About the Founder

Dr Vanessa Apea is a consultant physician in Genito-urinary and HIV medicine at a leading UK NHS trust. In addition, she is an Honorary Senior Lecturer at Queen Mary University of London.

Vanessa is passionate about reducing inequalities in healthcare. She has made this a central focus of her clinical work and recently received an NHS 70 Windrush Award for her contribution to improving health equity. She has an established track record of exploring barriers to engagement in care in marginalised populations and has a particular research interest in participatory approaches and translational research.

She is a member of the London Fast-Track Cities Initiative stigma subgroup working to get London to zero HIV stigma and is the medical director of NAZ, a charity advocating for high quality sexual health and HIV support services for BAME communities. 

Vanessa is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians with an MBBS from Guys, Kings and St Thomas’ medical school. She is also a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Public Health from Harvard University.