Update in medicine - Belfast 2026

Dr Michael Hunter FRCP

Dr Michael Hunter is an infectious diseases physician in Belfast, collectively managing a wide range of bacterial, tropical, viral, fungal and mycobacterial infections.

Dr Jason McMinn

Dr Jason McMinn is a consultant nephrologist in Antrim Area Hospital. After training in Northern Ireland, Manchester, Auckland and Glasgow, he returned to take up a post as a consultant in acute medicine in Antrim, where he set up a dedicated acute kidney injury clinic. Jason moved back to nephrology at the start of 2025 and is the lead for the Peritoneal Dialysis Service in NHSCT.

Dr Nazia Chaudhuri FRCP

Dr Nazia Chaudhuri is a respiratory physician with a specialist interest in interstitial lung disease (ILD). She is senior clinical lecturer at Ulster University and lead of the Northern Ireland ILD Network. Nazia is also chair of the British Thoracic Society (BTS) ILD Registry Working Group and was chair of the BTS Interstitial and Rare Lung Disease Specialist Advisory Group from November 2020–23. She is a member of the European Respiratory Society (ERS) ILD Long Range Planning Committee, an ERS ILD mentor and secretary of the ERS idiopathic interstitial pneumonia ILD assembly. Nazia is also on the secretary of the Irish Thoracic Society and is a trustee of the patient charity Pulmonary Fibrosis Northern Ireland (PFNI) and the NI rare disease partnership.

Dr Ellen Campbell

Dr Ellen Campbell has been a consultant neurologist with a specialist interest in epilepsy in the Belfast Trust since 2015. During her training, she did research on the risks of anti-seizure medications during pregnancy, using data from the UK Epilepsy Pregnancy Register under the supervision of Dr Jim Morrow. She has published multiple articles in peer reviewed journals on this topic and has run the neurology part of the regional Joint Epilepsy Obstetric Clinic in the Royal Jubilee Maternity Service since 2015. 

Dr Melanie Nana

Dr Melanie Nana is a locum consultant in obstetric medicine at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and research fellow at King’s College London. Her clinical work involves the management of acute and chronic medical problems in pregnancy. She authored the BMJ ‘State of the art’ review on COVID-19 in pregnancy, the Lancet review on hyperemesis gravidarum and has published chapters on endocrine problems in pregnancy in the Oxford Handbook of Clinical Medicine and other textbooks. Melanie is a co-author of the European guideline for liver disease in pregnancy, the RCOG national guidance on hyperemesis gravidarum, three international guidelines on cancer and pregnancy, and is the lead author on the international guideline for liver disease in pregnancy. She is passionate about improving access to care for pregnant women and her policy work has included co-chairing the NHS England maternal care bundle on epilepsy and pregnancy and working for the Department of Health to improve the care of women with hyperemesis gravidarum across the UK.

Dr Simon Coulter

Dr Simon Coulter is the clinical lead for palliative medicine in the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust. Along with his colleagues, they provide a specialist palliative service within the Ulster, Lagan Valley and Downe hospitals and across the community teams of Ards, Lisburn and Downpatrick localities. He is a facilitator on advanced communication skills training.

Dr Aaron Niblock FRCP

Dr Aaron Niblock graduated Medicine from Queens University Belfast in 2008, subsequently achieved membership to the Royal College of Physicians and was later awarded FRCP. He gained his FRCPath in haematology, thereafter, completing an MSC with distinction in cancer and molecular pathology and genomics at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry. He has also completed the European haematology exam. Currently, Aaron is working as a consultant haematologist and senior clinical lecturer in the Ulster University, School of Medicine. In his medical career he has published in numerous peer-reviewed journals and presented nationally and internationally. He continues his academia along with his clinical practice.

Dr Karen Darragh

Dr Karen Darragh completed her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Queen’s University, Belfast. She carried out her fellowship in advanced heart failure and devices at the Royal Brompton in London. She has been a consultant cardiologist in Causeway Hospital since 2012 and is the lead for heart failure services in NHSCT.  Karen has a special interest in service development and collaborative working.

Dr Richard McCrory

Dr Richard McCrory graduated in Medicine from Queen’s University Belfast in 2007. Inspired by renal colleagues in Tyrone County Hospital when a foundation doctor, he pursued a career in renal medicine from 2009 and was a resident in nephrology until 2020 before moving to his current role. Richard undertook a PhD Studentship in Medical Education exploring education around IV fluid prescribing and is currently final year simulation education lead in the South Eastern HSC Trust. While his work covers most facets of renal medicine, including general nephrology, in-centre and home dialysis and renal transplant, his principal area of interest is in renal supportive care and advance care planning for patients undergoing renal replacement therapy. Richard’s work in medical education has expanded to involvement with regional initiatives in interprofessional education between medical and pharmacy graduates and utilising simulated healthcare records to aid undergraduate preparedness for practice.

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AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca has provided a sponsorship towards this independent programme. AstraZeneca has had no editorial input into or control over the agenda, content development, or choice of speakers.

The Hospital Doctors' Union (formerly the HCSA)

The Hospital Doctors' Union is the only trade union and professional association dedicated to hospital doctors wherever you are in your career. Expert advice is provided by the same trusted local adviser, to complement this we have the Women's Focussed Support Service. The union campaigns on issues that affect you, locally and nationally.