Our Staff
Great Ormond Street Hospital Laboratory Medicine provides a
service which is led and supported by a range of clinical and
technical experts. Please scroll down to find out about our
clinical and technical leads or click on one of the links below to
navigate directly to a department of interest.
Management
Team
Chemical Pathology
Genetics
Haematology
Histopathology
Immunology
Microbiology, Virology and Infection
Control
Management Team
Dr Kimberly
Gilmour
Head of Clinical Service
Kimberly Gilmour received her BSc from Duke University (USA) and
her PhD from the State University of New York at Stony Brook (USA).
She then completed a research fellowship studying T cell
development at Cancer Research UK. She was appointed in 1999 to
translate her PhD thesis research (STAT signaling) into clinical
diagnostics. Since then she has developed and introduced a number
of robust tests for diagnosing primary immune deficiency (PID). She
has collaborated with the Molecular genetics service to introduce
high throughput sequencing to diagnosing PID. She is also involved
with a number of gene and cell therapy trials. She holds several
research grants focused on developing and introducing novel
diagnostics and monitoring for PID. Kimberly has published
over 60 papers and received her FRCPath by publications in
2012. In her current role, she is Consultant Clinical
Scientist and Clinical Lead for the Immunology laboratory
(which in conjunction with NE Thames regional genetics provides a
nationally funded and recognized service for primary immune
deficiency) and Director of Cellular Therapy.
Christine Morris
Lead Laboratory Manager
Christine is the Senior Laboratory Manager with operational
responsibility for Blood Sciences, Blood Transfusion, Immunology,
Cell Therapy and the Haematology Cellular and Molecular Diagnostic
Service (HCMDS).
Christine also serves as the Lead in Quality and Training for
Laboratory Medicine. She has many years experience working in NHS
pathology laboratories, commencing her career at the Regional Blood
Transfusion Centre in Newcastle Upon Tyne then notably spening 25
years at the Royal London Hospital where she managed the automated
Haematology Laboratory with additional responsibilities and special
interest in Training and Point of Care Testing.
Christine joined GOSH in 2007 as the Haematology Laboratory
Manager. Christine holds a MSc in Haematology and is a Fellow and
Chartered Scientist of theInstituteofBiomedical Science.
Quality
Assurance
Wisdom Musabaike
Pathology Lead Quality Assurance and Risk Manager
Wisdom Musabaike is the Pathology Lead Quality Assurance and
Risk Manager at Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Trust. He is
responsible for developing and maintaining safety, risk and quality
governance systems across all disciplines in pathology. In this
capacity, he has successfully led all Pathology laboratories
towards gaining ISO15189 accreditation. Wisdom is actively involved
in quality improvement work focusing on reducing paediatric sample
rejections due to pre-analytical issues. He also tutors the BioMed
Quality Systems Management module at the University of Greenwich.
Wisdom has over 19 years of experience as an HCPC registered
Biomedical Scientist. He was previously a Chief Biomedical
Scientist at Barts Health NHS Trust. He holds BSc, MSc and MBA
degrees. He is a Chartered Quality Professional (CQP), Member of
Chartered Quality Institute (MCQI) and Member of the Institute of
Biomedical Science (MIBMS).
Clinical and Technical
Leads
Chemical
Pathology
Helen Aitkenhead
Clinical Lead
Helen Aitkenhead is a graduate of Aston University, Birmingham
and University of Surrey, Guildford. Helen undertook her clinical
scientist training at Charing Cross, St Mary's and Northwick Park
Hospitals. Before coming to Great Ormond Street Hospital for
Children, Helen worked as a Senior Clinical Scientist at Ealing
Hospital. Helen has interests in all aspects of paediatric clinical
biochemistry as well as point of care testing, quality management
and clinical scientist training.
Helen was appointed at GOSH in 2004 where she was Clinical Lead
for the Special Routine and Automated Biochemistry. She was
appointed as Head of Chemical Pathology and Director of Newborn
Bloodspot Screening in 2015.
Genetics
Lucy Jenkins
Director North East Thames Genetics Laboratories and joint
head of Clinical Service for Genetics
Lucy is the Director of the Regional Genetics Laboratories and
joint head of the Clinical Service. The Molecular
Genetics Laboratory, along with Cytogenetics, forms the North
East Thames Regional Genetics Laboratories. After graduating in
Molecular Biology from Liverpool University Lucy undertook clinical
scientist training and registration in the Yorkshire Regional DNA
Laboratory, Leeds. After 8 years she moved to Great Ormond
Street Hospital to take up the post of Deputy Head in Molecular
Genetics, obtaining Fellowship of the Royal College of Pathologists
in 2006. Lucy became Head of Service for Regional Molecular
Genetics in 2009 and Interim Director of the Genetics
Laboratory in 2014. Key interests include the genetics of
hearing loss, surfactant protein deficiencies and non-invasive
prenatal testing.
