Meet the Team
Medical Team
Dr Dharam
Basude MBBS,
DCH, MRCPCH
Consultant Paediatric
Gastroenterologist; Departmental Clinical Lead and lead for
endoscopy.
Dr Christine Spray
MBChB, MRCP, FRCPCH
Consultant Paediatric
Gastroenterologist; Lead for Hepatology
Dr Lakshmi
Selvarajan MBBS,
MRCPCH
Consultant Paediatric
Gastroenterologist; Lead for training and education
Dr Anthony
Wiskin BM, PhD,
FRCPCH
Consultant Paediatric
Gastroenterologist; Lead for Nutrition
Tony completed his training in paediatrics in the Wessex
deanery. He completed specialist paediatric gastroenterology,
nutrition and hepatology training in Southampton, Kings College
London and Great Ormond Street Hospitals. He was awarded his PhD
exploring nutrition in childhood Inflammatory Bowel Disease. He was
appointed as a consultant at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children in
2015.
Tony is a member of the nutrition committee of the British
Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
(BSPGHAN). In this role he is the Paediatric lead for the British
Artificial Nutrition Survey, part of the British Association for
Parenteral & Enteral Nutrition (BAPEN). He is an advisor for
the Royal College of Paediatrics & Child Health (RCPCH) on
nutrition training for doctors.
Tony has an interest in clinical research. He has received a
number of research grants and published his results in respected
peer-reviewed journals.
Dr Eleni Volonaki
MD, PhD, FRCPCH
Consultant Paediatric
Gastroenterologist; Lead for motility
Dr Volonaki received her specialty training in
Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at Great
Ormond Street Hospital and King's College Hospital in London. She
worked as a consultant both at Great Ormond Street Hospital and
King's College Hospital, before she was appointed in Bristol in
2015.
Dr Volonaki completed her training in Paediatrics in Athens,
Greece. She was awarded her PhD in 2007 for her basic research in
collaboration with the Allergy Department at P & A Kyriakou
Children's Hospital, University of Athens. In 2016 she was also
awarded a Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning for
Health Professionals with distinction by the University of
Bristol.
Dr Volonaki is a full member of the British and European Society
of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (BSPGHAN
and ESPGHAN, respectively). She is a member of the motility working
group of the BSPGHAN and the eosinophilic oesophagitis working
group of the ESPGHAN.
Dr Kwang Yang Lee
MBChB, MSc, FRPCH
Consultant Paediatric
Gastroenterologist; Lead for Paediatric IBD
Kwang Yang undertook his medical training in the
University of Glasgow. Following stints in paediatric
gastroenterology units in Cambridge, Norwich, Bristol and
Birmingham, he joined UHBW as a consultant paediatric
gastroenterogist in 2020.
Kwang Yang is a member of the BSPGHAN IBD and
Education working groups.
Specialist trainee
doctors:
| Dr Neil Chanchalani |
Dr Chelsea Spearman |
| Dr Nicholas Clarke |
Dr Ahmed Ibraheem |
| Dr Tamer Youssef |
Pippa Taylor
Paediatric gastroenterology clinical nurse specialist
Contact number: 0117 342 8226
Pippa completed her training at Oxford Brookes University and
went on to work on the paediatric gastroenterology ward at Chelsea
and Westminster Hospital in London. She moved to Bristol in 2010
and enjoyed various roles at BRHC before joining the Bristol
Gastroenterology team in 2018.
Her role involves working alongside the multi-disciplinary team
to support children and young people with gastroenterology
conditions, and their families, across the south west.
Jacqueline Porter
Paediatric gastroenterology investigation nurse
practitioner
Contact number: 0117 342 7051
Jacqui has worked in BRHC since January 1994,
joining the gastroenterology team in January 2000 as the specialist
gastroenterology investigations nurse practitioner. Her role
involves the planning and provision of gastroenterology
investigations for children and young people who live in the south
west.
Outside of work her interests are nature and wildlife
photography.
Lizzie Hutchison
Paediatric Parenteral Nutrition
Clinical Nurse Specialist
Lizzie joined the paediatric gastroenterology team in 2016,
having worked previously worked in Immunology and Infectious
Diseases.
In her spare time, she enjoys photography and walking.
Lucy
Griffin
Lucy is a Clinical GI Physiologist with more than 10 years
experience in managing adult functional bowel and pelvic floor
disorders using anorectal manometry and biofeedback. She has more
recently been providing an Anorectal Physiology and biofeedback
service in the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children. She is
currently investigating the use of portable anal biofeedback
devices for home training.
