Dr Charareh Pourzand
Charareh Pourzand is the co-founder and co-Chair of the International Skin@Bath Network events from 2017. At the University of Bath, she holds the positions of ‘Academic Reader in Pharmaceutics’ at the Department of Life Sciences, ‘Associate Dean (CCI)’ at the Faculty of Sciences and the ‘Director of Innovation’ at the Centre for Therapeutic Innovation. She also leads the ‘UVA Photobiology, iron and Oxidative Stress’ research group at the Department of Life Sciences and her unique expertise in this field has been recognised internationally for over two decades. During this period, she has also had solid collaborative projects with industrial partners interested in her innovative approaches for sun protection and the therapy of iron-related skin disorders. Pourzand completed her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees at the Universities of Neuchatel and Lausanne in Switzerland.
Dr Caoimhe Fahy
Dr Caoimhe Fahy has been a Consultant Dermatologist at the Royal United Hospital (RUH) in Bath, since 2016. She is lead for the Dermatology Biologic Service at the RUH, as well as the lead for Dermatology Research. She is the Clinical Research Speciality Lead for the Clinical Research Network of the West of England for the National Institute of Health Research. During her specialist training Dr Fahy was awarded a clinical research fellowship from the Health Research Board of Ireland, and she completed a PhD at Trinity College Dublin, under the supervision of Prof Alan D. Irvine, Professor of Dermatology and Prof Padraic G. Fallon Science Foundation Ireland, Stokes Professor of Translational Immunology. The thesis examined the impact of environmental factors on a model of atopic dermatitis (eczema) – one of her main areas of clinical and research interest. Other clinical areas of special interest for Dr Fahy include biologic therapies in dermatology, vulval dermatology and hidradenitis suppurativa.
Dr. Tianhong Cui
Dr. Tianhong Cui is a Distinguished McKnight University Professor at the University of Minnesota and a Global Chair at the University of Bath. He is a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts (EASA). He is a Professor in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Biomedical Engineering. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineering (ASME). He is an adjunct professor in Physiology and Biomedical Engineering at Mayo Clinic and a Visiting Fellow at the University of Cambridge. He was a Laureate of Blaise Pascal Chair for Excellence in France and a Distinguished Visiting Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in the UK. He is an Executive Editor-in-Chief for the first engineering journal of Nature, Microsystems & Nanoengineering, and an Editor-in-Chief for the first AAAS/Science Partner Journal, Research. His research interests focus on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) with a focus on micro and nano sensors for healthcare and clean water. He published over 380 papers and holds 10 US patents.
We are delighted to continue our partnership with the Bath Institute for Rheumatic Diseases, which provides administrative support and some sponsorship for the conference, as part of their work to bring clinicians and scientists together to progress rheumatology research, education, and patient engagement.
Dr William Tillett graduated from the University of Bristol with a BSc in Anatomical Science before undertaking his medical degree at the same institution. He undertook his doctoral fellowship in outcome measurement in psoriatic arthritis.
William has published more than 350 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters or conference proceedings on the assessment and treatment of psoriatic arthritis. His research and clinical interests centre on precision medicine through improved assessment of psoriatic arthritis (clinical, radiographic, and patient reported outcomes), early detection of disease, and treatment strategies. He is Chief Investigator for a portfolio of clinical and commercial research trials including the Bath Psoriatic Arthritis Biobank.
William was awarded a European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) Clinical Scientist award in 2015. He co-authored the 2013 British Society of Rheumatology (BSR) psoriatic arthritis Biologics guidelines and co-chaired the 2023 update. William sits on the steering committee for the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA) and chairs the peripheral arthritis domain of the 2024 GRAPPA treatment recommendations update group. He is a co-chair of the international psoriatic arthritis Outcome Measurement in Rheumatology (OMERACT) working group. He is on the editorial board of the Journal of Rheumatology and the Versus Arthritis Inflammatory Arthritis Research Advisory Group. William is currently on the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) patient involvement taskforce to improve meaningful patient representation in Psoriatic arthritis research. He is a trustee for two charities, the Bath Institute for Rheumatic Diseases (BIRD) and British Consortium for Psoriatic Arthritis (BritPACT).
Celia Mead
Celia Mead is Executive Director of Bath Institute for Rheumatic Diseases (BIRD). She is a management consultant and has many years’ experience running charities, especially through change. At BIRD her role is to put in place the strategy and team that delivers programmes of patient engagement; grant giving for research; and educational opportunities for medical professionals in the wide field of rheumatic disease. Celia is also a trustee of several charitable trusts and works freelance as a consultant in similar roles elsewhere when not working for BIRD. The connective tissue behind her work portfolio is the drive to improve public benefit, whether that’s public understanding, access to resources or more equal opportunities.
Francesca Staples
Fran is the senior administrator for the Bath Institute for Rheumatic Diseases (BIRD). Fran organises the BIRD healthcare education programme, where BIRD hosts numerous rheumatology focused educational events and conferences to regional and local clinicians, Fran also supports the BIRD Research Committee in awarding grants to rheumatology researchers. Fran in her role at BIRD for around 14 years and also provides secretariat for two other local charities, BGPERT (Bath based GP education) and Brit-PACT (developed to facilitate and advance research and best practice in psoriatic arthritis in the United Kingdom).
‘In Partnership with China-UK Skin Consortium:
Prof Dr Fudi Wang
Prof. Dr. Wang is currently serving as a President of Xinxiang Medical University, Vice President of University of South China (USC), Dean of Hengyang Medical School at USC, and Qiushi Chair Professor at Zhejiang University School of Medicine in China. Dr. Wang holds several high-profile national honors, including National High-level Personnel of Special Support Program, National Distinguished Young Scientist from National Nature Science Foundation of China (NSFC), Elsevier Highly Cited Chinese Researcher. Dr. Wang’s research interests are mainly focused on elucidating molecular mechanisms of iron (including zinc, and manganese) metabolism and ferroptosis. To date, he has published more than 200 articles (Citation 18 000, Cover papers 24, H- index 68) in peer-reviewed prestigious journals.
Dr Julia Li Zhong
Prof Dr. Julia Li Zhong graduated from Clinical Medicine at West China University of Medicine, Sichuan University. She obtained her Ph.D. in Photobiology-Pharmacology from the University of Bath in October 2001. Following her postdoctoral research at King’s College London and the University of London, she joined the University of Bath as a Research Associate (RA2) in 2006. Later, in September 2009, she moved to Chongqing University to engage in teaching and research. Her research interests include UVA-mediated cellular effects, and she has led projects supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and NSFC-Chongqing. Dr. Li Zhong has authored more than 50 scientific papers in highly cited peer-reviewed journals. Moreover, she has joint UVA-LED patents of inventions. She is regularly invited as a speaker to national and international Photobiology and Dermatology conferences. Other Academic Appointments: Chinese Society of Free Radical Biology and Medicine; Chinese Society of Photobiology; Head of Experimental Dermatology at Chongqing University /