Meet our Clinical Advisory Group
Read the biographies of our Clinical Advisory Group members.
Debbie Victor
Uro-Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist
Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust
Debbie Victor has been working within urology since 1991 and became a clinical nurse specialist in uro-oncology in 2004. She helped bring remote supported self-management for prostate cancer to Cornwall, and LATPs. She has also been a Trustee for the British Association of Urological Nurses and has presented on various study days and webinars in the past. In the past Debbie has won the BJN Urology Nurse of the Year, and the TUF/BAUN Nurse of the Year. Currently one of Prostate Cancer UK’s Clinical Champions, her project includes trying to improve the detection/prevention of long-term side effects of men on hormone manipulation by working together with practice nurses and making every contact count.
Currently, Debbie works mainly with people with metastatic disease and has set-up an oral therapies nurse-led clinic to try to reduce pressure on consultant clinics. In the past she has reviewed several Prostate Cancer UK patient leaflets and presented at study days, as well as helping with their supported self-management resources.
Amarnath Challapalli
Consultant Clinical Oncologist and Clinical Director
University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust
Dr Amarnath Challapalli is a Consultant Clinical Oncologist and Clinical Director of the Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre (BHOC), University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust specialising in the management of urological cancers and non-melanoma skin cancers. He undertook his medical and postgraduate training in clinical oncology in India and in the UK, achieving Fellowship of the Royal College of Radiologists (FRCR) and the Royal College of Physicians, London (FRCP). He completed a PhD at Imperial College, London in January 2014. His research focused on the translation of novel PET tracers looking at cell proliferation, apoptosis and choline metabolism into clinical studies to look at early response assessment to treatment.
Dr. Challapalli is a Prostate Cancer UK Clinical Champion graduate, having been part of the first ever cohort between 2020-2022. He championed the improvement of access to PSMA-PET scans and has set up the Lutetium PSMA Radio ligand service in Bristol. He is a panel member of Mirrors in Medicine, an International Case-based professional development platform. He organises and lectures in the skin cancer study day and has co-developed the skin cancer e-learning module for the Royal College of Radiologists. He has developed and leads the brachytherapy service for non-melanoma skin cancers at BHOC. He is a member of BUG, ESTRO and GEC-ESTRO Head & Neck brachytherapy group.
Dr. Challapalli is actively involved in research into urological and non-melanoma skin cancers. He is the UK Chief Investigator for the adjuvant Cemiplimab trial in high risk squamous cell carcinoma (C-POST trial), REACT-Cemi trial and a Co-Chief Investigator of the national multicentre ACE trial in prostate cancer and EPIC trial in penile cancer. His work has been published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at national and international meetings.
Malcolm Wilkinson
Macmillan Urology Consultant Radiographer
North West Cancer Centre, Altnagelvin
Malcolm Wilkinson is the Macmillan Urology Consultant Radiographer at the North West Cancer Centre, Altnagelvin. Malcolm graduated from the University of Ulster in 2002 with a BSc (Hons) Therapeutic Radiography and shortly afterwards commenced employment as a radiographer at Belvoir Park Hospital, Belfast. In 2011 he gained post graduate qualification in radiographer led on treatment review and worked with a team of Review Radiographers to manage treatment toxicities for prostate patients. With a keen interest in the management of urology patients, he participated in the development of the LDR brachytherapy service for prostate cancer patients and carried out radiographer led follow up of these patients.
In 2015 he took up employment as a Radiotherapy Team Leader with the Western Health and Social Care Trust, embarking on the exciting challenge of being part of the team establishing a new radiotherapy centre at Altnagelvin hospital. As a Non-Medical Prescriber, Malcolm now leads a team of review radiographers in the development, integration and management of a high-quality patient-centred radiotherapy review, information and supportive care service for patients and their carers across the full radiotherapy pathway.
