LSS
The London Surgical Symposium is run by the Department of Surgery and Cancer at Imperial College London. It is a yearly London based meeting open to undergraduates, postgraduates, scientists, trainees, allied health professionals and surgeons from within and outside of Imperial with the aim of delivering high-quality, engaging lectures on important and controversial topics in surgery.
We aim to appeal to clinicians and scientists from all surgical disciplines with a varied program of invited lectures and original work that tackles issues relevant to all.
We encourage trainees, health professionals allied to surgery and clinical researchers in surgery to submit abstracts (original research, clinical audits and quality improvement projects) for presentation either orally or as posters on the day.
Thanks to the generous support of our sponsors, the meeting is free to attend and refreshments will be provided both at lunch and at the evening networking event. A major part of the day is to foster a social and professional network of surgeons, clinicians and scientists across London surgery and we welcome those from all hospitals / university organisations both internationally and nationally.
We believe that the most important conversations often occur before or after the meeting and we encourage you to join the debate with us using #LSS2024.
A Look back at LSS ‘22
The 17th edition of the London Surgical Symposium took place in 2022. The conference featured 17 expert speakers, 15 poster presentations and 5 oral presentations.
THE LSS 2024 Programme
The theme of this year’s meeting is Growing Through Adversity to highlight the vital role of resilience in surgery.
Surgeons routinely face challenges, both technical and personal, which shape them into adaptable and innovative professionals. Adversity not only refines surgical skills but also fosters emotional resilience, crucial in navigating complex patient care scenarios. In the research realm, overcoming obstacles often leads to groundbreaking discoveries.
With lectures ranging from ‘out of difficulties grow miracles’ by James Kinross (exploring what we can learn from the study of extremophiles) to ‘this storm will pass’ by Victoria Williamson (which will teach us about the impact of moral injury) to Christina Fotopolou’s and ‘adversity is one of life’s great teachers’ (where she will describe the challenges of breaking boundaries in the treatment of ovarian cancer) the day’s varied program will have something for everyone reflecting the multifaceted challenges that we all face in the field of surgical research.
This website will be updated daily as the program fills out so discover what the day will hold by clicking on the link below!
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
0800 Registration
0850 Welcome
0900 Invited lectures
1100 Coffee
1115 Invited lectures
1245 Posters and lunch
1400 The Averil Mansfield abstract prize session
1515 The Hugh Dudley memorial session
1550 Coffee
1605 The Simpson Smith memorial session
1655 Prizegiving
1700 End and post conference reception
THE SpeakerS
Dr Carly Bisset
Dr Carly Bisset is a General Surgery Specialty Trainee in Glasgow, Scotland and Honorary Clinical Lecturer at the University of Glasgow. She was awarded her PhD with the University of Aberdeen in 2023, which explored the influence of surgeon personality on anastomotic decision-making in colorectal surgery (the Plato Project).
Professor Stephen Chadwick
Stephen Chadwick qualified from the Middlesex Hospital Medical School in 1975. He undertook surgical training on the St Mary’s rotations. He was a consultant surgeon at Northwick Park and St Marks Hospitals and latterly for the medical charity UK Med. He was appointed Hon Professor at University of West London in 2010 and continues to teach on various courses. Since retiring from a busy clinical workload, he has more time to spend on medieval manuscripts and his horses.
Professor Peter Dawson
Mr Peter Dawson was appointed as a Consultant General Surgeon in 1994 at West Middlesex University Hospital, London, with a special interest in bowel cancer and inflammatory bowel disease. He was Principal Investigator of ‘CREST’, ‘FACS’ and ‘DREAMS’ research studies (late phase National Cancer Research Institute studies). He has taught widely and written over 100 peer reviewed scientific papers. He was Consultant Surgeon to Charing Cross Hospital (latterly Imperial College and Chelsea and Westminster Foundation Trust). Mr Dawson was also Past President of the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain & Ireland and Past Secretary of the European Society of Coloproctology. He has held several senior managerial positions and was a founder member of the new Modernised National Health service in Cyprus. He is adjunct Professor of Surgery University of Cyprus and continues to advise Trusts across the UK in Tribunals and service provision reconfiguration. He recently demitted office as Chair of the West London Medical Trust – a position he held for many years.
