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Meet Our Associates
Meet the Experts
Our Associate Team brings together passionate change makers and global thinkers dedicated to driving impactful solutions through collaboration, innovation, and policy leadership.
Nirusha Govender
FRPharmS, MPharm, PGCert IP, Associate Director for Pharmacy Workforce, Medicines, Quality & Safety, NHSE MedSIP Programme Board Member, CORE20PLUS Ambassador, Executive Pharmacy Lead at Association for Paediatric Palliative Medicine​
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Nirusha Govender is a national award-winning pharmacist and strategic senior health system leader with over 25 years of experience in clinical pharmacy, workforce transformation, medicines quality, safety and governance. A published author and recognised driver of service innovation, she brings expertise in strategic commissioning, workforce planning, policy development, and equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) leadership. She serves as an expert advisor on national boards, shaping policy and driving system-wide improvements. At GPN, Nirusha contributes in a senior strategic advisory capacity, advancing evidence-based policy, cross-sector partnerships, and innovative workforce and governance solutions. A committed leadership coach and mentor, she is dedicated to fostering sustainable, equitable health outcomes through practical, scalable strategies.
Dr Jihad Malasi
MD, MRCGP, DFSRH, MSc SFFMLM, MSc
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Dr. Malasi is a seasoned GP and healthcare leader over 20 years of clinical and strategic experience. He held prominent positions within the NHS, such as CCG Clinical Chair, Clinical Lead for Mental Health at Kent & Medway ICS, and GP Tutor for NHS England As a committee member on NICE MedTech and digital technologies, he spearheaded significant programs in hospital transformation, stroke reconfiguration and mental health. Additionally, he advises NHS England’s Global Health Consortium on international primary care policy and possesses fellowships and advanced degrees in health economics and global healthcare leadership, offering valuable insights into primary care, mental health, and global health systems.
Ravijyot Saggu
Chief Pharmaceutical Officer's Cinical Fellow 21/22 NHS England, Medicines Value, Access & Optimisation, Respiratory, Strategy & Policy
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Ravijyot is a highly experienced pharmacist with over 25 years of expertise in respiratory care, spanning primary, secondary, and tertiary settings. As a seasoned leader, she's held roles such as Chief Pharmaceutical Officer's clinical fellow at NHS England and chair of the UK Clinical Pharmacy Association's respiratory committee. Ravijyot is dedicated to improving patient outcomes through value-based healthcare, population health, and inclusive care. She advocates for sustainable, personalized, and holistic care, working to reduce health inequalities and promote better health for all.
Amna Khan-Patel
MPharm,PGcert,PGdip,Msc
Pharmacist, Clinical Pharmacy Team Leader for Education and Training, Clinical Fellow NHS England
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Amna is a Clinical Fellow at NHS England in the Digital Programme and leads Clinical Pharmacy Education and Training an NHS Trust. She enhances healthcare through strategic project management and previously a national project on closed-loop medicines management. As chair of the North East and Yorkshire Inclusive Pharmacy Practice Steering Group, she advocates for diverse leadership to health inequalities. Amna also promotes digital skills in pharmacy as a member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s Digital Pharmacy Expert Advisory Group.
Maria Nasim
MRRPharms,ClinDip,IP Cert Regional Market Access Director, Academic Clinical fellow, Editor at EAHP and Core20plus5 ambassador NHSE
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Maria is an experienced Market Access Manager with over 11 years’ cross-sector expertise spanning clinical pharmacy, NHS strategy, global public health, consultancy, and academia. She is also a Visiting Professor, Clinical Academic Fellow, and passionate advocate for equitable access to medicines and policy innovation. A former Chief Pharmaceutical Officer’s Clinical Fellow at the UK Health Security Agency, Maria has led national programmes in antimicrobial stewardship, health inequalities, and medicines governance. She serves on the editorial board of the European Journal of Hospital Pharmacy and was named one of The Pharmaceutical Journal’s Women to Watch 2024.
Nasrin Khan
Head of Clinical Services/Chief Pharmacist
PCN Community Pharmacy Engagement Lead- Solihull (Birmingham and Solihull ICB)​
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Nasrin is the Head of Clinical Services and Chief Pharmacist within a Primary Care Network, where she leads teams of allied health professionals and ensures robust medicines management systems are in place. She works closely with GP colleagues to deliver high-quality, patient-centred care. With a rich background spanning community pharmacy, commissioning, and secondary care, Nasrin brings a breadth of experience to her role. She is particularly passionate about influencing healthcare policy to enhance the overall patient experience.
