Oncology
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Committee Members
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.
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.
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.
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.
Benjamin Ayres (Elected Member)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Suresh Venugopal (Elected Member)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Helena Burden (Elected Member)
Helena Burden
Elected Member
Muddassar Hussain (Elected Member)
Muddassar Hussain
Elected Member
Marie Edison (Co-opted Member (BURST))
Marie Edison
Co-opted Member (BURST)