About us
Plant-based health professionals UK is a Community Interest Company dedicated to providing education and advocacy on whole food plant-based nutrition for prevention and treatment of chronic disease. In addition to practicing conventional medicine, we are passionate about promoting health and well-being using whole food plant-based nutrition. There is no doubt that conventional medicine has resulted in some astonishing advances in patient care. However, the current model of healthcare in the UK focuses primarily on treating established disease, rather than emphasising interventions that could prevent or reduce the burden of chronic disease.
We hope to provide a valuable resource for the education of healthcare professionals and the general public alike and aim to empower individuals to take control of their own health and share this information with patients, friends and their families.
Shireen Kassam MBBS, FRCPATH, PHD, DipIBLM
Founder and Director
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Dr Shireen Kassam is a Consultant Haematologist and Honorary Senior Lecturer at King’s College Hospital, London with a specialist interest in the treatment of lymphoma. She is also a Visiting-Professor at University of Winchester, Hampshire, where she has developed and facilitates the UK’s first University-based course on plant-based nutrition. In 2023 she launched a course on lifestyle medicine for cancer.
Shireen is passionate about promoting plant-based nutrition for the prevention and reversal of chronic disease and for maintaining optimal health after treatment for cancer. In 2019 she became certified as a Lifestyle Medicine Physician and is also a CHIP facilitator.
Shireen founded Plant-Based Health Professionals UK in 2018, a non-profit, membership organisation whose mission is to provide evidence-based education on whole food plant-based nutrition.
Shireen qualified as a doctor in 2000. During her training, she completed a PhD, which investigated the role of selenium in sensitising cancer cells to chemotherapy. Shireen has published a number of peer-reviewed papers in the field of lymphoma. Her first book, Eating Plant-Based, Scientific Answers to Your Nutrition Questions, co-authored with her sister Zahra, was published in January 2022. She has also co-edited the textbook Plant-Based Nutrition in Clinical Practice, published in September 2022.
The core team
Rohini Bajekal
Communications and Marketing
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A keen recipe developer, Rohini is passionate about making delicious, affordable and nourishing plant-based meals. In her spare time, she volunteers as a Cookery Teacher at Made in Hackney, the UK’s only eco-community cookery school and charity. Rohini also provides expertise around South Asian diets as part of the Dietitian and Nutritionist Advisory Committee at Diet ID. She is the co-author of Living PCOS Free.
Kate Dunbar
Patient Advocate and Graphic Designer
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As a stressed, 40-year-old primary school teacher, Kate succumbed to inflammatory arthritis, later diagnosed as psoriatic arthritis. It seemed like every joint in her body was inflamed and in hindsight, she realised that she had suffered a few previous undiagnosed attacks over the years, but this was the most debilitating. Everything was extremely painful if not impossible; walking, sitting, and even sleeping. She was signed off work for a year. Thankfully with medication, her condition was brought under relative control. Soon after, 15 years ago, and with support from her husband, she embarked on a vegan diet and was able to slash her medication by more than half.
In 2017, Kate discovered a whole food plant-based (WFPB) diet, and it’s amazing restorative and disease preventing benefits. At last she is completely in remission and medication free.
With a new lease of life, she is an active community member, founder of Hunstanton Community Orchard, graphic designer, ceramicist and community arts provider. She loves cooking and growing vegetables. She is a passionate advocate of plant-based nutrition and exercise, now runs half marathons regularly.
She is beyond thankful that there are plant-based doctors and other health professionals who are championing a WFPB diet so that other people need not go through the torture of psoriatic arthritis and other dreadful health conditions.
