invited Speakers

Professor Richard Holland - Opening address

Professor Holland ( he/him) qualified in 1991 from Cambridge (pre-clinical training) and Oxford (clinical training) and entered Public Health after a variety of junior doctor posts. Those jobs took him from Oxford to Bristol, Bath and Torbay before a year in Sydney and Rockhampton, Australia, where his roles included work with the Royal Flying Doctor Service. On his return to the UK in 1997, he entered Public Health working in Somerset before moving to Cambridge and subsequently UEA in 1999.

He was awarded an MRC Fellowship in 2001 and gained £3.4 million as a principal investigator, over £12 million as a co-applicant, plus over £4.5 million in educational grant funding from NHS and charitable bodies. He was promoted to a Chair at UEA in 2011 and his most recent major award was an NIHR programme grant with colleagues testing the effectiveness of a pharmacist independent prescribing intervention within care homes across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

He has always had a passion for teaching and played an active role in the early days of UEA’s new innovative integrated medical course. He became its Course Director in 2008 and Deputy Head of School in 2012. He was appointed as Head of Leicester Medical School in 2017 and joined the University of Exeter in 2023 as Deputy PVC and Dean of the Medical School.

Professor RAJANI NAIDOO - opening address

Professor Rajani Naidoo (she/her) was appointed Vice-President & Deputy Vice-Chancellor for People and Culture at the University of Exeter in January 2024. She holds a UNESCO Chair in Higher Education Management and sits on the European Foundation for Management Development Research and Development Committee; and on the British Council Education Advisory Group.

She was featured in the Stanford/Elsevier top 2 per cent most highly cited scholars in her field and her research focusses on the transformation of contemporary universities and their contribution to the global good.

As the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for People and Culture, she leads on the development and implementation of the “Our People” theme of the University’s Strategy 2030 with overall responsibility for championing and driving a step change in Exeter’s people and culture priorities across the whole University community. She co-chairs the Wellbeing, Inclusivity and Culture Committee, providing senior leadership and ensuring the integrated delivery of our strategic vision for culture, inclusion and performance. She works closely with Faculty Deputy Vice-Chancellors, Divisional Directors and the Community and Inclusion team to co-create support, development and inclusive leadership strategies.

Professor Krasimira Tsaneva-Atanasova - closing remarks

Professor Krasimira Tsaneva-Atanasova (she/her) is Vice-President and Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Impact and Professor of Mathematics for Healthcare.  

Professor Tsaneva-Atanasova earned her undergraduate and MSc degrees in mathematics at the University of Plovdiv, Bulgaria and her PhD in applied mathematics at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. Following postdoctoral fellow positions in the USA and France she spent five years at the University of Bristol. She joined the University of Exeter (UoE) in 2013. She has previously held a number of leadership roles at UoE including the Associate Dean for Global and the Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research and Impact in the Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy.  Professor Tsaneva-Atanasova's research addresses open questions in Health and Life Sciences by means of mathematical modelling and analysis including advanced data analytics. The ultimate goal is to be able to propose novel applications of mathematics to enable the development of quantitative methods for healthcare and healthcare technologies.

As Vice-President and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Impact), Professor Tsaneva-Atanasova oversees a total research portfolio of over £500 million and leads the research and impact strategy for the University. Her overarching responsibilities include our preparation and submission for the Research Excellence Framework in 2029; interdisciplinary institutes, networks and centres; strategic leadership of our Doctoral College, the University Ethics Committee and the Research and Impact Executive Committee; and ensuring our research is utilised and impacts positively on the wider world. Professor Tsaneva-Atanasova represents the University externally via a number of research-related groups including GW4, our regional alliance of the Universities of Bristol, Bath, Cardiff and Exeter. 

Professor emmanuel adukwU - keynote speaker

Emmanuel Adukwu (he/him) is Deputy Head of the School of Applied Sciences and Professor of Applied Microbiology at the University of the West of England Bristol. He was the winner of the Royal Society of Biology’s Bioscience Teacher of the Year (HEBTOTY) award in 2013, an award which recognises outstanding learning and teaching practices. He is actively involved in supporting underrepresented communities in academia and the life sciences, through his work as the Chair of the Minoritized Life Scientists future Forum (MLSFF) and Member of the Advisory board for the Black in Biomedical Research Advisory Group (BBRAG) for the Medical Research Council (MRC). He also contributes to initiatives that address diversity and equity in higher education. He has initiated several successful innovative School and institution-wide projects at UWE Bristol aimed at diversifying and decolonising perspectives.