Professor Sohier Elneil
Sohier Elneil is the first Professor of Urogynaecology at University College London, and is a Consultant Urogynaecologist and Uro-neurologist, based at University College Hospital and the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (NHNN). Her career has been dedicated to addressing women’s health issues in marginalized communities including female genital mutilation (FGM), childbirth trauma, obstetric fistula, incontinence and prolapse issues, chronic pain, and more recently those with complications of continence and/or prolapse mesh . As a result, Sohier has been integral in developing/implementing novel reconstructive surgical techniques, sacral neuromodulation, and botulinum toxin treatments for pelvic floor disorders. Sohier has extended her UK clinical and academic work experience globally and works with colleagues in Africa and Asia. She promotes women’s health issues on a national and international scale, by encouraging dialogue between medical and paramedical experts, governments, and international organizations. By developing and endorsing globally accepted health policies, she believes it can truly empower women and improve their lives.
Professor Christina Fotopoulou
Christina Fotopoulou is the Professor of Gynaecological Cancer Surgery in the Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine of Imperial College London, UK. She is the Deputy director of the Ovarian Cancer Action Research Centre at Imperial College. She holds a honorary chair in the Gynaecology Department at the Charite’ University of Berlin, where she was trained and then later took the role of the Vice Director of the Gynecological Department.
Her surgical and scientific expertise focusses on the management of patients with advanced and relapsed ovarian cancer, profiling of tumor heterogeneity and integration of tumorbiology factors with surgical effort under the umbrella of individualisation of surgical care. She has served as the lead of the guidelines committee of the British Gynaecological Cancer Society (BGCS), elected member of the ESGO- council (European Society of Gynaecologic Oncology) and lead of the ESGO guidelines committee and is also a member of the German AGO- Ovarian Cancer Group. She is on the editorial board and reviewer of numerous international gynaecological and oncological journals and is member of various international oncological committees, including BGCS, ASCO, ESGO, IGCS, ESMO, ENGOT, AGO, SGO and NOGGO.
Dr Muhammad Habiburrahman
Dr Muhammad Habiburrahman is a PhD student in the Clinical Medicine Research Programme at Imperial College London, specialising in women's cancer. He holds a Bachelor in Medicine and Medical Doctor degrees from Universitas Indonesia, with his primary training at Dr Cipto Mangunkusumo Tertiary Hospital (CMH), Indonesia (2015-2021). While working as a general practitioner, he gained experience in leadership, management, and research through his fellowship in the Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and Anatomical Pathology Departments at CMH (2021-2023). Habiburrahman's research interests include gynaecologic oncology, obstetrics, pathology, personalised medicine, and clinical epidemiology, reflected in his numerous publications and awards for presentations at conferences.
Professor David Jayne
Professor Jayne is Bowel Cancer UK & RCS England Professor of Surgery at the University of Leeds and Hon. Consultant Surgeon at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. His clinical interests include robotic and minimally invasive surgery for colorectal cancer and pelvic floor dysfunction. His research interests include the development of new surgical technologies and devices to improve outcomes in colorectal disease. In 2012 he was awarded an NIHR Research Professorship to accelerate research and implementation of new technologies into clinical practice. He is currently an NIHR Senior Investigator. He is Chief Investigator for several NIHR portfolio clinical trials. He has previously served on the EME/NIHR Prioritisation and Strategy Groups, the Doctoral Research Fellowship Committee, and the Clinician Scientist Awards Panel. He is currently a member of the NIHR Advanced Fellowship Panel and the NIHR i4i Programmes. He is Clinical Director of the NIHR MedTech Co-operative in Surgical Technologies, a national network of clinicians, academics, patient & public representatives, and commercial partners to develop novel solutions to unmet surgical need. His former position as Clinical Director for the NIHR Global Health Research Group affords him the opportunity to apply his expertise in the clinical translation of surgical technologies to the context of low resource countries.