Twitter: KateDunbar @HunstantonTowny
Instagram: kate.dunbar
Facebook: GreenstuffVegan
Dr Laura Freeman MBChB, MRCGP, DRCOG, CCFP, Dip IBLM/BSLM
GP and Certified Lifestyle Medicine Physician
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Dr Laura Freeman obtained her Medical Degree from the University of Edinburgh in 2006. She completed her vocational training in General Practice in Manchester in 2011. Between May 2012 and May 2019, after attaining full accreditation from the Medical Council of Canada, Dr Freeman ran her own Family Medicine practice in midtown Toronto, taught medical students at the University of Toronto and worked with the Medical Council of Canada as an examiner for International Medical Graduates.
Both within and outside of her General Practice, Dr Freeman has developed a strong interest for plant based nutrition and optimising health through lifestyle choices. In 2019, Dr Freeman became a diplomat of the International Board for Lifestyle Medicine and is also a certified CHIP (Complete Health Improvement Program) practitioner.
Her focus is putting her passion in Lifestyle Medicine into practice for her patients and watching the incredible success of their lifestyle interventions.
Dr Freeman has been commended by her colleagues and patients alike for her unwavering calm and kind demeanour, her compassion and care for her patients as well as her sound clinical knowledge, skill and judgment. Her patients have endorsed her input for optimising their diet, prescribing individualised exercise prescriptions, stress management and improving sleep habits.
Dr Linda Karlberg MBChB, BMedSci (Hons)
Medical Student/Junior Doctor Representative
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Linda is a GP trainee in Scotland. She adopted a plant-based diet in 2017. Having had very little teaching on nutrition at university, she wanted to find out whether it was a safe lifestyle change, and was surprised to discover the vast amount of evidence in favour of a whole food plant-based diet. She has not looked back since, even managing to get her family on board!
She came across PBHP UK when looking for further educational resources and UK-based organisations aligned with her values. She has since continued to get more involved with the movement, and was a founding member of her university’s Lifestyle Medicine society.
Linda is particularly interested in anti-diet approaches to promoting healthy behaviour change and intersections of veganism and other social justice movements.
She is active on Instagram @lindadoesvegan and @widlims, blogs at lindadoes.com and produces a podcast entitled ”WIDLIMS – What I Didn’t Learn in Medical School”. Linda’s favourite foods are veganised versions of the Persian dishes she grew up eating and loving.
Karen Lee
Events Manager and Recipe Developer
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Karen believes that food is the key to health and puts this into practice herself by using a whole food plant-based diet to manage a variety of health challenges, including multiple sclerosis. As a (now retired) intensive care nurse and registered nutritionist, she combines her love of delicious food with her professional background to inspire others to experience the powerful effects of using food as medicine.
As ‘The Sensitive Foodie’, Karen has run courses, workshops and cooking classes, and has a popular blog where she shares easy and tasty recipes for her readers to try. She published her first book Eat Well Live Well with The Sensitive Foodie in 2019 and is currently working on her second.
Karen is an Ambassador for Overcoming MS, a diet and lifestyle programme and has helped to create PBHP factsheet on MS and was co-author on a case study about WFPB diet and MS published in AJLM.
You can contact Karen via email karen@pbhp.uk
Claire Lynch, RD, MNutr, Dip IBLM/BSLM
Education lead
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As a freelance dietitian and founder of plant:life nutrition, Claire is helping people to transform their lives through positive diet and lifestyle changes, and particularly through the power of a whole food plant-based diet. She especially enjoys helping people in mid-life to optimise their health and happiness, whether needing support with managing a chronic disease, coping with menopause, or simply taking better control of their health and fitness goals.
In her role as education lead for Plant-Based Health Professionals UK she is able to reach a wider public, and their health professionals, and is passionate about offering education and advocacy as we move towards embedding whole food plant-based nutrition into healthcare curricula and clinical practice within the UK.
Find out more about Claire and her work at plant:life nutrition or follow her on Instagram or Facebook for daily tips. You can also reach her via email at claire@plantlifenutrition.co.uk or claire@pbhp.uk.
