BIA Council

The Council manages the affairs of the BIA in the furtherance of its aims, and comprises of elected members from among the general membership.

Principal Officers

Dr David Partridge

BIA President

I am a Consultant Microbiologist and Director of (...)

Infection Prevention and Control at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHSFT.

I represent the BIA on the Joint Specialty Committee for Infection, the Infectious Diseases Clinical Reference Group, the Pathology Alliance and the NHS England Casemix advisory board. My specific clinical interests include infections of the immunocompromised, Medical Mycology and diabetic foot infection.

Declaration of Interests: Non-controlling shareholding in UKOMS Ltd (private sector orthopaedic microbiology and infection control advice provider). Personal Financial - 2014-present

» View President's Role (docx)

Dr Rajeka Lazarus

BIA Vice President

I am a consultant in Infectious Disease and Microbiology based at (...)

the Bristol Royal Infirmary. Prior to becoming the Vice President, I was the Meetings Secretary both as a trainee (2014 and 2016) and consultant (2019-2022). I sit on the Federation of Infection Societies conference organising committee, clinical services committee and the scientific committee. I represent BIA on the UKHSA EUSPAR oversight group and the RCP sustainability group. I helped establish the Intensive Care Society/BIA working group. the My interests are adult vaccines, sustainability, and tuberculosis.

» View Vice President's Role (docx)

Dr Harriet Hughes

BIA Honorary Secretary

I am a Consultant in Microbiology and Infectious Diseases for (...)

Public Health Wales at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff. I have been a Principal Officer of the BIA as Honorary Secretary since May 2021 and additionally represent the BIA on the Joint Specialty Committee for Infection and RCP Sustainability in Healthcare and Climate Change Advisory Group. I have an interest in education and training and am TPD for Microbiology in Wales, the chair for the RCPath College Specialty Training Committee in Medical Microbiology/Virology and the co-chair for the JRCPTB SAC for Combined Infection Training. My clinical and research interests include bone and joint infections, anaerobic infections, and infections in renal and transplant.

» View Honorary Secretary Role (docx)

Dr Hiten Thaker

BIA Treasurer

I have been a consultant in Infectious Diseases in Hull since 2002. (...)

My previous experience, prior to taking up this appointment, included being a medical officer and flying doctor in Zambia. Then a circuitous route of training and working in London, Dublin, Manchester and Newcastle finally led me to the wonderful city of Hull.

My interests are in HIV Medicine and Chronic Fatigue syndrome. I chair the regional HIV Network (North and East Yorkshire) and am Lead for the regional CFS services. In 2009-201!, I was Professional Affairs secretary for the BIA. Then, subsequently from 2017-2020 the Meetings Secretary, and since 2021 I have been the Honorary Treasurer for the Association. I am Host, Chair and am an International Examiner for the Federation of Royal Colleges of Physicians for the MRCP PACES examination. I balance my clinical and professional life by being a golfer (of dubious ability), a freemason (of dedicated commitment) and a follower of English cricket ( with dismayed apprehension).

» View Treasurer's Role (docx)

Dr Fiona McGill

BIA Meeting Secretary

I am a consultant in Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology at (...)

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

As the BIA Meetings Secretary I am one of the Principal Officers of the BIA and lead on the organisation of the Annual Scientific meeting, the BIA Dilemmas day and sit on the Federation of Infection Societies Programme Steering Committee.

I was previously the BIA trainee meetings secretary between 2011 and 2014. My clinical and research interests are in neurological infections and mycobacterial infections. I am also a training lead within my trust and a regional academic SuppoRTT champion for trainees returning to clinical work after time out for research.

» View Meeting Secretary's Role (docx)

Principal Officers Length of Term: The President serves for a term of two years, as does the Vice President, subsequently becoming President. Training grade members also serve for two years. The Secretary, Treasurer and other members of Council serve for a term of three years.