Joanna Newby
Paediatric Parenteral Nutrition Clinical Nurse Specialist
Clinical Psychologists
Sophie Velleman
Sophie Velleman gained her doctorate in clinical psychology at
the University of Exeter in 2009. Throughout her career, she has
focussed on working with children and families, in particular with
children with physical health needs.
Sophie set up the paediatric gastroenterology psychology service
at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children in 2016. She is the joint
chair of the paedaitric gastroenterology psychology special
interest group, a member of the BSPGHAN Allied Health Professionals
Network, a member of the BSPGHAN Coeliac Disease working group and
a member of the Health Action Committee of Coeliac UK.
Sophie mainly draws on cognitive behaviour therapy,
compassion-focussed therapy and acceptance commitment therapy
approaches to support her work.
Martyna Chwast
Martyna completed her doctorate at the University of Exeter in
2024, bringing a research background focused on neurodiversity and
patient-centered healthcare. Her work explores holistic treatment
approaches and the nuanced experiences of paediatric
gastroenterology patients.
Drawing primarily from acceptance commitment therapy, narrative,
and systemic approaches, Martyna is committed to developing
compassionate psychological interventions that support the
individual needs of patients.
Specialist Dietitians
Lauren
McVeigh
Lauren completed her training in Nutrition and Dietetics at the
University of Surrey then went onto study for an MSc in Advanced
Professional Practice from the University of Plymouth. She started
working at the children's hospital in 2012 and joined the
paediatric gastroenterology team in 2015 and is currently the
clinical lead for the gastro dietetic team.
She currently manages the Dietetic Led Coeliac outpatient
service and also works alongside the multi-disciplinary team
supporting children and young people with other gastroenterology
and hepatic conditions in Bristol and the South West.
Alison Dinning
Alison completed her Nutrition and Dietetic Training at Robert
Gordon's University in Aberdeen and then went on to further study
Physiology and Pharmacology at Southampton University.
She started work in Bristol Royal Hospital for Children in 1991
and set up the Dietetic arm of the Gastroenterology team. She
has always had an interest in intestinal failure, which was further
developed during 8 years on the Neonatal Unit on St Michaels
Hospital. She is currently working as part of the Home Parenteral
Nutrition team.
Alison is an Associate Member of BSPGHAN.
Katie Spencer-Chapman
Katie gained
her honours degree in Human Nutrition and Dietetics in
London in 1995. Throughout her career,
she has worked in
several specialist areas in
paediatrics and
remains passionate about the role of
nutrition in optimising the health,
wellbeing and the clinical outcomes
of children.
Katie joined BRHC in
2021 and the gastroenterology
team in 2022. She has specialist
interest in both IBD and functional gut
issues. Katie also
works alongside the multi-disciplinary team supporting children and
young people with other gastroenterology and hepatic conditions in
Bristol and the
Southwest.
Katie is
a member of the BSPGHAN Allied Health
Professionals Network and is
the professional affairs officer on
the BDA
Specialist Paediatric Group
committee.
Dietetic Contact number: 0117 342 0811
Administrative
services
Nina Hathway
Senior Medical Secretary
Nina has worked for the paediatric gastroenterology
team for over five years, having worked her way up to a Band 4
senior secretary from a band 3 medical support secretary. Her
hobbies are camping, archery and listening to the Red Hot Chilli
Peppers.
Contact number: 0117 342 9450
Kelly Cole
Senior Medical secretary
Kelly has been working as a Band 4 secretary in
paediatric gastroenterology since October 2020, having moved from a
Band 3 support secretary role in Paediatric Endocrine and Diabetes.
In 2018, she achieved a Second Class Honours Law Degree at the
University of the West of England. Her hobbies are netball, running
and swimming.
Contact number: 0117 342 9450
Chiara Scodro
Senior Medical Secretary
Hilary Cook
Gastroenterology Waiting List Coordinator
Contact number: 0117 342 1033
Hilary has worked at the BRHC since January 2001, Joining the
Gastroenterology team in 2017. Her role involves amongst other
things, managing the patient waiting list and booking inpatient
procedures accordingly. Hilary is a keen gym goer and enjoys
cycling, skiing, festivals and camping.
Louise Tanner
Clinic appointment coordinator
Contact number: 0117 342 7871
Louise started in the NHS in 2004 and joined the
children's hospital in 2022. She is the booking coordinator for the
Gastroenterology team which involves the booking and managing of
outpatient appointments.
Her hobbies are kick boxing, Travel, and being in the great
outdoors.
