Helpline 07939 046 030
Freephone 0300 102 17 22*

Our Trustees

Our Board of Trustees contribute their expertise, leadership and experience to the strategic direction and governance of the charity. 

Ultimately, their work changes lives, by utilising their specialisms, working with the businesses, NHS contacts and many more. We are very grateful for the commitment of our trustees who continue to support the charity in new and ambitious ways. 

Richard Goode

Chair

Richard Goode is a fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and has been managing director of Fletcher King PLC, based in London, for the last 15 years and specialises in commercial property fund management. He lives in Surrey with his wife and has 3 grown up children. His eldest son has NF1.

Prof. Rosalie Ferner

Professor Ferner is a Consultant and Professor of Neurology at Guys and St Thomas's Hospital, and previously the Chair of the Medical Advisory Board of Nerve Tumours UK. She has been national lead for the nationally commissioned NF1 service since 2009, and lead for the London NF2 service since 2010. The aim of the national neurofibromatosis services is to give expert, multi-disciplinary, holistic care to people with complex, multi-system disease. Her specialist clinical work is in tumour suppressor conditions – NF 1 and 2, Schwannomatosis and von Hippel Lindau disease.

Michael Fry

Michael has a son, Freddie, who was diagnosed with NF1 as a baby. He is a barrister specialising in planning, regulatory and public law. Michael has a Master's degree in Social and Political Science, from the University of Cambridge, and read law at BPP University. Before entering the law, Michael served in the Household Cavalry for seven years, holding the rank of Captain. He was a military press spokesman for the Army Reserve. Michael has experience of public affairs, media engagement and charity law, and hopes to use these skills in support of Nerve Tumours UK. His particular areas of interest are supporting and growing the advocacy and fundraising aspects of the charity. He is also a liveryman of the Skinner's Company.

Stewart Lee

Stewart is based in Leeds and has lived with NF2 for the past 39 years. A Communications specialist by trade, Stewart is currently the Social Media Manager at the University of London, having previously worked at Queen Mary University of London and The University of East London. He began his career in Digital Communications at a Social Policy think tank, The Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Stewart has been a supporter of the charity alongside his family for the past 25 years, having inherited the condition from his father. In his spare time Stewart is a proud uncle and huge fan of all things Yorkshire and Leeds United. Stewart is particularly proud of how the charities brand, reach and amazing supporters have grown in recent years.

Jonathan Bruce

Vice Chair

Jonathan Bruce is the Chairman and Owner of Fitzgerald Fostering, a leading Independent Fostering Agency based in Bracknell. Before that he was the CEO of Sodexo Homecare for the UK and Ireland and has over 25 years’ experience in the Social Care Sector, formerly with his family’s business, Prestige Nursing, and latterly with Sodexo, which acquired Prestige in 2017. Jonathan has a degree in Industrial Economics from Nottingham University and an MBA from Kingston University and lives in Surrey with his wife Deborah and their three children. His eldest son, Henry was diagnosed with NF1 six months after birth and has overcome numerous challenges
since then, including major spinal surgery. Jonathan is looking to support the charity both personally through various fundraising activities and professionally using his extensive business experience.

Rohan Chanmugam

Rohan is Founder and Chair of Clevercoms Ltd, a management consultancy advising the Telecoms, Media and Technology sector. His
career includes C-level and non-executive roles within several complex, global organisations. His expertise is in corporate strategy, business transformation and all aspects of financial management, specialising in investment analysis, revenue generation and cost management. Rohan is a Freeman of the City of London and a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers of London . His business experience and network will be of enormous value in helping to drive the charity forward to achieve its aims.

Prof Meena Upadhyaya OBE

Professor Upadhyaya is Professor Emerita in Cancer and Genetics at Cardiff University, Wales, and is proud to have been a part of the NF1 research community since 1986. At that time, there were only a handful of researchers studying NF1. She has published over 200 research papers in peer-reviewed journals, edited three books on NF1 and written 30 book chapters. She is honoured to serve as a trustee and medical advisor for Nerve Tumours UK, offering support and advice to Welsh NF1 families and healthcare professionals. She has had the privilege of sharing her research data and interacting with patients and their families at various international meetings. She is passionate about improving the quality of life for NF1 patients, and this has inspired her to continue with her research and international collaborations after retirement. Over the last four years, she has served as a Non-Executive Director with the Welsh Government providing assurances and challenges.

