 2010 and entered the pathology specialist register at Sudan Medical Specialisation Board (SMB) in 2014. Since then, he has continued to work and train in laboratory and clinical haematology. He is actively engaged in clinical practice, education and research. His objective is to promote pathology education, training and practice in Sudan, and to strengthen the ties, collaborative work and the exchange of expertise between Sudan and the College.

Dr Islam is a Senior Consultant Haematologist and Haemato-oncologist working in Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, Essex, UK. He completed haematology training programmes under the London deanery and obtained his Completion of Certificate of Training from the joint Royal Colleges of Physicians postgraduate training board. He has received training in the most prestigious hospitals in the world, including the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Addenbrookes Cambridge University Hospital and Barts and the London Hospitals NHS Trust and Barts Cancer Institutes, UK.

Dr Islam was awarded FRCP by the Royal College of Physician of London in 2017 due to significant contributions in medicine both nationally and internationally and completed his FRCPath – the highest degree in pathology from the Royal College of Pathologist – in 2013. He holds Honorary Senior Consultant positions at University College London Hospital NHS Foundation Trust taking Essex patients for highly specialised chemotherapy and immune therapy, including CART and stem cell transplantations, and has established a robust MDT network. He has a keen interest in clinical research and has been leading international clinical trials as principal investigator and coinvestigator. He developed a special interest in clinical teaching and holds the position of Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer in Haematology in Queen Mary University of London, UK.

Working as the module lead in haematology for Anglia Ruskin Medical School in Essex, he was named educational and clinical supervisors for haematology specialist trainees, and holds the position of Head of Haematology and Clinical Laboratory Services, gaining ample managerial skills. Dr Islam has been published in international peer-reviewed high impact factor journal, presented globally as an invited speaker and presented many high-quality abstracts at international congress. Dr Islam has a passion about global haematology quality improvement programmes via international collaborative twining programs with world leading institutes. He is a Visiting Professor in Haematology, Haemato-Oncology in Bangladesh Institutes of Health Sciences and Bangladesh University of Health Sciences. He is the founding chair of a charitable organisation known as Janaan Health, which is working for the underprivileged population especially in health and education sectors to improve the overall health and education of people.

Dr Lipsita Patnaik has been a Consultant Histopathologist at Blackpool Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, UK, since 2008 and is the current Head of School of Pathology of Health Education Northwest. She has interests in cardiothoracic and gynaecological pathology. She is a member of the British Division of International Academy of Pathology (BDIAP), Association of Clinical Pathologists (ACP) and British Association of Gynaecological Pathologists (BAGP).

Dr Patnaik completed her undergraduate and postgraduate training in India and pursued further specialty training in Manchester, UK. She became a fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists in 2007 and obtained the CCT in 2008. Dr Patnaik has special interest in postgraduate education and training, curriculum development and assessment. She has supported postgraduate training in histopathology initially as the programme director and now as the Head of School, bringing in several changes including the roll out of the new curricula (2021).

Dr Bharat Rekhi (MD, DNB, MIAC, FRCPATH) is Professor/Pathologist at Tata Memorial Centre (TMC), Mumbai, India, with a special interest in bone and soft tissue tumors (adult and pediatric), gynecological pathology and related molecular and cytopathology. He serves on the editorial board of WHO-IARC for reporting systems in soft tissue cytopathology and is a standing committee member for WHO-IARC books (5th and 6th editions). He has many awards to his credit, 3 gold medal orations and has presented at National and International Conferences, including ICC, ECC, European Congress of Pathology (ECP), IAP-Asia Pacific, USCAP, ESMO-Asia 2019 and NUHS surgical pathology course, Singapore, 2019. He was chairperson in sessions during ECP 2020, 2021 and 2022. He is the Editor-in-Chief of IJPM, secretary of the Indian Academy of Cytologists, has authored/co-authored 254 PUBMED-indexed publications and has written several book chapters, including the 5th edition of WHO classification of tumors of soft tissue and bone, pediatric and skin tumors. He is an Outreach Editor for the Cytopathology Journal, Associate Editor of BMC Cancer and a recognised MD teacher.

