Increasing MS Awareness in India: Biographies
Jump to: Carrie Brown | Alasdair Coles | Adrienne Cox | Caron Furnival | Alison Handford | Denise Middleton | Jane Petty | Anita Rose | Eli Silber
Carrie Brown
I have been nursing for 20 years, the last 12 of these have been specialising in Multiple Sclerosis.
For 8 years I worked for the MS Society in Great Britain, first managing a Specialist Respite Centre offering breaks for people severely affected by MS. I then moved to work for Head Office, Managing the MS Nurse Programme.
Prior to this I did voluntary work in the Czech Republic, setting up a Nursing Home in Prague, and in Elderly care in the UK.
I am now Lead MS Nurse for Healthcare at Home. This is a Homecare company supporting over 40,000 patients across the UK. Over 4500 of these patients have MS, and receive their medication from us – delivered direct to their homes. Our nurses support these patients, teaching them to manage their own treatment. My role involves teaching and supporting these nurses and working in partnership with the Pharmaceutical companies who fund these services.
I have two young Children and live in Yorkshire, England.
Alasdair Coles
Dr Alasdair Coles is a neurologist working in Cambridge on experimental treatments in multiple sclerosis. His main project is coordinating the current multi-centre US-European trial of beta interferon and Campath-1H in early active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (The CAMMS223 Trial). Campath-1H is a monoclonal antibody that was originally made in the basic science laboratories of the University of Cambridge and first used in MS by Professor Compston and Dr Coles in the neurology department there. Dr Coles tries to continue this tradition by providing a link between basic scientists with ideas about novel therapies and clinicians working in the field of multiple sclerosis.
He and colleagues also study the behaviour of immune cells taken from people with MS after treatment with immunotherapies, to try to understand how and why they change multiple sclerosis disease activity.
Adrienne Cox
I have been a nurse for nearly 25 years, the last 6 years have been as a MS Nurse Specialist based in Sheffield South Yorkshire. We have a large Neurology dept and work with 16 Neurologists. We have 4 Neurologists who have a special interest in MS we see patients from newly diagnosed all the way through the disease trajectory. My special interest is MS fatigue and Educating any one interested in learning more about the condition. I have a special interest in Nursing Homes and educating staff who work in them.
On a personal level I have two sons who are grown up a granddaughter who is nearly two and a dog and I am football mad going to watch my local team as often as possible which is Sheffield Wednesday
Caron Furnival
Caron Furnival is Head of Service Development at the MS Society with responsibility for improving services for people affected by MS across England and Wales. Caron leads on the Society’s six national service development programmes which are; MS Nurses, Physiotherapy, Service User Involvement, Carers, Social Care and Measuring Success (an audit and evaluation programme).
Before taking up this role, Caron worked for the MS Society for three years as the Nurse Fund Programme Manager. This programme has to date funded over 100 MS specialist across the UK. Caron originally started her career as a Registered General Nurse and a Registered Sick Children’s nurse but spent the majority of her clinical nursing career working predominately with people seriously affected by MS. Caron has also spent time during her career lecturing in Social Policy and working for another MS charity as an Education Officer.
Alison Handford
Alison joined the MS Society three years ago and is currently the Research Manager at the Society, responsible for the Society’s research strategy and priorities and for managing the annual research grants round. The Society funds basic, clinical and applied research, as well as work directed at improving services and providing practical help to people affected by MS. Over £2million is spent on research per year, and Alison is responsible for ensuring the outcomes of this are disseminated through publications and the website, as well as the involvement of people affected by MS in the Society’s research programmes.
Alison is also responsible for the Society’s key research conference for MS professionals and is currently working on a number of research projects including the development of a register for people with MS and a clinical trials network.
Prior to working at the MS Society, Alison worked for a government research agency, dividing her time between vision research and clinical trial work, focusing on sleep, fatigue and mental performance.
Denise Middleton
I qualified as an Occupational Therapist in 1986, working in Rheumatology and Orthopedics for 2 years, before 2 years at the then Regional Neurology Unit, Radcliffe Infirmary Hospital, Oxford on the medical Neurology wards.
I then moved to Milton Keynes as a physical disability coordinator. I set up a community based Physical Disability Resource Team targeted at coordinating care, assessing need, providing advice and intervention for people with long term conditions, the majority being neurological. This team has expanded and developed over the last 8 years the team is now a Neurological Clinical Specialist Team comprising of 6 posts which cover MS, brain injury, stroke, and other neurological conditions (motor neuron and Huntingdon’s disease).
I have been in my current role as Multiple Sclerosis Clinical Specialist for 7 years, providing assessments, information, education, advice and support to people with MS and their families. The majority of contacts are in patients own homes and a joint clinic with the Consultant Neurologist. I also run drop-in clinics and patient education sessions in partnership with the local MS Society and MS Therapy Centre and work in close partnership with the Neuro-Rehab Unit locally, jointly providing patient education and fatigue management groups. My role also involves developing and providing education and advice to professionals and care staff.
