Our team is made up of clinical leads, nurse specialists, clinical staff, pharmacy and administrative support. Each member plays an important role in providing expert care and ensuring the smooth running of our clinic. Below, you can learn more about the people who make up our team.
Clinical leads
Dr Claire McCarthy MRCP, PhD
Claire McCarthy is a consultant neurologist with a special interest in Multiple Sclerosis. She is the clinical lead for the Cambridge MS Disease Modifying Therapy Clinic. Dr McCarthy trained in neurology at Addenbrooke's Hospital, the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. She has a PhD in the neuro-immunology of MS from the University of Cambridge. During her research she was an investigator on the phase II and phase III alemtuzumab trials in MS. Her research focused on the profile of immune cells (lymphocytes) in MS and how MS patients treated with alemtuzumab respond to vaccines.
Anna Hawkins
Anna shares the role of lead MS Specialist Nurse with Harri, in the MS team at Addenbrooke's Hospital. She sees people with MS at all stages of the condition, either in their homes, community clinics or the Disease Modifying Therapy clinic. She joined the MS Nursing team in 2011 and has worked at Addenbrooke's since 2006. She completed her nursing training at the University of Surrey in 2001, working in Surrey, London and Cambridgeshire in a large variety of specialities and settings. She has significant experience in Palliative care, Cancer care, Chronic Pain management and chronic health management in particular. She finds it rewarding to to support people with chronic conditions, helping them to manage their conditions with autonomy, dignity and as much independence as possible. Her work is constantly interesting as no two people manage things in the same way, meaning the team need to call on a wide set of skills to provide truly individualized support.
Harriet Parsons
Harri shares the role of lead MS Specialist Nurse with Anna. She trained at St Bartholomew's Hospital in London, qualifying in 1994. She chose to pursue a career in neuroscience and took her first role in neurology/neurosurgery and high dependency care, transferring over to the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel when the two Trusts merged. She moved to Cambridge in 1995 in neurology and later developed the role as a neurology nurse specialist in 2001. She has been seconded to numerous roles within neuroscience which have included working as a MND care coordinator and in functional neurosurgery. She joined the MS team in the midst of Covid in 2020 after the retirement of a much-respected mentor.
Consultants
Dr Will Brown MRCP, PhD
Will Brown is a consultant neurologist at Cambridge University Hospitals, and specialises in Multiple Sclerosis. He is also a senior research associate at the University of Cambridge where he leads the Cambridge Big Data in Multiple Sclerosis group, and has previously led MRI research and repair trials. After neurology training in Cambridge, Norwich and the Institute of Neurology London (Queen Square), he completed a PhD in Cambridge and research fellowships in Melbourne, London and Cambridge.
Professor Alasdair Coles FRCP, PhD
Alasdair Coles is a consultant neurologist, specialising in Multiple Sclerosis and other inflammatory diseases of the brain. He also does research, in particular running trials of new treatments for MS. He trained in Oxford, London, Nottingham and Cambridge. He has been the Professor of Neuroimmunology since 2014.
Dr Nick Cunniffe MRCP, PhD
Nick Cunniffe is a consultant neurologist specialising in Multiple Sclerosis. He is also a clinical lecturer at the University of Cambridge, and leads a team researching the different ways of promoting and measuring remyelination. This includes running clinical trials of remyelination-promoting drugs, which are expected to prevent or reverse disability in people living with MS.
Dr Leonora Fisniku MD, PhD
Leonora Fisniku is a consultant neurologist specialising in Multiple Sclerosis and other neuroinflammatory disorders. She completed her MD at the University Hospital Mother Teresa in Tirana, Albania before moving to the UK for postgraduate and neurology training at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Imperial College and Kings College Hospitals in London. She completed her PhD on ‘MRI predictors of disability in relapse onset MS patients’ at the Institute of Neurology, UCL, supervised by Professor David Miller. She worked as a consultant neurologist and was the MS lead at UHS (Sussex) before joining the Cambridge MS team in 2022. Her main interest lies in offering novel treatments, including stem cell therapy, to patients with MS and other autoimmune conditions.
Dr Joanne Jones MRCP, PhD
Jo Jones is a consultant neurologist (since 2013) specialising in MS and other inflammatory diseases affecting the nervous system. She is also a Wellcome Trust funded research scientist. During her PhD (University of Cambridge) she studied the effects of alemtuzumab (Lemtrada) on the immune system. She now runs a research group that aims to understand why mechanisms that normally regulate the immune system fail in individuals who develop autoimmune conditions such as MS.
