Meet the team

We’re lucky to be able to call upon the skills of a wide range of great people who’re invested in finding out more about hEDS and HSD.

Our Core Team

Gemma Pearce

Dr. Gemma Pearce

hEDStogether lead

Gemma is the lead for this world-leading hEDS together research theme, she is involved in all of the featured research projects and has hEDS/HSD herself.

Dr. Sally Pezaro

Lead Midwife

Sally has a passion for driving and leading excellence in maternity services. She also relishes the challenge of turning visions into impactful practice.

Paul Magee

Senior Designer

If not sailing along the Thames, Paul can be found looking upwards at great architecture or gazing out of the studio window. With coffee.

Dr Emma Reinhold

General Practitioner

Emma spearheaded the RCGP #EDSToolkit project. She is passionate about improving all aspects of the patient experience in hEDS/HSD through research and policy work.

Sabeeha Malek

PhD Student

Sabeeha is a PhD student and researcher at the University of Warwick, and also interned at hEDStogether. Her research focuses on the role of cell adhesion and cell biomechanics in EDS.

Ben Clark

Designer

Ben is a graphic designer based in Manchester who runs his own independent design studio specialising in branding and visual identity. He enjoys football and birdwatching in his spare time.

Lauren Bell

Research Assistant

Lauren works as a Research Assistant at Coventry University. She previously completed an MSc in Health Psychology, which included hEDS/HSD related research.

Helen Eftekhari

BHF PhD nurse fellow

Helen is a British Heart Foundation PhD nursing fellow and is currently involved in developing a supported self-management programme for people with POTS.

Dr Gordon McGregor

Associate Clinical Professor

Gordon worked as a Clinical Exercise Physiologist in Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation before completing a PhD and embarking on a clinical academic career specialising in exercise rehabilitation interventions.

Dr Darius Köster

Assistant Professor

Darius is a biophysicist at the University of Warwick. His research interests lie in better understanding the effects of mechanical forces on cell surface biology.

Professor Shea Palmer

Professor of Physiotherapy

Shea is Professor of Physiotherapy in the School of Healthcare Sciences at Cardiff University and has a long history of doing research to better understand and manage hEDS/HSD.

Anna Higo

Doctoral Researcher & Chartered Physiotherapist

Anna is a physiotherapist who specialises in the treatment of HSD/hEDS. She co-owns Physiocure and is embarking on a PhD with the University of Coventry. Her research will be focusing on the role of Dynamic Movement Orthoses for the HSD/hEDS patient.

Dr Behnam Liaghat

Assistant Professor, Specialist Sports Physiotherapist

Behnam is Assistant Professor at University of Southern Denmark and Specialist Sports Physiotherapist with clinical expertise in management of professional athletes. His research is focused around sports medicine and exercise as treatment for hypermobile joints.

Nikki Holliday

Design Manager

Nikki is a Design Manager at Coventry University with a passion for using creative research methods to involve stakeholders in the development of healthcare technologies and services

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