Friday 10th Apr 2026

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Meet the Team

Clinical Team | Co-ordination Team | Laboratory Team | Past Team Members

Clinical Team

Rollover images to see each biography.

Dr IS Farooqi
Professor of Metabolism and Medicine

I qualified with Honours and the Queen’s Scholarship in Medicine from the University of Birmingham. After hospital posts in Birmingham and Oxford, I moved to Cambridge to undertake a PhD with Professor Stephen O’Rahilly. During this time, we identified the first genes to cause obesity and established the GOOS cohort, with the help of many colleagues worldwide. We have received a number of awards in recognition of our work which has been published in high impact journals. As a Wellcome Trust Senior Clinical Fellow, I co-ordinate a multi-disciplinary team of people working on a programme of research in obesity.
I am also an Honorary Consultant in Diabetes and Endocrinology at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge.
Dr IS Farooqi

Professor of Metabolism
and Medicine

Elana Henning
Principal Research Nurse

I have worked at Addenbrooke’s Hospital as a Registered General Nurse since 1999 after completing my nursing training in South Africa. Before joining the team in 2005, I worked in Renal Medicine and Endocrinology. My current role involves co-ordination of our clinical studies with patients and families. I am involved in performing many of the tests we do, work closely with colleagues in other departments to apply new techniques to our research and also look after and co-ordinate the treatment of patients with leptin deficiency from around the world. In addition, I co-ordinate the recruitment of volunteers for a range of clinical studies in both children and adults who are both normal weight and overweight.
Elana Henning

Principal Research Nurse

Dr Isabel Huang-Doran
Wellcome Clinical Research Career Development Fellow

I completed by medical and research training at the University of Cambridge, graduating from the MB/PhD programme in 2013. After foundation jobs in London, I returned to Cambridge as an Academic Clinical Fellow. I joined the Farooqi team in 2018, subsequently securing an NIHR Clinical Lecturer position in Endocrinology. My research interests lie at the interface of metabolism and reproduction, and my current work aims to understand the association between obesity and endometrial cancer. I am a Specialist Registrar in Endocrinology, Diabetes and General Internal Medicine at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, and a fellow of Christ’s College, University of Cambridge.
Dr Isabel Huang-Doran

Wellcome Clinical Research Career Development Fellow

Dr Agatha van der Klaauw
University Lecturer in Metabolic Medicine

I undertook my clinical and research training in neuroendocrinology at the Leiden University Medical Centre in the Netherlands. I joined the team as a clinical research fellow in 2007 for a year and, after returning to clinical training, rejoined the team in 2011 working with Professors Fletcher and Farooqi. Currently, I focus on a number of studies relating to the neuroendocrine consequences of obesity linking genetic findings to physiology.
Dr Agatha
van der Klaauw

University Lecturer in Metabolic Medicine

Dr Julia Calvo Latorre
Clinical Research Associate

I did my undergraduate medical degree in Spain and moved to the UK in 2017 for my postgraduate medical training, which has been based in various hospitals around the East of England. I am currently a senior specialty registrar in Diabetes and Endocrinology and joined the Farooqi team in April 2025 to gain more research experience. I help with the running of clinical trials investigating new treatments for obesity and I am hoping to undertake an MPhil at the University of Cambridge. In my free time, I enjoy running, reading and going to the theatre.
Dr Julia Calvo Latorre

Clinical Research Associate

Co-ordination Team

Rebecca Bounds
Senior Co-ordinator

I joined the team in 2011 following several years in biomedical related research initially as an undergraduate at the University of Leeds, followed by a PhD and postdoctoral position at the University of Dundee. My main role is to co-ordinate our drive to contact all GOOS patients for new DNA samples and permission for new genetic tests including whole exome sequencing. I also work on a number of our databases where we collate information from various studies. Outside of work I like to travel and bake.
Rebecca Bounds

Senior Co-ordinator

Angela Reynolds
Data Manager

I left teaching to become a data manager, initially within the Vasculitis and IBD departments before joining the GOOS team in May 2018. My role is to provide data management and support the team. I am responsible for the development and maintenance of the systems used in the studies. Outside of work I enjoy spending time with my family and run a Guide unit.
Angela Reynolds

Data Manager

Jacqui Brocker
Study Administrator

I joined the team in September 2015 as an Administrative Assistant before changing roles and have been Study Administrator since June 2018. Before then I'd worked in university administration at the University of Sydney in Australia (my alma mater and where I'm from originally) and at the University of Cambridge. I am also an English language teacher, and currently have private students in the afternoons. In my spare time I write, read, and teach/do Scottish Country Dancing.
Jacqui Brocker

