Umar Sadat (Christ's College, 2008), currently a Clinical Lecturer in Vascular Surgery at Addenbrooke's Hospital, has been made Hunterian Professor 2019 by the Royal College of Surgeons of England.
This award has been made in recognition of Dr Sadat's research work spanning over a decade on non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging of atherosclerosis. Dr Sadat will deliver the Hunterian Lecture on "Morphological, biomechanical and functional assessment of atherosclerosis with magnetic resonance imaging" at the national vascular surgery conference later in the year. He will be awarded the Hunterian Medal on that occasion.
Dr Sadat's research focuses on the development of novel imaging platforms to enhance our understanding of the pathobiology of atherosclerosis and vascular surgery diseases in general. Development of such systematic imaging techniques in collaboration with physicists, bioengineers, radiologists and vascular specialists also potentially allows their utilisation in monitoring the effectiveness of traditional and novel pharmacological treatments for atherosclerosis, as well as efficacious durability of endovascular technologies used in vascular surgery.
The Hunterian Lecture is awarded in recognition of a significant contribution to surgical, anaesthetic, or dental science. The work of candidates is carefully considered by an expert committee set up by Council, and this committee may well call upon experts in particular fields to referee specialist applications. Since 1810, some of the most famous names in British surgery have given a Hunterian Lecture including Abernethy, Brodie, Treves, Spencer Wells, Bland Sutton, Trotter, James Paget, John Percival Pott, Moynihan, and Ara Darzi. Dating back to the time when the Hunterian Lecturer was appointed to give a course of lectures during a one-year period and was thus appointed the Hunterian Professor, Fellows or Members of the College awarded a lecture are styled 'Hunterian Professors' during their year of office. The wide range of subjects and their high quality are a fitting tribute to the 'generality of surgery' and maintain one of the proudest traditions of the College.