Changes in our Trustees

Great news, we have recently welcomed two new trustees Gini Harrison and Soumitra Bose.

Gini will lead all our Research activities. and Soumitra will take up the role of Treasurer.

Gini Harrison

I was diagnosed with EGFR+ lung cancer in December 2021, while I was on maternity leave with my second child. I’d been suffering with persistent shoulder pain for about 9 months, which was put down to poor breastfeeding posture. But an MRI identified tumours in my right lung, hilar lymph node, and scapula. A biopsy revealed that I had Stage IV EGFR+ NSCLC. As a young(ish!!), never smoker who was otherwise relatively healthy, I genuinely couldn’t believe it. It felt like my world suddenly collapsed and made no sense. Luckily I found a lot of support and information online, and EGFR+ UK was a fantastic source of both. This group gave me hope. And I’m honoured to be able to be involved with them.

As a Lecturer and a Psychologist, I’m passionate about education and wellbeing, and I am committed to raising awareness about EGFR lung cancer, and supporting those affected by it. I am also a firm believer that knowledge is power. Understanding your specific cancer and what treatment options might be effective can help you to be your own advocate. When I was first diagnosed there were no targeted treatments available for my rare EGFR Exon 20 mutation. Since then, mobocertinib has been approved, and many more treatments are in the pipeline. So research gives me hope for the future… and I hope to be able to share some of it through the Charity.

Soumitra Bose

A freak chest X-ray during the Covid period detected my lung cancer in Oct 2021. Being a non-smoker that was a huge surprise but I consider myself lucky for this early detection at Stage 2. Post my surgery in Nov 2021 followed by chemotherapy, I am now in full remission but on the Osimertinib course.

After a career in finance with Unilever and other MNCs, I had taken an early retirement to work in the charity sector in India. The two organisations I governed are involved in health and education of the underprivileged and protecting the environment in the cyclone prone areas of Sunderbans in India. Having initially joined the Facebook group of EGFR Positive UK , as a Trustee now, I hope to bring my knowledge and experience of working in the charity sector. My wife and I live in Croydon, Surrey while our two grown-up sons and are based in Singapore and London.