Personal Profile
Personal Profile
Ayesha is a key opinion leader in her field. She has a focus on patient care, communication and satisfaction.
Ayesha Akbar joined the world renowned GI hospital St Mark's as a consultant in 2010. Her clinical interests cover general gastroenterology with a focus in inflammatory bowel disease and functional bowel disorders and she is passionate about clinical care. As well as a respected senior clinician at the Trust, she also holds several key leadership positions including Associate Medical Director and Deputy Responsible Officer, Divisional Clinical Director for Integrated Clinical Services and Research & Development Director.
As well as being an expert in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, she has an interest in abdominal pain and irritable bowel syndrome, especially in the overlap cases with inflammatory bowel disease. She sits on the executive of the British Society of Gastroenterology as appointed national chair of the Education committee. Ayesha is actively involved in education, teaching and research. She was elected as a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in 2015.
Ayesha studied medicine at the University of Manchester and was awarded an Honours degree. She has an outstanding academic record graduating top of her class and gaining several distinctions and honours along with prestigious prizes. She undertook her specialist training in general medicine and gastroenterology in London, and has gained valuable experience from leading institutions including Hammersmith Hospital, Royal London Hospital, University College Hospital London and St James’s University Hospital in Leeds.
Her research work at Imperial College London gained her a PhD entitled “Molecular mechanisms of visceral hypersensitivity in the colon.” She has published her research in peer reviewed journals and presented her work at national and international meetings. She is frequently invited to lecture to a wide variety of health care professionals which she thoroughly enjoys, and to contribute to advisory boards as a key opinion leader. She has been a clinical advisor on a NICE panel, and involved in local IBD guidelines.
Ayesha was elected chair of the education committee of the British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) in the summer of 2018. She has been invited on to the media panel of the BSG and frequently acts as their spokesperson for national media including the BBC. She also takes an active part in management, and has been elected chair of the local negotiating committee of the trust since 2014.
One of her key drivers is patient care. She is highly committed to delivering this and has excellent feedback from my 360 degree feedback questionnaires both from colleagues and patients; a feedback quote reads “ Ayesha is inspiring and is an exceptional leader in a very challenging and often competitive and pressured environment. She sets an excellent example of hard work and commitment to her patients and always gives 100% excellence whilst remaining grounded and calm even in crisis situations. She is creative and innovative and empowering and very supportive of her staff and fosters a positive attitude wherever she
is. She manages her responsibilities and challenges with energy and enthusiasm and it is a privilege to work with her.”