Dr. Lamia Bezer
MD, PhD​
Associate Lead
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Dr.Bezer is a senior medical doctor, general surgeon, and seasoned humanitarian leader who brings over 15 years of expertise in public health in emergencies, especially in fragile and conflict affected settings. At GPN, she applies her clinical insight and field‑tested leadership to evidence‑based advocacy, network architecture, and implementation strategies across health systems. A forward‑thinking innovator, Lamia has ledhealth facilities, health projects and programs and complex emergency responses in several countries . She is passionate about primary health care in emergencies and emergency management and is committed to driving sustainable, equitable health outcomes through strategic partnerships, practical, scalable solutions that bridge preparedness emergency and recovery with long term progress towards the sustainable development goals.
Stephen Riley
FRPharmS, MPharm, MSc Health Policy
Deputy Regional Chief Pharmacist - Pharmacy Integration, NHS England Northwest
Stephen Riley is a senior healthcare leader and registered pharmacist with over 18 years of experience across the NHS, private, and voluntary sectors. He currently serves as Deputy Regional Chief Pharmacist at NHS England Northwest and is a member of the GPhC Fitness to Practice Committee. Riley has held national policy roles, chaired multiple pharmacy committees, and worked with organizations like the PDA, Pharmacist Support, NICE, and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. He is a strong advocate for professional development, inclusion, and diversity in healthcare.
Ángel González
MD, MPH, MSc Epidemiology, MBA Business Administration in Health
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Ángel González has ten years of experience at both national and international levels, working in Clinical Primary Care, Public Health, Academia, and Health Systems and Policy Consulting. Ángel is currently working for the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), where he works on projects related to primary care systems, health workforce, and cardiovascular disease. He is also a Research Fellow in Global Health Systems and Policy at University College London – Global Business School for Health, and a Visiting Researcher at Amsterdam UMC, where he is part of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Quality and Equity in Primary Health Care Systems
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Dr Matea Deliu
MD/MBBS, PGDip Digital Health, PhD, MRCGP, MBCS Clinical Lead Primary Care Digital Delivery, Clinical Safety Officer
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Dr Matea Deliu is an academic General Practitioner and Clinical Lead for Digital Delivery at NHS South East London Integrated Care Board, where she also serves as Clinical Safety Officer. Drawing on a PhD in Health Informatics and more than a decade designing, evaluating, and scaling technology-enabled models of care, she modernises primary care, optimises pathways, and embeds safety-by-design from discovery through deployment. Her portfolio spans AI-driven population health analytics, virtual wards, remote-monitoring services, and the integration of decision-support within EPRs, delivering measurable gains in outcomes, equity, and operational efficiency across complex systems. She continues frontline practice with Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust @home and in urgent care/ED, keeping innovation grounded in real clinical need.
Dr Arrash Yassaee
BA, MBBS, MPH, MBA
Deputy Director (Medtech Innovation), NHS England
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Dr Arrash is a Deputy Director at NHS England, where he oversees policies and programmes to support the development, adoption, and scaling of promising and proven innovations across the NHS. Prior to this, he held global roles in industry, where he was responsible for world-first digital products and supported the uptake of novel medicines in Europe, North America and Asia. Arrash is also an academic paediatrician at Imperial, with research interest in developing new methods for evaluating and assuring health innovations.
Tase Oputu
Associate Director Medicines Value & Performance, NHS Kent & Medway, Chair -English Pharmacy Board, Royal Pharmaceutical Societ
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Tase Oputu is a senior pharmacy and health-systems leader with over 25 years experience spanning hospital pharmacy, integrated care boards and national professional advocacy. She is Associate Director of Medicines Value & Performance at NHS Kent & Medway ICB, where she leads high cost medicines strategy, financial stewardship and system wide optimisation programmes. A Fellow of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, Tase is Chair of the English Pharmacy Board and a member of the NHS Assembly the only pharmacist in this national forum championing the role of pharmacy in population health, equity, research and innovation. Her leadership spans major formulary and governance reforms, cross sector medicines implementation and the establishment of collaborative clinical pathways, alongside long standing contributions to inclusive leadership and sustainability. She is a committed advocate for embedding research, analytics and evidence-driven policy into frontline care. Tase’s work reflects a values-led commitment to equitable, high-value and sustainable medicines policy at local, national and global level.