Our Patron
We are delighted to have as our patron the leading expert on CMV in the UK.
Paul Griffiths
Paul Griffiths is Emeritus Professor of Virology at University College, London. His research concerns cytomegalovirus infection, where he has helped to define the natural history and pathogenesis of this infection and used this information to design randomised controlled trials of antiviral drugs and prototype vaccines. He is Editor-In-Chief of Reviews in Medical Virology.
Our Trustees
Our organisation is headed up by our Trustees.
Tom Kelman
Tom is a Chartered Accountant with over thirty years post qualifying experience. He currently works in the not for profit sector in senior finance roles and has been Honorary Treasurer to CMV Action since November 2013.
Lucy Kelly
Lucy is a mum of two and following a difficult first birth due to Group B Strep, Lucy became passionate about the importance of parental education and she became aware of CMV when she took part in the CMV RACE-FIT trial.
Liz Estall
Liz has been a Trustee and Support Volunteer since 2012 and one of her sons is affected by congenital CMV.
Sarah Dewar
Sarah has been involved with CMV Action since 2011 when she started as a volunteer. She became a trustee in 2015 and Chair of Trustees in June 2019. Sarah has a son who had congenital CMV and is now an adult. She is also a support volunteer.
Amy Taylor
Amy first became aware of CMV when she learned that her unborn baby was seriously ill. She discovered CMV Action and called the helpline - the volunteers she spoke with were wonderfully supportive and knowledgeable. Their baby William died a few days later when she was 21 weeks pregnant. She was astounded that a very common virus could have such an impact, especially when there are preventative measures parents can take to protect their babies whilst planning and during pregnancy.
Angela Andrews
Angela is a registered nurse and midwife, currently working as a community midwife in the Midlands. Angela became a trustee for CMV Action in 2019 following a personal experience of CMV in pregnancy, whereby her son was then born with congenital CMV.
Graham Jones
Graham, a retired lawyer, has a personal interest in CMV as his granddaughter has developed profound deafness due to the virus. Graham and his family were shocked by the complete lack of information given to expectant parents about CMV and the amount of persistence required to obtain a diagnosis and treatment.
Alice Fletcher-Etherington
Alice has recently completed a PhD in the molecular biology of cytomegalovirus from the University of Cambridge, and has been looking for ways to stay connected with the CMV community, to utilise her knowledge of CMV to raise public and political awareness of this little-known virus, and to help children and families affected by it. Alice is passionate about the application of scientific research to improve health and promote equality.
Our Staff
We currently have one part-time member of staff:
Sharon Wood
Sharon joined CMV Action in October 2015 having previously enjoyed a long career in charity management.
Sharon is our Project Manager and is responsible for the day-to-day running of CMV Action as well as managing and developing CMV Action’s portfolio of projects,covering research, educating medical professionals, supporting families and an annual awareness-raising campaign. Sharon works closely with the Chair and Board of Trustees to plan and implement CMV Action’s strategic plan and enjoys attending conferences and training events offering an opportunity to speak to health professionals caring for pregnant women about how to reduce the risks of contracting the virus.