UKNOS Committee 2024
The UKNOS committee is comprised of specialists and trainees in Neuro-Ophthalmology from across the UK. Please address any queries to our administrator Tricia, click here to email
PRESIDENT
Dr Gordon Plant
Dr Plant founded UKNOS, originally UKNOSIG, to meet the need for a national organisation in the UK committed to research and continuing professional development in Neuro-Ophthalmology.
He is an emeritus Consultant Neurologist at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, St Thomas’ Hospital and Moorfields Eye Hospital, London.
Dr Plant is a fellow of the college of both Physicians and Ophthalmologists and has particular clinical and research interest in neurological disorders that affect vision.
Further insight into Dr Plant’s career and interests may be gleaned from this interview hosted by the UCL Institute of Neurology (click here)
Vice-President
Dr Sui Hsien Wong
Dr Sui Hsien Wong is a consultant neurologist and neuro-ophthalmologist based in London, UK. She completed her Neurology specialist training in the UK, supplemented by training sabbaticals in Australia and USA. This was followed by a Neuro-ophthalmology clinical fellowship in Moorfields Eye Hospital and an MD (research) into Ocular Myasthenia Gravis (OMG) awarded by University College London. She continues with research on OMG and other neuro-ophthalmological conditions. She is on the editorial boards for the Neuro-ophthalmology and Eye journals.
Her NHS clinical practice is based at Moorfields Eye Hospital, and Guys & St Thomas’ Hospitals, where she sees unselected Neuro-ophthalmological conditions, ranging from urgent to tertiary care referrals. She also runs specialist services for Ocular Myasthenia and Pseudotumour Cerebri Syndrome / Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension. Dr Wong is currently leading a number of research projects on her specialist topics of interests, as well as Visual Snow.
Administrator
Tricia Davey
Tricia joined UKNOS early 2024 & is the primary point of contact for all initial UKNOS related queries - click here to get in touch via email
TREASURER
Mr Steve Madill
Steve Madill is the founding treasurer of UKNOS. He is Consultant Neuro-Ophthalmologist based at Princess Alexandra Eye Pavillion, Edinbugh, UK. Mr Madill has practiced, published and taught on Neuro-ophthalmology throughout his career and is a founding member of UKNOS.
MEETING/SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMME DIRECTOR
Dr Simon Hickman
Simon Hickman is a Consultant Neurologist at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield. He is also an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Sheffield. He graduated from the University of Cambridge.
He trained in Neurology in Nottingham and London and obtained a PhD in magnetic resonance imaging in optic neuritis.
He helps to run a regional Neuro-Ophthalmology clinic in Sheffield.
He is also the co-editor in chief of Neuro-Ophthalmology.
ABSTRACT DIRECTOR
Dr Elizabeth Hill
Liz initially trained as an Optometrist in Manchester. She worked as a Research Optometrist at Manchester University, and during this time she completed her MPhil. She completed her medical training at Newcastle University. She completed her Ophthalmology training in the Northern Deanery.
She completed a Neuro-ophthalmology fellowship at the Royal Victoria Infirmary. She is just finishing her second fellowship in Neuro-ophthalmology and strabismus at Moorfields. Outside of work she is a keen runner
SERVICE DIRECTOR
Miss Margaret Dayan
Margaret (Mags) Dayan is a Consultant Ophthalmologist, Neuro-ophthalmology Clinical Service Lead at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle and an Associate Clinical Lecturer, Newcastle University. She is also the Secretary of the British Isles Neuro-ophthalmology Club (BINOC).
Mags graduated from Oxford and trained in Leeds & the Northern Region before undertaking a fellowship in neuro-ophthalmology and ocular motility in Oxford. Her subspecialist interests are neuro-ophthalmology, adult ocular motility and botulinum toxin treatment. She also works closely with the regional neurorehabilitation service and sees patients with visual impairment (including higher cognitive visual dysfunction) secondary to brain injuries. She has a large and complex clinical practice and understands first hand the competing demands of limited resources and increasing referrals. She is interested in identifying new ways of meeting service demands, the use of virtual and paramedical clinics and the changing makeup of the teams delivering neuro-ophthalmology services.
