Personal Profile
Professor Aftab Ala is a leading Consultant in Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
He is qualified in endoscopy, colonoscopy, managing general and complex gastroenterology and liver problems including gastrointestinal inflammation, liver disease, treatment of viral hepatitis and hepato-pancreatico-biliary (HPB) disease/cancer, genetic metabolic and rare liver diseases.
Professor Ala works with dedicated members of the regional multi-disciplinary team of surgeons, pathologists, radiologists and oncologists.
Training and Appointment
Having graduated from Charing Cross & Westminster Hospitals in 1992, he completed postgraduate clinical studies at King’s College Hospital and Royal Free Hospitals, London.
He underwent specialist Gastroenterology and Hepatology training including higher Hepatology training and focusing on liver transplant at King’s College, and Royal Free Hospital before undertaking an Advanced Liver Fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital 2003-4, New York, USA, which focused on world leading clinical experience in rare, genetic and autoimmune liver diseases, viral hepatitis and translational liver research.
His PhD award in Hepatology from University College London focussed on common immune and inflammatory mechanisms underlying gut and liver disease.
Professor Ala is the British Association for the Study of the Liver (BASL) Chair for the Special Interest Group (SIG) in Rare Liver Disease and Wilson’s Disease. He is South East Coast England National Institute for Health and Research (NIHR) Lead for liver disease, past member of the NICE Team in developing the 2013 Guidelines Hepatitis B management, NHS England Hepatitis C Advisory Group, Clinical Reference Group (CRG) representative for liver, bile duct and pancreatic disease.
He is Professor of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at University of Surrey and Institute of Liver Studies, Kings College Hospital.
He is also an examiner for the Royal College of Physicians, London.
Awards and Prizes
Professor Ala’s clinical and research experience was recognised by the award of the Royal College of Physicians Dame Sheila Sherlock Travelling Fellowship to Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, USA and multiple grants from NIHR, UKRI/MRC in recognition for his ongoing studies in liver disease, inequality of health, and gastroenterology.
He received the Wellcome Trust Research Training Fellowship, National Gilead Fellowship in recognition of his community outreach research and viral hepatitis in high-risk populations.
Current Practice
Professor Ala is a recognised international expert in the management of complex Gastroenterology and Hepatology problems including liver disease and transplant assessment, management of chronic liver disease and treatment of viral hepatitis, genetic metabolic liver e.g. Wilson’s disease haemochromatosis, alpha1-antitrypsin, porphyria, and gut disease. At Mount Alvernia Hospital, he offers a regional fibroscan service, which is not currently available in any other private hospital locally. He runs the regional liver research programme and leads on national and international clinical trials.
