Oncology
Back to the Section homepage
Committee Members
Vishwanath Hanchanale (Chair)
Email Vishwanath or Vishwanath on X
Vish is a Consultant Urological Surgeon at Royal Liverpool & Broadgreen Hospital and originally joined the team in 2019. He was elected Secretary for a second term from January 2024 and took over the role of Chair in January 2025. His special interests include managing prostate and bladder cancer patients (i.e. pelvic oncology).
After qualifying in medicine in India, he pursued a urological career and completed specialist and robotic surgery training in Leeds. To enhance his robotic skills, he supplemented his robotic training with attachments in Belgium and New York.
Vishwanath Hanchanale
Chair
Vish is a Consultant Urological Surgeon at Royal Liverpool & Broadgreen Hospital and originally joined the team in 2019. He was elected Secretary for a second term from January 2024 and took over the role of Chair in January 2025. His special interests include managing prostate and bladder cancer patients (i.e. pelvic oncology).
After qualifying in medicine in India, he pursued a urological career and completed specialist and robotic surgery training in Leeds. To enhance his robotic skills, he supplemented his robotic training with attachments in Belgium and New York.
Email: vishwanath.hanchanale@gmail.com
Bhavan Rai (Vice-Chair)
Email Bhavan or Bhavan on X
Bhavan is a Consultant Urological Surgeon at the Freeman Hospital, Newcastle and joined the team in 2021. Bhavan was elected to Vice Chair with effect from January 2025. After completing robotic fellowships at the University of Leipzig, Germany and Lister Hospital, Stevenage,
He has focused on robotic surgery. He has a specialist interest in prostate cancer and upper tract urothelial cancers. His research interest includes systematic reviews, outcomes research and surgical educations.
Bhavan Rai
Vice-Chair
Bhavan is a Consultant Urological Surgeon at the Freeman Hospital, Newcastle and joined the team in 2021. Bhavan was elected to Vice Chair with effect from January 2025. After completing robotic fellowships at the University of Leipzig, Germany and Lister Hospital, Stevenage,
He has focused on robotic surgery. He has a specialist interest in prostate cancer and upper tract urothelial cancers. His research interest includes systematic reviews, outcomes research and surgical educations.
Email: urobhavan@gmail.com
Benjamin Ayres (Elected Member)
Email Ben
Ben is a Consultant Urological Surgeon at St George's Hospital, London and joined the team in January 2024.
Benjamin Ayres
Elected Member
Ben is a Consultant Urological Surgeon at St George's Hospital, London and joined the team in January 2024.
Email: benjamin.ayres@nhs.net
Elizabeth Bright (Elected Member)
Email Elizabeth
Elizabeth is a Consultant Urological Surgeon at the Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro and joined the team in January 2023. Her specialist interests include renal and bladder cancer, MDT streamlining and developing innovative patient pathways.
Elizabeth Bright
Elected Member
Elizabeth is a Consultant Urological Surgeon at the Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro and joined the team in January 2023. Her specialist interests include renal and bladder cancer, MDT streamlining and developing innovative patient pathways.
Email: ebright9@gmail.com
Helena Burden (Elected Member)
Email Helena
Helena is a Consultant Urological Surgeon at the Bristol Urological Institute (BUI), part of the North Bristol NHS Trust at Southmead Hospital, and specialises in non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.
She was elected to the committee in January 2026 for an initial 3-year term.
Helena Burden
Elected Member
Helena is a Consultant Urological Surgeon at the Bristol Urological Institute (BUI), part of the North Bristol NHS Trust at Southmead Hospital, and specialises in non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.
She was elected to the committee in January 2026 for an initial 3-year term.
Email: helena_burden@hotmail.com
Muddassar Hussain (Elected Member)
Email Muddassar or Muddassar on X
Muddassar is a Consultant Urological and Robotic Surgeon based at Frimley Park Hospital.
He is recognized as a regional expert in laparoscopic and robotic surgical procedures, specifically for kidney conditions, and he has extensive experience with advanced robotic platforms.