Mr James Kinross
James Kinross is a Reader in Surgery and Consultant Surgeon at Imperial College London. His clinical interest is in robotic surgery for colorectal cancer, and he holds a PhD on the gut microbiome. His clinical interest is in minimally invasive surgery for colorectal cancer. He was trained in north west London, and he was an NIHR clinical lecturer in surgery and an Ethicon Laparoscopic Fellow in colorectal surgery. He was awarded a Royal College of Surgeons of England training fellowship during his PhD and he was funded by the Academy of Medical Sciences as an early stage lecturer. He is a visiting Professor at the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland. James’s first scientific love is the gut microbiome, and he studies how the microbiome causes chronic diseases such as cancer. He is also currently funded by CRUK, DASA, Horizon 2020 and the EPSRC to perform translational research into a diverse set of research themes such as surgical artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and robotics.
Matthieu Komorowski
Matthieu Komorowski MD PhD is a Clinical Senior Lecturer in the department of Surgery and Cancer at Imperial College London and an honorary consultant in intensive care and anaesthetics at Charing Cross Hospital. He holds full board certification in anaesthetics and intensive care in both France and the UK. He was previously a research fellow at the European Space Agency and holds additional qualifications in space, mountain, diving and hyperbaric medicine. He joined Imperial College London in 2014 and completed a Masters of Research and a PhD in Medicine and Bioengineering, supervised by Profs Aldo Faisal and Anthony Gordon. In 2016/2017, he was a visiting scholar at the Laboratory of Computational Physiology at Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology (Profs Roger Mark and Leo Celi). In his research, he applies machine learning techniques to build the next generation of decision support systems for critical care with a specific focus on sepsis.
Dr Ahmed Latif
Dr Ahmed Latif is a Surgical Registrar sub-specialising in Oncoplastic Breast Surgery, and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and the European Board of Surgery. Coming towards the end of his surgical training, he is taking time out for research and is completing a PhD as a Darzi Fellow at the Institute of Global Health Innovation (IGHI), Imperial College London. His PhD focuses on the use of Wearable Technology in post Breast Cancer surgery upper-limb rehabilitation
Professor Averil Mansfield
Professor Averil Mansfield made history when she was appointed as the first female professor of surgery at St Marys Hospital in 1993, making her the first female professor of surgery in the United Kingdom. She has been made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the first King’s Birthday Honours. Professor Mansfield received her honour for services to Surgery and to Equality in Medicine. Professor Mansfield is also a past Vice President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and founding chair of the Royal College of Surgeons of England’s Women in Surgical Training (WIST) committee (todays Women in Surgery).
Professor Gerry Thomas
Professor Gerry Thomas is a renowned expert in Molecular Pathology who retired from Imperial’s Department of Surgery and Cancer in 2022 after a prominent and celebrated career. She established the current Imperial College Healthcare Tissue Bank, an infrastructure that enables Imperial researchers to collect, store and use human tissue appropriately under a single Human Tissue Authority (HTA) licence and Ethics approval. In the wider medical field, Professor Thomas established the Chernobyl Tissue Bank in 1998 in response to the scientific interest in studying the molecular biology of thyroid cancer post-Chernobyl. She was the Scientific Director of the Wales Cancer Bank and Clinical Director of the West London Genome Medicine Centres and part of the 100,000 genomes project. Professor Thomas was awarded an OBE for her services to Science and Public Health in 2019.
