What is your role in the BTRU?
I am a Haematology Consultant at Oxford University Hospital.
Blood cancers destroy the lives of many people, young and old. Having seen the impact they have, I want to make outcomes better, both in preventing relapse and in ensuring people survive the toxic treatments we give them.
What does a typical day involve?
COFFEE. Then it alternates between a wonderful cycle to work listening to podcasts - or - rushing 4 kids to school on my allocated drop-off days. A personal frustration is having to have 5p available for an archaic toll bridge!
I have many roles at work. I work in the registry dealing with healthy and incredibly generous stem cell donors. I'm also a medical director of the Therapeutic Apheresis Unit in Oxford - which is a specialist service that removes harmful, disease-forming proteins, chemicals, or cells from patient blood. I also work as a transplant doctor, so see pre and post transplant patients in Oxford.
My most enjoyable, and stressful, time is when I am on ward-service looking after patients going through leukemia treatment and transplant.
What do you like most about your job?
The patients, my colleagues and the amazing world of transplant medicine. It is truly fascinating, and I learn something new every day.
What made you decide to work in this area?
I remember sitting in a lecture hall in Sydney during medical school and hearing my first lecture in haematology. Weirdly, it was on von Willebrands disease (an inherited condition where your blood doesn't clot properly) – but I knew this specialty was for me.
What is the hardest part of your job?
Breaking bad news to patients.
What is your greatest success at work to date?
Being successful in getting a job in Oxford and being accepted onto the PhD programme.
How do you explain your job to other people and what do they normally say?
I describe this as working in blood cancer. To be honest they are more surprised when I say I have 4 kids!
What do you enjoy outside of work?
Running, time with family, up-cycling furniture and I am obsessed with car boot sales!
What would your dream job be – if you were not a researcher/scientist?
Furniture maker.
Which scientist or other person (living or dead) would you most like to meet?
Michelle Obama.