Mags previously instigated and ran the Newcastle Course on Orbital and Neuro-Imaging for Ophthalmology, teaches on the Newcastle Cadaveric Strabismus course, has convened Seminars and Annual Congress sessions for the Royal College of Ophthalmologists and is a regular speaker on neuro-ophthalmology at national meetings. She is the Neuro-ophthalmology Section Editor of the Health Education England eLearning for Health Website.
SOCIETY LIAISONS
Mr Eoin O'Sullivan (Ophthalmology)
Mr Eoin O’Sullivan trained in Ophthalmology before sub-specialising in Neuro-Ophthalmology.
He is an established Consultant Neuro-Ophthalmologist at King’s College London, one of the busiest acute trusts in the UK, and has a core role with the Royal College of Ophthalmologists.
Mr O’Sullivan has taught and published widely in Neuro-Ophthalmology, and supported emerging Neuro-Ophthalmologists in their training. He is a member of the UK Biobank Eye & Vision Consortium.
Dr Arani Nitkunan (Neurology)
Dr Arani Nitkunan was appointed as consultant neurologist at Croydon University Hospital in 2013.
She is chair of the South West London Acute Provider Collaborative Neurology stream whose aim is to provide equitable accessible care in the region.
She read medicine at Newnham College, Cambridge and Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital, London. She was awarded a PhD for stroke research at St George’s Hospital, London in 2007. Her neurology training was in southwest London with stints at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, and National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, as well as one month in Jaffna Teaching Hospital, Sri Lanka.
Dr Nitkunan runs general neurology clinics at Croydon University Hospital and a specialist neuro-ophthalmology clinic at St George’s. She is clinical lead at Croydon with a particular focus on transforming acute neurology. She is part of the team managing patients on the Hyperacute Stroke Unit at St George’s and has inpatients at the regional neuroscience centre, Atkinson Morley Wing, St George’s Hospital.
Dr Nitkunan was appointed as council member of the Association of British Neurologists in July 2018.
INDUSTRY LIAISON
Dr Jonathan Virgo
Jonny Virgo is a Consultant Neuro-Ophthalmologist at Guy’s & St Thomas’ having trained in Medical Ophthalmology in the London Deanery and completed the Neuro-Ophthalmology post-CCT Fellowship at Moorfields Eye Hospital.
Before studying Medicine Jonny did a Genetics BSc at Nottingham University. He then studied Medicine at Brighton & Sussex Medical School where he graduated top of his year. Since then he did Foundation Training in the South Thames Foundation School and Core Medical Training in the London Deanery. He has also done a Clinical Neurology MSc at the UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square.
Throughout Medical Ophthalmology training Jonny attended regular Rheumatology clinics, and worked at consultant level managing a Scleritis and Biologics clinic at St Thomas’ Hospital. He updated the Moorfields Clinical Handbook of Adult Immunosuppressive Therapy for Ocular Inflammatory Diseases in 2018
TRAINING
Dr Luke Bennetto
Luke Bennetto is a Consultant Neurologist in Bristol since 2008. He qualified in 1997 from Southampton University.
He was awarded an MD at the University of Bristol for research into Multiple Sclerosis in 2004.
He runs a weekly neuro-ophthalmology clinic at the Bristol Eye Hospital and an IIH clinic at Southmead Hospital.
He is the Neurology Training Programme Director for the Severn Deanery and member of the UK Neurology Specialist Advisory Committee.
Education
Miss Brinda Muthusamy
Brinda Muthusamy received her medical degree from the University of Edinburgh. After completing her senior house officer rotation at the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals, she obtained Membership to the Royal College of Physicians. She completed her ophthalmology higher surgical training at the Bristol Eye Hospital, and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists. She obtained fellowship training in Pediatric Ophthalmology and Adult Strabismus at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland. This was followed by a fellowship in Neuro-ophthalmology also at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland.
