PSORIASIS ASSOCIATION - Key Persons
Adam Bushby has been a solicitor for 27 years and is also a professional pension scheme trustee. He has been living with psoriasis and psoriatic arthropathy since he was 13, giving him a first hand understanding of the challenges posed by these conditions.
Adam has been a life member of the Psoriasis Association for over 25 years and is deeply grateful for the invaluable information and support the charity has provided him with since his youth. When he was a teenager, his only other sources of information were outdated dermatology textbooks in Hull Central Library, a far cry from the wealth of resources available today.
With vivid memories of the less-than-ideal treatments of the past, such as coal tar ointments containing ammoniated mercury, Adam has closely followed research into better therapies. He has been fortunate to participate in studies of biological treatments including infliximab at Guy's and St Thomas's Hospital. He's now on his sixth biological drug treatment.
Adam is particularly passionate about addressing the disability and discrimination faced by individuals with psoriasis and psoriatic arthropathy, whether at school, work, or in other aspects of life. His personal experiences have fuelled his commitment to raising awareness and advocating for those affected by these conditions.
In his spare time, Adam volunteers as a patroller for Love Your Doorstep Community Patrol Dulwich, a volunteer group providing an adult presence after school to help children feel safe, and he enjoys singing in choirs.
Job Titles:
- Treasurer
- Retired Chartered Accountant
Brian Murkin is a retired chartered accountant who, following an early career in financial services, was finance director for the Institute of Directors and then the Institution of Civil Engineers.
Brian has lived in rural Northamptonshire for over twenty years and has served as a governor at Northampton College and also as a parish clerk.
He is married with two grown up children who have now left home enabling him to pursue his interests in hill walking and classical music.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Chairman of the Psoriasis Association Trustees in June 2024 at Our Annual Conference
- Member of Committee
She is a Consultant Dermatologist at United Lincolnshire Hospitals, and a Principal Lecturer in the School of Postgraduate Medicine at the University of Hertfordshire, where she has been involved (since 2006) in developing a Masters in Clinical Dermatology. This is an educational programme for nurses, doctors and pharmacists.
She has been a Trustee since 2008 and very much enjoys working with the Association. Julia says, ‘It is only through working with patient groups that we can understand patient needs and develop patient-centred models of care'.
Dr Manisha R Panchal is a Consultant Dermatologist at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, where she leads clinical initiatives with a focus on psoriasis and biological therapies. As the clinical lead clinician for these areas, Dr. Panchal is at the forefront of managing and advancing treatments for psoriasis, leveraging cutting-edge biological therapies to improve patient outcomes.
Her dedication to education is evident through her active involvement in both undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, sharing her extensive knowledge and experience with the next generation of medical professionals. Dr. Panchal recruits to dermatological research trials, contributing to the development of new treatments and therapies.
Dr. Panchal holds membership in several prestigious organisations, including the Midlands Dermatology Society, the British Association of Dermatology, and the European Association of Dermatology and Venereology. Her role extends beyond clinical practice into community service, notably as a Trustee of The Psoriasis Association. In this capacity, she offers her expert guidance on managing psoriasis, with a particular focus on addressing the needs of patients from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities, ensuring inclusive and comprehensive care for all.
Her multifaceted contributions to dermatology encompass clinical excellence, education, research, and community service, making Dr. Panchal a respected clinician in her field. She is married to a respiratory physician, has twin children and enjoys spending time with the family; bike riding, travelling and cooking.
Gill Hynes has over 30 years Marketing experience. She started her career in the corporate environment at British Airways, before moving agency side and specialising in loyalty and membership programmes at Carlson Marketing Group. She has extensive expertise in mobilising start up ventures including AirMiles, Webloyalty, and Artemis and she also specialises in corporate positioning, branding and reputational management, and public speaking.
Although originally from Scotland, and having extensively travelled and lived abroad, she is now firmly settled in South West London. In the last couple of years she has got the property development bug and as an avid fan of Grand Designs, has renovated two houses and a flat. Gill has had psoriasis since the age of 15, been a member of the Association for over 25 years, and a trustee since 2016. She is really keen on psoriasis myth-busting and improving the general public's understanding of what psoriasis is and is not.