He was elected to the committee in January 2026 for an initial 3-year term.
Muddassar Hussain
Elected Member
Muddassar is a Consultant Urological and Robotic Surgeon based at Frimley Park Hospital.
He is recognized as a regional expert in laparoscopic and robotic surgical procedures, specifically for kidney conditions, and he has extensive experience with advanced robotic platforms.
He was elected to the committee in January 2026 for an initial 3-year term.
Email: muddassarhussain@doctors.org.uk
Prabhakar Rajan (Elected Member)
Email Prabhakar
Prabhakar is a Consultant Urological Surgeon at Barts Health NHS Trust and University College London Hospitals (UCLH). He is Chair of Urology and Robotic Surgery at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and Associate Professor at University College London (UCL).
He was elected to the committee in January 2026 for an initial 3-year term.
Prabhakar Rajan
Elected Member
Prabhakar is a Consultant Urological Surgeon at Barts Health NHS Trust and University College London Hospitals (UCLH). He is Chair of Urology and Robotic Surgery at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and Associate Professor at University College London (UCL).
He was elected to the committee in January 2026 for an initial 3-year term.
Email: prabhakar.rajan@nhs.net
Suresh Venugopal (Elected Member)
Email Suresh or Suresh on X
Suresh is a Consultant Urological Surgeon at Broadgreen & Liverpool United Hospitals and joined the team in January 2025.
Suresh Venugopal
Elected Member
Suresh is a Consultant Urological Surgeon at Broadgreen & Liverpool United Hospitals and joined the team in January 2025.
Email: suresh.venugopal@liverpoolft.nhs.uk
Shiv Pandian (Co-Opted Member)
Email Shiv or Shiv on X
Shiv is a Consultant Urological Consultant at the North Middlesex Hospital, London. As an experienced urologist with a special interest in urological oncology, he was co-opted to bring a more generalist view to the committee activities.
Shiv Pandian
Co-Opted Member
Shiv is a Consultant Urological Consultant at the North Middlesex Hospital, London. As an experienced urologist with a special interest in urological oncology, he was co-opted to bring a more generalist view to the committee activities.
Email: sspandian@aol.com
Tharani Nitkunan (Ex-Officio: Trustee)
Email Tharani or Tharani on X
Tharani is a Consultant Urologist at Epsom General Hospital in Surrey. Tharani was co-opted to the team in January 2025 as the BAUS Trustees Representative.
Tharani Nitkunan
Ex-Officio: Trustee
Tharani is a Consultant Urologist at Epsom General Hospital in Surrey. Tharani was co-opted to the team in January 2025 as the BAUS Trustees Representative.
Email: tharaninitkunan@nhs.net
Waleed Elsayed (Ex-Officio: BSoT)
Email Waleed
Waleed is an ST7 Specialist Registrar in the West Midlands Deanery and is currently working at University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire. He joined the team in January 2025 having been elected as BSoT Representative on the committee.
Waleed Elsayed
Ex-Officio: BSoT
Waleed is an ST7 Specialist Registrar in the West Midlands Deanery and is currently working at University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire. He joined the team in January 2025 having been elected as BSoT Representative on the committee.
Email: waleed.elsayed2@nhs.net
Amarnath Challapalli (Co-opted Member: BUG)
Email Amar
Amarnath is a Consultant Clinical Oncologist and Clinical Director of the Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre (BHOC), University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, specialising in the management of urological cancers and non-melanoma skin cancers. He joined the team in October 2025 having been elected as the BUG representative on the committee.
Amarnath Challapalli
Co-opted Member: BUG
Amarnath is a Consultant Clinical Oncologist and Clinical Director of the Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre (BHOC), University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, specialising in the management of urological cancers and non-melanoma skin cancers. He joined the team in October 2025 having been elected as the BUG representative on the committee.
Email: Amarnath.Challapalli@uhbw.nhs.uk