Dr Stefano Pluchino MD, PhD
Stefano Pluchino received his MD and PhD degrees at the University of Siena, Italy, and additional training at Cambridge University. He is University Reader in Regenerative
Neuroimmunology and Honorary Consultant in Neurology at the University of Cambridge. He leads the Progressive MS Clinic, seeing patients who have either shown signs of progression from early stages, or evolving into progressive disease after a relapsing-remitting disease onset. Such patients are managed in a multi-disciplinary team-based approach as well as offered the opportunity to be involved in research projects. He also runs a large experimental research group, whose major mission is to develop next generation molecular therapies that include stem cells, for translation into clinical trials.
Dr Luca Peruzzotti-Jametti MD, PhD
Luca Peruzzotti-Jametti is a Clinical Research Associate and Wellcome Trust Fellow at the Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge. He received his MD from the University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan (Italy) in 2007 and has combined clinical and academic training in Italy, Switzerland, Denmark and Sweden. He joined Stefano Pluchino's team and the Clinical Trials Unit at the University of Cambridge in 2013. His current focus is the application of cellular repogramming to personalized stem cell therapies for neuroinflammation. He also works in the Progressive MS Clinic at Addenbrooke's Hospital.
Professor Stephen Sawcer FRCP, PhD
Stephen Sawcer trained in medicine (MB ChB) at Birmingham University, and completed his specialist neurology training in Manchester and Cambridge. He is a general neurologist at Addenbrooke's and Ipswich hospitals, and supports the MS specialist clinics at these hospitals. He is also Professor of Neurological Genetics at the University of Cambridge and has worked on the genetics of multiple sclerosis for more than 20 years, with a main focus on genomewide approaches.
Dr Sybil Stacpoole FRCP, PhD
Sybil Stacpoole graduated from Cambridge University Medical School in 2003. She then trained in London and East Anglia, becoming a consultant in neurology with a subspecialty interest in Multiple Sclerosis in 2015. She works in the MS Disease Modifying Therapy Clinic at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge and as a general and MS neurologist at Peterborough City Hospital. She is also a Teaching Fellow at Jesus College, Cambridge, and affiliated associate professor of the University, running medical student teaching in clinical neurosciences. Her PhD research looked at human oligodendrocyte development from stem cells, aiming to learn about mechanisms that might be harnessed to promote repair in MS.
Dr John Thorpe FRCP, MD
John Thorpe has been a Consultant Neurologist since 1999 and has been involved in the MS Disease Modifying Therapy Clinic at Addenbrooke’s since its inception in 2002. He also works as a Consultant Neurologist in Peterborough.
Specialist nurses
Addenbrooke's Hospital and Cambridgeshire Based MS nurses.
Lina Bakaite
Lina is an MS specialist nurse at Addenbrooke's Hospital. She has been working in health care settings for the last 13 years, specialising in Multiple Sclerosis since 2020. Her role is hospital based including working in the MS Disease Modifying Therapy Clinic.
Natalie Fuller
Natalie joined the MS team in 2014 as a Specialist Nurse and works part time. She sees patients either in their homes or in a clinic setting. Natalie has worked in Neurosciences at Addenbrooke's since 1999, working on both neurology and neurosurgery wards as a junior sister, before becoming a Clinical Nurse Specialist for Neurosurgery. When the opportunity came to join the MS team as a Specialist Nurse she jumped at it, as she has always had an interest in MS from her days as a student nurse. Natalie really enjoys the holistic approach we as an MS team take in supporting our patients, as well as working with a wide range of health professionals to provide excellent care and support.
Ellie Garlick
Ellie joined the Addenbrookes MS team in 2024, seeing patients both in clinics and in the community. She qualified as a nurse in 2007. Ellie worked in community nursing and hospice settings before becoming a Community Multiple Sclerosis Specialist Nurse in 2016. She is committed to supporting people with MS to effectively manage their condition to achieve the best possible quality of life.
Patricia (Trish) Henry
Trish is an MS specialist nurse at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, joining the team in November 2016. She did her general nurse training in Dublin in the early 80’s and practiced abroad whilst traveling for two years in Australia and New Zealand. On her return, she spent 10 years working in operating theatres in Dublin, Coventryand Papworth. She went on to have three daughters (one of whom has Aspergers) whilst working part-time as a community nurse.
Julie Reeve
Julie has been nursing since 1983 and much of her experience has been working with patients with various chronic illnesses. She has a degree in health and social care. She joined the MS team at Addenbrooke’s hospital in 2014, where her role is hospital based including working in the MS Disease Modifying Therapy Clinic. She has a special interest in Fingolimod and Natalizumab drug therapies.
