Our Faculty Members

The Expedition and Wilderness Medicine courses are headed by medics Dr's Sean Hudson and Caroline Knox, Expedition Leaders Mark & Karen Hannaford from Across the Divide Expeditions, and Trainer Piers Carter from Carter Wade. All veterans of innumerable overseas expeditions and wilderness experiences and supported by an eclectic panel of experts for whom expeditions and the adventure travel are a way of life.

The team has been selected not only for their academic qualifications but also for their expedition and wilderness environment experience, and for their ability to put across the passion and enthusiasm they have for adventure travel and expeditions. They probably represent one of the most select teams of expedition teachers in the UK and their expedition experience ranges from Antarctica to Namibia, from China to Chile.

COURSE DIRECTORS

Dr Sean Hudson MSc MBBS is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and on the expeditionary advisory board for Summit. Sean has been involved in a wide variety of expeditions over the last 20 years. During this time he has trekked across the Darien Gap and the Thar Desert; worked as a trekking guide and Chief Medic for Raleigh International in Namibia and Zimbabwe; a trauma medic in Columbia; a ski field doctor in New Zealand; spent a season in the Antarctica and acted as an advisor to the Foreign Office following natural disasters.

Since 1998 he has worked for Across the Divide Expeditions as medic and expedition medicine advisor, providing medical cover on expeditions in 21 different countries. Dogsledding to Desert trekking in Namibia.

In 2002 he became one of the founding directors of Expedition Medicine Ltd, which seeks to provide comprehensive training for medical professionals working as expedition medical officers in a variety extreme and remote environments.

Dr Caroline Knox Caroline qualified in Medicine at Newcastle in 1993, and has worked in various specialties, including anaesthetics. A planned six months abroad turned into two and a half years; this included extensive travelling, two Raleigh International Expeditions (one as Chief Medic) and a stint with Mount Hutt Ski Patrol in New Zealand.

Caroline has been a Medical Officer with Across the Divide on thirteen expeditions in four different continents over the past 6 years. In 2004 Caroline was the Medical Officer for the Richard Lander Expedition in Nigeria. The Police Expedition Society traced the route of an oft-forgotten British Explorer - Richard Lander: following the River Niger for 700km. Caroline's latest trip in October 2005 was to Nepal.

In 2002 along with expedition medic Dr Sean Hudson she was instrumental in establishing Expedition Medicine Ltd.

Mark Hannaford Mark is the founding director of Expedition Medicine and has been involved with expeditions for over 21 years and has lead expeditions to all of the worlds continents with Raleigh International, Linblad Expeditions and Across the Divide Expeditions.

Mark has travelled widely even as a child, having been brought up on the island of Antigua in the West Indies then moving onto the Middle East and Saudi Arabia. Mark studied Geography at Middlesex University before he set off and joined Raleigh International. He was involved firstly as a venturer then joined the team full-time in the office doing just about every role imaginable, spending his weekends running selection weekends for participants and staff. Mark then set out into the field again on expeditions to Costa Rica and Northern Australia.

In Australia he was fortunate enough to land a job running the logistics for a geological company and spent a blissful nine months working in the bush digging holes! Returning to the UK he worked for a brief spell in an office but knew this was not for him. So he entered a Special Forces Regiment with the TA having completed numerous wet and windy treks in the Brecon Beacons. Mark was with the TA for just under three years many of the skills he learnt with the TA were easily transferable to the work he now does at Expedition Medicine; leadership, expedition skills, medical safety back-up, night navigation, practical skills and casualty management in remote areas.

Karen Hannaford A founding Director of the company, Karen has been involved for over 10 years in Expedition Medicine, event management and charity work. Karen studied agriculture at Wye College, Kent which is part of Imperial College London, before heading off into the charity world. Karen knew that she wanted to travel so upon leaving ICAN she worked as a board handler on the expedition ship, the HMS Endeavour working in the Indian Ocean.

Karen jointly founded Expedition Medicine & Leadership (EML).

Piers Carter Piers graduated from Birmingham University with a degree in Physical Education, which he then followed up with a PGCE in PE and English. He then joined the West Midlands Police as a civilian trainer. After 12 months delivering training to Cadets and Police Officers, of all ranks, he secured funding from a trust fund to visit America to research teaching methods in the outdoors.

The desire for change and challenge took Piers to Chile in 1996 with Raleigh International as a Project Manager, after which he embarked upon freelance career based in the Peak District. Piers has an unusual string to his bow in the form of conflict management training. Piers is a student of Taiho-jitsu and enjoys socializing, walking, mountain biking, and home growing of veggies.

He has been involved in expeditions to Southern Africa, Australia and has recently returned from Cambodia and is the founder and director of an innovative training and development company based near Sheffield called Carter Wade, which specialises in creative learning experiences for organisations and their people.

OFFICE STAFF

Luci Ridout Luci is your first point of call. She is based in the office and can be contacted on 01935 700322 or by email admin@expeditionmedicine.co.uk.