Care for children and families with a range of genetic conditions
We offer expert assessment, diagnosis, counselling, and genetic testing for rare and inherited conditions – providing care for children and adults of all ages.
If a health condition runs in your family, it is natural to wonder whether you or your children could be affected.
Cancer Genetics
Some cancers are caused, or made significantly more likely, by inherited genetic changes that run through families.
Cardiovascular Genetics
Our consultations can help to clarify the cause, assess the risk to other family members, and guide appropriate care for an inherited cardiac condition.
Prenatal and Reproductive Genetics
Thinking about starting a family, or navigating a pregnancy, can raise questions about inherited conditions, genetic risks, and the options available to you.
Rare and Undiagnosed Conditions
Living without a diagnosis, or spending years searching for one, can be an exhausting and isolating experience
Genetic Testing and Results
Genetic testing is becoming increasingly available, through the NHS, private providers, and direct-to-consumer tests bought online.
Melita
Rhoda
Elizabeth
Sarah
Sabrina
Melita Irving
Clinical Geneticist
Dr Melita Irving is a Consultant Clinical Geneticist at Genetics London Ltd, providing specialist assessment and advice for individuals and families with inherited conditions.
Biography
Melita has extensive experience in the diagnosis and management of genetic disorders and in supporting patients through complex genetic testing and decision-making.
She is also an expert in the growing field of interventional treatments for rare diseases, publishing widely in this field. She is the director of Myriad Trials Ltd (myriadtrials.com).
Memberships
Member of the British Society for Genomic Medicine and the Clinical Genetics Society
Registered with the General Medical Council – revalidation March 2026
Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine
International Skeletal Dysplasia Society
Skeletal Dysplasia Group UK
Skeletal Dysplasia Management Consortium
Worshipful Society of Apothecaries
Areas of Expertise
Rare genetic disorders
Chromosomal disorders
Developmental delay
Prenatal and reproductive genetics
Genetic counselling for families
Interpretation of genetic testing
Neuropredictive testing
Growth disorders
Clinical trials
Achondroplasia
Hypochondroplasia
Skeletal dysplasia
Training
Melita trained in clinical genetics at leading London centres, including Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust, where she has her NHS base. She has worked extensively within the NHS and academic settings, King’s College London, from where she received her MD(Res) degree in 2014.
Melita practises widely in rare disease genetics and has a particular expertise in skeletal dysplasia conditions, such as achondroplasia and hypochondroplasia, and genetic disorders of growth.
Melita is committed to providing clear, thoughtful, and patient-centred consultations, ensuring that individuals and families understand their genetic information and available options.
Contact
Rhoda Akilapa
Genetic Consultant
Dr Rhoda Akilapa is a Consultant Clinical Geneticist at Genetics London Ltd and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. She provides expert assessment and personalised care for individuals and families with inherited conditions.
Biography
Dr Rhoda Akilapa is a Consultant in Clinical Genetics at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.
She specialises in rare diseases, with particular expertise in skeletal dysplasia and connective tissue disorders.
Memberships
Member of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (MRCPCH)
Member of the British Society for Genomic Medicine (BSGM)
Cardiac genetics and inherited cardiovascular conditions
Prenatal and reproductive genetics
Chromosomal and neurodevelopmental conditions
Genetic counselling
Interpretation of complex genomic testing, including whole genome sequencing
Clinical trials and emerging therapies in rare disease
Training
Dr Akilapa trained in Clinical Genetics in London and is a Consultant at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.
She leads specialist clinics across a range of genetic services and contributes to multidisciplinary care alongside experts in endocrinology, cardiology, orthopaedics, neurology, and obstetrics.
In addition to her clinical work, she is actively involved in clinical research, including industry-sponsored and investigator-led trials, with a focus on improving diagnosis and expanding treatment options for rare genetic conditions.
Contact
Elizabeth Forsythe
Consultant Clinical Geneticist
Dr Elizabeth Forsythe is a Consultant Clinical Geneticist at Genetics London Ltd, specialising in the diagnosis and care of children and adults with rare genetic conditions.
Biography
Dr Elizabeth Forsythe is a Consultant Clinical Geneticist at Genetics London Ltd, specialising in the diagnosis and care of children and adults with rare genetic conditions. She has many years of experience working in the NHS and leading research to develop new treatments for rare diseases, including Bardet-Biedl syndrome and genetic forms of obesity.
What she does
Helps families understand the cause of health and developmental problems through genetic testing and clear, supportive explanations.
Looks after people with rare conditions and has a specialist interest in genetic obesity syndromes, Bardet-Biedl syndrome and ciliopathy disorders.
