Lachlan Dick

I attended the University of Edinburgh and was awarded an MBChB in 2015. I completed Foundation Training in the West of Scotland following which I was accepted on to the East of Scotland Core Surgical Training programme. I joined the East of Scotland General Surgery training programme in 2021 and finished my ST4 year at Ninewells Hospital. I have experience of both undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and have previously been a member of the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland Emergency General Surgery Teaching and Training committee.

Away from medicine, I enjoy spending time with my young family and competing in professional level solo bagpipe competitions.

Ashley Simpson

Born and bred and trained in Edinburgh, Ashley is a senior registrar within the South East of Scotland, specialising in Renal Medicine. She is taking 2 years out of her training programme to undertake a Medical Education MD Fellowship within NHS Lothian. Her area of interest is Widening Participation, a subject matter which holds significant personal relevance for her.

When not at work or studying, Ashley enjoys a wide variety of outdoor pursuits, including rock climbing, hill walking, running, cycling, kayaking, skiing, cold water swimming & so on! On more relaxed days, she loves cooking, especially vegan cuisines of the Middle East and Asia. She has a soft spot for animals, and is known to rescue and re-wild all sorts of creatures, most recently a sparrow hawk!

Stephen Waite

I am an anaesthetic registrar in my second year out of formal training following the completion of core training in the East of Scotland. I completed my undergraduate degree at the University of Edinburgh before departing for Liverpool, briefly returning to Edinburgh, and then latterly training in Dundee. My clinical interests include Intensive Care Medicine, neuromuscular management and medical leadership. Within medical education I have a particular interest in simulation.

Outside of work I enjoy travel (I’m currently learning Spanish) and love watching sport - I’m a big Welsh rugby fan and you’ll regularly find me at Murrayfield supporting Edinburgh. I do my best to live up to the anaesthetic stereotype, both obsessing about coffee and enjoying time out on the bike. I’m kept grounded by my partner Eilidh and my cat Niko.

I’m excited to be staying in MED and continue my development as an educator.

Jan Engel

I’m a second-year Medical Education Fellow and have previously completed three years of Internal Medicine Training in the South East of Scotland.

Before relocating to Edinburgh, I completed my undergraduate training in Vienna, which included clinical placements in Germany, Scotland, and Tanzania. This was followed by early postgraduate medical training near my hometown in rural Upper Austria, an MSc in Internal Medicine, the DTM&H and IDEWM, and a PGCert in Clinical Education. My primary clinical interest is infectious diseases, with a focus on acute care and high-consequence infectious diseases.

As a medical educator, I’m passionate about developing meaningful professional relationships, promoting belonging and equity in clinical environments, and medical simulation with a focus on debriefing.

When I'm not at work, I enjoy spending time outdoors in the mountains and hills with my wife, or at home playing tabletop role-playing games.

I’d be delighted to meet you and chat with you!

Jenny Houston

Hello, I’m Jenny. I studied medicine at the University of Dundee, where I also completed a Bachelor of Medical Science in International Health, which included conducting research in Malawi. After finishing my foundation training in South East Scotland, I’ve gained experience in a range of roles—working as a clinical fellow, locum doctor, and also spending time abroad in New Zealand.

Teaching has always been a passion of mine, and I’ve consistently integrated it into my work, mostly at the undergraduate level, in addition to completing my Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Education. I’m thrilled to be joining NHS Lothian as one of the new Medical Education Fellows, and I’m looking forward to developing my teaching skills further and meeting like-minded people.

Outside of work, I love being active and spending time outdoors and can usually be found hiking up north or running around Edinburgh (currently aiming to hit my Munro target for the year and increase my parkrun number enough to earn the t-shirt!). When the Garmin comes off, I spend my time sampling coffee shops around Edinburgh, organising trips, and spending time with friends and family.

Joe Gold

Hello! My name is Joe. I studied in St Andrews then Manchester graduating in 2019. Since graduating I have worked in Southeast Scotland, completing Foundation Training across NHS Lothian and NHS Fife. I went on to complete a clinical fellow year in the MoE department at the Western General Hospital. For the last three years I have been a core trainee with Psychiatry. At this natural break between core and higher training I am excited to have the opportunity to become a MED Fellow. During my time in core training I have helped develop part of the teaching program for my colleagues; I hope to build on this experience not only to teach current and future doctors but also learn more about medical education.

Outside of work I am a keen off-road cyclist (Gravel or Mountain Biking) for which I am blessed to be close to both the Pentlands and the Tweed Valley. I have also recently ventured into the world of bikepacking, and my ultimate goal is to bikepack the length of New Zealand. If the weather turns, I can be found inside either painting or playing Warhammer 40k.

Emma Phillips

Hello, I’m Emma, I’m a senior anaesthetic trainee based in South-East Scotland. I have carried out all of my training in Edinburgh after graduating from the University of Edinburgh in 2013 where I also received an intercalated degree in Psychology. I love working as part of the theatre team, and my clinical interests include advanced airway management and peri-operative medicine.

I have been interested in medical education from an early stage in my career and have been involved in setting up and running many teaching initiatives. I undertook a Simulation Fellowship at the Scottish Centre for Simulation and Clinical Human Factors in Larbert in 2018-19 which catapulted me into the world of simulation, and since this I have been actively involved in both simulation-based education and research. I completed my Master’s in Clinical Education in 2022 on the topic of clinical debriefing, a practice which I am passionate about.