I’m 41, married with two children a daughter aged 9 and a son aged 6!
Jane Petty
I am the MS Society National Lead for the Physiotherapy Programme joining the Society in November 2005.
I have worked in neurology since 1979. In 1984 I began developing an outreach therapy service for people with long term neurological conditions within North Trent. This has now developed into a multidisciplinary service of Occupational therapists, physiotherapists and therapy assistants working closely with specialist nurses and neurologists across primary and secondary care. The service is in the NSF for long term neurological conditions as an example of good practise. I have presented nationally and internationally on developing therapy services for people with MS
My last 5 years in the NHS I worked as Clinical Lead specialist in neurology specialising in MS working within the weekly clinic and into the community. I am on Department of Health Advisory panel for the NSF for long term conditions
Anita Rose
Dr Anita Rose has been the Highly Specialist Clinical Psychologist with the MS Team at the Walton Centre of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Liverpool, since October 2005. She has had an interest in Neuropsychology obtaining extensive experience in this field since 1998.
Her original career, (before marriage and children!) was as a psychiatric nurse. She visits South Africa yearly to work as a volunteer with women and children. Since 2005 she has provided training within a Neuropsychology Dept in Cape Town following a 4 month secondment to that department.
She is currently involved in or running a number of research projects including; Computerised Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for people with MS, Service related issues with Cognitive deficits in people with MS, Carer burden and strain related to cognitive issues in people with MS, Investigation into Cognition in MS.
Outside of her work within the NHS she is an advisor to City Hearts Women’s House, Sheffield, a residential home for women with life controlling issues.
Eli Silber
Dr Eli Silber comes from South Africa and started his career as a Neurologist at Baragwanath Hospital (the largest hospital in the world). He came to the UK in 1997 when he took up the post of Senior Registrar at Charing Cross Hospital. He then went on to do research with Professor Richard Hughes at Guys Hospital into antibodies to axonal proteins in MS.
Since 2000 Dr Silber has been based at Kings College Hospital and runs the regional MS Clinic at both Kings as well as having a busy general neurology practice at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich.
Eli's special clinical interests are: long term care for people with MS including mood and cognitive problems. He is involved in the MS Society funded Palliative Care project and is interested in cannabis use amongst his MS patients. He is also interested in the neurological problems that occur at high altitudes.
Carrie Brown
I have been nursing for 20 years, the last 12 of these have been specialising in Multiple Sclerosis.
For 8 years I worked for the MS Society in Great Britain, first managing a Specialist Respite Centre offering breaks for people severely affected by MS. I then moved to work for Head Office, Managing the MS Nurse Programme.
Prior to this I did voluntary work in the Czech Republic, setting up a Nursing Home in Prague, and in Elderly care in the UK.
I am now Lead MS Nurse for Healthcare at Home. This is a Homecare company supporting over 40,000 patients across the UK. Over 4500 of these patients have MS, and receive their medication from us – delivered direct to their homes. Our nurses support these patients, teaching them to manage their own treatment. My role involves teaching and supporting these nurses and working in partnership with the Pharmaceutical companies who fund these services.
I have two young Children and live in Yorkshire, England.
Alasdair Coles
Dr Alasdair Coles is a neurologist working in Cambridge on experimental treatments in multiple sclerosis. His main project is coordinating the current multi-centre US-European trial of beta interferon and Campath-1H in early active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (The CAMMS223 Trial). Campath-1H is a monoclonal antibody that was originally made in the basic science laboratories of the University of Cambridge and first used in MS by Professor Compston and Dr Coles in the neurology department there. Dr Coles tries to continue this tradition by providing a link between basic scientists with ideas about novel therapies and clinicians working in the field of multiple sclerosis.
He and colleagues also study the behaviour of immune cells taken from people with MS after treatment with immunotherapies, to try to understand how and why they change multiple sclerosis disease activity.
Adrienne Cox
I have been a nurse for nearly 25 years, the last 6 years have been as a MS Nurse Specialist based in Sheffield South Yorkshire. We have a large Neurology dept and work with 16 Neurologists. We have 4 Neurologists who have a special interest in MS we see patients from newly diagnosed all the way through the disease trajectory. My special interest is MS fatigue and Educating any one interested in learning more about the condition. I have a special interest in Nursing Homes and educating staff who work in them.
On a personal level I have two sons who are grown up a granddaughter who is nearly two and a dog and I am football mad going to watch my local team as often as possible which is Sheffield Wednesday
Caron Furnival
Caron Furnival is Head of Service Development at the MS Society with responsibility for improving services for people affected by MS across England and Wales. Caron leads on the Society’s six national service development programmes which are; MS Nurses, Physiotherapy, Service User Involvement, Carers, Social Care and Measuring Success (an audit and evaluation programme).
