Rachel is the Treasurer for BICCS and is a Consultant Cardiologist at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust where she is the Cardiovascular Clinical Director, and previous Service Lead for Inherited Cardiac Conditions. She is Clinical Co-Lead for Rare Disease in the South East Genomic Medicine Service and an Honorary Senior Lecturer at King’s College London.

 

She studied at Peterhouse Cambridge and Imperial College London. She completed Cardiology training in the London Deanery and a fellowship in Vancouver. Her PhD was awarded from St George’s University of London and involved non-invasive risk stratification of patients with cardiomyopathy. Her clinical and research interests focus on inherited arrhythmia syndromes, inherited cardiomyopathies and cardiac MRI.

Professor Gerald Carr-White was the Clinical Lead for heart failure and inherited diseases at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust for 14 years. He is now the Joint Medical Director of the cardiovascular, respiratory and critical care unit.

 

After qualifying from St George's Hospital with University of London honours in Medicine, Gerald trained in general medicine at the Brompton, Hammersmith and St Mary's hospitals before becoming a member of the Royal College of Physicians in 1996. He then finished a PhD in the mechanics of ventricular function from the Brompton Hospital in 2000, working with Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub and Dr Derek Gibson. His specialist cardiology training was at the Brompton and Guy's and St Thomas' hospitals. He finished his higher certification in both cardiology and general medicine in 2006. 

 

Gerald has sat on the 2 main national leadership groups for cardiology, helping develop regional and national guidelines and service specifications for NHS England. He is currently one of 2 cardiologists sitting on the pan-london oversight board for strategy, patient pathways and covid management and recovery.

 

Gerald is the vice president for Cardiomyopathy UK, leading patient education events across the country, and is an elected member of the national association of inherited cardiac diseases. He is the network clinical lead for both King's Health Partners and the NHS England South London Cardiac Network, coordinating patient pathways across a population of 8 million people. Alongside his clinical work, Gerald is a Professor in heart failure and inherited diseases at King's College London, and lectures both nationally and internationally. He has published over 120 peer-reviewed articles in medical journals in the fields of heart failure, inherited cardiac diseases, cardiac imaging and valve disease, and has been granted over 7 million pounds in research grant income.

Julene Carvalho is a paediatric and fetal cardiologist. She works at the Royal Brompton and St George's Hospitals in London and is Professor of Practice at City St George's, University of London. She is Fellow of ISUOG (International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology), having been a Board Member and Trustee in 2009-16. She was also Council Member of BCCA (2015-19). As 'Chair' of ISUOG Fetal Heart Special Interest Group she recently published 'ISUOG cardiac guidelines for antenatal screening (2023)’.

 

She has a large educational and clinical research portfolio, has delivered many lectures in the UK and abroad and has many publications in the field of fetal cardiology. Some of her clinical and research interests are early fetal echocardiography and fetal arrhythmias. In recent years, she has developed further interest on antenatal manifestations of inherited cardiac conditions with focus on ‘the fetal aorta’.

Bethan Cowley is the Lead Nurse for Inherited Cardiac Conditions at Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Trust, bringing over 24 years of cardiology experience. She has worked as a research nurse and research nurse manager within an NIHR Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Unit, where she played a pivotal role in establishing the now well-recognised biobank and managed clinical research trials and genetic segregation studies.

Identifying a critical gap in patient care, Bethan successfully advocated for the creation of a dedicated ICC Nurse Specialist position within her organisation. She was appointed into this role as the first ICC Nurse Specialist in 2012 and currently leads the largest ICC nursing team in the UK.

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Bethan has spoken on inherited cardiac conditions both nationally and internationally and has published in this field. More recently, she has been appointed to the ESC Heart Failure Association Scientific Committees for ‘Inherited Dilated Cardiomyopathy’ and ‘Pregnancy.’ She has also completed an NIHR Pre-doctoral Clinical and Academic Fellowship. Additionally, Bethan is a founding member of the ‘ICC Nursing & Midwifery Network UK’ and a Nightingale Nurse with specialist clinical interests in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO) management, family screening and women’s health in ICC. Her broader interests include transformational nursing leadership, workforce strategies, and advocating the value of advanced nursing practice.

James is a Principal Clinical Scientist based at the North West Genomic Laboratory Hub (NWGLH) at St Mary’s Hospital in Manchester.

 

James gained HCPC registration as a Clinical Scientist in 2012 after completing the Scientist Training Programme (STP) in Birmingham. He has also worked in research and diagnostic genomics laboratories in Newcastle and Cardiff and has been a Clinical Scientist in Manchester since 2014. James has been the lead scientist for the cardiology genomic testing service at the NWGLH since 2021.

 

James works closely with the other specialist cardiology genomics laboratories in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and has an interest in sharing practice and driving consistency in the analysis and interpretation of genomics data.

Huafrin is a Genetic Counsellor at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital and part of the multidisciplinary Inherited Cardiovascular Diseases team. She also is joining the London Pregnancy Clinic as a reproductive genetic counsellor.