Dr Emma PitchforTH - Speaker

Dr Emma Pitchforth (she/her) (PhD Public Health) is an Associate Professor for Primary Care and Deputy Head of Department of Health and Community Sciences. Throughout her career in health services and policy research she has worked in low- and middle- income country contexts as well as the UK. Her research interests include women's health, antimicrobial resistance and comparative health systems and policy analysis. Emma is NIHR Senior Journal Editor for Global Health Research and Executive Editor of Sexual and Reproductive Health and was previously co-Editor-in-Chief of Globalization and Health.

pROF Zahid Pranjol - Speaker

Dr Zahid Pranjol (he/him) is a distinguished Professor of Biomedical Science at Sussex University, where he also serves as the Associate Dean (Education & Students) for the Faculty of Science, Engineering, and Medicine. A dedicated advocate for inclusive education, race equity, and the decolonisation of the curriculum, Zahid has made significant strides in these critical areas. As a cancer cell biologist by training and an Exeter alumnus, he has dedicated considerable effort to advancing education and promoting equity within the academic community. His commitment to excellence and innovation continues to inspire and shape the future of higher education at Sussex University and beyond.

Dr Maisha islam - Speaker

Dr Maisha Islam (she/her) is the Research Culture Lead for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Southampton’s Doctoral College. Her research areas of interest and expertise centre on student engagement, and racial and religious equity in higher education. For example, Maisha has investigated ‘Asian’ student experience in relation to degree-awarding gaps, Black and Asian PGR student experience, and has supported Universities UK develop guidance for universities tackling racial harassment and Islamophobia on campus.

She is a co-editor of the recently published book ‘Uncovering Islamophobia in Higher Education: Supporting the success of Muslim students and staff’, and co-Chair of a Research England/Office for Students Steering Group seeking to improve access and participation of racially minoritized students in postgraduate research.

DR AMAD AL-AZZAWI - WORKSHOP 4 LEAD

Dr Amad Al-Azzawi (he/him) is an experienced and dedicated educator who is well-versed in innovative teaching pedagogies and teaching students at different levels and coming from highly diverse backgrounds. He has over 15 years of experience as a practicing pharmacist, a university educator, and a research scholar spanning three countries: Iraq, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Canada. Amad obtained his first PhD in Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry from the University of Baghdad, then he moved to Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE, and was appointed as a faculty member in the Pharmacy college at the Ras Al Khaimah Medical and Health Sciences University. Currently, he is completing a second PhD in Higher Education in the Health Professions Education at the University of Toronto, where his research focuses on the role of international accreditations play in clinical training practices. In his research, he views pharmacists as frontline public health professionals and is looking to link between pharmacy, clinical training, and public health. The goal of his research is to support the development of robust training systems for health professionals.

Dr Lucy woodall - Speaker

Dr Lucy Woodall (she/her) is an Associate Professor in Conservation Biology and Policy at the University of Exeter. She is a marine biologist with a passion for sharing the delights and importance of the aquatic world with global citizens, with a special interest in the impacts of human activities on threatened species and remote ecosystems. Lucy is a co-founder of the Heritage Marine Foundation.

Dr Tudor Chinnah - workshop 3 lead

Professor Tudor I. Chinnah (he/him)(PhD, MScClinEd, MSc, BMedSci (Hons), SFHEA) is an Associate Professor of Anatomy and Medical Education at the University of Exeter, UK, with an academic career spanning over 30 years in Nigeria and the UK.

He has taught all aspects of human anatomy, including Embryology and Neuroanatomy, to undergraduate and postgraduate students and has contributed to postgraduate Medical Education research. He played a key role in designing the University of Exeter Medical School’s innovative non-cadaveric anatomy curriculum and its teaching strategies.

Passionate about Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), Tudor’s involvement is shaped by his lived experience in the UK as a former postgraduate student and now faculty member. He actively contributes to the University of Exeter’s racial equality initiatives and is part of various EDI-focused groups, including the Widening Participation (WP) Task and Finish Group.

A nationally and internationally recognised Anatomist and Medical Educator, as well as a Commonwealth Scholar, Tudor serves as a visiting scholar at the University of Port Harcourt, where he established and continues to support a postgraduate Medical Education program. He has also served as an external examiner and visiting scholar for medical schools worldwide and has contributed to curriculum development, management, and assessment committees.

Tudor is a member of the Association for the Study of Medical Education (ASME) Special Interest Research Methodology Group (RMG), leading its EDI Committee. His research interests include congenital malformations (Teratology) in human embryology, medical education pedagogy, and decolonisation. A Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (UK), he has received multiple teaching merit awards.

