MELANOMA UK IS LUCKY TO HAVE A VAST WEALTH OF EXPERIENCED AND HIGHLY SKILLED MEDICAL ADVISORS ON BOARD.

PROFESSOR JAMES LARKIN 

Professor James Larkin is a Consultant Medical Oncologist specialising in the treatment of melanoma and cancers of the kidney.

Professor Larkin took a first in Natural Sciences from Cambridge University and undertook clinical training at Oxford University, qualifying in 1996. He underwent general medical training in London and in 2001 won a Medical Research Council Fellowship for a Clinician, carrying out laboratory research at the Institute of Cancer Research leading to a PhD. Specialist training was completed at The Royal Marsden and he was appointed a Consultant in 2008.

His research interests involve trying to understand cancer and its consequences better as well as developing improved treatments, particularly with targeted therapies and immunotherapies.

He is a past National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) National Specialty Lead for Early Phase Oncology Trials, as well as a past Chair of the NCRI Renal Cancer Clinical Studies Group, The Royal Marsden/ICR Committee for Clinical Research and the CRUK Clinical Research Monitoring Panel.  He is currently Vice Chair of the CRUK Clinical Research Committee and Lead of the Uncommon Cancers Theme at The Royal Marsden/ICR Biomedical Research Centre.  In 2018 he was elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences.  Since 2019 he has been Vice Chair of the Medical Oncology Specialist Advisory Committee for the Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Training Board and in 2020 he was appointed as an NIHR Senior Investigator.

He serves as a senior clinical adviser to CRUK, as a medical advisor to the patient advocacy group Melanoma UK, as a trustee of the Kidney Cancer Support Network and serves on the Medical Advisory Board of the International Kidney Cancer Coalition.

Professor Larkin became a medical advisor to Melanoma UK in December 2013.

MR. MYLES SMITH 

Mr. Myles Smith is a Consultant Surgical Oncologist and General Surgeon in the Sarcoma Unit and Skin Unit at The Royal Marsden since 2014. Prior to appointment at the Royal Marsden he trained as General Surgeon in Ireland and subsequently underwent additive specialist training in General Surgical Oncology, as a fellow at the University of Toronto.

He has a special interest in surgery for melanoma, in particular surgical treatment of oligometastatic disease, use of regional therapies for melanoma metastasis such as T-VEC, and the management of anorectal and visceral melanoma. He is honorary faculty member of the Institute of Cancer Research, and one of his research interests is in investigating biomarkers for lymph node metastasis in melanoma.   

Myles joined Melanoma UK as an advisor in 2018.

WAYNE JAFFE

Wayne Jaffe is a senior consultant and Plastic and Reconstructive surgeon based at the University Hospital of North Midlands where he is the Lead of the Specialist Skin Cancer MDT. He has extensive clinical interests in skin cancer and is Chair of the Skin Cancer Expert Advisory Group for the West Midlands. 

Wayne had served as Quality Assurance Lead for Plastic Surgery for the joint Royal Colleges of Surgeon's and was chair of the West Midlands Specialist Training Committee for Plastic Surgery for 10 years.

He enjoys cycling to work and raising funds through his Ironman triathlons and other sporting feats for medical causes close to his heart.

With both clinical and organisational experience at national and local level, Wayne will bring his expertise to add additional support to Melanoma UK.

Wayne joined Melanoma UK as an advisor in 2020.

DR PAUL YESUDIAN

Dr Paul Yesudian is a Consultant Dermatologist at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. He is based in North Wales with clinics in the Royal Liverpool Dental Hospital.

Paul graduated from the University of Madras in 1993 and completed his MD in Dermatology in 1996.  In the UK, he obtained the MRCP and then a CCST in dermatology after completing the Mersey rotation. He was appointed as a substantive Consultant in the Countess of Chester hospital in 2004 and moved to North Wales in 2008.  Along with Professor Field and Dr. Rajlawat, Dr. Yesudian has been running a Dermatology/Oral Medicine clinic in the Royal Liverpool University Dental Hospital, once a month, since 2005.

Paul has 65 publications in peer-reviewed journals and has co-authored chapters in two textbooks. He was conferred the title of Honorary Professor by my alma mater, the University of Madras, in 2009 and is also a Visiting Professor to the Sri Ramachandra University, Chennai.

