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Dr Jack Helliwell

Dr Jack Helliwell

  • Position: NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow in General Surgery
  • Areas of expertise: colorectal cancer; anastomotic leak; microbiome
  • Email: J.A.Helliwell@leeds.ac.uk
  • Website: Twitter | ORCID

Profile

I am an NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow in General Surgery at the University of Leeds. 

My interest in research was sparked as a second-year medical student at the University of Leeds when I was awarded the EXSEL scholarship. This allowed me to gain considerable laboratory-based experience alongside my undergraduate studies, which was supplemented by further research training at Yale University, USA. 

Upon graduation in 2018, I completed the Academic Foundation Programme and was awarded an NIHR Academic Clinical Fellowship to explore novel approaches to the prevention of anastomotic leak after colorectal cancer surgery.

Research interests

I am interested in the role of the gut microbiome in the development of anastomotic leak. I am specifically interested in bacterial collagenase production and how this may be modulated to improve anastomotic healing. 

I work within the Academic Surgery Colorectal Research Group and collaborate closely with colleagues in molecular pathology and medical microbiology. 

Qualifications

  • MBChB
  • MRes
  • PG Cert (Advanced Health Research)
  • MRCS

Professional memberships

  • Member of the Royal College of Surgeons of England

Research groups and institutes

  • Academic Surgery Colorectal Research Group
  • Leeds Institute of Medical Research at St James's