Qualifications: BSc(Hons) (2004), MBBS(Lond) (2005), AICSM (2005), MRCS(Eng) (2009), MA (2009), PGCert (2012), MD(Res) (2015), FRCS(Gen Surg) (2016), CCT(UK) (2017), FEBS(Coloproctology) (2021), FACS (2022), FASCRS (2023)
GMC Number: 6129392
Clinical Areas of Interest: Advanced colorectal malignancy, Anal cancer, Benign tumours and polyps, Biomarkers, Bowel cancer, Colorectal resection, Diverticular disease, Early rectal cancer, Emergency general surgery, IBD and other colitides, Lower GI endoscopy, Minimally invasive procedures, Outcomes and quality of life, Research and audit and Service provision and quality of care
Regional Chapter: East Anglia
Biography
Dr Simillis is a Consultant Colorectal and General Surgeon at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and an Affiliated Assistant Professor at the University of Cambridge. Dr Simillis qualified in Medicine with MBBS from Imperial College London in 2005, where he also achieved a BSc in Surgery and Anaesthesia with First Class Honours. He completed his speciality training in General Surgery and Colorectal Surgery in the North West London surgical rotation and trained in leading university teaching hospitals. He undertook subspecialty training in advanced colorectal cancer at the world-renowned Royal Marsden Hospital and St Mark’s Hospital. In 2017, he was awarded Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) by the UK General Medical Council (GMC).
He has been appointed as a Consultant Colorectal and General Surgeon at Addenbrooke's Hospital, the teaching hospital of the University of Cambridge, which is one of the most prominent leading university hospitals in the UK and Europe. In 2024, he was privileged to become the Specialty Lead for Colorectal Surgery at the prestigious Cambridge Colorectal Unit, Addenbrooke’s Hospital. He specialises in abdominal and gastrointestinal surgery, oncological surgery, surgery for advanced and recurrent colorectal cancer, anal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease), diverticular disease, colostomy and ileostomy surgery, hernia surgery, pilonidal sinus surgery, and proctology (haemorrhoids, anal fistula, anal fissure). He is an accredited Endoscopist by the UK Joint Advisory Group (JAG), in both upper (gastroscopy) and lower (colonoscopy) gastrointestinal endoscopy. He is proficient in advanced minimally invasive surgery, including laparoscopic and robotic surgery. Following a pan-European competitive selection process, he was awarded the European Society of Coloproctology (ESCP) Robotic Surgery Fellowship, through which he gained further advanced specialised experience in robotic colorectal surgery.
After successfully completing the respective exams, he was awarded Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (General Surgery) and Fellowship of the European Board of Surgery (Coloproctology). He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS), Fellow of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (FASCRS), Fellow of the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland (ASGBI), and Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine. He is a Member of the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland (ACPGBI), Member of the European Society of Coloproctology (ESCP), Member of the European Society of Surgical Oncology (ESSO), and Member of the Association of Laparoscopic Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland (ALSGBI).
He has been awarded a Doctorate in Medicine from the University College London for his research into the optimal surgical management of colorectal cancer liver metastases. He has a strong interest and knowledge of evidence-based medical practice demonstrated by a Postgraduate Certificate in Evidence-Based Healthcare from University College London. He has completed a Master's Degree in Healthcare Ethics and Law, at Manchester University, School of Law, which has provided him with in-depth analysis and extensive understanding of every day moral and legal issues faced by a surgeon. He featured in national and international medical documentaries and interviews, including the BBC series «Surgeons: At The Edge Of Life».
He has an impressive academic record and has published extensively in the scientific literature with over 100 peer-reviewed international journal publications and book chapters, and with over 4000 citations. He has given numerous national and international presentations at scientific conferences, and he acts as a reviewer for several high-impact peer-reviewed journals. He has been the primary supervisor of undergraduate and postgraduate students, and he is recognised as trainer by the General Medical Council (GMC). Previously, he held the titles of Honorary Clinical Research Fellow, and later, Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer, at the Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London. At present, on the basis of his sizeable contributions to research, he has been granted the esteemed title of Affiliated Assistant Professor, at the Department of Surgery, University of Cambridge.