Executive Committee members

Members of the Executive Committee are elected each year by Dukes’ members in September

Mohamed Rabie, President

Mohamed is a post-CCT fellow in the East of England with a special interest in advanced colorectal cancer and robotic surgery. He was the trainee representative on the ACPGBI Research and Audit committee in 2020-2021 and became Vice-President of The Dukes’ Club in 2021. He completed a PhD in colorectal surgery in 2013. He is a lecturer in general surgery and graduated from Ain Shams University in Cairo, Egypt

Panchali Sarmah, Past President

Panchali is an ST7 in the East Midlands, completing a Hope Against Cancer Fellowship and MD in liquid biopsy use for colorectal cancer surveillance. She graduated from the University of Warwick & completed CST in the West Midlands. Her interests include translational research & improving diversity in the surgical workforce.

Lillian Reza, Vice-President

I am an ST7 in the North-East Thames London deanery and currently out of programme completing a PhD at St Mark’s Hospital on the classification and management of pouch fistula. I am interested in improving access to standardised educational content and opportunities in pelvic floor and proctology.

Delphine Couderq, Secretary

I am currently an ST4 in the East Midlands. After graduating from King’s College London, I completed Foundation training in South Thames and Core Surgical training in London.  It’s still early in my surgical career, but I have an interest in colorectal surgery. I also have a personal interest in mentorship and supporting the younger generation in their surgical career development.

Niroshini Rajaretnam, Abdominal wall rep

I am an ST7 General and Colorectal Surgery Registrar in the Peninsula Deanery of South West England. Since graduating from Imperial College in 2011, I have developed subspecialty interests in hernia repair, abdominal wall reconstruction and pelvic exenteration. I am currently OOP completing a MD as part of the NIHR funded CIPHER Study. My most recent committee positions as ASiT Vice President, Lead Surgical Trainee for HESW and SWETA Surgical Rep have given me insight into how surgical training is transforming which will help me deliver resources and guidance for our trainees.

Ioanna Drami, Advanced cancer & peritoneal malignancy rep

Ioanna is a higher surgical trainee (ST5) in the North East and Central London deanery, with a special interest in colorectal cancer. Her academic background includes a BSc in Biomedical Sciences at QMUL and an MSc at Imperial College in Reproductive and Developmental Biology. Ioanna elected to take time out of training to undertake a PhD at St Mark’s Institute and Imperial College, under the supervision of Mr Ian Jenkins and Professor Stella Knight, as part of the BiCyCLE research group.

Connor Boyle, ASiT rep

I am a General Surgery ST4 in Edinburgh, with a subspecialty commitment to Colorectal. I graduated from Edinburgh in 2016 and also completed an MSc in Surgical Sciences with the university. I will continue to build on the established links with ASiT and support colorectal interests regarding robotic services, postgraduate exams, and consistency in access to training.

Jordan Fletcher, Education & trainee rep

My medical education MEd degree has given me a strong understanding of educational theory. As a leadership fellow, I set up and ran the Yorkshire and Humber deanery advanced cadaveric simulation programme CADSIM. I hope to build on the fantastic Duke’s educational programme and aim to 1) expand video-based content 2) produce FRCS podcast episodes 3)  establish a digital library of anatomical specimens using 3D photogrammetry and 4) offer a wider range of cadaveric training courses.

Victoria Pegna, Emergency general surgery rep

I am an Imperial graduate, and now ST8 LTFT (mum of 3) colorectal surgery registrar, in the KSS deanery. I was elected to RCSEng council in 2019 and co-founded the SiS (sustainability in surgery) committee and am currently chair (Co).

I served as a panel member on the Kennedy report in 2021 with the aim to improve equality and diversity within the council and throughout the surgical workforce. I campaign to widen participation through my position on the WinS (women in surgery RCS) forum and EDI projects and charities.

Widening access for all through education is vitally important, and I hope to be able to continue the excellent work that Duke’s Club have already started.

Osman Chaudhary, IBD & intestinal failure rep

I am a ST7 in East of England, having graduated from the University of Birmingham and completed my core training in London. I have an interest in minimally invasive surgery, EGS and NELA, medical education, mentorship and healthcare leadership. I enjoy being an ATLS and BSS instructor and am currently a regional higher surgical trainee representative.

Katie Siggens, JAG & colonoscopy rep

I’m ST6 in Wessex region, currently out of programme doing a PhD in advanced endoscopy where my research focuses on artificial intelligence in colonoscopy. I graduated from the University of Nottingham before moving to Wessex for surgical training, where I’m also the regional representative for Dukes Club.

Edward Dickson, Research & audit rep

I am currently a ST6 trainee in the Thames Valley region. I have just finished a PhD fellowship at the University of Nottingham and prior to this I was a NIHR CRN fellow in Oxford. My research interests include perioperative anaemia and intravenous iron therapy in advanced cancer.

Charlotte El-Sayed, Robotics rep

I have recently completed my ST6 in the West Midlands deanery and am now OOP undertaking the RCS England research fellowship in robotics & digital surgery. I have worked closely with ASIT in the past year engaging closely with their work and representing our colorectal trainees’ viewpoints. My current interests include education, simulation and robotic surgery which I will continue to pursue as the ASiT representative.

Pam Chaichanavichkij, The Pelvic Floor Society rep

I am currently ST6 in general and colorectal surgery registrar at Queen’s Hospital, Romford, North Central and East London. I am completing a PhD at Queen Mary University of London on Baysian network modelling of pelvic floor disorders.

Farah Khasawneh, The Proctology rep

I finished medical school and general surgery training in Jordan. I am currently a colorectal surgery registrar at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust. I am also completing an MD on FIT in symptomatic and high-risk for CRC patients with University of Leicester. I have presented some of that work in ACPGBI BJS Prize Session