Debra is President of the Institute of Biomedical Science, Clinical Pathology Service Manager at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and a chartered scientist.

In her role as IBMS President, Debra is dedicated to the promotion, development and delivery of excellence in all aspects of biomedical science and is committed to providing the highest levels of service to patients and the public. In her ten years as an IBMS Council member, she has advocated, listened, represented and addressed the issues that are most important to IBMS membership at national, regional and local levels.

Debra became IBMS President in 2022 after a career covering 24 years working in clinical NHS laboratories. She is an advocate for workforce development, innovation in healthcare and continuous quality improvement.

Her current roles encompass the provision of leadership and management with accountability for the delivery of cost effective, high quality, safe and sustainable services across the Northumbria and the wider health economy. These responsibilities give her a strategic insight to deliver operational priorities both for her own Trust and those of National programmes.

Her professional activities include Lead Healthcare Scientist for NHCT, Pathology Network Operational Lead for North East and North Cumbria ICS, committee member for BSI ISO 15189 mirror committee and STEM ambassador.