Lord Ajay Kakkar is President of the Thrombosis Research Institute and Emeritus Professor of Surgery, University College London. He is Chairman of King’s Health Partners, the Office for Strategic Coordination of Health Research, the King’s Fund and UK Biobank.
He completed his medical degree at King’s College London and received his PhD from Imperial College London. He has been a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons since 1992.
His research interests include the prevention and treatment of venous and arterial thromboembolic disease and cancer-associated thrombosis. His work has made an important contribution to evaluating the potential role of antithrombotic therapy in the management of cancer patients, and he has been involved in the clinical development of direct oral anticoagulants.
Lord Kakkar was created a Life Peer in 2010 and sits on the cross benches of the House of Lords. He served as Chairman of the Judicial Appointments Commission from 2016 to 2022. He is a Knight of the British Empire and a member of His Majesty’s Most Honourable Privy Council. On St George’s Day 2024, he was appointed Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter (KG).