Outside of work I spend most of my time running around after two young kiddies and propping myself up with strong coffee. I enjoy yoga, music and comedy when there’s a bit of spare time! I am so excited to be joining the Medical Education Directorate team as a Medical Education Fellow, and during the post will be completing an MD researching the role of emotions in learning.

Joe McKay

My name is Joe. I'm a T&O trainee in Edinburgh. I am originally from Hertfordshire, just north of London. I went to medical school at St Andrews and Manchester before staying in North West England for Foundation Training. I did Core Surgical Training in Edinburgh before taking an ST3 number in T&O in Glasgow. I transferred back over to the Edinburgh rotation in February 2025 in the middle of ST4.

I did a part-time MMEd with the University of Dundee over the course of Core Training, focusing on trainee perceptions of the role of sim in current T&O higher surgical training. I am undertaking an MD alongside my MEF on the formal integration of sim in UK T&O training. My big med ed interests are around sim and how to approach adopting innovation.

Outside of work, I am a big rugby and cricket guy, though I've long since retired from both. I'm trying to pick up tennis and golf so any top tips will be readily welcomed! I'm also going to start slogging up the hill to work on a bike for the first time so would appreciate the appropriate degree of sympathy for at least the first 2 months...

Very excited to get to work!

El Watkins

Hello, I’m El, a paediatric trainee within the South East of Scotland. From Lincolnshire originally, I completed my undergraduate degree at the University of Edinburgh with an additional BMedSci in Psychology. I went on to do Foundation Training in Newcastle where I cemented my love of paediatrics and was delighted to return to Edinburgh in 2021 to start my paediatric training. I’m now in my fourth year and am especially enjoying general paediatrics and endocrinology. I’ve had a strong interest in education throughout my training and am looking forward to developing this further with the MED team.

Outside of work I love a water-based activity—whether it's cold dips, paddle boarding, or surfing (badly!) – eating good food and organising craft nights with friends!

Emma Collier

Hi, I’m Emma. I’ve been an Emergency Medicine Registrar in South East Edinburgh since 2022 and a looking forward to my new role as one of MED’s education fellows this year.

I have been lucky enough to have worked in various places, graduating from Glasgow University and completing my foundation programme there.  A year or so working in Accident and Emergency in Brisbane, Australia, confirmed my love of Emergency Medicine and I started my ACCS training in West Yorkshire in 2017.  Leeds held on to me for a little while longer, as after finishing training, I had a two-year fellowship in the emergency department at Leeds Teaching Hospitals with both a clinical and undergraduate education focus. However, I came home in 2022 to Edinburgh to continue my training and get closer to the sea (and you, mum, honest).

Outside of work, I love to get outdoors; whether it’s just a coffee in the meadows, a chilly sea swim or a munro.  Actually all those things are better with coffee! To unwind, I enjoy a good novel, being terrible for not finishing craft projects and occasional baking - preferably all with a flat white on the side (yes, I might have a problem).

Hannah Martin

Hello, my name is Hannah. I’m a Trauma and Orthopaedic Registrar on the South East Scotland Training Programme. I completed my medical degree at the University of Aberdeen before moving to Edinburgh to undertake my foundation years in Lothian and Fife.

I have a longstanding interest in medical education and I am looking forward to joining the MED team, where I hope to become more involved across both the undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. I have a particular interest for simulation and virtual reality, and I’m excited to explore how these platforms can enhance educational experiences whilst improving clinical care.

Outside of work, I enjoy skiing and cooking, and I like to travel back to Belfast to visit my family whenever I can. I'm looking forward to meeting colleagues across different specialties and the University, whilst learning new skills together.

Josh Hughes

Hello! My name is Josh, I'm between core and higher training in Psychiatry and I'm excited to be taking a post as a Medical Education Fellow. I graduated from Glasgow in 2016, before moving to the east coast for the drier weather and Foundation Training. After that I had posts in various specialties and areas of Scotland before returning to Edinburgh for Psychiatry Core Training. I've spent some time this year improving undergraduate teaching in Psychiatry in St John's, and I'm looking forward to following my enthusiasm for medical education and completing a PGCert. I'm particularly interested in novel methods of teaching, improving the experience of undergraduates, and incorporating education into day-to-day clinical practice. Outside of work I'm a keen cyclist, occasional runner, hillwalker and tabletop gamer.

Jocelyne Velupillai

Hi, my name is Jocelyne and I am an ST5 emergency medicine registrar. I went to medical school in Brighton, before moving much further north to Edinburgh to undertake my foundation training and my current EM training.

I was lucky to undertake the Robin Mitchell fellowship this year, which took me to the Simulation Centre of Gold Coast, Australia. There, I learnt about the role of simulation beyond education — using it to identify latent safety threats, trial new clinical processes, and design ergonomic medical environments. I'm especially interested in multiprofessional simulation and in finding ways for us to train more regularly with colleagues to help build more integrated, collaborative teams.

Although I have acclimatised a little to the colder weather, I did grow up in sunny Toulouse, France, so will often be found seeking sun whenever I can! Outside of work I love listening to live music, dancing, yoga, running and anything that involves coffee and cake