Study Administrator

Lynne Stanley
Project Co-ordinator

I joined the team as Project Co-ordinator in July 2018, supporting the team with regulatory documentation preparation and oversight, grant applications and financial management, covering both academic and commercial clinical research. The role involves liaison with internal (university and hospital) support teams and external funders. Previously I worked for the NIHR Clinical Research Network supporting commercial clinical studies throughout the Eastern region across a wide range of specialities in both adult and children. Prior to the development of the CRN I was the Project Manager for a local Site Management organisation, again primarily supporting local investigators and industry partners. My original introduction to clinical research was when I joined a major pharmaceutical company at their Belgian subsidiary for a number of years, before relocating back to the UK to join their training and QC department. In my spare time I enjoy free expressive dance, walking and listening to audiobooks and radio comedies.
Lynne Stanley

Project Co-ordinator

Malaika Hirani
Research Assistant

I joined the team in November 2025 as a Research Assistant, holding an undergraduate degree in Biomedical Science, following roles at the MRC Epidemiology Unit as a Clinical Research Assistant and in Study Coordination for the Fenland and GDAR studies. My work involves supporting the delivery of clinical trials and research studies within the team, contributing to our collective aim of understanding biological pathways and investigating treatments for obesity. Outside of work, I enjoy reading and Latin dance.
Malaika Hirani

Research Assistant

Laboratory Team

Katherine Lawler
Assistant Research Professor

I joined the team in Oct 2016 as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Computational Genomics. After a Mathematics degree and Masters, I completed my PhD in the Functional Genomics group at EMBL-European Bioinformatics Institute. I took a postdoctoral position in cancer research at King's College London with a particular interest in disease progression. As a GOOS team member, I work on the genomics of obesity/thinness and rare diseases. An over-arching aim of this work is to uncover new hypotheses which can be followed up and characterized by the GOOS lab team. Outside of work I enjoy playing the piano or taking a walk.
Katherine Lawler

Assistant Research Professor

Dinesh Shah
Postdoctoral Research Associate

I joined the lab team in September 2023 after a postdoctoral research position at the University of Dundee. My undergraduate degree in medical physiology and master’s degree in cancer cell and molecular biology were undertaken at the University of Leicester and a PhD at the University of Dundee. My PhD focused on a, classically, plasma membrane located protein, Caveolin-3, and the multifaced cellular mechanisms by which a mutation in this protein result in the development of a rare muscular wastage disease (LGMD-1C). My primary interest is nutrient metabolism and the molecular mechanisms of insulin sensitivity regulation, which were the focal points for my previous postdoctoral research position where I investigated the contribution of an immunologic peptide in the development of insulin resistance. My work in Cambridge will revolve around variations in genes involved in the regulation of thermogenesis, lipolysis and appetite and how these variants may contribute to leanness or obesity. Outside of the lab I like to play squash and football and I also quite enjoy cooking Indian, Chinese and Italian food.
Dinesh Shah

Postdoctoral
Research Associate

Kevin Manuel Mendez Acevedo
Postdoctoral Research Associate

I joined the team in May 2023 as a Postdoctoral Associate Researcher. I studied Biochemistry and Molecular Biology as an undergraduate, followed by a Master’s degree in Biochemistry in Mexico. I identified a novel family of proteins involved in cellular cholesterol transport. Then, I did my PhD at the Max Delbrück Centre in Berlin, studying the Mechano-Molecular control of heart formation. As a GOOS team member, my research involves establishing how variants in genes identified in a cohort of people who are thin and healthy affect molecular and cellular mechanisms such as thermogenesis, lipolysis, and the neural regulation of appetite. This research has strong translational potential and will support the identification and validation of new drug targets for the treatment of people with obesity. When I am not in the lab, I like to spend my time doing sports, reading, cooking or visiting new places.
Kevin Manuel Mendez Acevedo

Postdoctoral
Research Associate

Dr Robert Legg
Clinical Fellow in Genetics

I completed my medical training at the University of Cambridge. I then undertook an Academic Foundation Post in Oxford (working on population genetics in Diabetes risk), and further clinical training in North Queensland, before joining the GOOS team in 2018 during my MPhil in Genomic Medicine. I completed further training in paediatrics and research at the Institute of Child Health, and have returned to Cambridge and the GOOS team in 2023. I am currently undertaking specialty training in Clinical Genetics. I am working on the mechanisms that underpin genetic disorders with both intellectual disability and obesity, with a focus on discovering novel genes. In my free time I enjoy playing sport, particularly tennis and cricket.
Dr Robert Legg

