The Blood Cancer UK Vaccine Task Force Membership

If you are studying COVID vaccine effectiveness in people with blood cancer, please e-mail Rachel, our Research Communications Manager.

The aim of this task force is to identify and address potential gaps in Covid-19 vaccine research for patients with blood cancer.

We will work to ensure there is sharing of data across research studies, address potential funding requirements, influence policy and clinical practice and engage and communicate with the blood cancer community.

Members of the group are either actively engaged in current research studies or leading researchers for a specific blood cancer

Gemma Peters (CEO Blood Cancer UK, Chair)

Helen Rowntree (Director of Research, Services and Engagement, Blood Cancer UK)

Rachel Kahn (Research Communications Manager, Blood Cancer UK)

Dr Sarah McDonald (Director of Research, Myeloma UK)

Dr Lee Greenberger (Chief Scientific Officer, Leukaemia & Lymphoma Society)

Dr Ian Lewis (Head of Strategy and Initiatives, NCRI)

Professor Peter Johnson (Southampton)

• Peter is a Professor of Medical Oncology at the University of Southampton. He specialises in the treatment of lymphoma. He is working with Professor Sean Lim on a trial called PROSECO.

Professor Paul Moss (Birmingham)

• Paul is a Professor of Haematology in Birmingham. Paul is leading on the Immunity arm of the National Core Studies and as part of this has commissioned a study called OCTAVE which is looking at the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in immunocompromised individuals.

Professor Pam Kearns (Birmingham)

• Pam is a Professor of Paediatric Oncology and is also Director of the Cancer Research UK Clinical Trials Unit in Birmingham. She is leading on the cancer arm of the OCTAVE trial.

Dr Karthik Ramasamy (Oxford)

• Karthik is a Medical Oncologist specialising in myeloma. He is leading on the PREPARE study looking at vaccine effectiveness in people with myeloma. This is recruiting patients from an existing platform called RUDY.

Dr Sean Lim (Southampton)

• Sean is an Associate Professor and Honorary Consultant in Haematological Oncology. She is planning a study called PROSECO which will look at vaccine effectiveness in patients with lymphoma (Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin).

Dr Andy Davies (Southampton)

• Andy is a Consultant in Medical Oncology within Medicine at the University of Southampton. He is working with Sean on PROSECO

Professor Claire Harrison (Guys)

• Claire is a Consultant and the Clinical Director at Guy's and St Thomas' hospital. She specialises in MPN.

Professor Tony Pagliuca (KCL)

• Tony is a Consultant Haematologist at King’s. He is also a Professor of Stem Cell Transplantation and Chief Medical and Scientific Advisor for Anthony Nolan.

Professor Mhairi Copland (Glasgow)

• Mhairi is a Professor of Translational Haematology at the University of Glasgow. Her main focus is CML.

Dr Dragana Milojkovic (Imperial)

• Dragana is a Clinical Senior Lecturer at Imperial. She is carrying out a study which will look at vaccine effectiveness in CML.

Dr Thushan de Silva (Sheffield)

• Thushan is an Honorary Consultant Physician in Infectious Diseases at the University of Sheffield. He is working with Dr Paul Miller to study vaccine response in stem cell transplant patients as a branch of OCTAVE.

Dr Paul Miller

• Paul is leading on the bone marrow transplant arm of OCTAVE

Professor Kwee Yong (UCL)

• Kwee leads the Myeloma Laboratory at UCL. She is planning to look at vaccine effectiveness in around 200 people with myeloma. She has also done this for patients with myeloma who have had coronavirus.

Dr Elspeth Payne (UCL)

• Beth is a Professor of Haematology. She is carrying out a small study looking at vaccine effectiveness in people with MDS. A more detailed study is being planned by Dr Kavita Raj.

Professor Emma Morris

• Emma is a Professor of Clinical Cell and Gene Therapy at UCL. She is specifically looking at vaccine effectiveness in people with B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Professor Andrew Pettitt (Liverpool)

• Andrew is a Professor of Haematology at University of Liverpool specialising in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). He is planning to look at effectiveness in people with Follicular Lymphoma using an existing cohort of patients with Dr Jessica Okosun.

Professor Simon Stanworth (Oxford)

• Simon is a Consultant Haematologist at the John Radcliffe Hospital. He is leading on the PACE study looking impact of infections, with a focus on COVID-19, on patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Under this, he will also study vaccine effectiveness in people with AML

Dr Gill Murphy (Patient Representative)

• Gill is an ambassador at Blood Cancer UK and has herself had ALL. She will act as the patient representative on this group.

Dr Piers Patten (King’s)

• Piers is a Consultant Haematologist at King's College Hospital and Guy's and St Thomas'. Piers is currently working on a study called SOAP, which is exploring if cancer patient’s immune systems respond differently to the coronavirus and if there are any long-term effects. As part of this study, he will look at vaccine effectiveness in patients as they come to him in clinic.

Professor Gordon Cook (Leeds)

• Gordon is a Professor of Haematology at the University of Leeds specialising in myeloma. He is leading on the blood cancer arm of the OCTAVE trial.

Professor Adele Fielding (UCL)

• Adele is a Professor of haematology at UCL specialising in adult ALL. She is also currently President of BSH.

Dr Jessica Bate (Southampton)

• Jessica is a Consultant in Paediatric Oncology and Co-Chair of the Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG) Supportive Care Group. She is planning a study called CICWIC (Covid in Children with Cancer) with Public Health England to investigate seroprevalence and immunogenicity of the vaccine in children with cancer.

Professor John Snowden (Sheffield)

• John is a consultant haematologist and Director of the Blood and Marrow Transplant Service for the North Trent region