New Chair for Top Academic Surgeon

Friday 16 December 2005

Professor Sir Ara Darzi has been appointed to the Paul Hamlyn Chair of Surgery which he will hold jointly between Imperial College, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and The Institute of Cancer Research.

The new Chair, generously endowed by the Helen Hamlyn Trust in the memory of the late Lord Paul Hamlyn, is part of a drive to foster collaboration between the institutions, by developing the strengths of all three organisations in academic surgery.

At his inaugural lecture held last night, Professor Sir Ara spoke of the innovations that are taking place in surgery, looking at technological advances in surgery, such as minimal invasive surgery and allied technologies including robotic and image guided surgery.

Professor Stephen Smith, Principal of the Faculty of Medicine at Imperial College London, said: “Ara is one of the most highly respected surgeons in the UK, with an excellent track record in developing innovative new techniques for surgery. With this new Chair, he will develop new links between Imperial, the Royal Marsden and The Institute of Cancer Research, further improving the quality of scientific research and patient care between the three organisations.”

Professor Sir Ara added: “The award of this Chair is a great honour. Both the Royal Marsden and The Institute of Cancer Research are national and international leaders in cancer research, and by encouraging greater collaboration with Imperial, I hope we can help make a real difference by reducing the physical and psychological trauma in cancer surgery through minimal invasive techniques.”

Professor Peter Rigby, Chief Executive of The Institute of Cancer Research and Cally Palmer, Chief Executive of the Royal Marsden said: “We are delighted that Professor Sir Ara has been appointed to the Hamlyn Chair of Surgery and look forward to collaborating more closely in this area. We hope that by sharing knowledge and expertise we can ultimately reduce the burden of surgery and improve patient care.”

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For more information, please contact:
The Institute of Cancer Research
Tel: 0207 153 5542
email: [email protected]

Notes to editors

1. The Institute of Cancer Research is Europe’s leading cancer research centre with expert scientists working on cutting edge research. It was founded in 1909 to carry out research into the causes of cancer and to develop new strategies for its prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care. Website at: www.icr.ac.uk.
2. The Institute works in a unique partnership with The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, forming the largest Comprehensive Cancer Centre in Europe. This relationship enables close daily contact with those on the frontline in the fight against cancer - the clinicians, the carers and most importantly, the patients.
3. The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust is a leader in the field of cancer, seeing more than 40,000 patients across its sites in London and Surrey each year. It has a successful record of innovation in nursing care, pioneering new treatments and the development of anti-cancer drugs.