Medical Board

Dr Sue Huson – Medical Advisor

Consultant Clinical Geneticist/ honorary Senior Lecturer, Neurofibromatosis (NF) Service, Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine and Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Genetic Medicine, Institute of Human Development, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.

Sue trained in medicine in Edinburgh and did general training in adult medicine and neurology. During her time in neurology she first encountered NF and reported a family with NF2 with a suggested follow-up protocol for at risk family members. She further developed her NF interest as a reserach fellow with Professors Peter Harper and Alastair Compston in Cardiff. She started the post as a would- be neurologist and switched to a clinical genetics career mid-way. Her population based study of NF1 and gene mapping studies led to the award of MD with gold medal and distinction. After a period of research with the late Robin Winter, she trained in clinical genetics at the Kennedy Galton Centre. As a consultant, first in Oxford and now in Manchester, she has developed her interest and expertise in the diagnosis and management of all forms of neurofibromatosis. Since April 2009 she has led the nationally commissioned service for complex NF1 in Manchester. She helped Professor Gareth Evans in his successful bid to establish a nationally commissioned service for NF2, which started in April 2010. She has acted as a medical advisor for the Neuro foundation for many years and now joins CTT in the same role.


Dr Georgina Bird-Lieberman

Photo of Dr Georgina Bird-Lieberman

Dr Georgina Bird-Lieberman is a Consultant Paediatric Neurologist working in Southampton. She has a specialist interest in Neuro-oncology and is part of the Neuro-oncology multi-disciplinary team, where she regularly sees patients with NF1 related optic pathway gliomas and, slightly less commonly, NF2 related schwannomas.

Georgina says she is keen to work with Childhood Tumour Trust and understands the importance of early recognition of this distressing condition. She wishes to support them in raising awareness of the condition both within the community and the medical profession.


Dr Sarah Joyce

Photo of Dr Sarah Joyce

Dr Sarah Joyce is a doctor in Paediatrics in the Kent Surrey Sussex Deanery. She obtained her MSc and PhD in Genetics and then studied Medicine in London. She kept in touch with her interest in Genetics, setting up the university’s Genetics Society.

Sarah says she is honoured to be a member of the medical advisory board of Childhood Tumour Trust and is looking forward to raising awareness about NeurofibromatosisType 1 amongst health professionals so that more NF1 diagnoses can be made in the critical early stages of children’s lives.


Dr Srinivasa Rambhatla – (Sri)

Photo of Dr Srinivasa Rambhatla - (Sri)

Dr Srinivasa Rambhatlai is currently an academic foundation year doctor at Brighton & Sussex University Hospital. Sri was a founder of the Birmingham University Rare Disease Society. He was also the organiser of RareDx, an annual rare disease training day, hosted by Birmingham University Rare Disease Society and Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital.


Dr Lizzy Charlton

Photo of Dr Lizzy Charlton

Lizzy applied to join the CTT medical board because she wanted to be an advocate for patients and their families affected by rare diseases. She hopes to be able to provide support for people affected by NF1 and to help educate the wider medical community about this condition.

Lizzy is currently a junior doctor in London, after completing her degree in Medicine at Nottingham University. Before becoming a doctor, She studied Modern Languages and still love travelling, reading and meeting people from all over the world. she has a wide range of interests within Medicine and have not yet chosen a speciality, but have a particular interest in Genetics and Medical Ethics.


Dr Kristina Rath

Photo of Dr Kristina Rath

We are very lucky to have as part of our Medical Board Dr Kristina Rath. Whilst she is based in the States, we have a lot of members from the USA and felt that this would be beneficial all round by building links across the pond – we can only gain in strength and knowledge by sharing.

Dr. Kristina Rath graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. She earned her medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh Medical School where she was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. She completed her internship and residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Yale-New Haven Hospital. She has worked in private practice since 2001 and is a Clinical Instructor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Yale University School of Medicine.

Dr. Rath is the mother of three children, the youngest of whom has NF1. She is an avid runner and fund-raiser for NF-related charities. Since 2013 she has maintained a blog, Marathons for My Daughter, which describes daily life for a little girl with neurofibromatosis seen through her mother’s running log.


Dr Katheryn Ferin (Katie)

Photo of Dr Katheryn Ferin (Katie)

Katie is a Junior doctor currently training in Paediatrics in London. Before starting medical school she spent time working as a teaching assistant for children with special needs and through this had her my first experience with young people with neurofibromatosis.

She has already learned a lot through the CTT and looks forward to helping spread more information and education about neurofibromatosis.