PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS AND EDUCATION:
2023: FRCS, Royal College of Surgeons (England, Recipient of Gold Medal)
2017: M.Sc., Surgical Innovation (1st Class hon.), Imperial College London
2015: MRCS, Royal College of Surgeons (England)
2012: MBBS & Associate of Imperial College school of Medicine
2010: Ph.D., Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London
2007: B.Sc., Surgery & Anaesthesia (1st Class hon.), Imperial College London

PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT:
10/2024-present: Clinical Associate Professor (1) and Consultant UGI Surgeon, Imperial College London
04/2024-10/2024: BRC Research Fellow, Imperial College London
04/2022-04/2024: Post-doctoral Fellow, Francis Crick Institute
04/2018-04/2022: NIHR Clinical Lecturer (General Surgery) Imperial College London
08/2017-04/2018: Royal College of Surgeons and Ryan Hill Research Fellow, Virginia Mason Medical Center, USA
10/2014-08/2017: Academic Clinical Fellow (General Surgery) Imperial College London
08/2012-08/2014: Academic Foundation Trainee, Imperial College London


RESEARCH FOCUS: I am an Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeon (appointed consultant October 2024), specialising in the treatment of advanced gastroesophageal cancers, specifically peritoneal metastasis. Through translational oncology my research seeks to: (i) deliver practice changing clinical trials of intraperitoneal chemotherapy (SPECTRA, IPa-GASTRIC, PICCOS); (ii) explore the role of the peritoneal tumour microenvironment as a driver of treatment resistance; (iii) develop an explant peritoneal tissue culture model as a platform for future precision oncology, and; (iv) create novel hydrogel-based drug delivery systems to enhance intraperitoneal chemotherapy (IPC) efficacy. In preparation for future clinical adoption, I am working with patients, stakeholders and the NIHR HealthTech Research Centre at Imperial to understand the promotors and barriers to implementation of these novel innovations within the health service.

RESEARCH TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE: My prior clinical and academic training has equipped me with the skills and attributes required to deliver my research programme. Previously I have participated in the design and delivery of large-scale trials in breath analysis for cancer early detection (20 UK centres, 6000 patients) and CT body composition assessment to predict cancer survival (14 international centres, 1716 patients). My research in surgical quality assurance focuses on the development of standardised assessment tools by which to evaluate the performance of complex cancer surgeries in clinical trials. At Imperial and The Crick I developed basic science skills and experience, including cell/organoid culture for cancer biomarker detection.

RESEARCH OUTPUTS: I have co-authored 86 peer reviewed publication (24 first author) that have been cited 5748 times. I was a principal investigator or co-applicant of multiple grants from CRUK, PCUK, Crick, Imperial NIHR BRC, Action Medical, Royal College of Surgeons and other funding sources (total income £3,085,283). I hold two patents relating to scientific innovations resultant from my research.

TEACHING AND EDUCATION: I co-supervised 9 PhD students (4 current) and acted as the primary supervisor of 9 masters (7 in the last year) and eight BSc students. I am currently the primary supervisor an intercalated MBBS PhD student funded through Imperial’s CRUK Conversion Science Centre. Having undertaken and intercalated PhD myself, I hope to provide this student the same training and mentorship afforded me throughout my career, preparing them to become a future leader.

I designed, and I am the co-director of a new MRes in Translational Research in Surgery Perioperative and Critical Care at Imperial. The MRes is directly aligned with my clinical and academic focus and will equip clinicians and scientists with the insight and translational research skills needed to accelerate change future patient care and healthcare delivery.

LEADERSHIP AND EXTERNAL VISIBILITY: I am member of the IGCA gastric cancer peritoneal metastasis working group. This opportunity has allowed me to contribute to the development of evidence-based consensus statements around this topic whilst helping to raise my profile within the international research community.

I am member of the EAES Young members Task Force which provides support, networking opportunities and an environment for professional development to junior members of the international surgical community. This role has helped me increase my visibility as a young surgeon and to contribute to important initiative such as the success Rising Star’s Academy (https://eaes.eu/rising-stars-academy/).

I am a member of the editorial board for Surgical Endoscopy and serve as a reviewer for Diseases of the Esophagus and the CRUK Early Detection Committee.