Helen McAteer has been the Chief Executive of the Psoriasis Association since 2010. She has frequently represented the patient experience of psoriasis at the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and the Scottish Medicines Consortium, amongst other regulators and national bodies, including NHS England.
She oversees the Association's research programme and has been a patient representative lead on numerous psoriasis research projects and consortia. These include the Psoriasis Stratification to Optimise Relevant Therapy (PSORT) project, the Identification and Management of Psoriasis-related Comorbidity (IMPACT) project and the Priority Setting Partnership (PSP) Top 10 Research Priorities for Psoriasis in the UK. She has been a regular contributor to the *All Party Parliamentary Group on Skin and enjoys working collaboratively with colleagues from other Immune Mediated Inflammatory Disease organisations on projects with a mutual interest.
Job Titles:
- Founding Honorary Treasurer / Professor Chris Griffiths OBE - Medical and Research Support
Lucy Moorhead is a Nurse Consultant in Inflammatory Skin Disease at St John's Institute of Dermatology at Guys and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. She has been awarded a BA (Hons) in Nursing and an MA in Medical Ethics and Law. She has a strong interest in dermatology education for nurses and is on the steering committee for St John's Derm Academy. She has published over 35 articles in a variety of nursing publications including Nursing Times, Nursing Standard and Dermatological Nursing. She was awarded the inaugural ‘Psoriasis nurse of the year award at the British Dermatological Nursing Conference in 2016 after nomination from her patients. In 2021 she was awarded the Stone Achievement Award which recognises the work of an individual who has made a consistently great contribution in the field of dermatology nursing. In 2022 she was awarded the Guys and St Thomas' patient's choice award and in 2024 integrated and specialist medicine nurse of the year. She served 5 years as a trustee for the British Dermatological Nursing Group stepping down in 2023. She is currently the UKDCTN trials nurse fellow for 2025.
Marie Fryers is an experienced HR leader and a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD. Over the last 30 years, Marie has held leadership roles within several FTSE 100 organisations and she enjoys working with teams to deliver great outcomes together. Marie has close family and friends with psoriasis, and she feels passionately about progressing education, support and research to help people living with the condition. Marie is married with one son, and she enjoys learning Spanish, travelling and listening to live music.
Michael Israel is a Life Member of the Psoriasis Association and has seen our Association grow to be where it is today. Michael is keen on our social media and how the Association encourages younger people with psoriasis to be members and to be involved with the future of the Association. Michael has had psoriasis for over 50 years and has travelled many times to the shores of the Dead Sea in Israel and Jordan for Natural Climatic Treatment for his skin. Michael is passionate about our Association and is humbled and proud of the work we all do to raise the awareness of psoriasis. Michael also serves as a member of the Psoriasis Association Finance Committee.
Sophie Field has over twenty years of experience working in the voluntary and community sector, with a focus on working with young people and people with long term conditions. In these roles Sophie has worked managing residential programmes, creating local community programmes, providing specialist volunteer management knowledge, and championing involvement, equality and diversity.
Sophie has lived with Psoriasis since she was around 5 years old, and is keen to pass on her skills and knowledge to help further the amazing work of Psoriasis Association. She lives in Worcestershire and enjoys ballet, being out in the countryside and building Lego with her daughter!
Susan Morgan has over twenty years of experience in the charity sector, building up a deep knowledge and understanding of fundraising in the UK. This has included fundraising roles at British Red Cross, Action for Children and Sue Ryder. For the last ten years as a consultant, Sue has worked with a wide range of charities providing advice, market insight and practical tools to help develop income. She is keen to use this expertise and knowledge to help increase the fundraising at the Psoriasis Association.
Sue has had psoriasis since being a teenager and knows from personal experience that the information and support provided by the Psoriasis Association can be a great practical source of advice and comfort. After twenty years in London she is now based in York and has three daughters who motivate and inspire her work as a Trustee in providing support for future generations.