Andrew JM Boulton

Professor Boulton graduated with honours from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne Medical School. He has subsequently been a Research Fellow under Professor JD Ward in Sheffield, a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Miami and has accepted an appointment at the Manchester Royal Infirmary. Professor Boulton has authored over 350 peer-reviewed manuscripts and book chapters, mainly on diabetic neuropathy and foot complications. At the launch of the American Diabetes Association's Foot Care Council he was the principal invited lecturer.

Among his many awards, his contribution to worldwide care of the diabetic foot was honoured by receiving the American Diabetes Association's Roger Pecoraro Lectureship, the EASD Camillo Golgi prize and was the first recipient of the international award on diabetic foot research.

Professor Boulton was the founding Chairman of the Diabetic Foot Study Group; was previously Chairman of Postgraduate Education and then program chair for the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD). He is renowned worldwide as a leading educator and lecturer on neuropathy and the diabetic foot. He is the global chairman of the Diabetes Lower Extremity Research Group (DIALEX).

Professor Boulton was an abstract reviewer for the 2002, 2003 and 2004 ADA Annual Scientific Sessions; he also served on the ADA planning committee in 2002 and 2003. He is a member of the editorial review board for Diabetes/Metabolism: Research and Reviews, Diabetologia, Diabetic Medicine, Acta Diabetologica, Diabetes Care, The Diabetic Foot, and International Diabetes Monitor. He currently co-chairs the ADA expert group on diabetic neuropathy that resulted in the April 2005 ADA statement on diabetic neuropathy. Recently appointed as chair of the ADA Foot Council, which he remain through 2007.

Rayaz A. Malik

Rayaz Malik is a Senior Lecturer and Consultant Physician in the Division of Cardiovascular and Endocrine Sciences at the Manchester Royal Infirmary and University of Manchester.

He obtained BSc., MSc. and MB ChB from the University of Aberdeen and his PhD from the University of Manchester. His clinical work includes consultant responsibility for unselected general acute medicine to the Manchester Royal Infirmary and general medical and diabetes outpatient clinics.

His research focuses on diabetic neuropathy and cardiomyopathy in both animal models and at a translational level in patients. He is an expert in the pathogenesis, assessment and treatment of diabetic neuropathy and has published and presented extensively on this. Rayaz's research is currently funded by the NIH, JDRF, MRC, DUK and BHF and he is also supervising 6 PhD's and 2 MD's.

Rayaz A. Malik won the young clinical investigator prize for clinical science for the neuropathy study group of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in 1999, and the North West of England Medical Society Prize in 2000. He was invited to lecture for the American Diabetes Association 2003, European Association for the Study of Diabetes 2004 and Diabetes UK 2004, 2005. Rayaz is an associate editor for Diabetic Medicine, a member of the Diabetes UK Research Committee and is also a JDRF Medical and Research Committee grant reviewer 2005-2008. He also reviews nine medical journals, including Neurology, Diabetes, Diabetologia, and the Lancet. At the Manchester Medical School, he sits on the Curriculum and Progress Committees as well as the Interview Committee for medical undergraduates. In addition, Rayaz A. Malik is the Heart, Lung and Blood lead for year 3 and is also the final year exam lead for Manchester Royal Infirmary.

Loretta Vileikyte

Biography and picture coming soon.

Caroline Abbott

Caroline is currently Lecturer in the Department of Medicine, University of Manchester. Following her first degree in Biochemistry from the University of Nottingham, she developed her interest in clinical diabetes and cardiovascular disease during her PhD in 1996, at the University of Manchester. Since then she has been involved in a wide range of diabetic foot and neuropathy studies, including the North West Diabetes Foot Care Study, a large, community based study of foot problems in the UK. She maintains her interest in the aetiology of diabetic neuropathy and is currently the principal investigator of a Diabetes UK study investigating reasons for ethnic differences in foot ulceration and peripheral neuropathy rates. Caroline has 26 peer reviewed publications in the field of diabetes in national and international journals.

Frank L Bowling

Frank graduated with honours from the University of Salford School of Podiatry. He is currently employed as a Clinical Research Podiatrist in the University of Manchester and Manchester Royal Infirmary whilst completing his PhD within the School of Medicine.

Since graduation, Frank has authored and co-authored over eight publications in various medical journals including two chapters in Pharmacology/Disease Management for patients with diabetes. He regularly undertakes peer reviews for national and international journals. Frank won the 'Best Medical Essays' inter-university competition were he presented at the third International Medical Postgraduate conference in Prague and more recently the Chairman's Research prize Scholarship Manchester Royal Infirmary.

Ann Knowles

Ann qualified as a Registered General Nurse at North Manchester General Hospital in 1971 and has subsequently specialised in orthopaedics. She has been employed as a Senior Specialist Diabetes Footcare and Research Nurse at Manchester Royal Infirmary (UK) since 1987. Over the last 20 years she has published numerous articles on the diabetic foot, including 2 chapters in wound care and education. She regularly presents at international and national conferences.

In 1988 she introduced the pressure-relieving Scotchcast boot to the Manchester Diabetic foot clinics. Later in 1996 she was also introduced larval therapy to successfully debride sloughy and necrotic foot ulcers. She is currently on the editorial board of the Diabetic Foot Journal.

Joy Worth

Joy Worth graduated from the University of Swansea with a degree in Zoology and Psychology before completing a post-graduate diploma in dietetics at The Queen's College in Glasgow. She has worked as a Senior Dietician at the Manchester Diabetes Centre for the last 11 years, and has a particular interest in insulin pump therapy and lipid management. Joy is a key coordinator for Professor Boulton's Journal Club meetings.