Dr Miriam Martinez-Biarge, MD, PHD
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Miriam works now as an Honorary Consultant Neonatologist & Research Fellow at Queen Charlotte’s and Hammersmith Hospitals. She specialises in the follow up of infants and young children who have been born prematurely, who have had neurological problems around the time of birth, or who are at risk of neurodevelopmental impairments. She also has a private practice in Spain as a neonatologist and developmental paediatrician.
Miriam became a vegetarian when she was in medical school and has been vegan for the past 6 years. Although she became a vegan for ethical reasons, she also started to study the health benefits of plant-based diets, not only for adults but for children as well. Since 2013 she has had a blog where she promotes a whole food plant-based diet and counsels parents on how to provide good vegan food for their children. She is the author of a book on vegan nutrition for babies and children.
Michael Metoudi, RD, M.Sc
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Michael Metoudi, RD, M.Sc. is a CORU-registered dietitian working in the research field whose sole passion lies in uncovering the continual health benefits that a plant-based diet can offer.
Michael holds a master in Molecular Medicine and has previously worked in the clinical trial space for Immunotherapy-related cancer treatments at King’s College London.
During this time he found himself fortunate to be exposed to the emerging research into plant-based nutrition and the many benefits it can have in terms of human health. Attending the first conference of Plant-based health professionals UK back in 2018 spirited him into redirecting the course of his career path into clinical nutrition.
Recently graduated with a master in clinical nutrition and dietetics from University College Dublin, Michael now works in Dublin in nutrition research as well as in the clinic with clients of all ages,setting up health promotion classes as well as educating and helping individual clients lead a more plant-based diet and lifestyle. His particular interests lie in nutrition and its role in cancer and the immune system.
Sian Roberts
Book Club lead
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Isabelle Sadler
Research assistant
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Isabelle Sadler holds a BSc in Human Biology and words as a research assistant. She has been following a plant-based diet since the age of 16, originally for ethical reasons. While at university, she discovered Plant-Based Health Professionals UK and became fascinated by the extensive health benefits of a plant-based diet. Her involvement with PBHP UK began with volunteering which eventually led to her current role as a research assistant.
Her passion revolves around delving deeper into the benefits of plant-based diets and sharing the evidence with as many people as possible. Before this role, Isabelle worked as a science researcher and writer for a plant-based medical practice in the US.
Isabelle’s career aspirations lie in the field of Public Health, where she aims to promote the widespread adoption of healthy, sustainable diets and lifestyle practices, making these choices accessible to as many people as possible.
Dr Hayley Tait, MB,ChB, MRCS, MRCGP
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Hayley is an NHS GP based in Liverpool, UK and has a love for cooking and all things food. After adopting a vegan lifestyle in 2017 she explored the benefits of a whole food plant-based diet for global and planetary health and is passionate about social justice.
Qualifying in 1995, she has worked in the NHS for 25 years with a varied and interesting career path. Hayley returned to her hometown of Liverpool in 2010, where she became a GP partner in a central practice and lives with her daughter, 2 dogs and 2 chickens.
Armed with the certificate in plant-based nutrition from the University of Winchester, Hayley encourages patients to embrace the abundance of real food we have access to and has witnessed many positive benefits first hand.
In November 2019, Hayley published a plant-based cookbook, Health on the Hob, to make easy, quick, healthy meals accessible. Her latest book “The Adventures of Chef Animo and Granny Vegano” is a children’s book of travel stories and recipes encouraging conversations about diet, sustainability, loss of biodiversity, climate change and veganism.
Hayley is delighted to be on the PBHP UK team and has developed a practical culinary medicine course, ‘’Cooking for the Climate’’, which encompasses both health and planetary impacts of dietary choices. Cooking for the Climate is derived at three UK medical schools.
With sponsorship from PBHP UK and Samson Security, Hayley has established a Community Plant Based Cook School “Vinny’s Kitchen”. Vinny’s Kitchen teaches individuals and families how to cook delicious plant-based meals and distributes these to the homeless and other vulnerable groups.
