Chair

James Paget Healthcare NHS Trust

Chair

Ms Downey qualified from Nottingham University in the last century and she undertook SHO training in Bristol, Research in Breast Cancer Oncology in Manchester and Registrar training in Yorkshire. Her first consultant post in Bradford for 4 years and moved to East Anglia in 2005. Sarah's first involvement in RCS was examiner for MRCS at time OSCE introduced. Acted on committee and then Chair of Court of Examiners for RCS England. Part of training committee since came to East Anglia in 2005. Undertook Divisional Director role in own hospital for 5 years – opened new daycase unit. Acted as regional Breast Screening QA Surgeon for 6 years. Joined SAC in 2015 and became regional TPD in 2018. Currently Chair of General Surgery SAC.  Undergraduate PBL tutor and online tutor for oncoplastic MS. Director of Screening for own Trust and also Clinical Appraisal Lead. Former TIG Chair and faculty on Advanced Breast Cancer Course. Currently Honorary Secretary of ABS.

Member

Dr Rose Alenyo is a Plastic Surgeon with Interest in Breast Oncoplastic surgery working at Makerere University School of Medicine, Kampala, Uganda

Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Member

Professor Benson is a Consultant Breast Surgeon at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, Associate Lecturer, University of Cambridge and Visiting Professor, School of Medicine, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK. He has published widely in the field of breast diseases with authorship of more than 160 papers and has written/edited 7 books on breast cancer/reconstructive surgery (ranked in the top 0.084% of the world’s breast cancer experts). He is a former member of the Planning Committee for the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (2013 – 2015) and was a Trustee/member of the Executive Board of ABS until demitting from office in 2021.

ABS President

ABS President

Miss Leena Chagla is the President of the Association of Breast Surgery and past-President of the Liverpool and Northwest Society of Surgeons. She heads the breast unit at St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals which is actively involved in clinical innovation and trials. She continues to publish regularly in peer reviewed journals.

Leena qualified from Grant Medical College, Mumbai, with a gold medal in Surgery. Whilst in India, she trained at the Sir JJ Hospital and at the Tata Memorial Cancer Centre. Her passion for surgical oncology developed in those formative years.

She is a popular speaker both nationally and internationally and is involved in the development of guidelines for the management of breast cancer. She is passionate about MDT working and she launched the Anti-bullying Campaign (#CoreItOut) for ABS in alliance with RCSEd. She represented ABS on the pathology Big 18 and the organising committee of Symposia Mammographicum.

Leena was instrumental in setting up the International Forum at ABS with a view to sharing good practice globally.  She is committed to improving and standardising Breast cancer care through education and training. She is an Educational Supervisor for the National Oncoplastic Fellow and she is a Professional Clinical Advisor for screening to Public Health England.

Outside of work Leena is a keen sportswoman having played water-polo for Maharashtra, Liverpool and the Northern Counties at the highest level.

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust

Member

Rajiv is a consultant surgeon in the Nightingale & Genesis Breast Cancer Prevention Centre, at Wythenshawe Hospital, which is recognised as one of the largest Breast symptomatic and screening units in the UK. This is a recognised centre of excellence, providing complex oncoplastic breast surgery and leading on new technology. His specialist surgical training, which spanned over 10 years, includes a TIG Oncoplastic fellowship in Manchester, and an International Fellowship (Breast, Endocrine and Melanoma) in Melbourne, Australia.

Castle Hill Hospital , Hull

Member

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust

Member

Dr Victoria Harmer qualified with an award for distinction in practice and is Consultant Nurse and lead nurse for the breast screening and symptomatic services at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. She acts as Key Worker to people with breast cancer, and has published widely, as well as editing the book ‘Breast Cancer Nursing Care and Management’. She has acted as medical adviser for radio, television and film and involved in many research trial e.g. OPTIMA. She has received Nursing Times Cancer Nursing award and was a finalist for the Public Health category in 2022. She has worked with Marks and Spencer designing swimwear for the post mastectomy body, is Trustee for Against Breast Cancer charity, on the Medical Advisory Board for CoppaFeel!, deputy Chair for Europa Donna UK and a member of the ABS International Forum. Dr Harmer has a degree in nursing from Kings College, an MBA from Westminster Business School, a doctorate from Kings and is an Associateship of Kings College.

Luton and Dunstable University Hospital

Member

Ruth James is a Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon at the Luton and Dunstable University Hospital. She is a member of the International Committee of the ABS.

Member

Member

Member

Monica Reeves commenced her career within nursing in 1990, gaining valuable experience in many varied fields, including A&E & theatre.

In 1999 she was fortunate to work in Tanzania, with Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO), as a Clinical Instructor gaining an insight into heath care within a low-income country.

In 2016 she trained as an Enhanced Surgical First Assistant with Edge Hill University.

She successfully studied for a master’s degree at Edgehill University, Liverpool, in 2017 and Principles of Breast Cancer Care in 2021 at The Royal Marsden, Manchester. 

She is currently employed as a Surgical Care Practitioner within the breast team at Mersey & West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

She works independently within triple assessment and review clinics. Her role also includes assisting in theatres as well as supporting the training and mentoring of Junior Doctors. 

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust

Member

Fiona is a Consultant Breast and Reconstructive Surgeon at Wycombe Hospital, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS, and appointed to the senior management position of Trust Cancer Clinical Director in 2021. She is a committee member of the ABS International and Education Committees, and a co-director of the ACE Course (Accelerating the Consultant Experience). She is committed to medical education and holds roles as a panel member for the Oxford Deanery Higher Surgical Trainees, a tutor and examiner for the University of Oxford and the University of Buckingham Medical Schools and an Assistant Professor at St Georges University, Grenada. 

Fiona graduated from King’s College London, and completed her higher surgical training in the North West London Deanery. She has an interest in using innovations for her patients and introduced the MagTotal approach for breast cancer localisation, the Concentric digital consent platform, as well as encouraging her patients to be enrolled in relevant trials. She has an active role in quality improvement projects and her team were a finalist at the HSJ Awards 2024.

Member

Mina Youssef is a consultant oncoplastic breast surgeon at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. He is a member of the International Committee of the Association of Breast Surgery.

Alongside the clinical training, he completed an MSc and MD in Surgical Oncology, and he was awarded the European Board of Breast Surgery in 2015. He recently completed MBA at the UEA.

He is a Senior Lecturer at the University of East Anglia, a faculty member of the FRCS exam question writing group. He is an educational and clinical supervisor for higher and basic surgical trainees and the Surgical Foundation Program Director for NNUH.

He has been a faculty member of the Breast Awareness Course in Chandrapur, India in 2023 and is an alumni Surgeon of the Mercy Ships charity.