People | Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis

APF is a patient driven organisation, it is vital to us that our community is a safe space for all, regardless of background, sexuality, gender, disability, or race. We gain strength from the wide variety of backgrounds that people come with. We value your unique experience and want your voice to be heard.

Louise Wright

CEO

Louise joined APF in December 2018 after over 12 years as a CEO in the non-profit sector. She was inspired by the impact patients, carers and medical professionals were making to improve the lives of people with pulmonary fibrosis.

Abigail Miller

Communications & Content Coordinator

Abi joined APF in November 2022, bringing with her 6 years of experience working in healthcare charity-related comms.

Alison Stewart

Scotland Support Coordinator

Alison joined us in 2021 and is looking forward to making a real difference to the lives of PF sufferers in Scotland.

Andy Bright

Regional Support Coordinator (South)

Andy has personal experience of life as a PF patient, having developed pulmonary fibrosis in his 40s and, following a 10 year journey, eventually receiving a life-saving double lung transplant in 2018.

Annabel Lotsu

Peer Support and Advisory Service Lead

Annabel joined APF in August 2021. Her experience within the charity sector has included for example, the recruiting, supporting and training of volunteers and the implementing of services such as support groups and helplines.

Barry Jaycock

Head of Finance and Operations

Barry manage the finances, IT, operations, and the HR functions of the charity.

Chloe Stevenson

Support Services Administrator

Chloe joined APF in July 2022. Having worked within the education and charity sectors, she brings with her with a wide range of skills to her support services administration role.

Clare Hodkinson

Research Manager

Clare joined APF in January 2021. Clare is a trained biomedical scientist and completed her PhD in 2006. Clare is an experienced research manager, a role which is well-informed by 12+ years as a researcher in clinical and academic settings.

Dan Beever

Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement Lead

Dan joined APF in January 2023. He is passionate about ensuring the effective involvement of the PF community in the design, delivery and dissemination of research.

Emma Byrne

Fundraising Coordinator

Emma started in October 2019 and has spent many years working in financial administration.

Emma Pelling

Freelance Media Relations

Emma joined APF in 2017 and has over 20 years’ experience bringing patient stories to the wider public via TV, radio and press.

Jane Greer

Support Networks Manager

Jane's roles involves influencing and driving change to better meet the needs of people affected by PF, particularly by working with the Regional Support Coordinators and the support groups.

Jo Murch

Befriending and Volunteer Coordinator

Jo joined APF in March 2023. She has worked with volunteers in health charities for three years and prior to this was a primary school teacher!

Julia Stoward

Support Network Coordinator

Julia joined APF in March 2023. Prior to this she enjoyed a long career as a social worker for Kent Local Authority, where she specialised in supporting adults and children with a disability.

Kerry Oliver

Finance Officer

Kerry joined us in April 2021. She has many years’ experience working in finance and administration working in the travel and education sectors. Her main role is to effectively manage the finance function.

Kirstie Atkins

Research Coordinator

Kirstie joined APF in January 2022 as the Trust and Grants Administrator. Her background as a registered associate nutritionist (ANutr) and lived experience of her Dad having IPF, led to an interest in nutritional research for people affected by IPF.

Katherine Wright

Individual Giving Team Leader

Katherine joined the fundraising team in March 2023.

Louise Sampson

Education Coordinator

Louise's role involves helping multiple audiences understand more about PF and its wider impact, by organising and delivering a range of education events.

Natalie Martin

Community and Digital Fundraising Manager

Natalie has a wealth of experience in the third sector, having worked in medical, homelessness and animal welfare non-profit organisations over the last 12 years.

Pauline Baird

Support Line Coordinator

Pauline joined us in 2021 as a freelance specialist nurse and more recently in a new post as the support line coordinator in 2022.

Rebecca-Rafiyah Findlay

Head of Marketing and Communications

Rebecca-Rafiyah heads up our marketing, brand and communications and joined the charity in April 2023.

Sarah Seymour

Head of Fundraising

Sarah joined APF in January 2020 after over 10 years in fundraising, including working for other health-related causes.

Sharon Moon

In Memory and Legacy Coordinator

Sharon started at APF in August 2018 and brings a diverse set of skills and experience to her Individual Giving support role.

Stef Cormack

Head of Services

Stef has worked in the UK charity sector for 25 years and became APF’s Head of Services in 2022 after working with the charity on a range of projects before that.

