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 Professor in Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineering (ASME). He is an adjunct professor in 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. He is an Editor-in-Chief for the first AAAS/Science Partner Journal, Research.
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.
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).