Our team

Rebecca is a Clinical Scientist and has worked in Haematology since 1992. Her main areas of scientific interest relate to the laboratory and clinical evaluation of major changes to blood component production and methods used to assess blood component quality. She has published nearly 100 papers in the area of Haemostasis and Transfusion. Rebecca received the British Blood Transfusion Society (BBTS) Race & Sanger award in 2007 for an outstanding contribution to transfusion medicine, and is a section editor for Vox Sanguinis (Blood Collection and Production).

Rachel joined the team in early 2024 in the role of Product Manager, Donated Materials for Research and Development leading the NCI department. Previously Rachel worked for 19 years at Cambridge University Hospitals' NHS Foundation Trust, and has an extensive background in Haematology, Blood Transfusion and Quality Management. Rachel holds a first class honours degree in Biomedical Science and master's degrees in Haematology and Business Administration.

Mike has worked in the NCI Business Development arm of NHSBT since 2016, starting in the role of NCI Administrator as a Cardiff University graduate. Following years of experience within NCI’s governance structure, Mike has progressed to manage the NCI administrative team and projects of national strategic interest to develop new products which enhance NCI’s service portfolio. Mike recently completed a Level 6 apprenticeship with NHSBT in Business Management Practice, attaining a Distinction and First Class Honours.

Elena joined NHSBT in 2020 as a donor carer while completing her master’s degree in International Management. Since 2023, Elena has supported the NCI team delivering customer services, operational coordination, and administrative functions. She contributes to the development of business cases and marketing initiatives in collaboration with senior colleagues. and brings an international academic and professional background in economics and business administration, with a strong commitment to supporting healthcare and research services.

Abhilash joined the team in January 2025 and brings with him a diverse background, having worked across sectors including healthcare and information technology (IT) administration. His time at the patient advice and liaison service (PALS) office in Moorfields Eye Hospital helped him strengthen his administration skills and compassionate approach to supporting people. Abhilash holds a distinction in Administration Support, Secretarial and Personal Assistant Diploma (level 3), and a master's degree in Automotive Engineering.

Emaan worked as a Cell Scientist in the biotechechnology industry for over 5 years before joining NHSBT in October 2025. Her work in cell biology focused on chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) and T-cell receptor (TCR) therapy for brain tumours and other solid tumours, following her master's degree in Neuroscience. Having worked with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and T cells for the duration of her research, Emaan is excited to apply her knowledge and help develop the PBMC pipeline at NCI.

Abby joined in early 2021 as a Molecular Therapy Specialist at the Clinical Biotechnology Centre (CBC) and holds a BSc (Hons) and MSc in Biomedical Science, specialising in Medical Genetics. She has worked on the research and development of Lentiviral and adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector production within a small collaborative team, supporting technology transfer into good manufacturing process (GMP) cleanroom manufacturing. Her experience spans early-stage development through to clinical-grade production, with a strong focus on quality, innovation, and continuous improvement.