Dr Victoria Williamson
Dr Victoria Williamson is the President of the UK Psychological Trauma Society (UKPTS) and is a researcher at King's College London. Her research focuses on the psychological impact of trauma exposure in high-risk groups, including frontline staff, military veterans, and survivors of human trafficking. Her recent work has been highly influential in furthering the understanding and treatment of moral injury and she currently leads the first UK treatment trial for moral injury-related mental health difficulties with Combat Stress.
THE LSS 2024 ABSTRACT PRIZE
Last year, to celebrate the centenary of the first chair of the Department of Surgery, the LSS team decided to dedicate our yearly abstract competition after our first female Professor of Surgery, Professor Averil Mansfield.
We are delighted to announce that this year, Professor Mansfield will be back to present the award for the best poster and oral presentation at the meeting!
We welcome abstracts from undergraduates, postgraduates, clinicians in training and and associate healthcare professionals on any topic, clinical or basic science, relating to surgery. We will consider original research, audits, systematic reviews case reports and pilot projects.
Authors of the highest scoring abstracts will be invited to give a 7 minute oral presentation in the abstract prize session after lunch. A further number of abstracts will be selected for presentations as posters.
The deadline for submission was March 15th at 1800h.
Read the 2024 abstracts below!
THE 73rd SIMPSON SMITH
TRAVELLING FELLOWSHIP
The aim of the annual Alex Simpson Smith Travelling Fellowship is to assist senior surgical trainees or newly appointed consultants to undertake an educational visit to a centre outside of the UK for the purposes of gaining further experience or training in their speciality. Preference will be given to applicants who can demonstrate that their visit will make a significant contribution to their surgical training or will allow them to acquire new skills.
Description of the award
Financial support is for travel and accommodation expenses (not including subsistence) for a fellowship that usually lasts between one and four weeks (funding is not usually awarded for whole year fellowships). The amount awarded depends on the needs of the individual application and past awards have ranged from £600 - £2,500. The Fellowships are not intended to facilitate attendance at scientific meetings or symposia.
Commitments
Following successful completion of the fellowship, awardees will be expected to submit a written report of their experience to the Simpson Smith Trustees for upload onto the Simpson-Smith website and give a brief 5- minute presentation at the next London Surgical Symposium.
Previous Alex Simpson Smith Travelling Fellowship destinations include
2022 Stanford USA; Texas USA; Mayo Clinic USA; Toronto, Canada; Taiwan; China
2021 Tokyo, Japan; Amsterdam UMC, The Netherlands
2019 Massachusetts, USA; McGill University Hospital, USA; Pittsburgh USA; Pune, India
2018 Melbourne Australia; Verona, Italy; Alabama, USA; Sydney, Australia
Eligibility
To be eligible, applicants need to fulfil the following criteria:
1. Be a surgical trainee (ST3+ or above) or consultant surgeon within 5 years of appointment
2. Currently training or working in the West London area or have a link to the West London Hospitals. 3. Can clearly define the benefit that will be gained from this experience
Applications
Those wishing to apply should send the following by email to katy.hogben@nhs.net by clicking the link below. Include the following documents
1. A cover letter with an outline of their proposed visit, stating the centre they wish to visit and explaining how this will enhance their training
2. An estimate of their proposed travelling costs and expenses
3. A CV
4. A letter of approval from the host centre
5. A letter of approval from their current educational supervisor
Deadline
Applications for the 2024 award can be submitted until March 24th at 1800
Contact
Queries about eligibility / limits of the fellowship can be made by email to katy.hogben@nhs.net
Named Lectures
ALEX SIMPSON-SMITH Lecture
Alex Simpson-Smith, born in Honley near Huddersfield in 1900, faced adversity early on when burns to his right hand at age three led to multiple surgeries, leaving him with a significant deformity. Despite this, he excelled in education, attending Worksop College and eventually pursuing medicine at Guy's Hospital, completing his studies in 1922. His dedication to rugby, representing Guy's Hospital and Surrey, showcased his resilience despite the hand deformity.
