Meet the Team
Meet the Team
We are based at Trust Head Quarters in Aldgate East and Calnwood Court in Luton. The Department is led by Prof. Frank Röhricht, Director of Research, Innovation and Medical Education and Neetu Klair, Head of Medical Education and Medical Staffing.
Dr Frank Rohricht - Director of Research, Innovation and Medical Education
In spring 2018, ELFT appointed Prof Frank Röhricht to the new role of Medical Director for Research, Innovation and Medical Education to support the research culture and the interface between Medical Education and Research.
Dr. Röhricht is Consultant Psychiatrist, Body psychotherapist and Medical Director at ELFT; he is Honorary Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at the Wolfson Institute for Population Health, Queen Mary University London and Professor of Psychiatry, Nicosia University / Cyprus. He published extensively in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
Dr. Röhricht developed the first academic curriculum for body psychotherapy at master’s level and brought a faculty of senior lecturers together to deliver a MA Program “Clinical Psychology with Body Psychotherapy Certificate” in Istanbul, Maltepe University (from autumn 2019-2022).
Email: frank.rohricht@nhs.net
Dr Aneeba Anwar - Associate Director of Medical Education
Dr. Anwar was the College Tutor in ELFT for Bedfordshire GP/FY psychiatry trainees and is now the Associate Director of Medical Education, leading the delivery of medical education within ELFT's services in Bedfordshire and Luton and actively involved in mentoring and guiding trainees and trainers. Her work emphasises the importance of safe and effective patient care, fostering an environment conducive to learning for all professionals in healthcare.
As a Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) examiner and a GMC Associate as a PLAB examiner, Dr. Anwar plays a crucial role in assessing the competencies of doctors including International Medical Graduates (IMGs). Dedicated to the development of holistic healthcare skills. She has developed and led diverse training programs for doctors, ACPs, and PAs, and has been a clinical lead for memory services, delivering innovative education initiatives.
Email: aneeba.anwar@nhs.net
Neetu Klair - Head of Medical Education & Medical Staffing
Neetu has strategic responsibility for leading and managing all medical education and medical staffing provisions across the Trust, providing leadership across all directorates and ensures that the wider medical education and medical staffing teams, including Administrative support, Supervisors, Directors and Resident Doctors work together in a co-operative and integrated way.
Email: neetu.klair@nhs.net
Marius Johnston - Medical Education Manager
Marius oversees the Medical Education team, to ensure there is a supportive learning environment for all medical students, doctors in postgraduate training, SAS Doctors, Consultants, and other medical professional groups as appropriate. He also ensures we maintain effective and efficient systems and processes, so that the Trust complies with the Educational Governance & Corporate Governance frameworks within both the Trust and relating to external bodies.
Email: marius.johnston@nhs.net
Grant Cairns - Medical Education Coordinator
Newham Locality & QMUL Undergraduate Medical Students
Sanaa Azeem - Medical Education Coordinator
Faculty development, Supporting CPD training for SAS, IMG and Consultant Doctors, and coordinating Educational Appraisals for Educational Supervisors
Noor Alam - Medical Education Coordinator
Tower Hamlets Locality and MRCPsych Coordinator
Sharmin Khonij - Medical Education Coordinator
City and Hackney Locality
Shahidur Rahman - Administrator (London)
Tahmina Begum - Administrator (London)
Dr Helen Bruce – Associate Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education
Dr Helen Bruce is a Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist based in Hackney.
She is a National Teaching Fellow and also a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
She has overall oversight of the clinical placements and medical student teaching across the Trust working closely with all of the site leads and the medical education department.
Dr Kaz Iwata - Undergraduate Lead for Newham
Dr Kaz is a consultant general adult psychiatrist for the Newham South Community Recovery Team with both community and inpatient responsibilities. He is the site lead for undergraduates at Newham and oversees the psychiatry placements in Newham.
Email: kazuya.iwata@nhs.net
Dr Charlotte Wattebot O'Brien - Undergraduate Lead for Tower Hamlets
Dr Charlotte is responsible for coordinating undergraduate psychiatry placements in Tower Hamlets and is available to offer support and information to consultants and students.
Email: charlotte.wattebot-o'brien@nhs.net
Dr Vincenzo Giordano - Undergraduate Lead for City and Hackney EQUIP Service
Dr Vincenzo is a Specialist Grade Dr in Psychiatry working in the Early Intervention in Psychosis Team in City and Hackney. Vincenzo has been Undergraduate Lead for Y4 medical students since November 2024 and I am delighted to continue to coordinate the placements for students in Hackney and to mentor and tutor students who have a special interest in psychiatry.
Dr Sidra Zia - Undergraduate Lead for Luton and Bedfordshire and Regional Sub-Dean for University of Cambridge
Dr Sidra is a Crisis Team Consultant based in Bedford and is responsible for coordinating undergraduate psychiatry placements in Luton and Bedfordshire.
