• Screening, prevention and early diagnosis
• Blood Cancers
• Basic Science
• Very happy to contribute to projects outside the areas above

Jonathan’s Experience

I am 71 and was diagnosed with myeloma in December 2018, preceded by some 10 years of regular observation of an MGUS detected during a routine employer’s medical.

Since diagnosis, I have gone through a course of first line chemotherapy, which was terminated early due to fairly serious peripheral neuropathy. I had an autologous stem cell transplant in September 2019 and am currently in full remission.  In January 2020 I elected not to have a maintenance treatment, preferring quality of life over the limited benefits, in statistical terms, of the treatment.  I successfully got through a relatively mild bout of COVID—19 in late March/early April.

Experience with Cancer Research

This panel is my first experience of formal Patient and Public Involvement.  However, I am doing some work with the Churchill Hospital Haematology Department on patient experience, in support of their establishment of telephone and video consultations as a permanent option.

During my career as a European civil servant, I spent much of my professional life in Belgium and have experience of the health systems both there and in Switzerland and Romania, where I also had postings.  My skills and experience included:

• Analysing data and information from a variety of sources
• Reviewing plans and providing feedback
• Communicating – written and verbal
• Group working

I have substantial evaluation and report writing experience.

Following my retirement in 2012, I have been a Trustee of several local charities and served for 6 years as Secretary of the Oxfordshire Historic Churches Trust.