Since 2013 she has practised as a consultant paediatric and adult neuro-ophthalmologist at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, UK.
CPD REPRESENTATIVE
Dr Sarah Cooper
Sarah trained in Southampton, London, Edinburgh and Glasgow. She works as a Consultant Neurologist in Brighton.
As part of the team at the Sussex Eye Hospital she provides specialist clinics for patients with Idiopathic Intracranial, myasthenia gravis and other neuro ophthalmic disorders.
WEBSITE & SOCIAL MEDIA
Dr Ailbhe Burke
Ailbhe Burke trained in psychology and undertook research in genetics at King’s College London before returning to study Medicine.
Ailbhe (pronounced Alva) went on to train in Neurology and Neuro-Ophthalmology in London and Australia. She now works as a consultant in Neurology & Neuro-Ophthalmology at Moorfields.
Ailbhe was a research editor for the BMJ for 7 years alongside specialty medical training. She retains a longstanding interest in improving access to and equity within healthcare, as well as exercise and extreme environments.
TRAINEE REPRESENTATIVEs
Dr Emma Spowart - Ophthalmology
Emma Spowart is an Ophthalmology trainee in the Northern deanery. She studied medicine with an intercalated BSc in neuroscience at UCL in London, then completed her foundation training in Essex and East London.
During the past few years, Emma has completed a PGCert in medical education at Newcastle university and is currently involved with the editorial committee for setting up the RCOphth Inspire e-learning platform
Dr Anna Francis - Neurology
Anna is a Neurology trainee in Bristol and is currently out of programme while reading for a DPhil in Clinical Neurosciences at Oxford University.
Anna has an interest in neuroinflammatory disease and is the Neuromyelitis Optica Clinical Fellow at the John Radcliffe Hospital, where she looks after patients with autoimmune diseases of the brain, optic nerve and spinal cord.
Her research aims to determine whether individuals with these conditions are at increased risk of cognitive impairment and to identify potential triggers for disease onset.
Mr Neil Clough - Ophthalmology
Neil is a Paediatric Ophthalmology/Strabismus Fellow at Guy’s & St Thomas’, London. He completed a Bachelor of Science in Optometry before studying medicine at St George’s University of London. He undertook specialty training in Ophthalmology at Moorfields & King’s before completing a clinical teaching fellowship at Moorfields Eye Hospital.
Dr Sunjay Parmar - Neurology & Education
Sunjay is a senior Neurology registrar & has been appointed as the next Moorfields Neuro-Ophthalmology Fellow.
Sunjay completed the Academic Foundation Programme alongside an Honorary Teaching Fellowship in Sheffield before moving to Nottingham for Core Medical Training then a one year Clinical Teaching Fellowship. He progressed as a Neurology registrar to Queen Square then the Royal Free, alongside his role as an Honorary Clinical Teaching Fellow at University College London.
Sunjay is passionate about improving medical education. He is the author of Neurology: A Visual Approach, a Neurology revision aid using visual imagery to aid memory and recall of neurological conditions through pictorial representation. He has created a YouTube channel (click here) where he has animated & voiced a series of videos to demystify key Neurological & Neuro-Ophthalmic signs & syndromes.
Sunjay is skilled at web design, having created & maintained the Queen Square education portal, the Meducation medical networking portal and through which you can access the NHNN podcast series (click here).
Mr Michael Gilhooley - Academic & Ophthalmology
Michael is an Academic Clinical Lecturer at the Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London and is completing his training via a post-doctoral fellowship in the USA currently.
Michael’s research centres on the intrinsically photosensitive ganglion cells and their photopigment (melanopsin), for which he was awarded a PhD from the University of Oxford.
Prior to this, Michael studied medicine at Cambridge and worked in Glasgow before moving to London for ophthalmology training. He represents academic trainees internationally on the ARVO members in training committee.