Paul's interests include the oral manifestations of dermatological disease, history of dermatology, tropical skin diseases, pediatric dermatology, dermatological surgery, and skin cancer in skin of colour.  He enjoys gardening, reading non-fiction books and Tintin comics, and traveling.

Paul joined Melanoma UK as our Skin of Colour advisor in September 2021

DR FAHEEM LATHEEF

NATALIE FISHER

Natalie Fisher is an experienced Dermatology Nurse specialist. She has worked in the field for 15 years. She studied dermatology and independent nurse prescribing at Kings College London. 

Natalie currently works in skin cancer screening clinics where her job involves identifying potential skin cancers, educating patients on self-checking, sun awareness and she is qualified to perform skin surgery. Natalie is a visiting lecturer at Canterbury University where she teaches advanced nurse practitioners.

Natalie works as an expert witness on cases involving dermatology. She is very keen on health promotion and has a social media presence to help promote sun safety awareness. 

Natalie joined Melanoma UK as an advisor in 2020.

DR NATALIA SPIERINGS

Dr Spierings trained as a Consultant Dermatologist in London with sub-specialty fellowship training in Mohs Micrographic and Dermatologic Surgery from the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle and a Master’s Degree in Aesthetic Medicine from the University of London.

She received her medical training at St. George’s, University of London.  A unique combination of technical skill, depth of knowledge, aesthetic sensibility and communication skills has positioned her globally as a leading dermatologist. Dr Spierings held a substantive NHS consultant post at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in Leeds, UK, until recently where she was one of four Mohs Micrographic Surgeons in the region. 

Dr Spierings’ subspecialty is the diagnosis and management of skin cancer, with the primary aim of providing the best cosmetic outcome after successful surgical treatment. She currently divides her time between her London-based private practice and NHS work and working as a visiting consultant dermatologist at King’s College Hospital in Dubai, UAE. She recently set-up the first Mohs micrographic surgery service in Dubai, bringing the gold standard in the treatment of non-melanoma skin cancer to the patients of the Middle East.

Natalia joined Melanoma UK as an advisor in 2020.

DR FAISAL ALI

Dr Faisal Ali is a Consultant Dermatologist and Mohs micrographic surgeon working in Manchester, Cheshire (BMJ Team of 2018) and London, with expertise in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of skin cancer.

He graduated from Trinity College, University of Cambridge, with a Double First in pre-clinical medicine before completing clinical studies at Christ Church, University of Oxford. After junior medical training in London and Manchester, Dr Ali then completed a highly competitive advanced dermatological surgery fellowship (including Mohs micrographic surgery and laser dermatology) in the world-renowned St Johns Institute of Dermatology based in Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals, London. He continues to work there as a Mohs micrographic surgeon. He subsequently undertook a fellowship to study skin pigmentation disorders in the National Skin Centre, Singapore.

Dr Ali has diverse research training with a PhD from the University of Cambridge and over 160 academic publications, many of which are focussed on prevention and treatment of skin cancers.

In addition to his clinical and research roles, Dr Ali also is a specialist advisor and inspector for the Care Quality Commission.

Faisal joined Melanoma UK as an advisor in 2020.

DR ZENA WILLSMORE

Dr Zena Willsmore is a Dermatology Specialist Registrar in London and is currently completing a PhD at King's College London. 

She undertook medical training at Imperial College London, graduating with Honours and Distinctions in 2010. Zena also completed an intercalated Bachelor of Science degree in Endocrinology in 2008. 

Zena underwent general medical training in London before starting dermatology training in 2014.

In 2019 she was awarded a Cancer Research UK Clinical Fellowship to carry out research to complete a PhD which is ongoing.

Her research focuses on mechanisms of action of immunotherapy in melanoma patients. 

Dr Willsmore joined Melanoma UK as an advisor in 2021.

DR. NICOLE CHIANG 

Dr Nicole Chiang is a Consultant Dermatologist on the GMC Specialist Register who works in the NHS in Manchester. She is trained in both paediatric and adult dermatology. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Liverpool and graduated with an Honours degree in Medicine and Surgery in 2007. She underwent general medical training and then pursued her dermatology higher specialist training in Birmingham and Manchester.

She has completed two advanced Dermatology Fellowships in Oxford, UK and Sydney, Australia. In addition, she has gained further experience in medical and cosmetic dermatology at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, and the Cosmetic Surgery and Skin Health Centre, Pittsburgh, USA.