Wendy Adams

Head of Research

Wendy joined APF in September 2020. She is passionate about enabling people affected by PF to help shape research and support the discovery of new treatments, technology and understanding of PF.

Wendy Jones

Regional Support Coordinator (North)

Wendy joined APF in December 2021 having cared for her mum who had IPF until her death in May 2021.

Steve Jones

Chair

Steve Jones worked for 35 years as an expert on social and economic problems of development in South Asia and Africa. He ran his own consultancy practice and worked for clients including the United Nations, the World Bank, the UK government and EU.

Dr Beckie Lang

Trustee

Beckie is a public health specialist. She is an advocate of science communication and worked in this field in academic, corporate, media and voluntary sectors. Beckie is currently CEO of the Parent-Infant Foundation, a mental health charity.

Elizabeth Bray

Trustee

Elizabeth worked in the further education sector for over 30 years, as a lecturer and curriculum manager - and then leading college business development.

Dr Helen Parfrey

Trustee

Dr Helen Parfrey is a consultant respiratory physician at Royal Papworth Hospital. She is actively involved in research on pulmonary fibrosis and undertakes clinical and translational research on the role of innate immunity and infection.

Howard Almond

Trustee

Howard Almond has worked in the computer software industry for 50 years, including over 20 years in Austria and Germany. He is still active in developing computer software solutions and is also busy with his son’s businesses.

Stephen Morgan-Hyland

Trustee

Stephen has over 20 years’ experience as a planning and property consultant and is a recognised expert in commercial development and regeneration.

Dr Simon Hart

Trustee

Dr Simon Hart is Reader in Respiratory Medicine at Hull York Medical School and a consultant respiratory physician at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, where he is the lead clinician for the Interstitial Lung Disease Service.

Wendy Dickinson

Trustee

Wendy Dickinson is one of APF’s founding trustees. Her father, football manager Peter Taylor, died from IPF in 1990 at the age of sixty-two. She is working to improve the lives and outcomes for PF patients and their families in memory of her dad.

Dr Michael Stubbins

Trustee

Mike’s career has focused on research and development of new medicines and the application of genetics & genomics to healthcare in his current role for Genomics England, while doing his PhD and whilst working 20+ years with GlaxoSmithKline.

Matthew Suddart

Trustee

Matthew works in the Public Sector and is passionate about raising awareness amongst policy makers and those who have the ability to lever change that will improve outcomes for Pulmonary Fibrosis patients.

Professor Nick Wareham

Chair - Research Review Panel

Professor Nick Wareham is the Director of the MRC Epidemiology Unit, Co-Director of the Institute of Metabolic Science, Honorary Consultant at Addenbrooke’s Hospital and Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Cambridge, England.

Dr Richard Allen

Research Review Panel Member

Richard is an Action for Pulmonary for Fibrosis Mike Bray research fellow at the University of Leicester, researching the genetics of pulmonary fibrosis using large-scale statistical analyses.

Elizabeth Bray

Research Review Panel Member

Elizabeth’s late husband Mike was an IPF patient, who was fortunate to have a single lung transplant. Following his transplant, Elizabeth worked with Mike, the first Chair of Trustees of APF, and other founding trustees to set up the charity.

Susan Hall

Research Review Panel Member

My name is Susan Hall, I am a patient living with a rare form of Pulmonary Fibrosis called Idiopathic Pleuroparenchymal Fibroelastosis under the care of Royal Papworth Hospital.

Professor Ling-Pei Ho

Research Review Panel Member

Prof Ling-Pei Ho is the Professor of Respiratory Immunology at University of Oxford and an NHS Consultant in Respiratory Medicine.

Professor Ann Millar

Research Review Panel Member

Emeritus Professor of Respiratory Medicine at the University of Bristol. Previously President of the British Thoracic Society and the British Association for Lung Research.

Professor Chris Scotton

Research Review Panel Member

Chris currently leads the Respiratory Medicine research group in the College of Medicine & Health at the University of Exeter.

Professor Gisli Jenkins

President

Professor Jenkins leads the Margaret Turner Warwick Centre for Fibrosing Lung Diseases at the National Heart and Lung Institute. His clinical and research focus is on interstitial lung disease, and pulmonary fibrosis in particular.