Michelle Cain
Consultant Radiographer in Prostate Radiotherapy
The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre
Michelle Cain qualified as a Therapeutic Radiographer in 2004 with a BSc in Radiotherapy from the University of Liverpool and subsequently went on to complete an MSc in Radiotherapy and Oncology with Sheffield Hallam University. She was previously employed at the Rosemere Cancer Centre and joined the team at the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre in 2006, who she has worked for the past 17 years. During her employment Michelle has worked in both the radiotherapy and the cancer rehabilitation support teams. Throughout her career, Michelle has seen her role evolve from treatment delivery, to specialising as an on-treatment review Radiographer and for the past four years she is proud to have held post as a Consultant Radiographer in prostate radiotherapy.
Michelle is also involved in all aspects of patient care from referral through to discharge. Inclusive of clinical expertise, her Prostate Consultant Radiographer role involves leadership, strategic direction, innovation, research and education; she is an also an honorary lecturer at the University of Liverpool. She has a keen interest in service development and patient experience; especially for patients undergoing hormone therapy and radiotherapy for management of their prostate cancer. She has been involved in some exciting research and projects including the development of the RCR national prostate radiotherapy consent form.
Currently a facilitator for the EAU life on ADT education program and Principle Investigator at the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre for the STAMINA supervised exercise trial for men on hormone therapy. She is very excited to be part of the Prostate Cancer UK Clinical Advisory Group and look forward to working with the multidisciplinary team to make meaningful changes and positively impact the care and services for those suffering from prostate cancer.
Alison Tree
Consultant Clinical Oncologist
Royal Marsden Hospital
Dr Alison Tree was appointed as a Consultant Clinical Oncologist at the Royal Marsden Hospital in 2014, specialising in urological malignancies. She holds an Honorary Faculty position at the Institute of Cancer Research. Her MD thesis was on stereotactic radiotherapy techniques for prostate and oligometastatic cancer.
She is a member of the UK SABR consortium committee and lead GU editor for the International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology and Physics. She is chief investigator of the TRAP, DELINEATE, DESTINATION and HERMES trials, lead for the PACE C trial and co-investigator of the PIVOTALboost, PACE-NODES and PEARLS trials. Her research has received funding from Prostate Cancer UK, Cancer Research UK, the Rosetrees Trust, the JP Moulton foundation, Accuray and Elekta.
She is chair of the MR Linac consortium steering committee. Her current research interests include improving radiotherapy for men with localised and metastatic prostate cancer.
Harley Stephens
SABR and IGRT specialist Therapy Radiographer
University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust
Harley Stephens is a therapeutic radiographer, specialising in IGRT (image guided radiotherapy) and SABR (stereotactic ablative radiotherapy) at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston. As part of her role Harley has been involved in expanding the number of sites treated with SABR within the department, recently helping with developing protocols and training to implement prostate SABR.
Achieving the best practice pathway for men with prostate cancer is of particular focus, and Harley is on the current Clinical Champion programme for Prostate Cancer UK. Her role incorporates both clinical and research aspects, and Harley is the early career research lead for the bone metastases working group with NCRI, which is working with NIHR in formulating new trials.
Imran Ahmad
Clinical Senior Lecturer and Honorary Consultant Urological Surgeon
University of Glasgow/NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
Imran Ahmad is an Academic Surgeon, specialising in Robotic Prostatectomy (RALP) and Cystectomy (RARC). Imran introduced the service to the West of Scotland in 2016, after returning from a fellowship at ULCH. Imran now oversees one of the highest-volume RALP (primary and salvage) services in the U.K. In addition, Imran is a Clinical Senior Lecturer at the University of Glasgow, with research focusing on understanding the mechanisms of treatment resistance in advanced prostate cancer.
In Imran’s practice, they are seeing more and more men presenting with advanced prostate cancer. When questioned the reasons include lack of awareness, issues accessing primary care, and the perception of being a bother. Imran is part of our current Clinical Champions cohort. His project is developing novel strategies to try and go back to basics to re-engage with patients and primary care at a grassroots level.
