Meet the Team

David Kavanagh is the Professor of Complement Therapeutics at the NRCTC. He is the clinical lead for the adult aHUS service and head of aHUS diagnostics service.

Neil Sheerin is a a Consultant Nephrologist at the Freeman Hospital, and is Professor of Nephrology at Newcastle University.

Dr Johnson is the Lead Clinician for Paediatric aHUS. She leads translational research into complement-mediated renal disease.

Dr Edwin Wong is a Consultant Nephrologist at the National Renal Complement Therapeutics Centre and the Freeman Hospital’s Renal Services Centre. He is also an associate clinical lecturer at Newcastle University.

Dr Michal Malina is a Consultant Paediatric Nephrologist at the RVI’s Great North Children’s Hospital where he specialises in atypical haemolytic-uraemic syndrome and peritoneal dialysis.

Dr Emma Montgomery is a Consultant Nephrologist at the Freeman Hospital’s Renal Services Centre specialising in renal transplantation, haemodialysis, vascular access and pre-dialysis care.

Dr Vicky Brocklebank is a Consultant Nephrologist at the NRCTC and the Freeman Hospital.

Christine is a Nurse Consultant at the National Renal Complement Therapeutics Centre (NRCTC) in Newcastle.  Her background is in Children’s Nursing – initially working on a children’s surgical ward post-qualification; then training and working as a Health Visitor.  She then worked as a Clinical Nurse Specialist for 11 years, specialising in paediatric inflammatory bowel disease at a tertiary centre.  Christine then joined the NRCTC in 2020, initially as a Nurse Specialist, but latterly as a Nurse Consultant, and leads the nursing service at the NRCTC.

Claire Turnbull is a Clinical Nurse Specialist at the NRCTC . She spent the beginning of her career as a staff nurse on the paediatric surgical ward within the Great North Children’s Hospital, Newcastle. Claire was keen to develop her career as a specialist nurse and joined the NRCTC in April 2021

Charlotte Blewitt is a Clinical Nurse Specialist at the NRCTC. She qualified as a paediatric nurse in 2013 and has a background in children’s renal care. In her specialist role, she enjoys working with patients, families and other professionals to support patients and provide effective care.

Ashley Procter is a Registered Adult Nurse, qualifying in 2010.  She spent 13 years working as a Diabetes specialist nurse.  She has a strong interest in long term condition management and patient centred care.

Karen Edwards is a Clinical Nurse Specialist at the NRCTC, bringing over two decades of nursing experience to her role. She qualified as a registered adult nurse in 2003 and began her career on an adult general surgical ward, where she developed a strong foundation in acute care.

In 2012, Karen transitioned into a specialist role within breast cancer services, where she gained extensive expertise in delivering individualised patient care across the full treatment pathway—from diagnosis through to long-term surveillance.

In March 2025, Karen joined the aHUS nursing team.  Her role supports the advancement of patient-centred approaches in the management of this rare condition.

Jayne Brown is an adult trained nurse with extensive experience in cardiothoracic services, intensive care, and the private sector.