As well as eating abundant plants, Hayley exercises regularly (PT, yoga, boxing), loves cold water swims, has a daily meditation practice, maintains positive social connections and sleeps soundly. Her hope is to ignite a passion in everyone for healthy, home-cooking as foods that are killing us are killing the planet.
You can follow Hayley on Instagram @health_on_the_hob
Jay Cox
Director of Videography
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Plant-based filmmaker and music producer Jay Cox rediscovered his lust for life after a cancer diagnosis. After a tough fight and with the disease in remission, he didn’t need any more reminders how short life really is, or any more encouragement to follow his passion. He changed his diet, became totally plant-based and, with new-found energy, got back on his mountain bike. He also got his camera out again and began looking for places he could make a real difference. This reinvention of himself, his life and his purpose lead him by chance to Tarifa in Spain with endurance athlete Luke Tyburski as he embarked on an insane 2,000km solo triathlon in 12 days. The result was the Ultimate Triathlon documentary, and the revelation of Jay’s formidable natural talent.
Jay has teamed up with plant-based health professionals to help achieve their mission to promote evidence based nutrition education.
Find out more about his company at fizzeekmedia.com
Podcast hosts
Our PBHP podcast ‘In a Nutshell’ is coming soon.
Dr Clare Day
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Clare has worked as an NHS GP in a range of settings including community and prison healthcare, having qualified as a doctor in 2011.
Prior to studying Graduate Medicine she studied Science Communication and Policy, joined the Civil Service and worked at HM Treasury as a Policy Advisor.
She has been vegan for a number of years and is convinced of the benefits for long term health of eating whole food plant based. Explanations of how dietary change can help long term conditions is something she tries to put at the very centre of consultations with curious patients. She also does plant-based teaching for trainee GPs and colleagues. Like the rest of us she is learning everyday about food and health, and most importantly the barriers to change for individuals. With her podcast co-host GP Dr Daisy Lund, she hopes to bring on board more healthcare professionals and individuals to support patients in dietary change.
Dr Daisy Lund
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Dr Daisy Lund is a practising GP with over 20 years’ experience of working in the NHS. She is a GP trainer and medical educator at Imperial College in London.
Dr Lund has an interest in preventative medicine and holistic health and incorporates diet and lifestyle into her consultations. She has completed the Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate at the University of Winchester and is passionate about nutrition education for health care professionals. Together with a GP colleague, Dr Claire Day, she co-hosts ‘In a Nutshell’ the Plant Based Health Professionals UK podcast.
Advisory team members
Dr Sue Kenneally MBBS, MRCGP, MSC (NutMed), ANutr
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Sue Kenneally qualified as a GP in 2002 and is also a nutritionist, having been awarded an MSc in Nutritional Medicine in 2017. She enjoys her portfolio career which gives her the flexibility to pursue her interests in weight management, lifestyle medicine and plant-based medicine. She is director of the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine, SCOPE certified member and regional group lead of the Association for the Study of Obesity, a member of the Board of the Welsh Obesity Society, member of the ‘GPs with an Interest in Nutrition Group’ and a tutor in obesity and weight management at the University of South Wales. She is passionate about lifestyle and health, and hopes to inspire and empower her patients to transform their lives by making often simple changes.
Sue has appeared on TV numerous times and gives regular radio interviews on any subject related to lifestyle as a means of maintaining good health, and also has spoken at a number of academic/medical meetings advising other doctors and health professionals about the importance of lifestyle medicine. You can contact her via her public Facebook page Dr Sue Kenneally, or via Twitter @drsuekenneally
Rosie Martin MSC
Registered Dietician
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Rosie graduated from Glasgow Caledonian University as a registered dietitian in 2017 after a career as a zoologist specialising in animal behaviour research. Working in zoological parks in the UK and Australia highlighted her concerns surrounding captive animal welfare and Rosie became a full-time vegan in 2014, inspiring her whole family to follow suit.