Professor Michael Kirby
Editor Trends in Urology and Men's Health and former GP
Hertfordshire
Professor Kirby qualified at St Mary’s Hospital, London and worked as a GP in Letchworth, Hertfordshire. He also worked in the cardiology department at the Queen Elizabeth II Hospital, Welwyn Garden City, for 36 years, and provided an open-access echocardiography service for patients with heart failure for the North Hertfordshire Primary Care Trust. He was Director of HertNet (the Hertfordshire Primary Care Research Network) from 1998 until 2007. He was Visiting Professor to the Faculty of Health and Human Sciences, at the University of Hertfordshire, where he was appointed as consultant to the Clinical Trials Coordinating Centre. He also worked with the University of Bedfordshire as Visiting Professor to the Institute of Diabetes for Older People. His subsequent clinical work was at The Prostate Centre in London, where he dealt with complex cardio-metabolic diseases, sexual problems, and andrology.
He has been a long-term member of the British Society for Sexual Medicine and is the ex-treasurer. He is a Trustee of the Sexual Advice Association and developed the SMART SAA Application available online. He is an Associate Member of the British Association of Urological Surgeons and a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians. His special interests include cardiology, diabetes, osteoporosis, men’s health, urology, andrology, and education. He is past Editor of the Primary Care Cardiovascular Journal, and current editor of Trends in Urology & Men’s Health, he is on the editorial board of the British Journal of Primary Care Nursing, the British Journal of Cardiology, Geriatric Medicine and the International Journal of Clinical Practice.
He also holds membership of several NHS advisory boards. He has published more than 450 clinical papers and 32 books. The 4th edition of Men’s Health and Testosterone in Cardiometabolic and other diseases were published in 2022.
Irene Sharkey
Clinical Nurse Specialist Prostate Assessment
Sheffield
Irene Sharkey completed her nurse training in 1997, with her first posting on a Urology ward at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals. During this time she became aware of the complexities in relation to the prostate and its diseases. In 2002 Irene joined the Sheffield Academic Department of Urology and then the Urological Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences University of Oxford as a Research Sister/Clinical Nurse Specialist post for the ProtecT Trial (Prostate Cancer Testing and Treatment Study). In 2014, utilising the skills and knowledge that she had acquired from the ProtecT Trial Irene helped to develop a nurse-led Prostate Assessment Service, the first of its kind in Sheffield.
Irene brings extensive experience in counselling men in PSA testing, multi-parametric MRI findings, ultra-sound guided Trans-rectal and Trans-perineal prostate biopsy under local anaesthetic or general/spinal anaesthetic and the wide range of treatments for organ confined, locally advanced and metastatic prostate cancer. She continues to work closely with Sheffield Academic Department of Urology and is actively involved in case finding men who would be suitable for current research trials into prostate cancer investigations and treatment. As part of the COVID-19 recovery program Irene is working with the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Improvement Organisational Development Team and South Yorkshire Cancer Alliance Team to improve patient care within the prostate cancer diagnostic pathway.
She is very excited, enthusiastic, and privileged to be part of Prostate Cancer UK Clinical Advisory Group, to work alongside the charity and other clinicians, share knowledge and support the excellent work that Prostate Cancer UK provides to men, their families and peers to help make a difference.
Ravi Dandamundi
Consultant Clinical Oncologist
Wolverhampton
Dr Dandamundi is a Consultant Clinical Oncologist with a vast experience of more than 10 years in treating prostate cancer. He provides state of the art treatment for prostate cancer which includes Novel Hormones, External Beam and Stereotactic Ablative Body Radiotherapy (SABR) for prostate and oligo metastatic disease, chemotherapy, and radionuclide therapy. He strongly believes in a holistic approach and lifestyle management in the treatment of Prostate Cancer. Therefore, he has specialised in lifestyle medicine and developed a pathway to support cancer survivorship and living with and beyond cancer. He promotes, educates, and prescribes evidence-based nutrition, exercise, sleep hygiene, mindfulness, and personalised care in prostate cancer patients. He has also organised and supported several workshops and charity events in the communities rising awareness of prostate cancer and its management.
