Meet our council

President, Dr Claire Lawson

Term: October 2026 - October 2028 

Current Role: Associate Professor, NIHR Clinical Future Leaders Fellow and Cardiovascular Clinical Epidemiologist, University of Leicester

Area of expertise: The collection, linkage and analysis of routine data to investigate heart failure and comorbidity epidemiology, patient-centred outcomes and health informatics and education.  Provision of mentorship and support for nurse academic careers.

Past President, Nicola Bowers

Term: October 2026 - October 2027

Current Role: Director of Research and Innovation, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust

Areas of Special Interest: Leading the development of a research-active clinical workforce by embedding research and innovation across all professional groups, including nurses, midwives, allied health professionals, and medical staff. Passionate about enabling equitable access to research opportunities, expanding clinical trials, and supporting clinicians to develop as researchers. Committed to collaborative working across the NHS, academia and industry to generate evidence, improve patient outcomes and reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease at local, national, and international levels.

President Elect, Charles Spencer

Term: October 2026 - October 2028 

Current Role: Associate Chief for Advanced Practice at South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust, visiting lecturer at Birmingham City and Warwickshire Universities

Area of expertise: Echocardiology and point of care ultrasound, ECG interpretation, general cardiology, advanced life support.

Secretary, Esther Arnold

Term: October 2024 - October 2026

Current Role: Cardiac Specialist Nurse at Medway NHS Foundation Trust and senior lecturer for the Advanced Clinical Practice course at Canterbury Christ Church University.

Areas of special interest: Acute Coronary Syndromes and stable angina, ECG interpretation and advanced clinical practice. Career progression and development of nurses in cardiology.

Junior Secretary, David Burnett

Term: October 2026 - October 2028

Current Role: Nurse Consultant in Cardiology & NIHR Predoctoral Fellow

Area of expertise: Chest Pain and Acute Coronary Syndromes, Secondary Prevention and Lipid Management

Treasurer, Priya Reehal

Term: October 2026 - October 2028

Current Role Title: Lead Cardio-oncology and Heart Failure Clinical Nurse Specialist

Area of expertise: Cardio-Oncology and Heart Failure

Education Lead, Beatrice Horea

Term: October 2026 - October 2028

Current Role: Clinical Nurse Specialist and Advanced Clinical Practitioner Cardiology-Electrophysiology at Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals, part of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.

Areas of expertise: Arrhythmias and Implantable cardiac devices

Research Forum Lead, Dr Hannah Waterhouse

Term: October 2026 - October 2028

Current Role:  Lecturer in Nursing, University of Leicester

Area of expertise: Heart failure, Frailty, Cardiac Rehabilitation, EBP, Research

Deputy Research Forum Officer, Dr Karen Higginbotham

Term: October 2026 - October 2028

Current Role: Senior Lecturer Adult Nursing in the School of Nursing and Allied Health at Liverpool John Moore University

Area of expertise: Advanced Heart Failure /Palliative Care

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Dr Robyn Lotto

Term: October 2026 - October 2028

Current Role: Associate Professor in the Faculty of Health, Innovation, Technology and Science at Liverpool John Moores University.

Areas of special interest: Research, Heart failure, Congenital Heart Disease in the paediatric and adult populations, Cardiac Surgery, CVD risk reduction

Communications Officer, Lyndsey McCunnell

 Term: October 2025 - October 2027

 Current Role: Senior Lecturer in Post Graduate Nursing

 Areas of expertise: Cardiovascular Health, Adult Congenital Heart Disease/Inherited Cardiac Conditions, Advanced Practice and Resuscitation. 

Ordinary Officer and BACPR Representative, Janine O’Rourke

Term: October 2026 - October 2028

Current Role: Cardiac Rehabilitation Specialist Nurse Lead and Cardiology Research Nurse

Area of expertise: Cardiac Rehabilitation, Heart Failure, Secondary Prevention Management, Chronic Coronary Syndrome and Cardiology Research.

Ordinary Officer, Khelvin Jocson

Term: September 2025 - October 2027

Current Role: Cardiology Advanced Nurse Practitioner

Areas of expertise: Acute and chronic coronary syndromes, Secondary Prevention and Lipid Management, Cardiac Arrhythmias and Heart Failure, Nurse-led and autonomous practice, including DCCV and ILR implantation/explantation, Enhancing and expanding nurse-led cardiology services, Safe and effective independent prescribing, Driving quality improvement and service transformation in cardiology, Leadership development and strengthening clinical governance, Promoting patient education, engagement, and self-management, Promoting education, research, audit, and innovation in cardiac services

Ordinary Officer, Jo McNeil

Term: October 2026 - October 2028

Current Role: Senior Cardiac Research Nurse and Team Lead, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust

Areas of expertise: Cardiovascular clinical research, clinical trial delivery, cardiac rehabilitation, research leadership, diversity and inclusion in research.

Primary Care Cardiovascular Representative, Beverley Bostock

Current Role: Advanced Nurse Practitioner and Primary Care Cardiovascular Representative President Elect
 
Areas of interest: Long term conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease including heart failure, AF, hypertension and lipid management. As well as chronic kidney disease, MASLD, asthma & COPD and nurse prescribing.

Royal College of Nursing Representative, Sharlene Hogan

Current Role: Sharlene works within a Contracted Research Organization (CRO), supporting global commercial drug and device clinical studies.

Areas of interest: Global Clinical Research, Arrhythmia Nursing, Invasive Cardiology, Lower GI surgery, non-medical prescribing and complex surgical and medical management of patients