Following her move back to the UK, she became fascinated by the science of nutrition and health and decided to re-train as a post-graduate dietitian. During her training, Rosie spent time with The Vegan Society as a volunteer dietitian, and has since been keen to pursue the plant-based area of nutrition and dietetics.
Rosie now works for the NHS in Devon as a generalist dietitian in a wide variety of areas from oncology to coeliac disease. She is particularly interested in plant-based preventative nutrition, weight management and bowel health.
Contact: rosie@rosemarynutrition.co.uk
Ambassadors
Dr Alan Desmond MB BCH, FRCP
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Dr Alan Desmond is a Consultant Gastroenterologist based in Devon. He studied Medicine at University College Cork, Ireland and completed his specialist training in Cork, Dublin and Oxford. Having previously published influential work on diagnostic radiation exposure in patients with digestive disorders, he has developed an interest in the dietary management of a range of digestive disorders, particularly Crohn’s disease.
Alan takes every opportunity he gets to enjoy the great outdoors, running, biking & rowing. He adheres to, and advocates for, a whole Food plant-based diet. You can find him at www.devongutclinic.com
Dr Gemma Newman MBBCH, DRCOG, DFSRH, MRCGP
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Dr Gemma Newman has worked in medicine for 14 years and is the Senior Partner at a family medical practice. She studied at the University of Wales College of Medicine and has worked in many specialities as a doctor including Elderly Care, Endocrinology, Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Psychiatry, General Surgery, Urology, Vascular Surgery, Rehabilitation Medicine and General Practice. She gained additional qualifications in Gynaecology and family planning. She has a specialist interest in plant-based nutrition and gives nutrition and lifestyle advice to her patients, who have gained tremendous benefits by using the power of their plate.
As a broadcaster and writer she has been regularly featured on television, including ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Sky News Sunrise. She has contributed to articles for magazines including Glamour, Zest and Good Housekeeping. Her family lead a fully plant-based lifestyle, following the extensive scientific research she has done on the health benefits associated with whole food plant-based nutrition. She is regularly invited to teach other Doctors via training programmes and conferences about the benefits of plant-based nutrition. You can get in touch via Facebook Dr Gemma Newman, or follow her on Instagram @plantpowerdoctor, or gemmanewman.com.
Dr Chidi Ngwaba
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Dr Chidi is an award-winning Lifestyle Doctor. Trained in Surgery, General Practice & Lifestyle Medicine at Cambridge, UCL and Johns Hopkins USA, his passion is to Reverse, Improve or Prevent many chronic illnesses including Heart disease, Cancer, Arthritis, Diabetes and many more, with his unique programme “Life Colours”. He is a Founding Board member of the European Society of Lifestyle Medicine. He has over 20 years of experience as a national and international Health and Motivational speaker including TED talks on Reversing Disease.
He was the medical editor and contributor to Europe’s most popular health magazine,Top Santé, and contributes to The Daily Express, The Daily Mail as well as TV and radio shows such as ITV’s “Good Morning Britain”, BBC, SKY News and is the resident Doctor on Premier Radio. He is the director and founder of a Lifestyle Medicine Clinic in London and founded two successful and award-winning healthy restaurants, “Plant”, in Soho, London to encourage healthy eating.
In 2016 he received a national award in leadership for his work in reversing disease. He currently advises the federal Government of Nigeria on health. His mission: “To bring Health, Healing, and Hope” to the UK and beyond.
Follow Dr Chidi on twitter or Instagram @DrChidiMD
Kate Strong
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Kate isn’t a stranger to pushing herself physically, mentally and emotionally. Graduating with a Double Masters in Mechanical Engineering from England and France, she worked in aerospace engineering and then moved to Australia owning and operating hospitality companies. In 2014, she became 2014 age-group World Champion in triathlon and returned to the UK, establishing herself as coach and consultant, specialising in Leadership and Sustainability. She volunteers for a local homeless charity, is a TEDx speaker, plant-powered and an investor. “I strive to be my best, not be the best. I aim for that to find my true potential.” Find out more about Kate on her website katestrong.global
3 world records!
