29 January 2025

What is your role? 

I am a consultant rheumatologist working at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (FT), where I specialise in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a chronic autoimmune disorder that presents with a wide array of clinical symptoms.

As part of my job, I spend my time in specialist clinics and multi-disciplinary teams, in addition to delivering care to inpatients with rheumatic conditions. I have a research interest in SLE and recently coauthored the European (EULAR) guidelines for the disease.

My research interests include cellular therapies, immunometabolism and precision medicine in SLE. I have recently opened a prospective translational study at King’s College Hospital NHS FT with my lab based at the Denmark Hill campus, which focuses on the possible predictors for response to B cell depletion therapy. I have always enjoyed immunology and feel that my clinical role and research interests have been born out of this.

What do you enjoy most about your role? 

Caring for people with SLE means that no two days are a like. I really find the highly variable nature of clinical practice to be one of the most enjoyable aspects of the job. As rheumatologists (particularly with an interest in SLE) we rely on close collaboration with other specialties within the hospital.

I thoroughly enjoy the opportunity to work with colleagues across a variety of areas including nephrology, haematology, neurology, dermatology and immunology.

This is one of the most enjoyable parts of the job as it means that I frequently learn from my brilliant colleagues. I also love being able to do research. You can’t beat the excitement that comes with clinical research.

What inspired you to get into this work?

I have always been fascinated by rheumatology, dating back to my time at medical school. I recall being struck by how the role of the rheumatologist is to take a detailed history, conduct a thorough examination, request relevant investigations, make a diagnosis and provide treatment, which really was the kind of medicine that I was keen to be involved in.

I decided to focus on SLE for a number of reasons. Immunologically the disease is complex, which can feel intimidating at first, but gaining a greater understanding of what drives the disease is really fascinating. With greater understanding of this complex immunology over recent years now means that we are finding better ways to treat the condition.

In addition, SLE is a grossly unfair disease. Nine out of ten patients with lupus are female, the disease tends to be worse in those who are diagnosed at a younger age, and is typically higher risk in non-Caucasian patients. This really motivates me to improve the care of these patients.

What are the benefits of working in partnership? 

I have always loved collaboration. It was one of the things that brought me to rheumatology. I enjoy discussing case with colleagues and feel this both improves my knowledge and enhances patient care. I feel that as rheumatologists we are always learning new things from our colleagues in other disciplines.

From a research perspective, I think collaboration across the various NHS and university sites encompassed within KHP is central to what we aim to achieve in both caring for patients and in driving research. As a relatively new consultant to King’s College Hospital NHS FT (I’ve been here for two-and-a-half years), it has been fantastic to engage in a number of networks that cross a number of areas since joining.

Working with collaborators in immunometabolism at the Guy’s Hospital campus and colleagues in cellular therapies at the Denmark Hill campus has allowed for me to reappraise my previous research in SLE, and has prompted a number of new questions to be asked.

What would be your one career top tip? 

As an early career researcher, I found that enthusiasm really helped to take things forwards for me both in terms of research and clinically. If you’re enthusiastic about what you do then you will find the support you need. When you’re positive about what you do then you can often engage with the right people who will join you on your journey.

I’ve also noticed that when others are motivated and interested about what they do then I’m also keen to get involved too. It’s great to work with brilliant people. If you show your passion for something then you really can make it important to others too.