Sub -Committee Members
Although the subcommittee works collaboratively without a hierarchical structure, a task-based model maintains the group's core functions.
Rachel Belk (She/Her) (Document management)
Rachel is a Registered Genetic Counsellor in the Leeds Regional Genomics Service. She aims to be an ally alongside Deaf and hearing people who are British Sign Language users. She has particular experience in seeing families with deafness and varied communication preferences. She is passionate about tackling barriers to accessing health information in one’s preferred language and highlighting that these barriers impact health literacy, understanding of health needs and the significance of family history. She has most recently been working with colleagues in Manchester and Great Ormond Street to develop information resources for families about genomic testing in a mainstream setting. Her own lived experience is influenced by both protected characteristics that challenge her and others that she recognises privilege her. She is really pleased to be able to contribute to the EDI sub-committee’s work in bringing together such a wide range of perspectives, ideas and experiences so we can be a central focus and resource.
Danielle Newby (Administration)
Danielle is a Pre-registration Genetic Counsellor who has recently joined the team at the West Midlands Regional Genetics service, after completing her Genetic and Genomic Counselling MSc in 2021. She previously worked in a similar capacity for the North Thames Regional Genetics Services and, prior to this, as a Genomics Associate at Great Ormond Street Hospital, where she played a key role in the implementation of whole genome sequencing services in clinical genetics and other specialties within the trust. As one of a few Black Genetic Counsellor’s in the UK, Danielle has a keen interest in genetic conditions which affect Afro Caribbean communities and the impact of breast cancer on Black women. Danielle’s hope is to become a resource for, and empower, minority communities such as the Afro Caribbean community by helping to break down barriers that prevent this community, and others, from accessing genetics services.
Sasha Henriques (Workforce Diversity)
Sasha is a principal genetic counsellor on sabbatical from Guy’s and St Thomas’s NHS Trust, UK and the course director of their 'Equality Diversity and Inclusion for Genomic Professionals' Training. She is Vice Chair of the Association of the UK Genetic Nurses and Counsellors (AGNC). Currently, she is carrying out PhD research developed by Wellcome Connecting Science and the Wellcome Sanger Institute to explore structural inequalities in genomic research through the use of race, ethnicity and ancestry categories. After her personal and professional experiences as a Black genetic counsellor working in the UK and South Africa, she designed and now delivers cross-cultural communication teaching for the MSc in Genetic Counselling at Cardiff University and the Scientist Training Programme (STP) for genomic counsellors in England.
Anita Matadeen (She/Her) (Liason for AGNC Main Committee)
Anita is a Registered Genetic Counsellor who works in the NHS and is currently the EDI Lead in her department. Anita and Sasha started the EDI subcommittee in 2021. Anita has been an AGNC committee member from 2018-2023 and has had a longstanding interest in EDI. Her MSc thesis looked at the perception of genetics among British Sikhs. Her particular interests include equity in access to the profession in both training to become a Genetic counsellor and patient access to genetics. She is also a keen advocate for disability inclusion and community engagement.
David Walker (External professional body liaison)
David is a Principal Genetic Counsellor at Birmingham Women’s Hospital. He has a special interest in Inherited Cardiac Conditions and is a Training Officer for Genomic Counselling STP colleagues. He also has a role in the Genetics Diversity & Inclusion Group (GDIG) in his Trust, working on projects to benefit both staff and patients, included improved access to translated letters, and training/consulting staff around issues for LGBTQ+ individuals.
Josephine Giblin (External professional body liaison)
Jo Giblin is a Genetic Counsellor at the Bristol Regional Clinical Genetics Service. She has an interest in equality, diversity, and inclusion within genetics, and the NHS as a whole. In particular, she has focused on equipping genetics services to better meet the needs of trans patients, striving to make improvements to services to improve quality of care and access to care.
Beth Coad (She/Her) (Teaching and education development)
Beth is a principal genetic counsellor at St Georges NHS Hospital Trust. She also provides genomic, ethics and cultural competency education to undergraduate and postgraduate students and St Georges University of London. Beth is a proudly queer genetic counsellor who specialises in supporting LGBTQIA+ patients and colleagues.
Emily Clarke (She/Her) (Website Content)
Emily is a Registered Genetic Counsellor at the charity Gene People. She has been running their national genetic conditions helpline since October 2014. Prior to this she worked as a genetic counsellor in the NHS at Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine. Emily has a special interest in inherited retinal dystrophies having worked in the genetic eye clinic in Manchester and for the Macular Society. She has personal and professional experiences with sight loss and has a keen interest in developing inclusive services.
Nilotpal Chauhan (She/Her) (Sub-committee member)
Nilotpal is a Registered Principal Genetic Counsellor (Education and Training lead) at the Leicester University Hospitals, NHS since 2022. Prior to this she worked as a Registered Genetic Counsellor at the Oxford University Hospital, NHS. Nilotpal has a special interest in the evolving Genetic Counsellor role in education and training sector. As a part of her current job role, she will be contributing towards GTAC (Genomics Training Academy) development. Nilotpal is passionate about providing equitable genomic services.
Smrithi Devaiah (Sub-committee member)
Smrithi is a Principal Genetic Counsellor for the Oxford Inherited Cardiac Conditions Service. Prior to specialising in cardiac genetics, she worked in the Oxford Centre for Genomic Medicine service alongside completing her UK GCRAB/AHCS Registration. She is passionate about mainstreaming genomics and reaching out to underrepresented communities to facilitate engagement with genomic services. Having worked in healthcare services in India and the UK has helped her appreciate the nuances of transcultural genetic counselling which she hopes to promote through her work with the EDI sub-committee.
Urvi SAVANIA (Sub-committee member)
Urvi is a registered Genetic Counsellor at the Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, and Rutland (LNR) NHS Genomic Service, specializing in neurogenetics and prenatal genetics. With both personal and professional experience in neurogenetics, she brings expertise and compassion to her role. Raised in Kenya with Indian heritage and having lived in several countries, Urvi has developed cultural competency as well as cultivated a deep understanding of diverse healthcare needs, including awareness of healthcare disparities. She is committed to advocating and championing for equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in healthcare and make services more accessible to all individuals
Marie O'Donnell (Sub-committee member)
Marie is a Consultant Genetic Counsellor working in the Clinical Genetics Unit at Birmingham Women’s Hospital. Her specialist interest is aortopathy. She completed her MSc in Healthcare Ethics so has always had a keen interest in ethics and sits as a member of the Hospital Ethics Committee. Marie is a team leader for the education and training team and is always trying to improve standards, promote inclusion, improve diversity of the genomics workforce and create an environment where everyone feels valued and supported.
Abrar Buhlaiqah – (Sub-committee member)
Abrar is a Pre-Registration Genetic Counsellor at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, with an interest in service development. Abrar has professional experience as an Arab genetic counsellor that worked in Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom, which provided her with a unique perspective on the distinct challenges and opportunities within these healthcare systems. This cross-cultural expertise enables her to contribute to the enhancement of genetic counselling services for ethnic minority populations. Abrar is dedicated to supporting and educating NHS staff on cultural competence and the specific needs of diverse communities, helping to foster a more inclusive and culturally sensitive healthcare environment. Abrar is also engaged in the development of a network of genetic counsellors across Scotland with a focus on EDI, with the aim of driving improvements in inclusivity within the genetic counselling profession.
The EDI Sub-committee welcomes contact from any AGNC member who would like to support our work in any way. You may not be looking to join the Sub-committee but may have ideas, projects or resources that you would like to work on or share with us.
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