He is proud to be a member of the Clinical Advisory Group (CAG) to work collaboratively to advise and support on specific issues relating to prostate cancer.
Professor Nikhil Vasdev
Professor of Urology/ Consultant Urological Surgeon
East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust
Professor Nikhil Vasdev is a Consultant Urological Surgeon at East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust and Professor and Chair of Robotic Surgery at the School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire. Professor Vasdev is the Associate Medical Director for Cancer Services and Cancer Lead at East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust.
He leads research groups on Artificial Intelligence, Urinary Biomarker development, Low pressure Robotic Surgery and Microfluidics liquid biopsy research.
Professor Vasdev has published over 240 peer reviewed papers and has multiple successful portfolio research grants. He was awarded a Doctor of Science DSc by the awards committee at the University of Hertfordshire in 2020 for his national and international contribution to Robotic Urological Surgery.
He has completed his Clinical Champion Programme at Prostate Cancer UK in 2022 where his project focused on developing protocols that allow nerve sparing techniques during Robotic Prostatectomy and a reduction in the side effects whilst most importantly allowing optimisation and improvement in prostate cancer oncological control.
Alexander Norman
GP/ CO Medical Director SSCA
Sussex and Surrey
Alex Norman is a GP in Surrey. He has worked in improving cancer services for the last eight years including commissioning and clinical lead roles. He is currently Co- Medical Director at the Surrey and Sussex Cancer Alliance (SSCA) working across a population of over three million people to help support and transform cancer services from early and faster diagnosis to reducing treatment variation and supporting personalised care for those living with cancer. He supported the rollout of personalised stratified follow up for prostate cancer in the community and has worked in the Alliance to improve these pathways to support patients living with prostate cancer.
Working at SSCA, Alex has worked on the best practice timed pathway for prostate cancer and developed guidance for the implementation of prostate follow up pathways. At SSCA he was part of the team that developed a Targeted Prostate Cancer Case Finding Pilot that was developed to find the missing men during the COVID pandemic. The pilot won an HSJ award for most effective contribution to clinical redesign.
Alex has worked with Prostate Cancer UK over the last few years in educational roles and coproduction forums to help improve the understanding of prostate cancer and work towards improving its earlier diagnosis and supporting those living with the disease.
Will Kinnaird
Urology Specialist Therapeutic Radiographer
London
Will Kinnaird is in a urology research and development role looking at ways to improve care for men with prostate cancer. His work involves setting up and helping to run trials and audits as well as developing services and supporting with the clinical side of prostate cancer treatment.
Will has spent a large portion of his career delivering external beam radiotherapy, so came into this research role from a treatment floor background. His current role incorporates both clinical and research aspects, which allows him to make the connection between the treatments delivered and long-term consequences.
Sexual dysfunction is one of the most common side effects of nearly all prostate cancer treatments. Men experience erectile dysfunction, penis shrinkage, ejaculatory disorders, orgasmic changes and urinary incontinence during sexual activity. Surveys of men with prostate cancer show they do not receive the help they need to deal with these issues. During his time on the Clinical Champions Programme, Will developed a project which aims to draw up national guidance for managing sexual dysfunction in men with advanced disease.
This issue is particularly bad for men with advanced disease, who are living longer than ever, but often face the consequences of life-long hormone treatment. This project aims to draw up national guidance for managing sexual dysfunction in men with advanced disease.
This will involve gathering the views of patients and health care professionals, as well as assessing the current evidence to identify the very best treatments for these men. The aim is to provide a template for healthcare professionals and patients to help address this growing need.
Vishwanath Hanchanale
Consultant Robotic and Urological Surgeon
Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Vishwanath is a consultant Urological and Robotic Surgeon at Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (LUHFT) and an Honorary Clinical Lecturer at Liverpool Faculty of Health & Life Sciences. He has a special interest in managing prostate, bladder and testicular cancers.
