Both Dr Affifa Farrukh and Professor John Mayberry are general physiciansand gastroenterologists and worked in the NHS as consultant physicians. They also provide a gastroenterology service at the Nuffield Hospital, Leicester.
Professor Mayberry first became interested in inflammatory bowel disease when he was a medical student. He went on to conduct extensive original research on the epidemiology, aetiology and treatment of both Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. He was one of very few full-time consultant physicians to be awarded a DSc for his work in this area. He chaired the NICE guideline group on the management of Crohn’s disease as well as its Evidence Update. He has extensive experience in the clinical care of patients with these conditions including the use of immune suppressants and biologics. He has always seen a place for the role of complementary therapies such as acupuncture, frankincense, probiotics, curcumin and omega 3 fish oils.
He has also worked on the diagnosis and management of coeliac disease and led the team which first identified the high-frequency of this condition amongst Punjabi people. His other interests include peptic ulcer disease, achalasia, irritable bowel syndrome and colonic polyps. He is an experienced endoscopist, performing both gastroscopies and colonoscopies.
Dr Affifa Farrukh trained as a gastroenterologist in the UK. She holds a specialist MRCP in gastroenterology as well as MRCPs from the UK and Ireland. Her special interests include inflammatory bowel disease, microscopic colitis and nutrition. She has also published original research on achalasia. Her other publications include work on the role of high energy drinks as part of the enhanced recovery program for patients with diabetes undergoing surgery. In addition she has written about breastfeeding and its preventive value in families with a history of ulcerative colitis. She has also critically examined the potential benefit of fish oils in the management of ulcerative colitis. She is a trained endoscopist.
Her current research interests focus around equitable access to care from patients who belong to minority groups. She has published work on access to biologic therapy as well as reviewing the long-term management of patients with inflammatory bowel disease from different minorities.