Dr Sarah Needleman elected as Medical Director, Education and Training, Clinical Oncology
We’re delighted to announce that Dr Sarah Needleman has been elected as our incoming Medical Director, Education and Training (MDET), Clinical Oncology. She will officially start from 1 September 2026, taking over from our current MDET, Dr Louise Hanna.
Dr Needleman will play a leading role within the Faculty of Clinical Oncology, contributing to all aspects of specialty training and related matters.
She is a Consultant Clinical Oncologist at the Royal Free London, specialising in breast and urological malignancies. Her career has been shaped by a longstanding passion for education and training, reflected in roles held throughout medical school, specialty training and her consultant practice.
Dr Needleman said: “I’m really excited to work in this role as the CO Medical Director for Training and Education. I have always been passionate about education, training and development, and feel I’ve come full circle, having been the RCR’s first Education Fellow.”
She has served as the Trust Director of Postgraduate Medical Education for six years, following two years as Deputy and was the Departmental Radiotherapy Lead for four years. Within clinical oncology, she is a Royal College Tutor, departmental training lead and the Pan-London/Kent, Surrey and Sussex Supported Return to Training Champion. She also acts as an external examiner for the ICR’s MSc in Oncology programme.
Dr Needleman has contributed widely to the work of the College, including serving on the Oncology Registrars' Forum, representing residents on multiple boards and becoming the College’s first Education Fellow, during which she developed the Dundee University Oncology MSc medical education module. As a consultant, she has been a long-standing member of the Undergraduate Steering Committee and was later elected to the Specialist Training Board and Curriculum Committee.
Dr Nicky Thorp, Vice-President, Clinical Oncology, said: “I'm so pleased to welcome Sarah to the RCR Officer team. She brings a wealth of experience to the role, and I know she will be a passionate advocate for our residents and for training across the specialty.”