Matt Jones

Matthew is a director and deputy fund manager at M&G plc, specialising in structured finance investments. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Charterholder and holds the Certificate of Quantitative Finance. Matt holds a degree in Mathematics from the University of Cambridge. Matt has a younger brother with NF2 and, having fundraised for the charity in the past, is looking to further support the charity going forward in these areas.

Masterclasses in NF: Constitutional Mismatch Repair Deficiency Syndrome as Differential Diagnosis to NF1/Legius Syndrome - Prof. Dr. Katharina Wimmer

Constitutional Mismatch Repair Deficiency Syndrome as Differential Diagnosis to NF1/Legius Syndrome

Prof. Dr. Katharina Wimmer, Medical University of Innsbruck

Masterclasses in NF: Rare NF1-Associated Tumors in Adults - Eric Legius & Prof. Ellen Denayer

Masterclasses in NF: Rare NF1-Associated Tumors in Adults

Eric Legius, MD, PhD, University Hospital Leuven

Prof. Ellen Denayer, University Hospital Leuven

Masterclasses in NF: Optimising Hearing Outcomes in NF2-Related Schwannomatosis - Simon Freeman

Masterclasses in NF: Optimising Hearing Outcomes in NF2-Related Schwannomatosis

Simon Freeman, MPhil FRCS, Manchester Royal Infirmary and Salford Royal Hospital

Masterclasses in NF: NF1 Dermatological Manifestations - Pierre Wolkenstein, Laura Fertitta & Sirkku Peltonen

Masterclasses in NF: NF1 Dermatological Manifestations

Pierre Wolkenstein, MD, PhD, Hopital Henri-Mondor, Paris, France

Laura Fertitta, MD, Hôpital Universitaire Henri Mondor

Sirkku Peltonen, MD, PhD, University of Gothenberg, Sweden

Masterclasses in NF: Breast Cancer in NF1 - Gareth Evans

Masterclasses in NF: Breast Cancer in NF1

Gareth Evans, MD, University of Manchester, UK

Masterclasses in NF: Pain in Non-NF2-Related Schwannomatosis - David Pang

Masterclasses in NF: Pain in Non-NF2-Related Schwannomatosis

David Pang, MD, ChB. Guys and St Thomas' Hospital NHS Trust, London

Masterclasses in NF: Distinguishing Non-NF2-Related from NF2-Related Schwannomatosis - Clinical and Genetic Approaches - Said Farschtschi

Masterclasses in NF: Distinguishing Non-NF2-Related from NF2-Related Schwannomatosis - Clinical and Genetic Approaches

Said Farschtschi, MD, University Medical Center, Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany

Masterclasses in NF: NF1 Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis - Eric Legius & Prof. Ellen Denayer

Masterclasses in NF: NF1 Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis

Eric Legius, MD, PHD, University Hospital of Leuven, Belgium

Prof. Ellen Denayer, University Hospital of Leuven, Belgium

NF2 Working Together: from a tentative diagnosis and beyond

Understanding the impact that a tentative diagnosis has on a parent. Information and access to the existing NTUK and Specialist Nerve Tumours medical and non medical care network.

NF1 Working Together Part 2: from a tentative diagnosis and beyond

Understanding the impact that a tentative diagnosis has on a parent. Information and access to the existing NTUK and Specialist Nerve Tumours medical and non medical care network.

NF1 Working Together Part 1: from a tentative diagnosis and beyond

Understanding  the impact that a tentative diagnosis has on a parent. Information and access to the existing NTUK and Specialist Nerve Tumours medical and non medical care network.