Following completing his medical qualification and initial post-graduate surgical training in India, Vishwanath did two years of research analysing the volume-outcome relationships in complex urological cancer surgeries. Then Vishwanath joined Leeds for the urology Specialty Training and robotic surgery fellowship. Furthermore, to enhance his robotic skills, he undertook a clinical visit to Cornell University, New York (2012) and European Robotic Urological Surgery (ERUS) training with Prof Mottrie in Belgium (2015).
As a Prostate Cancer UK Clinical Champion and passionate advocate of prostate cancer diagnostics, Vishwanath aspired to streamline prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment across the United Kingdom. He introduced local anaesthetic transperineal prostate biopsies, ultra-low pneumo-pressure, and reconstructive robotic prostate surgery at LUHFT to improve patient outcomes. He also established robotic cystectomy for bladder cancer with high-quality outcomes and introduced robotic RPLND and robotic pelvic exenteration at LUHFT.
Vishwanath is the British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS) Oncology Section Secretary, actively engaging with NHS, NICE, patient support groups & Royal Colleges to improve cancer services in the UK. As RCS Edinburgh Exec member, he co-developed: “Development of new robotic surgical services-A guide to good practice”.
In recognition of his national medical education and simulation contributions, he was awarded the “2023 BAUS Section of Trainees Silver Cystoscope Award”. Vishwanath was the key member in starting the first National Urology Simulation Bootcamp (USBC) (2015) and in 2019, was appointed as the Course Director. Furthermore he is a Careers Lead/College Rep & ARCP/ STEC Panel member. Vishwanath is a robotic surgery proctor to several consultants, fellows, trainees and mentored several junior members in their clinical research/audit projects.
In his role as the deputy chair for the Trust Clinical Sustainability Group, he is developing several projects towards the NHS goal of “NET ZERO” carbon footprint by 2050. Vishwanath has led innovation & research projects with 50+ peer-reviewed publications, book chapters & 200+ national/international presentations. Finally, he is honorary Visiting Faculty at the JN Medical College, KLE Academy of Higher Education & Research, Belagavi, India.
Sarah Dewhurst
Physiotherapist, living with and beyond cancer
Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust
Sarah has been a qualified physiotherapist for over twenty years, undertaking a variety of roles in the NHS, private and voluntary sector. For the past 13 years she has specialised in oncology and is currently the ‘Living With and Beyond Cancer’ Lead Therapist at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust in south west London. This role allows Sarah to continue her clinical role including a Pilates practice, alongside teaching, research and managing the outpatient service. She is passionate about the promotion of physical activity within cancer care and leads the Trust’s Physical Activity Strategy.
In 2019 Sarah undertook an international Fellowship to explore how other countries are embedding physical activity into cancer treatment pathways, including three weeks in Australia where their Oncology Society has published recommendations that exercise support should be standard care. On her return, Sarah set up a specialist interest group for physiotherapists interested in the field of exercise oncology.
It was at that point Sarah had her first influential encounter with the third sector, completing a two year secondment with Macmillan in a primary care education role as a clinical advisor. She is delighted to now be working with Prostate Cancer UK, first as a Clinical Champion and now as a member of the Clinical Advisory Board.
In addition to her clinical role, Sarah is the lead Allied Health Professional (AHP) for a national education programme upskilling healthcare professionals on their role in delivering brief physical activity interventions as part of routine practice. Sarah is a huge advocate for the AHP workforce which makes such a difference to the lives of people living with cancer every day. Prostate Cancer UK is rightly committed to improving the quality of life for men with prostate cancer and she is honoured to represent the 14 AHP professions on our Clinical Advisory Group.
Oluwabunmi Olajide
General Practitioner
Rush Green Medical Centre
Bunmi is a GP based in Greater London. His scope of work has covered commissioning, policy development and education not just in his local area but also across London. As a GP representative on his hospital’s Access Policy Steering Group – Cancer Pathway, he has on a voluntary basis been involved in shaping the Cancer Access Policy of the local NHS Trust in collaboration with other stakeholders including patient representatives.
He has been appointed as the BHRCEPN Health Equity Lead and was a GP representative on the Transforming Cancer Services (TCST) pan London, Personalised Cancer Care (PCC) and Inequalities Steering Group.