BIA Council Members:

Membership Secretary: Dr Megan Jenkins (Bristol)
Clinical Services Secretary (ID): Dr Patrick Lillie (Hull)
Clinical Services Secretary (Microbiology & Virology): Dr Trupti Patel (London)
Guidelines Secretary: Dr Samuel Moses (Kent)
Workforce and Training Secretary: Dr Anna Goodman (London)
Scientific & Research Secretary: Prof Thushan De Silva (Sheffield)
Associate Members Secretary: Miss Bee Yean Ng - VIEW PROFILE
Medical Trainee, Meetings Secretary: Mr Nishchay Kakkar - VIEW PROFILE
Medical Trainee, Professional Affairs Secretary: Dr Amy Belfield (Newcastle-Upon-Tyne) - VIEW PROFILE
Medical Trainee, Communications Secretary: Dr Muhammad Fahad (Leicester)
Devolved Administrations Secretary: Dr Rebecca Sutherland (Edinburgh) - VIEW PROFILE
Secretary for Overseas Members: Prof Abdullah Yusuf (Dhaka)
HSST Trainee Professional Affairs Secretary Post - Miss Hannah Pymont (Bristol)
Editor - Journal of Infection: Prof Robert Read (Southampton)
Editor – Clinical Infection in Practice (CLIP): Prof Martin Wiselka (Leicester)

BIA Council Declaration of Interest

As an organisation, the British Infection Association is committed to openness and transparency. The potential impact of our work on healthcare practice and education necessitates that members of council and of other association committees and steering groups are conscious of, and declare any interests which may, or may be perceived to, conflict with their role.

Relevant interests may be personal financial (e.g. share ownership in relevant companies, payments of lectures, attendance at advisory boards or sponsored registration at meetings), professional (e.g. commercial research or potential for input to influence available funding to the individual or their team) or 3rd party (e.g. potential conflicts related to the committee member’s partner’s employment).

BIA Council are asked to declare these at each Council Meeting.

BIA Sub-Committees

Scientific and Research Committee

The Scientific and Research Committee provides support to the Scientific and Research Secretary in the review and scoring of grant applications to provide a fair and proper process.

Current committee members are:

Chris Chiu (Scientific and Research Secretary) - Professor of Infectious Diseases, Imperial College London
Tihana Bicanic - Reader in Infectious Diseases, St George's University of London
Tristan Clark - Associate Professor and Honorary Consultant in Infectious Diseases, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust
Katie Jeffery, Consultant in Microbiology, Director Infection Prevention and Control, Oxford University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Martin Llewelyn - Professor in Infectious Diseases and Honoary Consultant in Infectious Diseases, Universities of Sussex and Brighton and Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust

Clinical Services: Infectious Diseases and Microbiology

The aim of Clinical Services ID is to support infection specialists in their daily work, addressing issues of current concern and importance. This includes the delivery of clinical microbiology, infectious diseases, infection control, public health and other infection-related clinical specialties.

Issues currently under discussion include: NHS England commissioning of infection services (ID, HIV and complex bone and joint infections), workforce issues and training in Infection.

The Clinical Services Secretary is a member of the Microbiology/Infectious Diseases Clinical Services Committee.

The BIA Clinical Services Secretary (Infectious Diseases) post is currently held by Dr Patrick Lillie.

The BIA Clinical Services Secretary (Microbiology) post is currently held by Dr Trupti Patel.

Education Sub Committee

Aims

To monitor and advise on workforce issues at trainee and consultant level.
To support BIA training and teaching events and opportunities for trainees in all the infection specialities
To provide leadership for the BIA education subcommittee

Members:

Chair: Workforce and Training Secretary - Dr Anna Goodman
BIA trainee council reps
- Meetings - Dr James Meiring
- Communications - Dr Ed Moseley
- Professional - Dr Amy Belfield
Learn Infection lead - Dr Bethany Davies
NITCAR representative - Dr Katie Drury
BIA Junior Doctor representative - Dr Ciara Mahon

This committee was set up in 2018 with the following aims:

To strengthen teaching and training opportunities for trainees in all the infection specialities.
To re-introduce a ‘ Learn Infection’ teaching tool for trainees with the aim of incorporating this into free resources for BIA members.
To co-ordinate BIA support for the National Infection Teams Collaborative for Audit and Research (NITCAR)
To provide professional support for the BIA trainee meeting representative.
To advise council about educational issues

If trainees wish to raise issues or suggestions via this committee please do via the BIA trainee representatives