Ajay Kakkar, Baron Kakkar

Ajay Kumar Kakkar, Baron Kakkar, maintains a career spanning surgical medicine, academic research, and public life within the United Kingdom. Born in 1964 in Dartford, he pursued a path in clinical practice and healthcare governance, eventually becoming an emeritus professor of surgery at University College London and taking a seat in the House of Lords in 2010.

Medical Education and Training

Kakkar attended Alleyn's School in London before enrolling at King's College London. He completed a BSc in basic medical sciences with pharmacology in 1985, followed by an MBBS medical degree in 1988, graduating with a distinction in surgery. His postgraduate education continued at Imperial College London, where he earned a PhD in 1998 with a thesis focused on tissue factor, thrombin generation, and cancer. His professional qualifications include election as a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1992, a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh in 2011, and a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences.

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Clinical and Research Contributions

As a surgeon and researcher, Kakkar serves as the Director of the Thrombosis Research Institute in London. His academic career includes his role as an emeritus professor of surgery at University College London. His research and clinical work have focused on venous thromboembolism, working alongside the National Health Service to develop strategies for prevention. He also chairs King's Health Partners, an Academic Health Science Centre.

Parliamentary and Public Appointments

Created a life peer on 22 March 2010, he sits on the crossbenches in the House of Lords as Baron Kakkar, of Loxbeare in the County of Devon. Between 2013 and 2018, he served as Chairman of the House of Lords Appointments Commission. His administrative duties extended to the Judicial Appointments Commission, where he served as Chair from 2016 to 2022. Additionally, he became chairman of the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 in December 2022.

Institutional Governance and Recognition

Beyond medicine and politics, Kakkar has held various trusteeships and directorships. He served as the chair of the Board of Governors at Alleyn's School and acts as a trustee for the Dulwich Estate. He is a commissioner for the Royal Hospital Chelsea and a director of Howard de Walden Estates Limited. In the 2022 New Year Honours, he was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his contributions to healthcare and public service. In 2024, he received an appointment as a Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter.