Our Trustees - saving sight
Mr Nicholas Sarkies - Chairman and retired Addenbrooke's Consultant
Nicholas Sarkies, although now retired is still lecturing at Cambridge University and at Addenbrooke's. He was a Consultant Ophthalmologist at Addenbrooke's Hospital Cambridge from 1988 to 2020. After Cambridge he trained at Westminster, The London, The Middlesex, Moorfields, St Thomas' and The National Hospital for Nervous Diseases. He has specialized in neuro-ophthalmology and glaucoma. His research interests within neuro-ophthalmology has been in cerebrospinal fluid and pituitary disorders.
He has been interested in training and education in ophthalmology for all of his career. He was Royal College of Ophthalmology Clinical Tutor at Addenbrooke's in the 1990s and he established the School of Ophthalmology for Health Education, East of England , being Head of School from 2008 to 2015.
Mr Rod Ashby-Johnson - Trustee
Rod's specialism is the tribology of cylinder components operating in hostile environments and the logistics of their worldwide marketing and distribution. He has held senior roles with T&N plc, Associated Engineering Ltd, and GKN plc in Europe, North America and Asia; and more recently CEO of QH Group.
He was educated at The Leys School and then read Mechanical Sciences at St Catharine's College, Cambridge. He served 15 years with The Queens Own Mercian Yeomanry, and presently Chairman of The Leys School Committee of Governors. He is compiling and publishing the musical works of Ken Naylor, best known as composer of the popular hymn tune, 'Coe Fen'.
Mr Douglas Newman - Trustee and Addenbrooke's Ophthalmology Consultant
Consultant ophthalmologist at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge. My clinical practice comprises general ophthalmology with sub-specialty interests in cataract surgery, vitreoretinal surgery (including retinal detachment, vitreous haemorrhage and macular disorders), and medical retina disorders (including macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy). I provide consultation facilities for private patients at Spire Cambridge Lea Hospital.
I qualified from the University of Oxford Medical School. My specialist training in ophthalmology was undertaken at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Moorfields Eye Hospital and Manchester Royal Eye Hospital. I have extensive experience in all aspects of ophthalmology. My advanced sub-specialty training included a clinical fellowship in vitreoretinal surgery and a clinical fellowship in medical retina disorders.
Prof Madhavan Rajan - Trustee and Addenbrooke's Ophthalmology Consultant
Professor Madhavan Rajan is the lead corneal and cataract surgeon at Addenbrooke's Hospital with research interests in cornea, cataract and anterior segment disorders of the eye. Professor Rajan undertakes his laboratory research in the Vision and Eye Research Unit (VERU) at Anglia Ruskin University and clinical research at the Cambridge University Hospitals in Cambridge. His collaborators include Professor Roger Buckley and Stem cell scientists at Life sciences department, Cambridge. He is principle supervisor for the PhD program focused on corneal research and the clinical corneal fellowship at Addenbrooke's Hospital.
He was recently awarded the NHS Health Enterprise East award for developing a novel technique of pre-conditioning human donor corneas for Micro-thin Endothelial Keratoplasty (DSAEK). His laboratory research is aimed at developing cell therapy to restore vision in patients with corneal blindness. Other clinical research areas include lamellar corneal transplantation techniques, corneal cross-linking for Keratoconus, novel drug delivery devices to the cornea and advanced intraocular lenses for cataract surgery.
Mr Cornelius René - Trustee and Addenbrooke's Ophthalmology Consultant
Mr Cornelius René is a Consultant Ophthalmologist specializing in oculoplastic surgery (eyelids), lacrimal surgery (tear ducts), and orbital surgery (eye sockets). He qualified at Middlesex Hospital Medical School in London in 1985 and completed junior ophthalmology training posts in London and the South East, before moving to Birmingham for a period of research, followed by Ophthalmology Higher Surgical Training in Birmingham and the West Midlands region. He completed subspecialty fellowship training at Queen’s Medical Centre (Nottingham) and Moorfields Eye Hospital (London), before taking up his consultant post in Cambridge in 1998. Mr René is a founder member, former Treasurer and Past President of the British Oculoplastic Surgery Society (BOPSS).
Ms Humma Shahid - Trustee and Addenbrooke's Ophthalmology Consultant
Ms Shahid graduated in medicine from Trinity College, University of Oxford. Since then she has trained in several leading Ophthalmology units, including the Tennant Institute of Ophthalmology and the Oxford Eye Hospital. She completed 3 years of advanced fellowship training in Glaucoma both in Oxford and Cambridge, before being appointed Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon at Addenbrooke’s Hospital.
Ms Shahid is a fellow of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists. As well as general Ophthalmology, she has a special interest in all aspects of glaucoma care (medical, laser and surgical management) as well as adult cataract surgery, including the management of complex cataracts.
Ms Shahid is committed to the teaching and training of future generations of healthcare professionals, including medical students, junior doctors and optometrists. She is a peer reviewer for several leading ophthalmic international journals and is keen on patient-centred care and education about eye disease.
Associated Trust administrators
Mr Robin Bligh - Trust Accountant
Robin Bligh, who advises the trustees on financial matters, is a retired Chartered Accountant, an FCA. He worked in both the City of London and in Cambridge, where he was a Partner in a large firm of Accountants.