BSIR Women in IR Ambassadors Programme

I am a consultant interventional radiologist at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. I qualified in 2006 from Imperial College London and undertook my foundation training in Chelsea and Westminster and Hillingdon Hospitals prior to completing Core Surgical Training in Kent, Surrey and Sussex Deanery.

Having originally set out to be a surgeon, I switched to radiology in 2010 after discovering Interventional Radiology after an inspiring meeting with a female IR consultant in Kent.  I felt this evolving speciality would be the perfect fit for me and my growing family.

I completed radiology training in East of England and Interventional Radiology at Imperial.  I trained flexibly from 2010 to 2020 and became a consultant aged 39.  I have developed a broad ranging practice and am especially interested in all aspects of vascular, trauma, renovascular and urological intervention. Although there have been times where it has been challenging with a young family, I am still thrilled with my choice of IR.  As well as the technical aspects of the procedures, I really enjoy being part of the multidisciplinary IR team and value developing relationships with a wide range of clinical teams across all specialities.

I am also passionate about teaching and completed a Post Graduate Certificate of Medical Education during my training.  I continue to run educational courses in IR and run a Radiology Return to Training Course in my shared role as Supported Return to Training Champion for London School of Radiology.  Outside of work I love to cook, spend time with my family, play tennis and spend time on my allotment. 

I originally started out as a surgical trainee and had a brief stint as an orthopaedic registrar before reassessing my choices and taking a gamble on radiology.  I did my IR block in second year and instantly knew this was the right fit for me.

I was very lucky to train in a hospital with several female consultants and where the majority of trainees were female.  However, it soon became apparent when I attended courses and especially when I was applying for consultant jobs, how rare this was! 

Presently, I am the only female IR consultant in my hospital.  I have wonderful colleagues and day to day this is not usually an issue but it has presented its own set of challenges such as when I was pregnant and there was no policy in place as there was no precedent. 

It has been so rewarding to have female resident doctors interested in IR approach me and tell me how pleased they are to see a female consultant and ask me questions that they do not feel comfortable asking my male colleagues (eg practicing while pregnant, radiation risk etc).  It’s disappointing that presently only 12% of IR consultants are female but I have every confidence this number will increase.  It can be daunting being one of the first but I am hopeful there are many more coming after me.  Representation matters.

If it wasn’t for Interventional Radiology, I might not still be in medicine. Having searched without success for my specialty ‘fit’ as a junior doctor across a range of medical and surgical specialties, I discovered the exciting and promising world of IR. I started radiology training in 2010 in Bristol, and was inspired by some pivotal figures who recognised and encouraged my enthusiasm for IR from the get-go. A year’s fellowship in Vancouver, with long hours, exacting trainers and a cohort of three fun and dependable fellows was the making of me, and I returned to Oxford for a further year as a clinical fellow. I was fortunate enough to have brilliant mentors who helped me maximise my potential, inspiring confidence and readying me for a job as consultant in Brighton in 2018.

I am a general interventional radiologist with particular interests in vascular and urological IR. I have always been involved in teaching and training, and have recently served as chair of the Education and Training Committee for BSIR.  I am currently working with an expert panel to promote the diagnosis and treatment of pelvic vein disorders.

I love my job, and am very lucky to work with a fantastic group of IR and vascular colleagues in Brighton. I have three children, and life is busy, but IR is unquestionably worth it!

After completing her radiology training in London, Dr Bent performed additional Interventional Radiology roles at University Health Network, Toronto, Canada and Barts and The Royal London Hospitals. Dr Bent was appointed as a Consultant Interventional Radiologist at University Hospitals Dorset in 2009 – and is the current Clinical Lead and Lead for Dorset IR transformation. Clinically, Clare has a specialist interest in Interventional Oncology and all Embolotherapy techniques.

She is and has sat on Executive Committees for both CIRSE and BSIR, and is part of a variety of advisory roles for NICE. Clare enjoys research and innovation, and is Chief Investigator for a number of trials ongoing into IR techniques. Clare is an enthusiastic sportswoman and mother to two energetic children.  

Dr Hannah Stockley has been a Consultant Interventional Neuroradiologist since 2013 and is based at the Manchester Centre for Clinical Neurosciences (MCCN), Salford Royal Hospital, part of the Northern Care Alliance, recently becoming Interventional Neuroradiology Lead for Greater Manchester.

Hannah undertook surgical training prior to completing general radiology training and a neuroradiology fellowship on the Manchester Radiology Training Scheme (now North West School of Radiology). She then held the Leeds and West Yorkshire Radiology Academy Post-CCT Fellowship 2012-2013 completing her clinical training in Interventional Neuroradiology.