Before taking up this role, Caron worked for the MS Society for three years as the Nurse Fund Programme Manager. This programme has to date funded over 100 MS specialist across the UK. Caron originally started her career as a Registered General Nurse and a Registered Sick Children’s nurse but spent the majority of her clinical nursing career working predominately with people seriously affected by MS. Caron has also spent time during her career lecturing in Social Policy and working for another MS charity as an Education Officer.
Alison Handford
Alison joined the MS Society three years ago and is currently the Research Manager at the Society, responsible for the Society’s research strategy and priorities and for managing the annual research grants round. The Society funds basic, clinical and applied research, as well as work directed at improving services and providing practical help to people affected by MS. Over £2million is spent on research per year, and Alison is responsible for ensuring the outcomes of this are disseminated through publications and the website, as well as the involvement of people affected by MS in the Society’s research programmes.
Alison is also responsible for the Society’s key research conference for MS professionals and is currently working on a number of research projects including the development of a register for people with MS and a clinical trials network.
Prior to working at the MS Society, Alison worked for a government research agency, dividing her time between vision research and clinical trial work, focusing on sleep, fatigue and mental performance.
Denise Middleton
I qualified as an Occupational Therapist in 1986, working in Rheumatology and Orthopedics for 2 years, before 2 years at the then Regional Neurology Unit, Radcliffe Infirmary Hospital, Oxford on the medical Neurology wards.
I then moved to Milton Keynes as a physical disability coordinator. I set up a community based Physical Disability Resource Team targeted at coordinating care, assessing need, providing advice and intervention for people with long term conditions, the majority being neurological. This team has expanded and developed over the last 8 years the team is now a Neurological Clinical Specialist Team comprising of 6 posts which cover MS, brain injury, stroke, and other neurological conditions (motor neuron and Huntingdon’s disease).
I have been in my current role as Multiple Sclerosis Clinical Specialist for 7 years, providing assessments, information, education, advice and support to people with MS and their families. The majority of contacts are in patients own homes and a joint clinic with the Consultant Neurologist. I also run drop-in clinics and patient education sessions in partnership with the local MS Society and MS Therapy Centre and work in close partnership with the Neuro-Rehab Unit locally, jointly providing patient education and fatigue management groups. My role also involves developing and providing education and advice to professionals and care staff.
I’m 41, married with two children a daughter aged 9 and a son aged 6!
Jane Petty
I am the MS Society National Lead for the Physiotherapy Programme joining the Society in November 2005.
I have worked in neurology since 1979. In 1984 I began developing an outreach therapy service for people with long term neurological conditions within North Trent. This has now developed into a multidisciplinary service of Occupational therapists, physiotherapists and therapy assistants working closely with specialist nurses and neurologists across primary and secondary care. The service is in the NSF for long term neurological conditions as an example of good practise. I have presented nationally and internationally on developing therapy services for people with MS
My last 5 years in the NHS I worked as Clinical Lead specialist in neurology specialising in MS working within the weekly clinic and into the community. I am on Department of Health Advisory panel for the NSF for long term conditions
Anita Rose
Dr Anita Rose has been the Highly Specialist Clinical Psychologist with the MS Team at the Walton Centre of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Liverpool, since October 2005. She has had an interest in Neuropsychology obtaining extensive experience in this field since 1998.
Her original career, (before marriage and children!) was as a psychiatric nurse. She visits South Africa yearly to work as a volunteer with women and children. Since 2005 she has provided training within a Neuropsychology Dept in Cape Town following a 4 month secondment to that department.
She is currently involved in or running a number of research projects including; Computerised Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for people with MS, Service related issues with Cognitive deficits in people with MS, Carer burden and strain related to cognitive issues in people with MS, Investigation into Cognition in MS.
Outside of her work within the NHS she is an advisor to City Hearts Women’s House, Sheffield, a residential home for women with life controlling issues.
Eli Silber
Dr Eli Silber comes from South Africa and started his career as a Neurologist at Baragwanath Hospital (the largest hospital in the world). He came to the UK in 1997 when he took up the post of Senior Registrar at Charing Cross Hospital. He then went on to do research with Professor Richard Hughes at Guys Hospital into antibodies to axonal proteins in MS.
Since 2000 Dr Silber has been based at Kings College Hospital and runs the regional MS Clinic at both Kings as well as having a busy general neurology practice at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich.
Eli's special clinical interests are: long term care for people with MS including mood and cognitive problems. He is involved in the MS Society funded Palliative Care project and is interested in cannabis use amongst his MS patients. He is also interested in the neurological problems that occur at high altitudes.
