One of the highlights of the scientific programme is the Crucible, an innovative trainee-led initiative where the five top abstracts have been selected for a presentation on the topic of: 'What lessons learnt during the COVID-19 pandemic should change future practice in haematology?'
During the Crucible session, these abstracts are presented and judged by a group of esteemed panellists. You can meet the panellists below.
Dr Subarna Chakravorty is a Paediatric Haematologist with a special interest in non-malignant haematology. She
joined King’s College Hospital as consultant in July 2015. Prior to that, Subarna led the Paediatric
Haemoglobinopathy service at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and the Imperial Paediatric Red Cell
Disorders Network for 5 years, where she was also involved in the bone marrow transplant programme for
paediatrics.
Subarna is the national lead for the UK Haemoglobinopathy Peer Reviews, 2018-2020. She is currently the joint
Paediatric lead for the South Thames Sickle and Thalassaemia Network and is a member of the Clinical Reference
Group for haemoglobinopathy, NHS England. She is a trustee of the BSH and the UK Forum on Haemoglobin Disorders.
Subarna is interested in clinical and molecular research in sickle cell disease and is involved in a number of
projects at King’s College London.
Jenny Darlow
Jenny graduated from the University of Cambridge in 2013 with a BA in genetics and MBBChir with Distinction.
Since graduation, she initially trained in general paediatrics before taking up a haematology training post in
Manchester with the intention of pursuing a career in paediatric haematology.
Outside of her career, she has worked as a doctor in a refugee camp in Greece, worked in a volunteering and
managerial role for the National Nightline Association and currently works for the Social Mobility Foundation,
mentoring students from disadvantaged backgrounds to gain places at University.
Jenny was delighted to win the Crucible Prize in 2019, and is honoured to chair the third annual session in 2020.
Rebecca Hallam
Rebecca began her nursing career in Oxford working in both oncology and haematology and bone marrow
transplantation at University Hospitals, Oxford. Moving to Bristol in 2006, Rebecca was acting Ward Sister on
the haematology unit at University Hospitals Bristol before being appointed to Lymphoma Clinical Nurse
Specialist in 2008. A service development saw the haematology service in Weston Super Mare acquired by
University Hospital Bristol and Rebecca transferred to Weston General Hospital in 2016 to set up and develop a
sustainable haematology nursing service.
In 2019 Rebecca was appointed into the post of Advanced Clinical Practitioner in Bone Marrow Transplantation at
University Hospitals Bristol and is a member of the working group developing an ambulatory care service for
transplant patients.
Whilst working as a Lymphoma Clinical Nurse Specialist, Rebecca was part of the Macmillan support worker
programme which was rolled out on a national level after a successful pilot scheme in Bristol. As a service
development in Weston, Rebecca implemented a frailty identification tool within haemato-oncology clinics. The
work undertaken on frailty identification was published in Cancer Nursing Practice in June 2018.
Rebecca holds the position of secretary of the haematology member’s interest group of UKONS.
Education and training: Advanced level Practitioner RCN (2018); MSc Professional Development (Haematology
Nursing) University of the West of England (2017); Independent Prescriber (2014); PGCert Cancer Nursing, Oxford
Brookes University(2005);
BA (Hons) Adult Nursing, Oxford Brookes University (2001)
Specialist interests: long term follow up and late effects of cancer treatment, frailty in haemato-oncology.
Seye Kolade
Dr Seye Kolade carried out his haematology training in the London South West rotation and took up a consultant
post in Blackpool in 2014. He specialises in myeloid disorders and anticoagulation.
Simon Stanworth
Professor Simon Stanworth is a Consultant Haematologist at the John Radcliffe Hospital (NHS Blood & Transplant
and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust) in the UK. He is Associate Professor of Haematology and
Transfusion Medicine, University of Oxford. He has over 15 years of clinical research experience since gaining
his DPhil in 1995 from the University of Oxford, following his training in paediatrics and then haematology. His
research is centred on clinical indications of blood transfusion components or alternatives, through systematic
reviews and clinical studies/trials. He is an author of multiple national and international guidelines,
secretary of the South-Central Regional Transfusion Committee, Vice-Chair of International Collaboration for
Transfusion Medicine Guidelines, and Chair of European Haematology Association Scientific Working Group
Transfusion Medicine.
