Faculty of Travel Medicine appoints Dean Elect and new Executive Board Members

22 Dec 2020

Following the Faculty of Travel Medicine’s AGM in October, Dr Sam Allen has been appointed as Dean Elect for a period of one year. Following this, Sam will take on the position of Dean of the Faculty of Travel Medicine.

Sam has a passion for travel and has used his vocation to work in Africa, China and South America. As a medical student he established a rural hospital in northern Ghana which continues to this day.

Sam completed speciality training in clinical tropical medicine in London and Liverpool, Peru and Brazil. He successfully completed the inaugural International Diploma in Expedition and Wilderness Medicine hosted by our College and received the Triennial Scholarship award to study Zika in Brazil. Besides his clinical duties as a Consultant at University Hospital Crosshouse, he runs a travel clinic and yellow fever vaccination centre.

Sam is a member of the UK Emergency Medical Team and was deployed to Sierra Leone as part of the Ebola response. He is medical advisor to the Scientific Exploration Society, member of the International Diploma in Expedition and Wilderness Medicine Examination Board and an International Fellow of the Explorers Club.

On being elected Dean Elect, Sam said:

“Thank you all for allowing me to continue the vision of the Faculty as the ‘go to’ professional body in all things travel health as your Dean Elect. It will be a joy and a privilege to journey together as we navigate through these interesting tides and difficult times that we live in”.

Ordinary Members and Co-opted Member

Also at the AGM, Dr Kitty Smith and Professor Mark Bailey were both elected to serve as Ordinary Members. In addition, Mr Derek Evans has been appointed as a Co-opted Member. All of these positions are for a term of four years.

Dr Kitty Smith

After completing a degree in marine and freshwater biology, and a PhD in Physiology, Kitty trained in medicine at the University of Cambridge, Addenbrookes Hospital, and the Royal London Hospital, before specialising in infectious diseases, tropical medicine and travel medicine. She has completed the Diploma in Travel Medicine and became a Fellow of the Faculty of Travel Medicine.

Following posts in infectious diseases, travel medicine and A&E in London, Kitty moved to Glasgow in 2004 to take up a post in clinical infectious diseases and travel medicine at Gartnavel Hospital. She then moved to Health Protection Scotland (HPS), to become Medical Lead in the Travel Medicine and International Health Team and HPS Lead for viral haemorrhagic fevers.

Professor Mark Bailey

Mark is a consultant physician and professor in infectious diseases and tropical medicine at Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, Warwick Medical School and the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine. He is the lead for travel and tropical medicine in a large and busy infectious diseases unit and gives travel advice on a regular basis for both individuals and groups.

He works overseas every few years and sees returning travellers every week as outpatients and in-patients. He organises and teaches on tropical and travel medicine courses for several universities and the Defence Medical Services.

Derek Evans

Derek started his career in community pharmacy and then transitioned through the profession into a senior corporate role. Having always enjoyed practising travel medicine he started one of the first corporate chains of travel health practices in pharmacies.

He decided to leave his corporate world and started his own travel health consultancy. As an independent prescriber specialising in travel medicine he is a Member of the Faculty of Travel Medicine.