Masterclasses in NF: Surgery in NF2 - Michel Kalamarides & Andrew King

Masterclasses in NF: Surgery in NF2

Michel Kalamarides, MD, PhD, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France

Prof Andrew King, MBBS FRCS FRCS(SN), Salford Royal Hospital, Manchester, United Kingdom. Member of the MAB of Nerve Tumours UK

Masterclasses in NF: Cognition and Behaviour in NF1: Phenotype and Treatment Approaches - Shruti Garg, Andre Rietman

Masterclasses in NF: Cognition and Behaviour in NF1: Phenotype and Treatment Approaches

Dr Shruti Garg, MBBS, MRCPsych, MMedSci, PhD, Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, United Kingdom. Member of the MAB of Nerve Tumours UK

Andre Rietman, PhD, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands

Masterclasses in NF: Emotional Challenges in NF1, NF2 and Schwannomatosis - Susie Henley, Thomas Pletschko & Verena Rosenmayr

Masterclasses in NF: Emotional Challenges in NF1, NF2 and Schwannomatosis

Susie Henley, DClinPsy, PhD, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London UK

Thomas Pletschko, PhD, Medical University of Vienna, Austria

Verena Rosenmayr, Clinical Psychologist, Medical University of Vienna, Austria

Masterclasses in NF: NF1 Pediatric Management - Rianne Oostenbrink

Masterclasses in NF: NF1 Pediatric Management

Rianne Oostenbrink, MD, PhD, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands

Masterclasses in NF: Associated Glioma in Children - the Optic Pathway and Beyond - Amedeo Azizi

Masterclasses in NF: Associated Glioma in Children - the Optic Pathway and Beyond

Amedeo Azizi, MD, PhD, Head of the Paediatric Neurofibromatosis Program and Paediatric Neuro-Oncology Program, Medical University of Vienna, Austria

Masterclasses in NF: NF1 Orthopedic Manifestations - Eric Legius and Christophe Glorion

Masterclasses in NF: NF1 Orthopedic Manifestations

Eric Legius, MD, PhD. Head of Clinical Genetics Department of the University Hospital Leuven, Belgium

Christophe Glorion, MD, PhD, Department of Paediatric Orthopedic and Traumatologic Surgery, Hopital Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris, France. 

Masterclasses in NF: NF1 Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumours - Rosalie Ferner and Viktor-Felix Mautner

Masterclasses in NF: NF1 Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumours

Prof Rosalie Ferner, Consultant Neurologist and Lead Clinician for Neurofibromatosis, Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London. Member of the MAB of Nerve Tumours UK and Trustee of Nerve Tumours UK

Viktor-Felix Mautner, MD, PhD. University Medical Centre in Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany. Head of NF Outpatient Department

Masterclasses in NF - Neurofibromatosis Type 1: Cutaneous Neurofibromas - Pierre Wolkenstein and Sirkku Peltonen

Masterclasses in NF - Neurofibromatosis Type 1: Cutaneous Neurofibromas

Pierre Wolkenstein, MD, PhD. Hopital Henri-Mondor, Paris, France. Head of the Department of Dermatology

Sirkku Peltonen MD, PhD. University of Gothenberg, Sweden. Professor of Dermatology

INFER (International NF Educational Resources) is a series of online educational lectures for medical professionals by leading neurofibromatosis experts. The Masterclasses take place online approximately once a month, each on a different topic, and include real-time interaction between the expert presenter and the participants. The presentations are conducted in English, with real-time audio interpretation available in 6 additional languages: French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. A recording of each INFER masterclass is then be made available online in each language for those who could not attend an event. INFER is an initiative of Children’s Tumor Foundation Europe, supported by an educational grant from AstraZeneca. https://ctfeurope.org/research/masterclasses-in-nf

BPNA Keynote Lecture - Prof Rosalie Ferner - Neurofibromatosis 1 in the 21st Century

‘Neurofibromatosis 1 in the 21st Century’

Keynote Lecture at the 48th British Paediatric Neurology Association Annual Scientific Meeting on 21st January 2022

Prof Rosalie Ferner, Consultant Neurologist and Lead Clinician for Neurofibromatosis, Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London. Member of the MAB of Nerve Tumours UK and Trustee of Nerve Tumours UK