Course Team
Charles Kelly - Degree
Programme Director
Dr Charles Kelly is a medical graduate of the University of Glasgow and a Consultant Clinical Oncologist at the Northern Centre for Cancer Care , in Newcastle since 1993.
He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of London and a Fellow the
Royal College of Radiologists of the UK.
While a Consultant in Newcastle, he took an MSc in Medical Informatics at the
University of Teesside, but was more interested in what computers can do for
health professionals, especially in the areas of teaching and training, rather
than what went on inside the beige boxes themselves. From this, he developed
the idea for, and the initial steps leading to the online MSc in oncology and
palliative care, working in partnership with the University of Newcastle, and
what is now the Newcastle upon Tyne NHS Foundation Trust.
Dr Kelly's main clinical interests are Head and Neck Cancer and melanoma and skin cancers. He has been on the National Cancer Research Institute Head and Neck Cancer Group, and at present is a member of the NCRI melanoma and skin cancer group. He has published on these and other cancers.
At present he is on the board of the European Association for Cancer Education.
Ashraf Azzabi - Deputy
Degree Programme Director
Dr Azzabi graduated from the Faculty of Medicine, Al fateh university; Tripoli / Libya in 1992. Since, he worked as internal medicine registrar and resident specialist at various hospitals in Tripoli.
He moved to the North East of England in 1998. Joining Professor Calvert’s team he worked as a registrar in medical oncology and read for an MD in oncology.
He acquired extensive experience in early clinical trials and drug development while working with the medical oncology team and had designed, conducted and published a number of phase I and II clinical trials.
Dr Azzabi was involved in the early drug development of some of the recent additions to the fight against cancer including Alimta©, Iressa©, and Patupilone©.
Working for the MD he gained experience in pharmacokinetics, drug synergy and in vitro drug studies.
Dr Azzabi is currently an Associate Specialist Oncologist with special interest in colorectal and urological cancers. He is still involved in clinical trials as the local principle investigator for a number of national and international phase III clinical trials.
He, in addition to his work on this programme, has clinical practice commitments in Newcastle upon Tyne, Sunderland, and South Tyneside.
As with all oncologists, Dr Azzabi, is a member of the (northern) cancer network tumour specific groups (TSG) relevant to his practice i.e. Colorectal and Uro-oncology.