She studied at Durham University and University of Sydney and achieved her professional accreditation through the Academy of Health Care Sciences under the Genetic Counsellor Registration Board in the UK.

 

She is a member of the Association of Genetic Counsellors and Nurses.  Her clinical and research interests focus on inherited cardiac conditions, reproductive genetics and variant interpretation. Huafrin is passionate about equitable access to genetic testing especially for underserved/underrepresented communities.

Debbie Mackin is a registered Genetic Counsellor with the Southeast Scotland Genetic Service. She began her career as a critical care nurse, where she developed a strong commitment to supporting bereaved families following the loss of a loved one.

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Debbie is an active member of the Network for Inherited Cardiac Conditions Scotland (NICCS) and co-chairs the Nurses and Associated Health Professionals subgroup. Her work focuses on strengthening collaboration across specialties involved in the care of patients with inherited cardiac conditions, with particular interest in the genetic aspects of sudden death.

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Her MSc (Advanced Professional Practice) research examined how the regional Inherited Cardiovascular Conditions multidisciplinary team (ICCMDT), approach the genetic exploration of sudden death, a focus that continues to shape her clinical practice. Debbie also coordinates and chairs this ICCMDT, fostering education, collaboration, and improved patient pathways across the region.

Georgiana Neculau is an Advanced Nurse Practitioner and Lead Nurse for Inherited Cardiac Conditions (ICC) at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. She completed her BSc (Hons) in Adult Nursing, followed by postgraduate studies in Pharmacology Practice, Non-Medical Prescribing, and an MSc in Genomic Medicine.

 

She has been closely involved with the Sudden Unexpected Death (SUD) Pathway Programme since its inception, initially leading its implementation in Birmingham before driving its expansion across the wider West Midlands. She coordinates delivery of the pathway across some of the largest and most complex coronial regions in the country, overseeing post-mortem genetic referrals, working directly with coronial teams, and ensuring timely access to ICC services for affected families. Her work involves extensive clinical engagement, providing direct patient care and support to families affected by sudden cardiac death.

 

Over the past eight years, Georgiana has led a regional ICC nursing team, championing the development of nurse-led services to enhance equity of care and expand clinical opportunities for nurses. She has overseen pathway redesign, streamlined referral processes, and implemented nurse-led clinics, while supporting the integration of genomic medicine into routine cardiac care. Her clinical expertise focuses on inherited arrhythmia syndromes, and she played a pivotal role in establishing one of the first fully nurse-led Long QT clinics in England.

 

Her clinical career began in atrial fibrillation research, where she led recruitment for one of the largest AF studies in the UK, with publications in the European Heart Journal and PLOS Medicine. She presents nationally and internationally on inherited cardiac conditions and is committed to advancing patient-centred care, education, and best practice across inherited cardiovascular services.

Stephen Page is a Consultant Cardiologist and Electrophysiologist based at Leeds General Infirmary. He has been managing patients with inherited cardiac conditions for over 20 years having undertaken clinical research in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with Professor Bill McKenna and Professor Perry Elliott at The Heart Hospital, London. He trained in Electrophysiology and Devices at St Bartholomew’s Hospital and developed his interest in inherited arrhythmia syndromes.

 

Stephen has been a Consultant Cardiologist in Leeds since 2013 and he leads the Inherited Cardiac Conditions Service for West Yorkshire. He sits on the Clinical Advisory Group for Cardiomyopathy UK and is a writing group member for the NHS England Service Specification. He is part of the RASE Consortium undertaking multicentre clinical research for patients with inherited arrhythmia syndromes.
 

He has been a member of BICCS since it’s creation and has been a Council member since 2020. He took over as President of BICCS (formerly the AICC) in 2023. His priorities are in service development, aiming to offer coordinated, cost-effective, high-quality regional care in West Yorkshire and surrounding areas, and to try and replicate this across the UK through his leadership of BICCS.

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Kate is currently a clinical genetics specialist trainee working at the Northern Genetics service. She studied medicine at Newcastle University and completed her core medical training in the North East of England. Kate has had an interest in inherited cardiac conditions throughout her training, but recently has been able to gain further experience in this area.

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Kate has a passion for teaching and has completed a postgraduate certificate in medical education. Once she has completed her training, Kate aims to become a consultant clinical geneticist with a specialist interest in inherited cardiac conditions working in the North East.

Leema is the Lead Consultant Geneticist for Inherited cardiac conditions (ICC) and aortopathy service at Guys and St Thomas Hospital (GSTT) and Kings College Hospital (KCH). With over 10 years of experience in clinical and cardiovascular genetics, Leema has been instrumental in leading the mainstreaming of genomics to adult and paediatric cardiovascular services.

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Within our service, we have established unique roles for our BHF funded cardiac genetic nurses (CGN) that are being considered nationally. Our CGNs provide mainstreamed genetic and genomic expertise in ICC services. We have established embedded family clinics in cardiology with adult and paediatric cardiology support for diagnosis and management of patients with aortopathies. We have also led the development of different service models with the help of the Miles Frost Fund to provide care for patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy closer to their home with a hub and spoke model of care.

