MEET THE TEAM
Long Covid SOS was established in June 2020 during the early months of the pandemic and is staffed entirely by volunteers with lived experience of Long Covid. We are now registered with the Charity Commission and our governance is provided by a board of trustees
We have played a major role in generating awareness of the condition through social media and press campaigning. We work closely with the NHS, RCGP, Dept for Health and Social Care, NICE, ONS, NIHR and the WHO and also collaborate with researchers in order to further our mission of Recognition, Research and Rehabilitation for people with Long Covid. Moving forward we aim to continue to be an active voice, providing an informed and lived experience perspective to national and international organisations as well as the research community
MEET THE TEAM
OUR PATRON
OUR TRUSTEES
Linda Baines
Chair of Trustees
Linda is an independent researcher, and a visiting researcher at Southampton Business School (SBS), University of Southampton. In a previous life, Linda worked as a senior manager in the public sector, most recently in the research councils (which fund postgraduate research in the UK and run science and technology facilities). She is an experienced Chair, trustee and mentor.
Paul Haylock
Treasurer
On leaving University Paul qualified as an accountant and has worked in local government, central government and latterly in the charity sector in senior finance positions. Having retired from full time work in 2018 he has continued to work part time in the charity sector as a finance manager. Besides being a Trustee for Long Covid SOS he is also a trustee for a local wildlife trust and regularly volunteer at a Covid vaccination centre in south Oxfordshire.
His interests are social justice and all individuals having access to proper healthcare and housing. He enjoys walking and visiting nature reserves.
Damon Broad
Trustee
Damon is a highly experienced Legal Advisor with a track record in various healthcare settings. With expertise across clinical claims, risk management, corporate governance and strategic healthcare regulation, Damon is a credible and trusted associate and delivery consultant.
Karen Matthews
Trustee
Karen became ill with presumed Covid-19 in March 2020 and has subsequently been given a clinical diagnosis of Long Covid/Post Covid Syndrome.
Karen currently works in the UK clinical research infrastructure as a Business Development Manager. She has a PhD in developmental genetics. After a period of post-doctoral research, she went into research management. She has worked in the public, charity and commercial sector.
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Amitava Banerjee
Trustee
Amitava Banerjee is Professor of Clinical Data Science, University College London, and Consultant Cardiologist at University College London Hospitals and Barts Health NHS Trusts. He is a researcher, educator and clinician with interests spanning data science, cardiovascular disease, global health, training and evidence-based healthcare. He has been active clinically and academically throughout the pandemic and is leading the NIHR-funded STIMULATE-ICP study looking at many aspects of Long Covid, including a large clinical trial of potential treatments.
After qualifying from Oxford, he trained in Oxford, Newcastle, Hull and London, completing a Masters in Public Health at Harvard(2004/05), an internship at World Health Organisation(2005) and DPhil in epidemiology from Oxford(2010). He was Clinical Lecturer in Cardiovascular Medicine in Birmingham, before moving to UCL in 2015
OUR EXPERT ADVISORS
Prof Danny Altmann
Professor of Immunology at Imperial College London
Dr Gail Allsopp
GP and Clinical Policy lead for Royal College of General Practitioners
Dr Deepak Ravindram
Consultant in Pain Medicine, Berkshire Long Covid Integrated service (BLIS) lead
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