Qualified in 1925 with MRCS (Eng) LRCP (Lon) and MBChB (Cantab), Simpson-Smith faced challenges in gaining an honorary staff position at Guy's Hospital, leading him to leave in 1930. Venturing to the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, he undertook research on experimental peptic ulceration. In 1934, he became Honorary Surgeon at The Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street, and Assistant Surgeon to the West London Hospital.
Simpson-Smith's commitment extended beyond peacetime, as he volunteered for service in the Royal Army Medical Corps during the Munich crisis. Rising to the rank of major at the outbreak of World War II, he served in North Africa, notably leading the 13 General Hospital in Tobruk.
Tragically, during the evacuation in July 1942, Simpson-Smith disappeared while transporting crucial research records. His widow, Marguerite, established the Alex Simpson-Smith Memorial Fund, supporting annual lectures and fellowships for young surgeons. His legacy endures, inspiring advancements in surgical knowledge and education.
THE HUGH DUDLEY LECTURE
Professor Hugh Dudley was a brilliant and demanding figure, setting high standards in surgery, research, and conduct. Renowned for his wide-ranging original research and peer-reviewed writings, he wrote on a wide range of topics in surgery randing from cancer and pancreatitis to the metabolic response to surgery.
During his tenure as Foundation Professor at Monash University in Australia, he not only established academic benchmarks but also served as the President of the Australian Surgical Research Society. His heroism was evident in his voluntary surgical fieldwork in Vietnam. Later, at St Mary's Hospital Medical School (1973-1988), Professor Dudley's leadership propelled the institution to eminence in academic circles, solidifying his legacy in the realms of education and medical research.
THE AVERIL MANSFIELD LECTURE
Dame Averil Olive Bradley, professionally known as Averil Mansfield, is a retired English vascular surgeon and the first British woman appointed a professor of surgery in 1993. Born in 1937 in Blackpool, Mansfield's early life was marked by her mother's health challenges, influencing her future medical specialization. Inspired at the age of eight by a book on surgical advancements, she pursued her dream, graduating from the University of Liverpool School of Medicine in 1960.
Beginning her career at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Mansfield later became a consultant vascular surgeon and lecturer at the University of Liverpool. Relocating to London in 1980, she joined Hillingdon Hospital and was appointed as a consultant vascular surgeon at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington in 1982. Beyond her clinical role, she served as an honorary senior lecturer and founded the RCS's Women in Surgical Training committee in 1991.
In 1993, Mansfield achieved a historic milestone as the first female professor of surgery in the United Kingdom. Recognized with a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1999, she retired in 2002, subsequently becoming a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians. Notably, she founded Women in Surgery, encouraging gender diversity in the field. In 2018, she received an NHS Heroes Award. In the 2023 Birthday Honours, Mansfield was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for her significant contributions to surgery and equality.
FIND US
This year the symposium is going to be held in the Sir Alexander Flemming Building in the main Imperial College campus which is within 10 minutes walk of South Kensington and Gloucester Road London Underground stations.
VENUE
G16 Lecture Theatre,
Sir Alexander Fleming Building,
Imperial College London
South Kensington Campus,
London, SW7 2AZ
MAPS
TEam LSS
None of this would be possible without the hard work of lots of people behind the scenes. This year’s meeting has been possible due to the hard work of the following people
Professor George Hanna - Honorary LSS Chair
Dr Emma Carrington - LSS Chair
Ms Dorcas Ishaya - Event lead
Ms Yasmin Grant - Scientific lead
Ms Anjua Mitra - Finance lead
Ms Cansu Ates - Design lead
Mr Ravi Naik - Tech lead
Mr Edward Fletcher - Organisation lead
Mr Benjamin Coleman - Communications lead
We’re always looking for new members to join us so if you’re keen to help us organise LSS2025 then drop us a line using the contact us page below!
