Dean Fennell
Professor Dean Fennell is a physician scientist internationally recognised for advancing precision medicine and immuno-oncology in mesothelioma. He has led multiple investigator-initiated clinical trials, including NERO, CONFIRM, VIM, MIST, MESO2 and SELECT, while his research focuses on novel therapies and tumour evolution. A past President of the International Mesothelioma Interest Group (IMIG), he co-authored UK and European mesothelioma guidelines and has published over 180 peer-reviewed papers in leading journals. Professor Fennell has received numerous international honours, including the 2023 IMIG Senior Investigator Research Medal, and was elected Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2024.
Sridhar Thiagarajan
Dr Thiagarajan Sridhar is a Consultant Clinical Oncologist at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, specialising in lung cancer, head and neck cancer, and oligometastatic disease. A leader in advanced radiotherapy, he has played a pivotal role in establishing Leicester as one of the UK’s leading centres for Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SABR), including achieving early national accreditation. A former Clinical Lead for Oncology, he combines clinical expertise with strategic leadership. Dr Sridhar has mentored regional cancer centres in developing SABR services, led numerous radiotherapy clinical trials, and is committed to advancing multidisciplinary cancer care through innovative radiotherapy.
Giuseppe Banna
Giuseppe Luigi Banna is a Consultant Medical Oncologist at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust and an Honorary Associate Professor at the University of Portsmouth, UK, specialising in thoracic and genitourinary cancers. He has served as Principal Investigator for over 20 clinical and translational studies across academic and commercial networks and has published more than 250 peer-reviewed papers. His research in thoracic oncology focuses on predictive models and biomarkers for immunotherapy, specifically evaluating peripheral blood immune-inflammatory indexes and PDL2, alongside investigator-initiated trial design, frailty assessment tools, and oral anticancer therapy adherence.
Cathy Richards
Dr Cathy Richards is Consultant Histopathologist at UHL NHS Trust and Honorary Associate Professor with the Leicester Cancer Research Centre. She is the current Clinical Head of Service and Training Programme Director. Cathy is the lead thoracic, sarcoma and GI pathologist in Leicester, lead mesothelioma pathologist for the region and lead pathologist for mesothelioma and other clinical trials, publishing widely in high impact journals including Nature and Lancet. She is autopsy active, specialising in industrial lung disease and sudden cardiac death cases.
Apostolos Nakas
Mr Apostolos Nakas is a Consultant Thoracic Surgeon at University Hospitals of Leicester with specialist expertise in thoracic oncology, mesothelioma and minimally invasive thoracic surgery. He leads the mesothelioma services for the East Midlands Lung Cancer and Mesothelioma Expert Clinical Advisory Group. An Honorary Fellow and Academic Champion at the University of Leicester, Mr Nakas is actively involved in research, clinical trials and surgical education. He is a member of several leading national and international thoracic surgery and mesothelioma organisations.
Maninder Kalkat
Professor Maninder Singh Kalkat is a Consultant Thoracic Surgeon at University Hospitals Birmingham and Deputy Medical Director for Surgical Services at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. He specialises in minimally invasive thoracic surgery, with expertise in mediastinal disease, airway surgery and chest wall tumours. He established a regional multidisciplinary service for mediastinal and airway disorders and is a recognised educator in cardiothoracic surgery. Professor Kalkat convenes the internationally recognised Birmingham Review Course in Cardiothoracic Surgery, teaches on European and international training programmes, and serves as Lead Examiner for the European Board of Thoracic Surgery.
Indrajeet Das
Indrajeet Das is a consultant cardiothoracic Radiologist at University Hospital of Leicester NHS trust. Former Head of Service for Cardiothoracic Imaging at Leicester. Also the responsible radiologist for the Leicester Lung Cancer Screening Programme. Has a keen interest in AI and innovation in imaging, and was the clinical lead overseeing the deployment of Harrison AI CXR solution at UHL. as well as a site investigator for the LungIMPACT study. Other interests include the role of MRI in thoracic oncology and thymic imaging.
Liz Darlison
Liz has dedicated over 40 years to clinical practice at University Hospitals of Leicester (UHL). In 2004, she founded Mesothelioma UK in response to the needs of patients with mesothelioma, establishing it as the national charity for the disease. She is currently a Consultant Nurse at UHL and Chief Executive Officer of Mesothelioma UK, while also holding honorary academic positions at the Universities of Leicester and Sheffield. Passionate about improving patient outcomes through research, education and training, Liz was awarded an MBE in 2019 and appointed Deputy Lieutenant for Leicestershire in 2024 for her outstanding contributions.
Rajini Sudhir
Dr Rajini Sudhir is a Consultant Respiratory Physician and Lead for Lung Cancer Services at University Hospitals of Leicester, with specialist interests in lung cancer and pleural disease. She is the Research Delivery Network Lead for Cancer Studies at UHL and an Honorary Associate Professor. An active clinical researcher with over 75 publications, she has contributed extensively to lung cancer and pleural research. Dr Sudhir is an examiner for the Royal College of Physicians, a national selection panellist for respiratory training, and a Clinical Academic Tutor at Leicester Medical School. She is also actively involved in postgraduate medical education and international physician training.
Sharon Savory
Sharon Savory is a Macmillan Lung Cancer Nurse Specialist at University Hospitals of Leicester, where she has worked for the past 15 years and currently leads the specialist nursing team. She provides expert, compassionate care and support to patients from pre-diagnosis through every stage of their lung cancer journey. Passionate about patient-centred care, Sharon is committed to ensuring patients and their families receive the highest standards of clinical care, information and support. Proud to be part of Leicester’s multidisciplinary lung cancer team, she values its collaborative approach and is delighted to contribute to advancing lung cancer care through the conference steering committee.
Kevin Franks
Dr Kevin Franks is a Consultant Clinical Oncologist at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and an internationally recognised expert in lung cancer radiotherapy. Following a research fellowship at the Princess Margaret Hospital, University of Toronto, he led the implementation of the UK’s first lung Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SABR) programme in Leeds in 2009. His research focuses on SABR, re-irradiation, radiotherapy innovation, cardiac toxicity and early-phase clinical trials. A founding member of the UK SABR Consortium, Dr Franks has played a leading role in developing national radiotherapy guidelines and advancing education, research and quality standards in thoracic oncology.
Prof Jonathan Bennett
Consultant respiratory physician at Glenfield Hospital. Old timer who has been a consultant since 2000 and in Leicester from 2004. I have witnessed, first hand, the huge positive changes occurring in thoracic oncology care during this time. With colleagues, I established local anaesthetic thorocoscopy, endobronchial ultrasound techniques and, subsequently, the Leicester optimal lung cancer pathway. Previous leadership roles include:
- Leicester lung cancer lead
- East Midlands Cancer Alliance lung cancer ECAG chair
- Reviewer for the National Lung Cancer Peer Review programme
- President East Midlands Thoracic Society 2021-2025
- Chair Board of the British Thoracic Society 2018-2021
- President British Thoracic Society 2023-2024
- Deputy Medical Director Invited Reviews Royal College of Physicians 2019-2024