Bunmi also happens to be a GP Training Programme Director for the Barking, Dagenham & Havering vocational training scheme. He has a keen interest in raising awareness and transforming GP registrar cancer education.
As a Prostate Cancer UK Clinical Champion, Bunmi has worked to increase awareness of prostate cancer specifically amongst men within the black ethnic minority group. He has worked with other specialist, stakeholders and those impacted by prostate cancer to support work on the PSA Consensus. He will be looking to improve early presentation to a healthcare professional. Bunmi’s focus of interest is to work with religious bodies, improve primary care engagement and work with charities for those affected by prostate cancer, particularly men of black African / Caribbean / Afro Caribbean background.
Olly Hulson
Consultant Radiologist
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Olly has a specific interest in prostate cancer diagnostics and therapy and has led the introduction of transperineal biopsy in his centre. Olly has a keen interest in teaching and education and is currently training consultant and sonographer colleagues in the new biopsy technique.
Olly has worked closely with Prostate Cancer UK in the past on developing their patient information leaflets. This challenged his preconceptions of what constitutes good patient information. In particular, the input from patients and support groups which he found enlightening and led to him revising his own in-house information leaflets armed with this new knowledge and experience.
He was part of our Clinical Champions inaugural cohort and is really looking forward to working with Prostate Cancer UK and other Clinical Advisory Group members.
Leann McLaughlin
Uro-Oncology CNS
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Inverclyde Royal Hospital
Leann has been a nurse for 12 years and became a Uro-Oncology CNS specialising in Prostate Cancer three years ago. Her role currently involves carrying out TRUS prostate biopsies, looking after men on active surveillance, watchful wait, post robotic surgery and post hormones and radiotherapy treatment as well as doing rapid prostate assessment and benign prostate assessment clinics. She was one of our Clinical Champions of 2022/23, aiming to introduce a nurse led transperineal biopsy service at her Trust for her project and continues to work on this. She is currently a Trustee with the British Association of Urological Nurses (BAUN) and is Depute Education Lead there.
Leann has a great passion for cancer care due to personal experiences and has interests in service and quality improvement. Leann has previously completed an MSc in Advancing Healthcare Practice and more recently a Post Graduate Diploma in Prostate Cancer Care. She is currently undertaking a Clinical Doctorate at University of Stirling to study the effects of deprivation and health inequalities on prostate cancer outcomes for men with localised disease. She won the Bronze award in Urology Nurse of the Year category at the British Journal of Nursing Awards 2023 for her work and was congratulated by the Scottish Parliament in their Parliamentary mentions thereafter.
Leann is extremely proud and excited to be continuing to work with Prostate Cancer UK as part of the clinical advisory group as she is passionate about her role. She hopes that she can contribute to further improvements for men with prostate cancer and their families.
Mark Linch
Associate Professor of Oncology
University College London Cancer Institute
Dr Linch is an Associate Professor at University College London (UCL) Cancer Institute, where he leads the Urological Cancer Biology Group, and Honorary Consultant Medical Oncologist. Dr Linch trained in medical oncology at the Royal Marsden Hospital (RMH), London. In 2012 he was awarded a PhD in Cancer Cell Biology from UCL and the Cancer Research UK London Research Institute (LRI), now part of the Francis Crick Institute. He continued his post-doctoral studies at the LRI while also working as a Consultant Medical Oncologist at RMH.
In 2014 Dr Linch moved to UCL to specialise in the clinical management and translational biology of prostate and bladder cancer. His research is focused on the immune biology of these cancers with a view to identifying rational immunotherapy combinations, predictive biomarkers and novel liquid biopsy strategies.
He is the Uro-oncology lead for the UCL/CRUK Clinical Trials Centre, is the chief investigator of a number of national and international combination immunotherapy trials in bladder and prostate cancer, was the Chair of the UK Prostate Cancer 100,000 genome project group and is an inaugural member of the UK Bladder Cancer Translational Group.