Our team

Our central Institute team helps coordinate and support activity across our partnership, working closely with colleagues in our partner organisations to drive delivery of our Institute's vision and mission.

Dr Leonie Penna, Senior Responsible Owner

Leonie is the Senior Responsible Owner for King’s Health Partners Haematology.

Leonie has worked at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust as a consultant obstetrician for 14 years. She has an interest in fetal medicine and high-risk obstetrics and is committed to both undergraduate and postgraduate education in this area.

Leonie has held a number of leadership roles at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, initially limited to women’s health but in 2017 she became the Divisional Medical Director for urgent, planned and allied clinical services, before becoming Chief Medical Officer in 2020. 

Leonie also has an interest in fetal monitoring education, undertaking this locally and for organisations such as the Royal College of Obstetrician and Gynaecologists (RCOG). She also spent a short period in 2010 working in Ethiopia and is interested in global women’s health. Leonie lectures for the RCOG and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Dr Susan Robinson, Joint Clinical Director

Susan graduated from King’s College London, before becoming a consultant at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in 2010. At the Trust she is now a clinical director, clinical lead and an internationally recognised expert in obstetric haematology and transfusion medicine. 

Susan’s wider roles include: clinical lead for the Sustainability and Transformation Partnership South East London Pathology Programme and member of both the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Transfusion guideline group and Quality Standards and British Society for Haematology Transfusion Task Force. Susan also sits on the UK Blood Services’ Standing Advisory Committee where she helps improve blood for patients and analyses adverse outcomes, providing recommendations through the National haemovigilance scheme.

Dr Karen Breen, Joint Clinical Director

Dr Karen Breen is a consultant haematologist with a specialist interest in thrombosis and is based in the haemostasis and thrombosis centre and in the department of haematology.

She trained in haematology in Ireland and moved to the UK to conduct research in antiphospholipid syndrome leading to an MD.

Her main area of clinical interest is in thrombosis and in particular, in the field of antiphospholipid syndrome. She is currently involved in several clinical trials and in translational research in antiphospholipid syndrome.

Prof Roopen Arya, Joint Clinical Director

Roopen is Clinical Director for Haematology and Pathology at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. His other roles include: Director of King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust’s Thrombosis Centre; Professor of Thrombosis and Haemostasis at King’s College London and Director of the National VTE Exemplar Centres Network in England.

Roopen trained at the University of Oxford and King’s College London. His main interests are venous thromboembolism, thrombophilia, and women’s health. He is passionate about thrombosis research and advancing safety and quality of care through innovative and patient-centric approaches.

Jennifer Owen, Programme Director 

Jennifer started her career as a Unilever graduate trainee and joined the NHS soon after. She has worked in a number of large teaching hospitals, including University College London Hospital and St. George’s University Hospital, and in a number of operational, commercial and programme roles. This includes being part of creating, transforming and running South West London Pathology. Prior to joining King’s Health Partners, Jennifer was the Associate Director, Commercial, at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.

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Jen Lewis, Programme Manager

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Marie Clough, Programme Manager

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Georgie Pelser, PMO Lead KHP Haematology

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Priscilla Douglas, Project Manager

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Becky Barnes, Project Manager

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Jacken Watters, Research Administrator

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Archana Sritharan, Business Support Officer for Education & Training

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Millie Nakatudde, Project Support Officer

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To get in touch with the Institute and learn more about our work, please email KHPHaematology@kcl.ac.uk