
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