Clinical Fellow in Genetics

Katie Cox
Research Assistant

I joined the team in June 2025 after an MSci in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge, and an MSc in Advanced Computer Science from Northumbria University. I work as a Research Assistant in Computational Biology, contributing to the team's work on the genomics of obesity/thinness. Outside of work, I enjoy drawing and ballroom dancing.
Katie Cox

Research Assistant

Christina Zhang
Research Assistant

I joined the team in August 2025 as a Research Assistant, focusing on the investigation of rare genetic variants in obesity. I completed my undergraduate studies in Biology at Sun Yat-sen University and earned a master’s degree in bioinformatics from the University of Edinburgh. Following graduation, I worked at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute for two years, where I specialised in sequencing data analysis of liquid biopsy and tumour samples from cancer patients. Outside of work, I enjoy climbing, playing the piano and travelling.
Christina Zhang

Research Assistant

Joe Pohlman
Research Assistant

I joined the team in August 2025 as a Research Assistant in Computational Biology, following an integrated master's degree in Computer Science. My work focuses on making our genomics data accessible through interactive tools, enabling new insights and supporting hypothesis generation. I previously spent a year on placement at AstraZeneca, where I piloted methods to use gene association networks and biological knowledge graphs for target identification. Outside of work I enjoy climbing, reading and live music/theatre.
Joe Pohlman

Research Assistant

Usman Majeed
Visiting Medical Student

I have been a Research Intern in the Farooqi group at the MRC Institute of Metabolic Science since 2022, where I build clinical data tools and analyse genome-scale datasets to support GOOS studies. I am a University of Cambridge Medical student (M.B. B.Chir, graduating 2026) and hold a BEng in Information and Computer Engineering (2023) also from Cambridge. I have worked with various companies including Google, dRISK, TidalSense, CMR Surgical and BT. I am particularly interested in applying rigorous statistics and machine learning to Medicine.
Usman Majeed

Visiting Medical Student

Ussmaan Qureshi
Biomedical engineer

I joined the team in July 2025, focusing on the development of multi-organ-on-a-chip technology to model the causes of, and treatments for, cardiometabolic diseases. I completed my bachelor's degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Imperial College London, using my foundation in biomaterials to design a new modular system that will replicate the physiological environment of the human body and reduce reliance on animal testing. Outside of work I enjoy playing badminton and reading up on all things history and science fiction.
Ussmaan Qureshi

Biomedical engineer

Jaume Margalef-Rieres
Visiting Medical Student

I graduated with an MEng in Molecular Bioengineering from Imperial College London in 2023 and subsequently began Graduate Medicine at the University of Cambridge. During my undergraduate training, I worked on projects exploring the tumour microenvironment of metastasis in relation to insulin signalling, analysed ECG datasets to improve prediction of adverse cardiac outcomes, and undertook a summer research placement at KAUST in Saudi Arabia, where I developed wet-lab skills in biosensor technologies. I joined the Farooqi laboratory in February 2024, shortly after starting my medical degree, and have since collaborated with the Hormone Cell Atlas, contributing to the development of its web-based portal. I am now transitioning focusing on understanding the role of the sympathetic nervous system in development and metabolic disease. Alongside my studies, I supervise MIMS (Biochemistry) at Girton College. Outside academia, I enjoy reading and attending Zumba classes.
Jaume Margalef-Rieres

Visiting Medical Student

Past Team Members

Julia Keogh

After 26 years of working with the GOOS team Julia retired from her role of Senior Clinical Research Manager in November 2024.
Julia Keogh

Dr Tessa Cacciottolo

After 8 years with the GOOS team Tessa has started a new role at Imperial College London.
Dr Tessa Cacciottolo

Dr Jacopo Scotucci

Jacopo has moved to a consultant position within Cambridge University Trust.
Dr Jacopo Scotucci

Miriam Smith

After 7 years with the GOOS team Miriam has been promoted to a new role within the university.
Miriam Smith

Dr Rongrong Li
Visiting Clinical Fellow

After six months as a Visiting Researcher with the GOOS team from August 2025 to January 2026, Rongrong returned to her role as a Nutrition Specialist in the Department of Clinical Nutrition at Peking Union Medical College Hospital. She is also completing her PhD in Parenteral & Enteral Nutrition and Metabolism at Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Tsinghua University.
Dr Rongrong Li

Visiting Clinical Fellow

ABOUT US

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Obesity Prize for Excellence awarded to Professor Sadaf Farooqi for distinguished and innovative work in obesity and its complications

Professor Sadaf Farooqi is the 2026 recipient of the European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO) – Novo Nordisk Foundation Obesity Prize for Excellence for her seminal contributions to understanding the genetic and physiological mechanisms that contribute to the development of obesity and its related complications.

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