Works on new treatments for rare diseases, including gene therapy.
Runs and supports clinical trials and patient registries so that care and future treatments can continue to improve.
Memberships
Member of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (MRCPCH)
British Society for Genomic Medicine, Clinical Genetics Society
Registered with the General Medical Council
Board member, Bardet-Biedl Syndrome UK Scientific Advisory Group
Board member, Ciliopathy Alliance UK
Areas of Expertise
Helps families understand the cause of health and developmental problems through genetic testing and clear, supportive explanations.
Looks after people with rare conditions and has a specialist interest in genetic obesity syndromes, Bardet-Biedl syndrome and ciliopathy disorders.
Works on new treatments for rare diseases, including gene therapy.
Runs and supports clinical trials and patient registries so that care and future treatments can continue to improve.
Training
Dr Forsythe studied medicine in London and completed specialist training in clinical genetics at Great Ormond Street Hospital. She completed her PhD at University College London, focusing on developing innovative therapies for rare diseases. She co-leads national clinics for Bardet-Biedl syndrome, and set up the first UK treatment clinic using a new medication (setmelanotide). Dr Forsythe is also involved in an international gene therapy programme for Bardet-Biedl syndrome. Dr Forsythe is committed to improving outcomes for people living with rare diseases through driving policy and advising in parliamentary round table discussions.
She is widely published in the field of rare diseases and is regularly invited to speak at national and international meetings. Dr Forsythe works closely with patient organisations and strongly believes in partnership with families, making sure that care is compassionate, understandable, and tailored to each person’s needs.
Sarah Bowdin
Consultant Clinical Geneticist
Dr Sarah Bowdin is a Consultant Clinical Geneticist at Genetics London Ltd and at the NHS East Anglian Medical Genetics Service. Sarah has been a consultant for 20 years and specialises in paediatric genetics and cardiovascular genetics, including connective tissue disorders. Her practice spans a broad age range, including fetal (prenatal) genetics, paediatric, and adult patients with suspected or proven genetic conditions.
Biography
Dr Bowdin has an extensive background in pioneering genomic technology. She was one of the first Clinical Geneticists in the world to have access to whole-genome sequencing technology for use in clinical care and co-developed the SickKids Genome Clinic for children with undiagnosed conditions. She brings a wealth of international experience to her practice, having spent nine years in Canada developing specialised genetics services.
Memberships
Membership of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
Member of the British Society of Genomic Medicine
Secretary of the Clinical Genetics Society
Speciality Lead for Clinical Genetics at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge
Former Medical Director of the East Genomics Laboratory Hub (2019-2026)
Areas of Expertise
Paediatric genetics and cardiovascular genetics, including connective tissue disorders
Cardiac genetics
Prenatal and paediatric genetics
Craniofacial genetics, including cleft lip and palate and craniosynostosis
Fetal (prenatal) medicine
Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis
Whole genome sequencing technology for clinical care
Training
After initially training in paediatrics, Dr Bowdin trained in Clinical Genetics in Oxford and Birmingham. During her genetics training, she undertook a Master’s degree in Prenatal Genetics, Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis, and Fetal Medicine at University College London.
Having completed two years as a Consultant Clinical Geneticist in the UK, she moved to the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada, where she worked for nine years. There, she developed the paediatric cardiac genetics service and was responsible for the craniofacial and cleft lip and palate genetics clinics.
Upon returning to a consultant position in Cambridge, UK, she took on major leadership roles within the region. Dr Bowdin served as the Medical Director of the East Genomics Laboratory Hub in Cambridge from 2019 to 2026 and is currently the Speciality Lead for Clinical Genetics at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge.
Sabrina Talukdar
Consultant Clinical Geneticist
Dr Sabrina Talukdar is a Consultant Clinical Geneticist at Genetics London Ltd, specialising in cancer genetics.
Biography
She supports individuals and families who may have an increased risk of inherited cancer, providing clear information, thoughtful guidance, and personalised care to help patients make informed decisions about their health.
Memberships
Member of the Royal College of Physicians
Member of the British Society for Genomic Medicine
Cancer Genetics Society
Registered with the General Medical Council
Areas of Expertise
Inherited cancer syndromes
Cancer risk assessment and personalised screening advice
Genetic testing for inherited cancer risk
Family history assessment
Support and counselling around genetic results
Training
Sabrina trained in clinical genetics at leading UK centres and her NHS base is at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust, London, with a focus on cancer genetics. She has many years of experience caring for patients, working closely with other specialists to provide coordinated, high-quality, multidisciplinary care.
