Meet Our Executive Group
Find out about our board in more detail
Yvonne Adebola
Yvonne is a medical writer specialising in patient-centred data and communications. She is committed to bringing the patient voice to healthcare research, delivery and policy with a focus on advocacy, accessibility, equity, diversity and inclusion. She has been a caregiver for a close family member with a rare cancer and a volunteer for Yes to Life, an integrative cancer-care charity.
Richard Ballerand
Richard is a patient advocate and policy advisor across UK and EU health sectors. Having sustained a traumatic brain injury with lasting side effects, Richard became interested in hidden disabilities and the challenges facing both ex-military and neurodiverse communities.
As a partner at Axolotl Associates, he leads initiatives on health data security, patient data understanding, and leveraging AI for healthcare.
Samina Begum
Samina became interested in health research through her own experience of living with a health condition.
A career working in the mental health sector has given her an insight into health inequalities for marginalised groups and the necessity of advocating on their behalf.
Dave Chuter (Vice Chair)
Dave’s involvement in research began after his treatment for oesophageal cancer. He joined his local Cancer Partnership Research Group to learn more about clinical trials and to better respond to patients’ questions regarding research participation. Through this involvement, he realised how crucial patient data is in supporting and developing new research and effective treatments for future patients.
Jo Gumbs
When Jo’s father was diagnosed with ocular melanoma, his family felt isolated and faced many challenges in terms of treatment and unanswered questions. Jo went on to found Ocular Melanoma UK to provide support for future patients and their families. Jo is passionate about the use of patient data and the difference it can make to the rare cancer community.
John Marsh
John has a background in consumer data and became interested in health data following a bowel cancer diagnosis. He wants to help break down barriers preventing the use of patient data to improve health outcomes.
John is particularly interested in improving the flow of proven clinical AI tools from the lab to clinical practice and patient benefits.
David Snelson
After a distinguished career in the Royal Navy, David Snelson started taking an interest in health data when he became aware of data disconnects between the different NHS organisations dealing with several chronic conditions that he has developed in recent years.
He Chairs his local surgery patient group and represents use MY data on several committees and organisations.
Ceri Steele
Following a total oesophagectomy to treat oesophageal cancer, it took Ceri, “quite a while to get my life back on track and find my new 'normal'. When I realised that my experiences could help future patients, I became interested in research and how data is driving innovation in medicine and helping to reassess the impacts of past interventions".
Richard Stephens (Chair)
Stevenage native, founding member of use MY data and a patient advocate since 1995, Richard had professional careers in teaching, journalism and local government. He has so far survived two cancers, a heart emergency, co-morbidities, late effects, multiple clinical trials and research studies. He is proud of being both a rich source of health data and a beneficiary of it.