Dr Sophie nedelec - workshop 2 lead

A Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellow, Dr Nedelec (she/her), works on particle acceleration passive acoustic monitoring for mapping coral reefs. Broadly, Dr Nedelec is interested in underwater sound, sensory ecology, human impacts on the environment and sustainability. Much of her work has focused on the impacts of anthropogenic noise on the reproduction and survival of fish. Her current work is also focussing on engaging with policy-makers and translating research into behavioural change.

Prof Stephanie bull - workshop 3 lead

Prof Stephanie (she/her) is SFHEA committed to delivering high quality education for future health professionals through her teaching, education leadership, and research.

Currently working at both Imperial College London supporting medical education innovation and research and University of Exeter leading a dissertation module serving six health professions post-graduate programmes.

Stephanie has a strong reputation for education research. She has published over 30 papers, secured grant income for pedagogical studies, and presented at national conferences. Research themes include: education innovation (e.g., introducing activities around sustainable healthcare, role of arts engagement in healthcare) career choice (e.g., what motivates, enables and restricts career decisions), public involvement (e.g., how can we best work with and for our communities), equality/diversity/ inclusion (e.g., what influences and supports the development of student belonging).

Stephanie has been supporting health professions/science educators to develop their education research practice for many years, both within Institution and externally through her role on the Education Research Committee of the Association of the Study of Medical Education.

Dr Lois haruna-cooper - workshop 1 lead

Dr Lois Haruna-Cooper (she/her) is an Associate Professor at University College London (UCL) Medical School, where she works with the Centre for International Medical Education Collaborations (CIMEC), supporting the academic delivery of international collaboration projects. She is a member of the medical school’s Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) committee and heads the Race sub-committee, reflecting her commitment to fostering an inclusive academic environment.

Dr Haruna-Cooper continues to work as an NHS GP and is also a tutor for the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education, where she delivers clinical skills and examination training to Pharmacists.

Dr safi darden - workshop 2 lead

Dr Darden (she/her) is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Exeter. She works in both vertebrate and invertebrate systems and in the lab and field to investigate the causes and consequences of social behaviour. She is currently particularly interested in the evolution and maintenance of cooperation among unrelated individuals and the mechanisms underlying decision-making in cooperative contexts.

Melissa Barlow - workshop 4 lead

Melissa Barlow (she/her) is a PhD student and Graduate Research Assistant specialising in early cancer diagnosis in primary care, with a recent focus on ethnic inequalities. Her research has identified significant variations in primary care blood test results and clinical differences in their ability to predict cancer risk across different ethnic groups. Through collaborations with local underrepresented communities, she has gained valuable insights into the socioeconomic, cultural, and religious barriers that may prevent some patients from seeking and engaging with primary care services. Her current work aims to quantify the impact of these challenges on primary care testing rates and ultimately on early cancer detection.

Dr Hope gangata - workshop 5 lead

Dr Hope Gangata (he/him) is Senior Lecturer in Anatomy and a Trauma and Orthopaedic Physiotherapist. He was born in a former British colony, where he received his anatomical training and clinical physiotherapy training under British educational systems, and has first-hand experiences of where the local context was frequently ignored in formal educational policies and literature. He is currently the Education EDI Lead in the EDI Committee of the Anatomical Society that created and runs the project to develop various Anatomy EDI Resources that account for the normal age, sex/gender and ethnic variations among us, to better support Anatomy Educators. Hope wrote his Autobiography book 'The Fattened Lions on the Educational Odyssey' as a case for raising aspirations and widening access to higher education, and the foreword of the book has been written by the former President of the Anatomical Society and Editor-in-Chief of Gray’s Anatomy, Susan Standring, Emeritus Professor of Anatomy.

sheena talma - speaker

Sheena Talma is a marine biologist from Seychelles focusing on deep-sea ecosystems and understanding fish species distribution in the Southwest Indian Ocean using visual surveys. Her work previously centred on genetics and fisheries, and she has participated in numerous expeditions across the Indian Ocean, including both EEZS and high seas, contributing valuable insights into these largely unexplored environments. To her knowledge, she is the first female Seychellois to head to Antarctica, with the only other record being a male photographer.
As a freelance consultant, Sheena collaborates with local and international organisations, advancing marine research and policy initiatives globally. She serves as a scientific advisor to the Seychelles government within BBNJ Treaty realm. Sheena has began several initiatives in the Seychelles around accessible technology and is working to democratise the deep Ocean in her region.

Sheena earned her master’s degree in genetics from Rhodes University in South Africa and is now pursuing a DPhil at the University of Oxford, using visual data collected in the Indian Ocean. She is passionate about fostering diverse collaborations and promoting deep-sea science in the Western Indian Ocean Region (and Beyond).

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