In November 2021, Kate finally heard back from Guinness about the status of her 3 world record attempts and it’s official: Kate broke the 1- and 12-hour world records and set a new 24-hour world record for static cycling.
What’s next for Kate?
In 2023 Kate is attempting the Limitless Challenge.The entire event will take place on British soil – removing the need for flights and dramatically reducing the overall carbon footprint of the event. Kate’s partner Kieren, will be joining the event, which will include taking two months to cycle 3,000 miles around the circumference of Great Britain, briefly stopping for Kate to attempt the Channel swim and then they will climb the 3 Peaks.
International advisory board members
Dr David Jenkins OC, MD, FRSC, FRCP, FRCPC, PHD, DSC
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He also served as a member of Agriculture Canada’s Science Advisory Board (2004-2009) on the future direction of Canada’s agriculture and agricultural research. He has spent much time working with the food industry to develop products for the supermarket shelf and, for example, helped to initiate Loblaw’s ‘Too Good To Be True’ and most recently their popular “Blue Menu” line of products.
His research area is the use of diet in the prevention and treatment of hyperlipidemia and diabetes. He has over 300 original publications on these and related topics. His team was the first to define and explore the concept of the glycemic index of foods and demonstrate the breadth of metabolic effects of viscous soluble fiber, including blood glucose and cholesterol lowering. His group developed the cholesterol lowering concept of the dietary portfolio that has entered guidelines in many jurisdictions (e.g. CCS, Heart UK etc.).
He believes in the therapeutic value of plant based diets and that diets have to be environmentally sustainable.
Dr Kim Allan Williams, MD, MACC, MASNC, FAHA, FESC
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Prior to coming to Rush University, Dr. Williams was chairman of the division of cardiology at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, where he started the Urban Cardiology Initiative. This continued at Rush in Chicago, as he initiated the HEART Program (Helping Everyone Assess Risk Today) to screen churches and community groups for heart disease and stroke risk.
Dr. Williams has published numerous peer-reviewed articles, monographs, book chapters, editorials, and review articles. He has served on many committees and boards for the American Heart Association, the American Medical Association, ASNC, ACC and ABC.
Dr. Williams received his medical degree from the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine. He completed his internal medicine residency at Emory University and overlapping fellowships in cardiology at the University of Chicago in clinical pharmacology and nuclear medicine.
Brenda Davis RD
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Brenda Davis, registered dietitian, is a leader in her field and an internationally acclaimed speaker. She has worked as a public health nutritionist, clinical nutrition specialist, nutrition consultant and academic nutrition instructor. Brenda is the lead dietitian in a diabetes research project in Majuro, Marshall Islands. She is a featured speaker at nutrition, medical and health conferences throughout the world.
Brenda is co-author of nine award-winning, best-selling books – Becoming Vegan: Comprehensive Edition (2014), Becoming Vegan: Express Edition (2013), Becoming Vegan (2000), The New Becoming Vegetarian (2003), Becoming Vegetarian (1994, 1995), Becoming Raw (2010), the Raw Food Revolution Diet (2008), Defeating Diabetes (2003) and Dairy-free and Delicious (2001). She is also a contributing author to a tenth book, The Complete Vegetarian (2009). Her books are vegetarian/vegan nutrition classics, with over 750,000 copies in print in 8 languages. Brenda has authored and co-authored several articles for peer-reviewed medical and nutrition journals and magazines.
Brenda is a past chair of the Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group of the American Dietetic Association. In 2007, she was inducted into the Vegetarian Hall of Fame. Brenda lives in Kelowna British Columbia with her husband, Paul Davis. She has two grown children, Leena Markatchev and Cory Davis.