Consultants
Dr Mark Wood – Paediatric Rheumatologist and Lead Clinician
Dr Wood qualified in Cambridge in 1997 and undertook Paediatric training in Newcastle and the north-east of England, then specialist Paediatric Rheumatology training in Newcastle and Birmingham. Dr Wood has worked as a consultant in the Leeds Paediatric Rheumatology department since 2007.
Special Interests:
- Combined clinic with Ophthalmology to manage children with non-infectious uveitis.
- Combined clinic with Haematology service to look after boys with Haemophiliac joint disease.
- Lead Clinician for Leeds Paediatric Rheumatology service and the West and North Yorkshire Paediatric Rheumatology Clinical Network.
Dr Kirsty Haslam – Paediatric Rheumatology Consultant
Dr Haslam qualified in Nottingham in 1997. She undertook Paediatric training in Leeds and Manchester with specialist Paediatric Rheumatology training in Leeds. Dr Haslam worked as a Consultant General Paediatrician with specialist interest in Paediatric Rheumatology in Bradford from 2009-2022, moving to Leeds Paediatric Rheumatology team in October 2022.
Special Interests: Dr Haslam delivers combined Rheumatology clinics with Paediatric Gastroenterology and Paediatric Neurology.
Dr Tania Amin – Paediatric Rheumatology Consultant
Dr Amin qualified in Edinburgh in 2002 and then trained in General Paediatrics at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh and South-East Scotland from 2003-2012. She trained in Paediatric Rheumatology at Leeds Children’s Hospital and Great Ormond Street Hospital, London. Dr Amin became a consultant in Leeds in April 2016.
Special Interests:
- Adolescent Rheumatology and transition.
- Combined Scleroderma and Renal clinics.
- Principle Investigator in Leeds for Juvenile Dermatomyositis registry, Scleroderma Outcome Measures Study and CCX168 – Interventional drug trial in ANCA associated vasculitis.
Dr Marek Böhm
Dr Böhm qualified in 2001 in Prague, Czech Republic, he then trained in Paediatrics and Paediatric Rheumatology in Prague before moving to Birmingham in 2014. Dr Böhm joined the Rheumatology Team in Leeds as a consultant in 2016.
Special Interests: Periodic Fever Syndromes
Clinical Nurse Specialists
Vanessa Van Rooyen – CNS and Team Leader
Vanessa qualified in 1993 after training in South Africa. She has always worked in Paediatrics and moved to the UK in 1999 where she worked in Children’s Medicine before joining the Paediatric Rheumatology Team in 2004 to become a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)
Special Interests: Idiopathic Uveitis, transition planning, nurse prescribing.
Sandra Marshall – CNS
Sandra trained in Hull and after qualifying in 1990 went on complete children’s training, qualifying in 1993. Sandra subsequently worked in Children’s Oncology and Haematology for 22 years before working as a school nurse for a short time. Sandra joined the Children’s Rheumatology Team in January 2017.
Special Interests: Scleroderma, sleep hygiene.
Matt Rickard – CNS
Matt trained as a Children’s Nurse in London and qualified in 1998. He gained experience working on several acute paediatric wards before undertaking further study and qualifying as a Community Specialist Practitioner in 2009. Matt worked as a Community Children’s Nurse for several years before joining the Children’s Rheumatology Team in 2014.
Special Interests: Periodic Fever Syndromes, joint injections.
Neeley Clifford – CNS
Neeley trained in Leeds, qualifying in 2009, going on to work in Children’s Respiratory for 11 years. She then went on to work as a CNS within the Children’s Immunology and HIV service here in Leeds. Neeley joined the Children’s Rheumatology Team in 2023.
Special interests: Combined renal clinics.
Kate McGough – CNS
Kate trained in Education in Leeds and qualified in 2007 as a Primary School Teacher. She taught for a number of years , whilst raising a young family and caring for a child with complex medical needs. It was this exposure to the medical field that prompted Kate to do her nurse training.
Kate trained in Bradford, qualifying in 2019 as a Paediatric Nurse. Kate worked in Children’s Respiratory for 5 years at the Leeds General Infirmary, before joining the Children’s Rheumatology Team in 2025.
Special interests: Combined Uveitis Clinic.