MAAD Clinical Advisory Group

Dr Sarah Jane Archibald

Sarah is a Clinical Psychologist working in Paediatric Psychological Medicine at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge. Sarah has worked alongside a colleague with a Medical Detection Dog in paediatric diabetes which initially inspired her passion and interest in collaborating with Medical Detection Dogs and their owners. Sarah specialises in supporting children, young people and families who are experiencing (or have experienced) a paediatric intensive care admission, as well as neonatal intensive care. Sarah has a wealth of experience working alongside children, young people and families with acute and chronic illnesses, including diabetes, cancer and brain tumours, as well as perinatal and neonatal families. Aside from her clinical work, Sarah is an avid dog lover and has been truly inspired by the work of Medication Detection Dogs. Sarah is very excited about the opportunity to be a Clinical Advisor for MDD and looks forward to future collaboration opportunities. 

Professor Lesley Kavi

Lesley has been a volunteer for PoTS UK since 2010. She is a trustee and the charity chairperson. She obtained her medical degree in Glasgow and worked as a GP and university lecturer until 2022 when she retired to focus more on the work of PoTS UK. Lesley co-edited the first UK medical textbook on PoTS. She has been actively involved in producing local and national guidelines on PoTS, syncope and long covid. She organises and teaches on training events for healthcare professionals from all backgrounds on PoTS and associated conditions. She has also been involved in a number of research projects and writes articles for medical journals. Her goals include ensuring that all healthcare professionals recognise and know how to manage PoTS. Lesley says, “I am fascinated by the incredible work of Medical Detection Dogs and keen for our two charities to continue to work together for the benefit of our mutual patients”.

Professor Stafford Lightman

Stafford Lightman is Professor of Medicine at the University of Bristol and was the founding Director of the Henry Wellcome Laboratories for Integrative Neuroscience and Endocrinology.  He started his scientific career at the University of Cambridge and then Imperial College in London, where he started to develop his studies on the role of the brain in the regulation of the stress response.  More recently he has been investigating the dynamics underlying stress hormone secretion. He was particularly determined to be able to measure dynamic hormonal changes across the full 24-hour day, including during sleep, in people going about their normal daily activities. To achieve this, he invented the U-Rhythm automated sampling system which has now been used in over 600 people and has successfully measured circadian and ultradian changes in many hormones. This is now being used for the improved diagnosis of several endocrine disorders. At the same time his group has been improving techniques for more physiological ultradian and circadian replacement of cortisol, both in normal volunteers and patients with adrenal insufficiency.

Stafford Lightman is a Fellow of The Royal Society, and a founder Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences. He was also the founder Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Neuroendocrinology, the founder Chairman of the Pituitary Foundation and a past Council Member of the Physiological Society.

Elizabeth Thurgar 

Elizabeth is a health economist with nearly 20 years of experience. She currently works at Maple Health Group, a boutique global consultancy specialising in health economics, outcomes research, and market access for pharmaceutical and biotech clients. Her interests lie in early economic modelling and the development of evidence to support health technology assessment (HTA).

In addition to her consultancy role, Elizabeth sits on a National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) technology appraisal committee, where she helps assess the clinical and cost effectiveness of new medicines. This work directly informs decisions about which treatments should be recommended for use and reimbursed within the NHS in England and Wales.

As an advisor to Medical Detection Dogs, she brings a strong analytical perspective to help demonstrate the value and impact of the charity’s innovative, evidence-led work. She’s also the proud owner of Max, a lively three-year-old Labrador, who keeps her company and reminds her of the incredible role that dogs can play in healthcare.

Dr Nick Gall

Nick is a consultant cardiologist and electrophysiologist specializing particularly in neurocardiology – the interface between neurology and cardiology. This involves the investigation and treatment of dizzy spells and loss of consciousness, where causes can be cardiological, neurological or neuropsychiatric. He also manages a range of autonomic conditions including postural tachycardia syndrome and inappropriate sinus tachycardia although the more significant autonomic problems are managed through autonomic neurology.

Nick has spoken at conferences around the world on cardiological, arrhythmic and syncope subjects. He has published widely in the area. He runs, with colleagues, the successful London Syncope meetings and the PoTS masterclasses. He is also medical adviser to the charities STARS and HMSA and patron of PoTS UK.

Professor Jeremy Tomlinson

Professor Jeremy Tomlinson graduated from the University of Oxford Medical School having previously completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Cambridge.

He embarked upon a career in diabetes and endocrinology and secured his PhD from the University of Birmingham, studying cortisol metabolism. 

He is now Professor of Metabolic Endocrinology and a consultant endocrinologist based in the Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Oxford.

He has had a longstanding clinical and research interest in adrenal steroid hormones, adrenal insufficiency as well as glucocorticoid excess.

Helen Loo

Helen is an Advanced Nurse Practitioner at Oxford University Hospitals, with many years of experience in Endocrinology. She has contributed significantly to the field through clinical practice and education.

In 2019, she was awarded the prestigious Annette Louis Seal Prize for her abstract on medical alert dogs. She has also contributed to the latest edition of the Adult Endocrinology Competency Framework specifically on the areas of Acromegaly and Cushing’s Disease.

Helen has delivered lectures and training on endocrine topics and advanced practice at local, national, and international levels.

Recognised for her leadership and expertise, she has been elected as the next Nursing Chair of the Society for Endocrinology, UK.

Dr Joanne Spauls

Principal Clinical Psychologist

awaiting biography

Matt Williams RN

Matt is a Paediatric Diabetes Specialist Nurse working as part of a small multidisciplinary team in West Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire helping support children and young people (CYP) with all types of diabetes. He has a passion for technology and increasing access for all CYP.

Matt is also the Chair of the East of England CYP Diabetes Network, this was founded in 2009 to promote a standardised approach to healthcare for children and young people with diabetes so that the care, education or support received at each of the constituent hospitals is the same or similar. It also has an aim to improve outcomes for children and young people with diabetes. A major focus of Matt’s work has been patient engagement. He is joint lead for the successful diabetes camps that were started in 2013, with 3 age group banded camps being held each year. These enable youngsters the opportunity for peer to peer support, learn to manage their diabetes in a supportive environment (with some either injecting or inserting their pump cannula themselves for the first time whilst away on camp) and try activities that they normally wouldn’t get to undertake. Matt was also instrumental in setting up and jointly running the Cape Town Diabetes Partnership Project, which saw a team of diabetes health care and young people with diabetes travel to Cape Town to run a diabetes camp for CYP with type 1 diabetes from Cape Town and the surrounding townships, before leading an education symposium for health care professionals from across the city.

Matt is a published author and has presented at various national and international conferences and has worked with various technology companies on their advisory boards.

Jane Baillie RN

Lead Diabetes Specialist Nurse - Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Awaiting biography