Haematology
Dr Ri Liesner
Clinical Lead
Histopathology
Professor Tom
Jacques
Clinical Lead / Laboratory Director
Tom is Professor of Paediatric Neuropathology at the UCL Great
Ormond Street Institute of Child Health and Clinical
Lead/Laboratory Director for the department of histopathology at
Great Ormond Street Hospital. He is Editor in Chief of
Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology and is the national lead
for the Childhood Solid Tumour domain of the Genomics England
Clinical Interpretation Partnership. His clinical and research
interests include tumour pathology, molecular pathology, epilepsy
and post-mortem neuropathology.
Dr Ashirwad Merve
Consultant Neuropathologist
Ashirwad (Ash) joined the department in September 2018. He
undertook his Neuropathology and Histopathology post graduate
training in London, under the NIHR integrated academic scheme. He
attained his FRCPath from The Royal College of Pathologists in 2016
and CCT in Neuropathology in 2018. He holds a Diploma in Legal
Medicine from the faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine, The Royal
College of Physicians. As an MRC Clinical Research Fellow he has
undertaken research on molecular biology of paediatric brain
tumour, medulloblastoma, completing PhD from Queen Mary, University
of London in 2014. His current research interest is in brain
tumours, with growing interest in neuromuscular disorders/skeletal
muscle pathology. Ash is also an Honorary Consultant at the
National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (UCLH), Queen
Square.
Professor Neil
Sebire
Consultant Pathologist
Professor Neil Sebire is Professor of Paediatric and
Developmental Pathology at ICH/UCL and Consultant Paediatric
Pathologist at GOSH. Having initially trained in Obstetrics and
Fetal Medicine, he trained in diagnostic pathology and now has
research interests in placental pathology, paediatric tumour
diagnosis and investigation of infant deaths.
Dr
Liina Palm
Consultant Pathologist
Dr Liina Palm undertook her training in general
Histopathology in Estonia and gained her paediatric and perinatal
training through apprenticeships in different countries, including
Germany, Sweden and the Unites States. In 2004 Liina took up a post
of a full time Consultant Paediatric and Perinatal Pathologist at
Barts and The London NHS Trust and since January 2012 she is a
Consultant Paediatric Pathologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital.
She is the Clinical Lead for gastrointestinal pathology. Liina is a
Fellow of the Royal College of Pathology (by nomination) and has a
Diploma of Medical Jurisprudence in Pathology (2016).
Liina has a wide experience in paediatric autopsy
pathology, including specialist autopsy work for HM Coroners and
for the Metropolitan Police. Her main area of interest is sudden
infant death (SUDI) and related issues.
Dr Samantha
Levine
Consultant Pathologist
Dr Samantha Levine is the Clinical Lead for Histopathology. She
initially trained in psychiatry in the USA, and retrained in
diagnostic pathology in the UK. She has worked as a Consultant
Paediatric and Perinatal Consultant at St George's and St Thomas'
hospitals in London before moving to GOSH in 2016. Special
interests include placental and gastrointestinal pathology and the
perinatal autopsy service.
Dr Ciaran
Hutchinson
Consultant Pathologist
Dr. Ciaran Hutchinson completed his medical education at
Newcastle University in 2010 and began training in histopathology
at Newcastle Royal Victoria Infirmary in 2012. He went on to
complete a PhD fellowship at Great Ormond Street Hospital & UCL
GOS-ICH with Prof. Sebire, which focused on the development of
minimally invasive paediatric and fetal autopsy, including micro-CT
autopsy examination. During his fellowship, he co-authored over 40
peer-reviewed publications, was invited to speak internationally,
and was awarded the Royal College of Pathologists Silver Medal for
Research. Ciaran also holds a postgraduate diploma in Forensic
Medical Sciences from the Society of Apothecaries and an MRes in
Medical and Molecular Bioscience. Ciaran obtained his FRCPath
in 2020. His main areas of interest include heart disease in
children, paediatric oncology, micro-CT and sudden infant
death.
Dr Thivya Sekar
Consultant Pathologist
Thivya joined the department in September 2017. She undertook
her general histopathology and Paediatric and Perinatal Pathology
training in London. She attained her FRCPath from The Royal College
of Pathologists in 2015 and CCT in 2017. She is a member of BRIPPA
and the Paediatric Pathology Society. Her special interests include
renal, heart and pulmonary disease in children.
