Our people

Graphic illustration of a variety of people

Centre management and support

Professor Neil Gittoes

Head, Centre for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism (CEDAM),
Honorary Professor and Consultant Endocrinologist 

Professor Neil Gittoes graduated from the University of Birmingham with BSc (Hons), MBChB (Hons), was later awarded a PhD in Molecular Endocrinology in Birmingham and was supported by a MRC Career Establishment Grant. Neil holds senior leadership roles, including in the NHS and charity sector, and has important interface and strategic positions nationally and within the University.

He is Consultant Endocrinologist and Honorary Professor of Endocrinology at the University of Birmingham and is inaugural Head of the Centre of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism. He works within a large highly acclaimed team that delivers the broadest array of endocrine, diabetes and metabolic services with embedded internationally recognised research portfolios.

He coordinated successful bids for European Reference Network status across all domains of CEDAM activities and research areas. Neil works closely with Birmingham Health Partners to drive seamless integration across clinical and academic arenas to facilitate translational research, innovative career progression and continually improving standards of clinical care for patients under the CEDAM umbrella

Neil Gittoes

Dr Niki Karavitaki MSc, PhD, FRCP

Research and Education Lead, Centre for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism,
Clinical Associate Professor in Endocrinology, Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research (IMSR), University of Birmingham
Honorary Consultant Endocrinologist, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham

Niki leads the Pituitary theme within IMSR and CEDAM. She works with a multi-disciplinary team and leads national/international collaborations to deliver high impact outputs that inform clinical practice in the field of hypothalamo-pituitary disease. She has published highly cited papers (h-index 52; 3/2022) and she has delivered more than 130 invited lectures in national and international meetings. She is an elected Fellow of the Association of Physicians of Great Britain and Ireland.

Niki is a member of the European Neuroendocrine Association (ENEA) Executive Committee, Co-chair of the Steering Group of the Adrenal & Pituitary Special Interest Group of the Endocrine Society USA, Clinical Lead of the European Society of Endocrinology (ESE)’s Focus Area on Pituitary and Neuroendocrinology, Chair of ENEA Workshop and Study Committee, and Clinical Convenor of the Neuroendocrinology Network of the Society for Endocrinology UK. She has also served the Board of Directors of the Pituitary Society, the Clinical Committee of the Society for Endocrinology UK, the Professional Education Committee of the Pituitary Society and she was the Co-Chair of the ESE Rare Disease Pituitary COVID-19 study Group.

Niki has been involved as chair or member of programme organising committees of national/international conferences (Annual Meeting of Endocrine Society USA, ESE Clinical Updates and annual Congress, ENEA Congress, Pituitary Congress, International Pituitary Pathology meeting).

She is an Associate Editor of the European Journal of Endocrinology and member of the Editorial Board of many journals. She is a peer reviewer for funding agencies and for several leading journals including The Lancet, Nature Reviews in Endocrinology, BMJ, Endocrine Reviews, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, and European Journal of Endocrinology.

Niki served as member of the Endocrine Society’s Clinical Practice Guideline Task Force on Hormone Replacement Therapy on Hypopituitarism and of the Pituitary Society’s Guidance on Pituitary Centres of Excellence.

She is the founder and chair of the Birmingham Pituitary Academy and she supervises a group of post-graduate students and international fellows. She has active involvement in patient education and public engagement through activities of the Birmingham Pituitary Academy and as a member of the Medical Committee of the Pituitary Foundation UK.

As Research and Education Lead in CEDAM, Niki works closely with all its members to ensure its mission and vision are achieved. She also leads the Endocrine, Diabetes and Metabolism Research Facilitation Group in CEDAM and University Hospitals Birmingham which supports the wide research portfolio of the CEDAM principal investigators. 

Dr Niki Karavitaki

Steering group

  • Professor Neil Gittoes - Consultant and Honorary Professor of Endocrinology
  • Dr Abd Tahrani - NIHR Clinician Scientist at the University of Birmingham, Honorary Consultant in Obesity, Diabetes and Endocrinology at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and Lead for Weight Management Research and Diabetic Neuropathy Services at Birmingham Heartlands Hospital
  • Professor Tim Barrett - Leonard Parsons Professor of Paediatrics and Child Health
  • Professor David Hodson - Honorary Senior Research Fellow
  • Dr Ataf Sabir - Specialist Registrar, Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Birmingham
  • Professor Gareth Lavery - Honorary Senior Research Fellow
  • Dr Rachel Webster - Consultant Clinical Scientist, University Hospitals Birmingham
  • Dr Helena Gleeson - Consultant Endocrinologist & Service Lead, University Hospitals Birmingham
  • Dr Ruth Krone - Consultant in Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes Service Lead, Diabetes Educational Lead
  • Dr Hoda Harb - Academic Clinical Lecturer and Specialist Registrar in Obstetrics and Gynaecology
  • Dr Tarekegn G Hiwot - Honorary Reader in Inherited Metabolic Disorders
  • Dr Thalia Antoniadi - Consultant Clinical Scientist, Head of Rare Disease for West Midlands Regional Genetics Laboratory
  • Professor Jackson Kirkman-Brown - Professor Reproductive Biology
  • Dr Jan Idkowiak - NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer in Paediatric Endocrinology
  • Dr Vas Chortis - Clinical Lecturer in Endocrinology and Diabetes
  • Professor Krish Nirantharakumar - UKRI Innovation Clinical Fellow and Honorary Consultant in Public Health Medicine
  • Professor Wiebke Arlt - William Withering Chair of Medicine and Honorary Professor
  • Professor Kristien Boelaert - Professor in Endocrinology
  • Professor Wasim Hanif - Professor of Diabetes & Endocrinology, Consultant Physician, and Head of Service in Diabetes at University Hospital Birmingham.
  • Miss Lynn Robinson, Consultant Gynaecologist and Obstetrician, Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Birmingham
  • Professor Martin Hewison - Professor of Molecular Endocrinology and Interim Director of the Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research
  • Professor Parth Narendran - Professor of Diabetes Medicine