Dr Renu Mariam Thomas completed her specialist training (CCST) in histopathology in the UK in 2000. She has worked in various prestigious institutions in the UK and India and currently works as a Senior Consultant Histopathologist at VPS Lakeshore Hospital & Research Centre, Kochi, Kerala, India. With her special interest in renal and transplantation pathology, she started the nephro-pathology services at VPS Lakeshore Hospital and Research Centre in 2014 and has authored a book – Atlas of Renal Transplant Pathology: a clinicopathological archive. She has wide research interests as well and has authored and co-authored several publications in national and international journals, with diverse subject matter and has also authored a chapter on gastrointestinal pathology in Clinical Gastroenterology. She is an active member of various societies and has delivered lectures and conducted CMEs in various forums. She is a dedicated mentor and is the educational supervisor for national board trainees in her institute and also an examiner for FRCPath examination.

Dr Shanika Vitharana is a Consultant Haematology in bone marrow transplant at Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children, Sri Lanka. Dr Vitharana has 6 years of experience as a haematology consultant. She graduated from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Colombo, Sri Lanka, in 2004 and was selected for the training program and obtained an MD in Haematology in 2012. She went on to work in the UK for 2 years at Huddersfeild and Calderdale NHS Trust and obtained FRCPath in 2015. Her special interests are malignant haematology, stem cell transplantation and haematopathology. Dr Vitharana served as secretary for the Sri Lanka College of Haematologists from 2017 to 2018 and has been a Council member since 2018. She has also been a member of the Specialty Board in Haematology and Transfusion Medicine since 2018 and an examiner for haematology exams conducted by the Post Graduate Institute of Medicine Sri Lanka.

 

Country Advisor for Kenya

Dr Sayed is Associate Professor & Consultant in Anatomical Pathology and Cytology, in the Department of Pathology, Medical College, Aga Khan University and the current Chair and Laboratory Director of Pathology at Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya. Dr Sayed graduated from the University of Nairobi with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery degree. She holds a Master of Medicine in General Pathology from the University of Nairobi and a PhD in Anatomical Pathology from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. She is a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists, United Kingdom and a Fellow and Secretary General of the College of Pathologists of East Central and Southern Africa. She is a Commissioner with the Lancet Commission on Diagnostics and the Lancet Oncology Commission for Sub-Saharan Africa. She is passionate about training the next generation of pathologists and researchers in Sub –Saharan Africa.

Country Advisor for Nigeria

Dr K.C. Iregbu is a Chief Consultant Clinical Microbiologist with the National Hospital Abuja and also lectures at the College of Health Sciences, University of Abuja. He holds the MB, BS degree of the University of Benin, MSc and MPH of the University of Lagos and the postgraduate MD degree of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (NPMCN). He also holds the Fellowship of the NPMCN (FMCPath), FWACP (Lab Med), FCPath (east centra & southern Africa) and FRCPath (UK). Dr Iregbu has, among others, been a two-time member of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, member of the Board of the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, member Senate and Governing Board NPMCN, and Chairman/Chief Examiner of the Faculty of Pathology, NPMCN. He has been an external examiner to some Universities in Nigeria and the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr Iregbu is a researcher, and has successfully supervised many postgraduate research/dissertations, and has more than 70 articles in peer-reviewed local and international medical journals. He has also attended many local and international scientific conferences and workshops and presented papers. His areas of interest include antimicrobial resistance and stewardship, sepsis and infection control.

Country Advisor for South Africa

Professor Komala Pillay is the Wernher and Beit Chair and Head of the Division of Anatomical Pathology at the University of Cape Town (UCT) and National Health Laboratory Services (NHLS), Groote Schuur Hospital (GSH) and Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital (RCWMCH) since January 2020.  In July 2022 she was appointed as the Head of Department of Pathology at UCT/NHLS comprising eight divisions. Professor Pillay qualified as a pathologist in 2004 and has specialist qualifications in South Africa (CMSA) and the United Kingdom (RCPath).  She was a Consultant Pathologist at UCT/NHLS since 2005 and practised as the only anatomical pathologist at RCWMCH from 2007-2019 also contributing significantly to research (more than 100 publications) and teaching undergraduates and postgraduates.  She is the Chair of the Anatomical Pathology Expert Committee (APEC) for the NHLS and a member of the Examiners’ board (Anatomical Pathology) for the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa (CMSA).

Dr San San Min is a Chemical Pathologist with special interest in metabolic medicine, lipids and cardiovascular disease prevention. Dr Min completed her specialist chemical pathology training in London's Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals, King's College Hospital and Barts Health NHS Trust following her junior UK hospital doctor experiences in various specialities. She has been practising as a Chemical Pathologist since 2016 in the UK NHS and Australia, in both public and private pathology labs. She has been actively participating in medical education and research as an honorary senior lecturer and affiliated researcher in UK and Australia Universities. She is a keen advocate for promoting and advancing excellence in pathology internationally.