Glenn Anderson
Clinical Electron Microscopist
Glenn Anderson provides an ultrastructural diagnostic service
to GOSH and other institutions in the UK and abroad.
Electron microscopy is of value in the diagnosis of renal,
neuromuscular and lysosomal storage disorders as well as other rare
paediatric diseases. Glenn also has a particular interest in
metabolic disorders including the neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses
and leads one of the few units in Europe to provide a prenatal
diagnostic service for these conditions.
Glenn actively collaborates with clinical and scientific
colleagues in research projects on a variety of topics, where
ultrastructural morphology may aid understanding of disease
processes and etiology.
Immunology
Dr Kimberly
Gilmour
Clinical Lead
Kimberly Gilmour received her BSc from Duke University (USA) and
her PhD from the State University of New York at Stony Brook (USA).
She then completed a research fellowship studying T cell
development at Cancer Research UK. She was appointed in 1999 to
translate her PhD thesis research (STAT signaling) into clinical
diagnostics. Since then she has developed and introduced a number
of robust tests for diagnosing primary immune deficiency (PID). She
has collaborated with the Molecular genetics service to introduce
high throughput sequencing to diagnosing PID. She is also involved
with a number of gene and cell therapy trials. She holds several
research grants focused on developing and introducing novel
diagnostics and monitoring for PID. Kimberly has published
over 60 papers and received her FRCPath by publications in
2012. In her current role, she is Consultant Clinical
Scientist and Clinical Lead for the Immunology laboratory
(which in conjunction with NE Thames regional genetics provides a
nationally funded and recognized service for primary immune
deficiency) and Director of Cellular Therapy.
Microbiology, Virology and Infection
Control
Dr James Hatcher
Clinical Lead
James Hatcher is a Consultant Microbiologist and Clinical Lead
for Microbiology. He obtained his medical degree from Sheffield
University and went on to specialise in Infectious Diseases and
Microbiology/Virology. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of
Pathologists and Royal College of Physicians. He has completed a
diploma in Tropical Medicine and a Masters in Clinical
Microbiology. His main interests are in treatment of complex
paediatric infection, treatment of resistant Gram negative
infection, and antimicrobial stewardship. He is an examiner for the
Royal College of Pathologists and has published numerous peer
reviewed articles and book chapters. As clinical lead in
microbiology at GOSH, James strives to lead a highly specialised
and high quality diagnostic service to the children at GOSH.
Dr Elaine
Cloutman-Green
Consultant Clinical Scientist / Deputy Director of Infection
Prevention and Control / Lead Healthcare Scientist
Dr Elaine Cloutman-Green is a Consultant Clinical Scientist
working within Infection Prevention and Control and Lead Healthcare
Scientist at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH). She started
her Clinical Scientist training in 2004 in Microbiology and in 2007
she specialised in Infection Prevention and Control. Her
research focusses on the development and implementation of rapid
molecular typing schemes and investigation of the role of the
environment in transmission of infection. She is the Chair of
the Environmental Network, an Executive Member of the Society for
Applied Microbiology, member of the ACB Microbiology Professionals
Committee, and Country Ambassador for the American Society of
Microbiology. She also holds strategic positions as
Diagnostic Lead for the NIHR CRN Infection National Specialty
Group, alongside membership of the NHS England AMR Programme Board
and London Clinical Senate Council. In 2021 she was awarded
the British Empire Medal for services to healthcare. Follow
@girlymicro on Twitter.
Dr Garth Dixon
Consultant Microbiologist
Garth Dixon is expert Paediatric Microbiologist and
currently Lead Clinician for the Department of Microbiology,
Virology and Infection Prevention and Control. He has been a
consultant at GOHS for five years.
Garth Dixon trained in paediatrics for six years and
worked as a general paediatric registrar until undergoing training
in Microbiology at the Royal Free Hospital then GOSH. He
obtained MRCPath in 2006 and took up a consultant post that year.
Garth Dixon was awarded his PhD in 2000 at ICH
Garth has a special interest in using the latest
molecular techniques, including whole genome sequencing, to better
define how certain bacteria are able to cause more severe disease
than others. Garth maintains a research interests in pathogenesis
of Meningococcal disease, specifically, designing novel vaccines to
help prevent the disease and also investigating how the bacterium
induces damage to the blood vessel walls in severe forms of the
disease.
Dr Surjo De
Consultant Microbiologist
Dr James Soothill
Consultant Microbiologist
James Soothill has been a consultant
Microbiologist at GOSH for over ten years. He is responsible
for the development of antibiotic policy and surveillance of
infections of central venous catheters. His interests include the
prevention of central venous catheter infection as well as the
development for novel methods for the detection and control
of infection by antibiotic resistant bacteria.