Email: Sidra.zia1@nhs.net
Dr Matthew Loughran - Undergraduate Lead for Forensics
Dr Matthew Loughran is a consultant forensic psychiatrist based at the John Howard Centre (medium secure unit) in Hackney.
He oversees undergraduate psychiatry placements within the forensic services in East London and delivers TBL sessions on Key Concepts in Psychiatry.
Dr Liam Embliss - Undergraduate Fellow in Medical Education East London NHS Foundation Trust
Honorary Lecturer, Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University London
Dr Liam designs and delivers Psychiatry teaching for Year 2 and Year 4 medical students at QMUL. I particularly enjoy discussing Intellectual Disability Psychiatry and Planetary Health with students, and facilitating simulation sessions.
Dr Rahul Bhattacharya - MRCPsych Course Lead
Dr Rahul is the MRCPsych course lead for North East London covering ELFT and NELFT. He is passionate about medical education and patient involvement and aspires the MRCPsych course to be of the highest quality, supported by an excellent faculty and responsive to feedback from trainees.
Email: rahul.bhattacharya@nhs.net
Dr Iyas Assalman - Postgraduate Med Ed Lead for Newham
Iyas is a Consultant General Adult Psychiatrist and the Postgraduate Lead for trainees in Newham.
Email: iyas.assalman@nhs.net
Dr Marisa Manning - Postgraduate Lead for Bedfordshire
Marisa is a Consultant Liaison Psychiatrist at Bedfordshire Hospital and Postgraduate Lead, covering trainees in Bedfordshire.
Dr Sen Kallumpuram - Core Training Programme Director - Luton and Bedfordshire
Dr Sen Kallumpuram is a Consultant Old Age Psychiatrist at the Luton Memory Service and has an interest in medical education and teaching and leads on our FY SIM programme in L&B.
Email: sen.kallumpuram1@nhs.net
Dr Laura Checkley - Training Programme Director Core Psychiatry Trainees - North East London (ELFT and NELFT).
Dr Sheraz Ahmad - Training Programme Director General Adult and Old Age Psychiatry - Bart's and London
Dr Sheraz Ahmad is the Training Programme Director for Higher Training General Adult and Old Age Psychiatry for North East London covering ELFT and NELFT. He has been involved in TPD work with higher training since 2013 and is really passionate about preparing psychiatrists for becoming consultants.
Email: sherazahmad@nhs.net
Dr Hugh Grant Peterkin - Deputy Training Programme Director General Adult and Old Age Psychiatry
Dr Hugh Grant Peterkin is a an adult/ older adult consultant psychiatrist working in older adult liaison psychiatry in the Royal London Hospital. He is also a trained group analyst and supports medical psychotherapy in Tower Hamlets by facilitating the Balint groups. Dr Grant Peterkin was appointed to the role of GA/OA NEL TPD deputy in April 2026 and is excited to take on this role in supporting higher trainees in their career progression, he will have a particular focus on older adult trainees.
Dr David Middleton - General Adult Psychiatry Training Programme Director (East of England) and Supported Return to Training Champion for Bedfordshire and Luton
Dr David Middleton General Adult Psychiatry Training Programme Director (East of England) and is responsible for these training programmes in each of the Trusts in the region.
Dr David Middleton - General Adult Psychiatry Training Programme Director (East of England) and Supported Return to Training Champion for Bedfordshire and Luton
Dr David Middleton General Adult Psychiatry Training Programme Director (East of England) and is responsible for these training programmes in each of the Trusts in the region.
Dr Charlotte Smith - Less Than Full Time Champion for ELFT and Supported Return to Training Champion for ELFT in London
Dr Charlotte Smith is the Less Than Full Time Champion for ELFT, supporting resident doctors who work less than full time hours, promoting inclusive practices that ensure flexibility doesn't limit opportunity, progression or professional development. She is also the Supported Return to Training Champion for ELFT in London, guiding and advocating for tailored support and a focus on wellbeing and opportunities for resident doctors returning after time away.
Dr William Phung - SAS Tutor
Will is a specialty doctor in CAMHS and the SAS (Specialty and Specialist) tutor for ELFT. He is looking into education opportunities for SAS doctors (such as the CPD program), furthering SAS doctors careers. He is keen to raise the profile of SAS doctors, with a plan for all SAS doctors to have clear career paths during his time in post.
Email: william.phung1@nhs.net
Dr Kate Aldersey - SAS Advocate
Kate is the Trustwide SAS Advocate and has been in post since November 2022. The SAS Advocate is a strategic role to promote and improve support for SAS doctor’s health and wellbeing. This includes supporting SAS doctors in their career development and making sure that being a SAS doctor at ELFT is a rewarding career option.
Email: kate.aldersey1@nhs.net