Partners and advisory board

Advisory board

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  Tracy Smith

  Tracy Smith is the Chair and Trustee of Lynch Syndrome UK, leading the charity with a clear strategic vision and a steadfast commitment to reducing inequalities in hereditary cancer prevention and care. As a Mum of 3 and grandmother to Lola and Rory, she brings a deeply personal understanding of the importance of early detection, family communication, and equitable access to genetic testing. Tracy works closely with clinicians, researchers, policymakers, and patient communities to drive national progress, ensuring that lived experience remains central to every initiative. Her leadership is defined by professionalism, integrity, and a dedication to empowering families affected by Lynch syndrome through accurate information, compassionate support, and meaningful advocacy. 

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  Wendy Watson

  Wendy Watson MBE is the founder and director of the National Hereditary Breast Cancer Helpline. Following her pioneering risk reducing double mastectomy in 1993 Wendy felt impelled to raise awareness so others could make their own informed decisions and 1996 set up the National Hereditary Breast Cancer Helpline. The helpline, and Wendy’s advocacy, has helped 10’s of thousands of people take control of their lives, fought to keep genetic testing legal and available in Europe, influenced the current legal obligations of the insurance industry on gene testing, ensured services are equitable through NICE Guidelines, gained specialist commissioning for genetic services that weren’t funded and provided 7 days per week 18 hours per day direct contact for everyone worried. Baroness Cumberlege told the BBC that she thought Wendy was enormously courageous and would push this whole area forward in a way that the professionals couldn’t.  

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  Julian Barwell

  Julian Barwell is a Consultant Clinical Geneticist at the University Hospital of Leicester and has an honorary professorship in genomic medicine at the University of Leicester. He was the rare disease lead for the 100,000 Genome Project in Leicester and chaired the Public and Patient Involvement group for the East of England Genomics Medicine Centre. He launched the Cancer Genomics arm of the national project on the BBC Breakfast sofa for the Department of Health. His main interests are in co-creation projects with familial cancer stakeholder groups, including patient-facing digital and personalised medicine solutions for 21st century healthcare. Julian is currently establishing a national Fragile X Syndrome holistic care hub the University Hospitals of Leicester.    

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  Kelly Kohut

  Kelly Kohut is a Consultant Genetic Counsellor and clinical researcher with a focus on translating genomic knowledge to improve patient communication, experiences and outcomes.Kelly has a background spanning clinical genetics, education, patient and public engagement and interdisciplinary research. Kelly’s work explores the ethical, psychological, and practical dimensions of genetic testing, with particular interest in supporting individuals to navigate shared decision-making regarding hereditary predisposition to cancer. Kelly’s PhD in Health Sciences involved co-design of the patient information hub and decision aids in the website, Lynch Choices (canchoose.org.uk). As part of her postgraduate research at the University of Exeter Biomedical Research Centre, she collaborates with clinicians, scientists, and community partners to translate emerging genomic discoveries into meaningful health outcomes. Kelly is committed to reducing health inequalities in genetic services, fostering patient‑centred research practices and promoting the integration of genomics within public health frameworks.    

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  Terri McVeigh

  Terri McVeigh is a Consultant Clinical Geneticist at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, with clinician–scientist training across Ireland, the UK, the United States and Australia. Her work spans genomic medicine, education and national service development.  She contributes to NHS England’s Genomics Education Programme,  and serves as a Professional Lead for Technology-Enhanced Learning within the Genomics Training Academy, supporting curriculum design, faculty development and learning resource creation, as well as co‑chairing the Oncology and Malignant Haematology GeNotes groups. Terri leads the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland’s Postgraduate Certificate in Cancer Genetics and Genomics. She also teaches on the MSc Health Professions Education (Iheed/Warwick) and contributes to Imperial College London’s MSc Genomic Medicine. She is Secretary, and incoming Chair, of the UK Cancer Genetics Group and co‑leads the ClinGen Endocrine Tumour Predisposition Variant Curation Expert Panel. 

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  Caroline Mitchell

  Caroline Mitchell MBChB MD FRCGP DRCOG PGCertMedEd is a Professor of General Practice Research and Health Equity and General Practitioner. She is a clinical academic expert in qualitative community-based participatory methods, mixed methods research, and clinical trials, with a focus on co‑designing and evaluating complex interventions in primary care. She has led internationally recognised participatory engagement initiatives with disadvantaged communities, commissioned by the NIHR Research Delivery Network to disseminate our group’s approach. Caroline’s research interests sit at the intersection of social determinants of health, multiple long‑term conditions, and primary care. These include musculoskeletal and cardiometabolic disorders; mental health, substance misuse, and physical co‑morbidities; reproductive and perinatal cardiometabolic health; and cancer care, spanning early diagnosis, long‑term treatment effects, and outcomes. 

• Laura Monje-Garcia

  Laura Monje-Garcia (bio to come)

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  Neil Ryan

  Neil Ryan PhD MRCS MRCOG is Senior Clinical Research Fellow and Honorary Consultant appointment in Gynaecological Oncology Surgery at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and a CSO/NES Clinical Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh, based within the Centre for Reproductive Health and the Cancer Research UK Scotland Centre. Neil’s research has transformed the identification of Lynch syndrome in endometrial (womb) cancer and directly contributed to changes in NICE guidance for tumour testing. His research programme focuses on precision prevention and treatment of gynaecological cancers, integrating surgical innovation with translational science, multi-omic profiling, and non-invasive diagnostics to improve early detection, personalise therapy, and optimise outcomes for women at risk of or diagnosed with gynaecological cancer.