Michelle Reeve
Michelle has been nursing since 1983. She has worked in various specialities in London, Southend and Cambridge. She has worked in Neurosciences at Addenbrooke’s since 2004 and joined the MS team at the end of 2014. Her role is hospital based including working in the MS Disease Modifying Therapy Clinic. She has a special interest in Alemtuzumab and Dimethyl Fumarate drug therapies.
Daniela Soares Régua
Daniela is an MS specialist nurse with a particular interest in the MS Disease Modifying Therapy Clinic. She started her nursing career in 2006, with a University Degree and a Post Graduation Degree in Nursing. She has embraced different challenges and worked in various settings, from primary care to secondary care. Daniela has been at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, in Cambridge, since 2014, where she started working with MS patients and the MS team. She became passionate about this area of speciality, fully joining the MS team in 2018. Daniela is involved in supporting MS patients throughout their journey, facilitating the decision-making process and treatment plan.
Bury St Edmund's and West Suffolk Based MS nurses
Nicky McGreavy
Nicky has been nursing since 1983. She trained at Charing Cross Hospital in London before moving to Addenbrooke’s Hospital where she developed an interest in neurology. Nicky has been working in the West Suffolk area as a community Specialist Neurology Nurse for over 25 years. She enjoys working with people living with long term conditions and establishing long lasting relationships with them and their families. Nicky works closely with Sarah Ward and they offer support to people with a new diagnosis of MS, many of whom go on to be managed at the Disease Modifying Therapy Clinic at Addenbrooke’s Hospital. They also support those who are not eligible for treatment and those living with progressive forms of MS, assisting them in managing their condition. They are both independent nurse prescribers so can prescribe symptomatic treatments in a timely manner and can assist GP’s in decisions regarding symptom control.
Sarah Ward
Sarah has worked in various areas of nursing, including neurology at Addenbrooke’s hospital and palliative care. She has been a community neurology nurse since 2011 and enjoys being able to visit people at home as well as seeing them in clinic. She finds it a privilege to be able to form a close relationship with patients. Sarah works closely with Nicky McGreavy in the West Suffolk area and they offer support to people with a new diagnosis of MS, many of whom go on to be managed at the Disease Modifying Therapy Clinic at Addenbrooke’s Hospital. They also support those who are not eligible for treatment and those living with progressive forms of MS, assisting them in managing their condition. They are both independent nurse prescribers so can prescribe symptomatic treatments in a timely manner and can assist GP’s in decisions regarding symptom control.
Hinchingbrooke Hospital and Huntingdonshire Based MS nurses
Sarah Roderick
Sarah started her training in Leicester in 1987. She worked primarily in Hospice's in Cardiff, Texas, USA and Cambridge for the first 13 years of her career. Sarah then worked as a District Nurse in Cambridge for 8 years but always enjoyed looking after people with complex neurological needs. She was an End of Life care facilitator for 3 years, educating Health and Social care professionals. Her ultimate work goal has always been to be a 'Community Matron for people with neurological conditions'. In 2014, Sarah started her role as a Community based Multiple Sclerosis Specialist Nurse in Huntingdonshire, where she supports people from diagnosis through to end of life, and loves it!
Clinical staff
Prem Telgot
Prem is part of the R3 team. Within the MS service, she is involved in delivering day case treatments (mainly Tysabri) on R3.
MS Pharmacist
Kenneth Chu
Kenneth Chu is the advanced clinical pharmacist for Multiple Sclerosis at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge. He obtained his Master of Pharmacy and completed a Postgraduate Diploma in General Pharmacy Practice at University College London. Kenneth started working at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in 2019 after finishing his pre-registration training at St George’s Hospital. In 2023, he became a non-medical prescriber and joined the MS team.
Administrators
Sian Davies
Sian is the coordinator for the MS DMT service. She has worked at Addenbrooke's Hospital since April 2000, starting as the Neuro X-Ray Clerk, collecting all scans and notes for neurosciences inpatients so they could be reported on by the Radiologists, ready for Doctor's ward rounds, appointments and MDT's. She has been the DMT Coordinator for the MS team since January 2020. One of her many jobs involves organising the weekly MDT. She has enjoyed gaining knowledge of what MS is, what it is about and how it can be treated.
Sally Dell
Sally is the secretary for the MS team and also Team Leader for the Neurology Secretaries. Her role involves liaising with all the MS team including consultants and specialist nurses.
This involves typing and sending clinic letters, answering the telephone and dealing with queries. She works closely with the MS nurses to take messages, chase results and other queries which arise. She also helps with booking appointments for clinics and keeps track of rotas for clinics and admin. She has worked at Addenbrooke's and the MS Team for over twenty years.