Events

Sarah is a community paediatrician seeing children with developmental, behavioural and learning issues. She is also a designated doctor for Safeguarding and Medical Advisor for Fostering and Adoption. Whilst training Sarah became aware of the poor outcomes for children who grew up in care and developed a passion for working with children in care, those in need of safeguarding and those looking for permanent families through fostering and adoption. Through this work, she has gained experience in the difficulties this cohort of children faces, such as developmental trauma, increased learning and developmental difficulties, the effects of antenatal drug misuse and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). In 2019 Sarah led the creation of an NHS-based Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder diagnostic service in the North East. Sarah is committed to ensuring children and young people get the right understanding and support through sensitive assessment and diagnosis.

Dr Folasade Rotimi is a Consultant Paediatrician with an interest in neuro disability and sleep. She has worked in the East Hub, community paediatrics, Leeds Community Healthcare from 2015 with colleagues on how to support families of children with additional needs who experience sleep difficulties.

Gaby is the research co-ordinator for the Paediatric Medicines Research Unit (PMRU) at Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust. The units research themes are drug safety, formulations and medicines optimisation. Gaby has been a registered children’s nurse since 2006, working in neurology /neurosurgery. She became a research nurse in 2009 before moving into the role of PMRU research co-ordinator in 2019, supporting research design, development, delivery and governance. Her research interests include acceptability of medicines in children and young people.

Dr McCloskey is a registered pharmacist of the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) and Pharmaceutical Society in Northern Ireland (PSNI) with a range of experience working across the three main sectors of pharmacyclinical practice, academia and industry. Upon successful completion of her pre-registration training Dr McCloskey returned to Queen's University Belfast and completed a PhD in pharmaceutics where she developed 'Self-assembled Peptide Nanomaterials for the Prevention of Biomaterial Infection'. This was followed by an industry-academia collaborative post-doc between the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI, Dublin) and the Galway-based nebuliser company Aerogen, a global leader in aerosol delivery. This work was also linked with a national patient focused medical device research centre, CURAM based at The National University of Ireland, Galway. Dr McCloskey is a member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and Fellow of Higher Education Academy. Links are maintained with clinical pharmacy through regular days in practice both in hospital and community settings.

Heather has been consultant in Sheffield since 2008, having trained at Alder Hey and Melbourne Children’s Hospitals. She leads the sleep service at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, managing a comprehensive range of sleep disorders. Heather holds an Honorary Chair with the University of Sheffield, in recognition of her collaborative work in research, leading nationally funded projects, including the “Wake Up to Sleep” project promoting awareness of the impacts of sleep deprivation. Heather is passionate about improving sleep for children and their families. She has spoken at The Sleep Charity’s manifesto launch at the Houses of Parliament and has appeared regularly in the media in support of the importance of children’s sleep.