Hannah is now an Educational and Clinical Supervisor for trainees at the North West School of Radiology as well as Academic Advisor for medical undergraduates at the University of Manchester. She is an active member of both the UK Neurointervention Group (UKNG) and the British Society of Neuroradiologists (BSNR), as well as being a member of several national committees and working groups. 

In 2022, Hannah was appointed UKNG Hon Secretary, the first time since the group’s inception in 1990 that this post has been held by a female neurointerventionalist. She is passionate about increasing the number of women in the neurointervention community and is a member of the WFITN Women in Neurointervention (WINN) group. Nearly three years ago, she established the UK and Ireland WINN network, subsequently organising multiple events bringing together female neurointerventionalists from across the 5 nations.  She has found it incredibly rewarding seeing the group develop with colleagues seeking out advice and support related to both clinical and personal aspects of work. 

I have been a consultant INR for two and a half years now, and it still amazes me to think how I got here. I am so thankful to have found a niche of medicine that I love, and am so passionate about. I came from core surgical training to radiology, with an interest in neurosciences, so it was a natural progression for me to be drawn to INR. I first saw a mechanical thrombectomy in 2014 during my first year of radiology training and I knew immediately that this was what I had to do with my career (having been previously rather indecisive). The stakes are extremely high in INR – you must be precise, be able to stay calm under pressure, and be able to rapidly build trust and a good rapport with patients and families.

I think being an excellent diagnostic radiologist underpins being an excellent interventionist, and the diagnostic side has to be equally prioritised alongside the interventional training. This is a tricky balance and it requires commitment. I trained part time to accommodate childcare, and this was welcomed warmly by my department - an 80% training pattern suited my family and I really well. I am now lucky enough to have joined the department I trained in, to create a team of 4 INRs as we face our big challenge of developing one of the smallest neurosciences centres in the UK to be a thriving 24/7 thrombectomy unit.

My initial training involved basic surgical training on the Brighton rotation. I achieved my MRCS in 2001.

I started radiology training in 2003 on the Peninsula Radiology scheme in the Southwest qualifying in 2009. I did an interventional radiology fellowship in Newcastle based at the Freeman Hospital and then started my first interventional radiology consultant post in Truro. This was followed by 3 years in Nottingham, a short spell in the Isle of Mann, then 2 years in Southampton. I returned to my hometown of Taunton where I have been an interventional radiology consultant since 2017.

My claim to fame was being awarded the Pirate FM emergency services award along with the obs and gynae team for performing a primary post-partum haemorrhage Embolisation in Truro. The patient put us forward for this award and I still have the mug.

I have chaired the vascular tariffs committee working closely with what is now NHS England. I was part of the group who set up Women in IR when Erica Denton was RCR President with Sharron Tansey (from Boston Scientific. I worked with the BSIR in the communications committee and briefly as treasurer.

Currently I am the IR Clinical Specialist Lead. We have been working hard to set up a collaborative partnership with Exeter which is looking a bit rocky currently which is a shame. I do both vascular and non- vascular IR offering a wide range of procedures.

I look forward to working with the RCR on their ambassador scheme.

Dr Lakshmi Ratnam is a Consultant Interventional Radiologist and an Honorary Reader with City St George’s University of London. She performs a wide range of vascular and non-vascular interventions as well as diagnostic imaging.

She grew up in Malaysia, moving to the UK to attend the University of Sheffield medical school. Assimilating to a new culture and living in a new country was particularly challenging. She worked as a junior doctor in Doncaster, Chesterfield, Stoke-on-Trent, Leeds and Warwick before taking up a training number in the St George’s Radiology training scheme. She completed her fellowships in Interventional Radiology at St George’s, and the Charles Gairdner Hospital in Perth, Australia before returning to St George’s as a Consultant in 2009.

She is an active member of the British Society of Interventional Radiology (BSIR) and is the current chair of the BSIR Research committee, and a member of the RCR Academic committee. She has also served as the Chair of the BSIR Scientific Programme Committee and Subcommittee member for the European Congress of Radiology IR scientific committee. Dr Ratnam is also a reviewer and on the editorial board for several highly respected journals. She is committed to teaching, education and research.

She has overcome many difficulties and obstacles in her career with the support and mentorship of colleagues. While some of these challenges are related to being a woman, many of them are universal. She is happy to share her experiences to support others on their own paths.

I attained my FRCR in 2001 and have undertaken Interventional Radiology (IR) training in Leeds, London and USA. I am a passionate advocate for women in IR as I was often advised against taking up IR as a career because “this is a career unsuitable for women who wish to have a family.” Professionally, I am inspired to practise evidence-based medicine, hence I never gave up the dream of wanting to be a clinical academic in IR despite the fact that there was no IR academic track during my training.

