Personal Statement
Rajarshi (Rishi) is a MRC / GSK Surgeon Scientist alongside an Honorary Consultant General & Major Trauma Surgeon with the NHS University Hospitals Liverpool Group. His current research bridges academia with industry and is aimed at transforming the treatment of critical illness through the development of next-generation therapies for pancreatitis induced acute lung injury through the utilisation of cutting-edge AI driven drug discovery approaches. He has a strong track record in research that spans the translational spectrum, with strengths in discovery science related to acute pancreatitis pathophysiology and mitochondrial injury, novel in vitro and in vivo experimental assay development and clinical translational research, including novel biomarker studies and clinical trials.

Rishi is the only surgeon in the Pancreatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland's history to be twice awarded the Lord Rodney Smith Medal for his translational research (2007 & 2009) and had also been awarded European Pancreatic Club, American Pancreatic Association, International Association of Pancreatology and International Union of Physiological Sciences Young Investigator Awards alongside the Royal Society of Medicine Basic Science in Surgery (MIA) prize and most recently the Hunterian Professorship, 2024, of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

Research Overview
Pancreatitis, often caused by gallstones or excessive alcohol consumption, is a common and serious disease with a rising incidence worldwide. Approximately one in five pancreatitis cases are severe, requiring extended ICU care, often months in hospital and potentially leading to chronic conditions or death. Unfortunately, there are limited treatment options and no effective drugs for pancreatitis, necessitating a deeper understanding, better predictive measures and novel innovative treatments, especially for severe cases.

My previous research has shown that mitochondria play a pivotal role in exacerbating pancreatitis. Investigating how mitochondria contribute to the severity of acute pancreatitis in different settings could unlock valuable diagnostic tools and treatments for not only this disease but a range of other potentially devastating acute inflammatory conditions such as sepsis or polytrauma.