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Leema is involved in several international consortiums such as VASCERN and ClinGen. She is currently leading the development of a national rare disease collaborative network for aortopathies and arteriopathies.

Nora Shannon is a Consultant Clinical Geneticist in the Nottingham Clinical Genetics Service. She was involved in setting up Inherited Cardiac Conditions Clinics in both Birmingham and Nottingham and is the Genetics Lead for the Nottingham ICC Service covering Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Derbyshire.

 

She has an interest in service delivery and design and has particularly worked to improve access to genetic testing for families with SADS in the region. Her current research interests include factors which affect access to screening in families with aortic aneurysms.

Noor is currently an inherited cardiovascular disease fellow at Barts Heart Centre. She is the national BICCS/BJCA ICC trainee representative and has a keen interest in helping develop ICC training in the UK for cardiology trainees. She is an ST7 ICC and cardiac imaging trainee in South Yorkshire.

 

Noor graduated from the University of Birmingham in 2014 and completed a PhD in stress perfusion CMR at the University of Leeds in 2023 under the supervision of Professor Sven Plein. She has level 3 accreditation in CMR (EACVI), TTE and TOE (BSE). She has previously been an active member of the RCPE trainee and members committee for a number of years.

Dr Maraisa F. Spada, MD, MSc, is a Consultant Paediatric Cardiologist in Cardiomyopathy and Heart Failure at the Royal Brompton Hospital, part of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.

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Her primary focus lies in inherited heart muscle diseases. She pioneered the development of a novel nurse-led paediatric cardiomyopathy clinic and established a virtual paediatric cardiomyopathy screening service at Harefield Hospital. Internationally, she co-led the creation and expansion of the paediatric cardiomyopathy service in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Dr. Spada has authored research papers and book chapters in the field and has been invited to lecture both nationally and internationally on inherited cardiac conditions.

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Dr. Spada graduated with honours from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where she also commenced her paediatric cardiology training and earned her MSc. She completed her specialist paediatric cardiology training and obtained a postgraduate degree in Heart Failure in London. Following her training, she held Consultant Paediatric Cardiologist positions in Birmingham and subsequently in London.

Claire is a Consultant Clinical Geneticist, appointed to the Peninsula service in 2010, and is the genetics lead for the regional Inherited Cardiac Conditions service. Her MD, awarded in 2013, reflected a laboratory based molecular project on imprinting disorders.

 

She has a Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Education, awarded in 2009 and is the lead for teaching Clinical Genetics at the University of Exeter Medical School. She has numerous publications in the field of Clinical Genetics, including in inherited cardiac conditions.

David is a Principal Genetic Counsellor based in the West Midlands Clinical Genetics Unit in Birmingham. He was in the first cohort Genetic Counsellors to train via the Scientist Training Programme (STP) and has since taken on a Training Officer role in his department. This includes involvement in the development of material for the Genomics Training Academy (GTAC) aimed at providing streamlined training and education for the growing genomics workforce.

 

By the end of his term, David hopes to establish targeted training for Genetic Counsellors in Inherited Cardiac Conditions to develop Genetic Counsellors specialist knowledge, and to support the newly-formed GC-ICC Network to contribute to guidelines and sharing good practice.

Dr Joseph Westaby is an NIHR Clinical Lecturer in Cardiovascular Pathology at St George’s University of London and the South London Deanery. He studied Graduate Entry Medicine at The University of Nottingham and has trained in London since. He undertook an Academic Clinical Fellowship and PhD in the Cardiac Risk in the Young Cardiovascular Pathology Laboratories.

 

Joseph's primary research interest is Sudden Cardiac Death. He also undertakes coronial autopsies for the Inner West London Coroner.

Eleanor is an Honorary Consultant Cardiologist at Barts Heart Centre in London and at Oxford University Hospitals. She is also a research collaborator in Translational Data Science and a Senior Clinical lecturer at the University of Oxford. As the former clinical lead of the Oxford ICC and Heart Failure services, she has longstanding specialist interests in inherited and acquired (including inflammatory) conditions, genomics, heart failure and multimodality imaging.

 

She studied Medicine at the University of Edinburgh. After qualifying in 2004, she trained in General Medicine, gaining membership of the Royal College of Physicians in 2009 and completed her general cardiology training at Barts Heart Centre, London. She was appointed as a Consultant Cardiologist with dual accreditation in General Medicine in 2016 and moved to Oxford in 2017. 

 

Eleanor harnesses clinical and academic synergy via collaborative networks to help define disease mechanisms and ensure the translation of novel molecular biological and clinical research approaches into clinical practice. She utilises state-of-the-art genomics and imaging for rich phenotyping to help reveal the molecular, imaging and genetic basis of inherited and acquired heart diseases in search of improved diagnoses, risk stratification and the exploration of potential therapeutic targets in the hope of delivering personalised therapy with substantial benefits for patients.