I pursued my PhD as a fulltime consultant and also welcomed two beautiful daughters into my life during this time and I am forever grateful for the support I have from my husband who has always believed in me. I have pleasantly surprised myself with my tenacity and the courage to ‘dare  to dream. ’ and looking back, after more than 20 years as a consultant, at what have been achieved against all the odds. In August 2022, the University of Leeds recognised my steadfast commitment in Interventional Oncology (IO) clinical academia and I was appointed the first Professor of IR at the University of Leeds, a historic achievement as the 'UK-First' female Professor of IO. 

Reminiscing,  I would love to tell my younger self to ‘Be Curious, Dream Big and Enjoy the Journey’, ‘The impossible truly only takes a little longer to achieve- a quote by Art Berg’ and ‘ Do not be afraid of failing as Failure is the foundation for Success and emerging Resilience’. 

Ros Ahmad is a Radiology Consultant at University Hospitals of Leicester, with a specialist interest in body intervention. She also serves as Deputy Clinical Director in Clinical support and Imaging.

After training in medicine at Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School, Ros completed her MRCP and made the decision to pursue Clinical Radiology, driven by a fascination with minimally invasive interventional techniques and the inspiration she found in observing interventional radiologists.

Ros completed her Radiology training in Leicester, and her journey as an Asian female in the NHS—from student to doctor, and now senior consultant—has shaped her understanding of the challenges women face in entering the field of interventional radiology. She graduated from the NHS Leadership Programme for Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic leaders, which provided her with valuable networks, resources, and knowledge, all of which she has applied in her work and leadership role as Deputy Clinical Director.

A passionate advocate for diversity, Ros has led initiatives to increase representation in interventional radiology, notably as the founding chair of the BSIR EDI Committee. She has spoken at various radiology conferences, focusing on strategies for improving the recruitment and retention of women in the field.

Ros believes in the power of everyday actions to positively shape the workplace. Simple gestures—like a colleague offering a cup of tea after witnessing a microaggression—can create a supportive environment. Sharing experiences with mentors and trusted colleagues can provide validation and insight, empowering individuals to confront and challenge biases.

Ros has greatly benefited from female role models in interventional radiology, who have encouraged and inspired her to progress in her career while enhancing diversity in the workforce. Through the support of mentors and allies, she has built the confidence necessary to thrive in her leadership roles. She is committed to fostering an inclusive environment that not only attracts more women to interventional radiology but also ensures a more positive experience for the next generation of professionals in the field.

I am a paediatric interventional radiologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (GOSH), London. Originally from Zimbabwe, I moved to the UK with my family as a teenager. I graduated from Southampton University but took a long time to find a specialty I loved, working in A&E, paediatrics, NICU and paediatric surgery. I gained my MRCP(Paeds) and then went on to study radiology, inspired by a couple of exceptional radiologists who kept encouraging me when I found it tough. I thought I would specialise in paediatric radiology but then was introduced to a paediatric interventional radiologist and the rest is history. I have been a consultant at GOSH for 20 years.

I was invited to give a couple of talks in the UK as a fellow and loved it. I have since invested in improving my public speaking abilities and really enjoy lecturing and teaching in a variety of settings – it is one of the most interesting parts of my career. In 2018-9, I was the RCR-BSIR Travelling Professor for IR. I have a longstanding interest in service improvement and have led several initiatives to develop paediatric IR within the UK and Europe. I am on the executive committees of CIRSE and the BSIR and a member of the IR Committee of The Royal College of Radiologists. I founded Paediatric IR UK, an annual multidisciplinary meeting for the sharing of paediatric IR knowledge and skills. I find leadership fascinating, challenging and deeply rewarding, and I am often one of only one or two women in the room. I work with a number of wonderful people promoting careers for women in IR.

Outside of work, I am obsessive about art, books and Japanese puzzles.

I completed my radiology training in 2015. I was the first cohort of trainees on the new IR curriculum and gaining subspecialty status. I was lucky enough to complete three maternity leaves as a trainee.

In my career so far, I have had the opportunities to become the head of training in my region, associate postgraduate for diagnostics and simulation and associate postgraduate for trainee wellbeing and development. I am the current recruitment lead for clinical radiology for the RCR. I also have a role within undergraduate teaching to increase the profile of interventional radiology in the undergraduate curriculum. Within the management structure I am the clinical lead of interventional radiology.

My career today is not how I had intended it to start out. I hadn't considered roles in education, training or management let alone wellbeing. It is all about lifelong learning in many aspects. I started out with a main specialty interest in vascular and gynae radiology. Now within my centre has general interventional radiologist that we have taken on extended roles to undertake mechanical thrombectomy.

As a trainee and a junior consultant. I was fortunate enough to have mentors as colleagues and former trainers. As inspiration from this I am undertaking a formal coaching diploma. Let's see where the next 10 years of my career takes me.