An Introduction to the Advisory Panel
Professor Leslie J Findley
Board of Trustees, National Tremor Foundation & Clinical Adviser
Dr Peter Bain
MBBS MA MD FRCP, Board of Trustees, National Tremor Foundation & Clinical Advisor
Jackie Farrell
Support Groups Coordinator
I was the senior neurologist (now retired) at the Essex Neurosciences Unit, Queen's Hospital, Romford, Essex and Professor of Health Sciences (Neurology) at London University South Bank. My clinical and research interests included movement disorders and fatigue syndromes. In the 1990’s I was on the Board of Trustees of the Parkinson’s Disease Society (now Parkinson UK), and was Chairman 1994-1997.
During the late 1970s and 80s, my major research interest was essential tremor (ET) in terms of measurement, analysis and pharmacology, which I carried out at the National Hospital, Queen Square. During the 1980s and 90s I collaborated with the late Professor Bill Koller from Chicago, and subsequently Kansas City, USA; we both had the idea that there should be an international charity for tremor (in fact, I think I suggested it first!). Bill Koller founded the International Tremor Foundation in the US, and the National Tremor Foundation UK was a subsidiary. It soon became apparent that there were many advantages for having an independent national foundation in the UK, and in 1994 the National Tremor Foundation (UK) was founded. Our ambition was to provide support, information, education and fund research into tremor disorders of all types.
I have been on the Board of Trustees, and one of the medical advisers since the charity was founded. I look on the Foundation as a growing "family". The Board of Trustees now is strong and united, as is our small, and very efficient, headquarters staff. Our plan is to develop and expand our website, publications and our communications and to facilitate the development of services to support those with tremors of all types.
Dr Bain is currently a Reader & Honorary Consultant in clinical Neurology, within the Division of Neurosciences at Imperial College London & Charing Cross Hospital.
He is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (London) and the Royal Society of Medicine and a member of the Association of British Neurologists, Movement Disorder Society, British Society of Rehabilitation Medicine and the Parkinson’s Disease Society.
An international authority on tremor, Parkinson’s disease, other movement disorders and deep brain stimulation, Dr Bain has authored over one hundred peer reviewed papers, reviews and editorials, 3 books and 13 book chapters.
He is a renowned speaker at over 100 congress, presentationing at national and international congresses including the European Congress of Neurology, World Congress of Neurology and World Congress of Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders.
Dr Bain has been a trustee to the National Tremor Foundation having co-founded the charity with Professor Leslie Findley, to facilitate knowledge of tremors, research into tremor and the care of people living with tremors.
My sincere hope is that over the next few years the National Tremor Foundation will grow to become a strong and positive force in the lives of people with tremor.
I have had essential tremor since I was in my 20s. However at the beginning of 2014 I discovered March was ‘ET awareness month’ and since then I have been running the London and South East Support group and taken every opportunity to raise and spread awareness of tremor, through talks and events. I have now been appointed Support Group Coordinator and I look forward 'to helping the NTF move forward through new challenges'.
Read more about Jackie's journey with Essential Tremor.
For anything regarding support groups I can be contacted on jackie@tremor.org.uk
Jasbir Singh
General Manager
Duncan Crossland
Marketing Adviser
Anjum Misbahuddin
Medical Adviser
As a volunteer engagement specialist, I have helped organisations to find innovative ways of recruiting and engaging with volunteers. I have over two decades worth of experience working with volunteers and voluntary organisations, including volunteering myself at national and local level for numerous charities.
I have been a member of various panels and advisory groups for charities and other organisations, advising them on how to get the most out of their volunteers and ensure that strong governance is in place to improve the institutional performance of the organisation. I have also been responsible in supporting the understanding, implementation and interpretation of discipline and complaint policies.
In my current role as General Manager, I hope my experience and skills will assist the Trustees in the charity’s development process. NFT makes a difference to the lives of many people with tremors, and I am honoured to be involved with such a leading charity in this field. The potential that we can achieve over the coming years is very exciting and possibly groundbreaking.
As a qualified digital marketing strategist, I bring almost two decades of expertise of successfully working with both small and large charities, to deliver impactful marketing campaigns and high-performing websites.
After completing my university studies, I qualified as a college teacher before moving into marketing roles within advertising agencies, media outlets, and universities. Since then, I have specialised as a freelance consultant in the not-for-profit health sector.
From personal experience with having essential tremor within my own family, I empathise with the challenges it presents to individuals and those around them.
These are exciting times to get involved in the NTF. It’s great to see the NTF develop and progress whilst making a difference to people’s lives.
Dr Misbahuddin qualified in Medicine with Honours from the United Medical and Dental Schools of Guys and St Thomas’ Hospitals, London, where she also completed a BSc in Genetics. Her clinical neurology training took place at King’s College Hospital, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, and St Thomas’ Hospital, London, and Hurstwood Park Neurological Centre in Sussex and Queens Medical Centre Nottingham. Her PhD research was in molecular aspects of dystonia at the Royal Free Hospital, London.
She is Consultant Neurologist the Essex Centre for Neurological Sciences at Queen’s Hospital Romford. She leads the movement disorder service there and sees patients with tremor, dystonia and parkinsonian disorders in her clinics and also runs the botulinum toxin and Deep Brain Stimulation services. She is an active Principal Investigator in a number of clinical trials. She is currently Clinical Lead for Neurology at the centre.
Tom Hughes
Huw Morris
Dr Tom Hughes trained in the Royal London Hospital and after qualification in 1987 worked in (nearly) every hospital east of Whitechapel (Mile End, Barking, Chadwell Heath, King George in Ilford, Romford, Southend) before moving back to Wales in 1990.
His time with Professor Findley in Romford was good preparation for registrar jobs, and research with Professor Mark Wiles in Cardiff where Tom has been a consultant since 1999.
His interests include the neurology of speech and swallowing, acute stroke, and the interface between diagnostic and enablement neurology.
