Our Committee
The INSPIRE committee aims to represent each area of the UK, and work together to fulfill the aims of INSPIRE. Meet the team below:
Dr Akhilesh Jha
Chair – East of England
Aki is a Clinical Lecturer in Experimental Respiratory Medicine at the University of Cambridge. He graduated from UCL with early training in Northwest and Wessex deaneries, followed by work as a Medical Officer in rural South Africa. He completed his PhD at Imperial College London establishing human challenge models to investigate innate immunity and its dysregulation in airway disease. He is a member of the BTS Science and Research Committee and an Early Career Editorial Board Member for Immunotherapy Advances. He is passionate about INSPIRE as it will help early career respiratory professionals develop their clinical research skills and facilitate ambitious UK-wide collaborative research projects that benefit patients with respiratory disease
Dr Victoria Randles
Co-vice chair – Northwest
Vicki graduated from University of Liverpool in 2012 and completed foundation and core medical training in the Mersey deanery. She took time out of training after core medical training and completed a MD investigating the drivers of pneumococcal transmission and colonisation. She is currently a respiratory registrar (ST5) in the Mersey deanery. Her interests are in respiratory infections and lung cancer and she works as a trainee member of the NIHR respiratory national specialty group. In 2020 she co-founded the north west collaborative organisation for respiratory research (NWCORR) a regional respiratory registrar led research collaborative and has been working to develop INSPIRE since its inception.
Dr Joe Kibbler
Co-vice chair – Northeast and Yorkshire
Joe is a respiratory registrar in the North East taking time out of training to do research into the interrelationship of COPD and cardiac disease. He is also interested in assessment in medical education. Outside of work he enjoys running and playing the piano. He’s excited to help turn trainee-generated ideas into large-scale, practice-changing research so we can give better respiratory care to our patients.
Dr Thomas Jones
Secretary/website manager – Southeast
Tom graduated the University of Cambridge in 2012 and completed foundation training in the midlands before moving to Wessex. He is writing his PhD looking at predictors of exacerbation in airway disease and has an interest in severe asthma. He is a respiratory registrar and trainee representative in Wessex, trainee member of the NIHR CRN Respiratory National Specialty Group and is setting up a local research network for Wessex registrars. He coordinates the INSPIRE website.
Dr Jonathan Ayling-Smith
Committee member – Wales
Jonny graduated from University of Leicester in 2013 before moving to Wales to complete Foundation and Core Medical training. Now a respiratory registrar, Jonny is currently undertaking an MD in fungal disease and diagnostics.
Dr Alex Teagle
Committee member – Scotland
Alex graduated from Cardiff University in 2012, before completing early clinical training in South Thames and Severn deaneries. She is now ST5 in Respiratory Medicine in South East Scotland, with interests in lung cancer and pleural disease. She is currently undertaking a PhD at the University of Edinburgh investigating immune responses to solid tumours, in particular the role of the phosphatase PTPN22 in T cells. Outside of work she enjoys being in the mountains of the Scottish Highlands, ideally with a dog. She hopes that the INSPIRE network will build a UK-wide community of people enthusiastic about research in respiratory medicine, and open up clinical research opportunities to a wider group.
Delia Dorrian
Committee member – Northern Ireland
Delia graduated from Queen’s University, Belfast in 2012 and went on to complete foundation and core training in Northern Ireland. Currently she works as an ST5 registrar in Respiratory Medicine in Northern Ireland. She developed her interest in research by undertaking projects in sarcoidosis and medical education whilst taking time out post core training. Her area of interest is acute lung injury and ARDS. She is regularly involved in medical education, teaching both undergraduates and postgraduates.
Dr Shaun Thein
Committee member – Midlands
Shaun is a respiratory registrar and currently working towards a PhD in neutrophil dysfunction in COVID-19. He is the Secretary for the West Midlands respiratory research network, RespTRACT, and is chair of the BTS Specialist Trainees Advisory Group from June 2022. He is keen to disseminate and make research more accessible to improve patient care.
Dr Alexandra Dipper
Social media manager- Southwest
Alex is a respiratory registrar in the south west, and communicates for INSPIRE via social media accounts with Jo
Dr Lola Loewenthal
Treasurer – London
Lola is a respiratory registrar in London, is previous chair of the BTS Specialty Trainee Advisory Group (STAG) and is treasurer for INSPIRE
Dr Frances Grudzinska
Committee member – Midlands
Frances is a respiratory registrar and represents the Midlands on the INSPIRE committee
Dr Jo Hardy
Social media manager – Southwest
Jo is a respiratory registrar in the south west, and communicates for INSPIRE via social media accounts with Alex
