Professor Karim Brohi

As a surgeon, Karim provides care for patients with vascular diseases and traumatic injury. As a scientist, Karim conducts research in the field of Trauma while supervising a range of researchers who are investigating different aspects of traumatic disease. 

In medical practice, trauma specialists use the available evidence to determine and deliver the best patient care. There are many instances where best practice has not been established because medical professionals currently don't fully understand the disease. Karim's aim is to improve the care of trauma patients by increasing our understanding of the disease processes.

Karim studied Medicine at University College Hospital London. At university, Karim also obtained an intercalated BSc in Computer Science and spent a 12-week elective in Trinidad and Tobago. Soon Karim realised that the management of trauma patients in the UK was extremely poor, which fuelled an ambition to improve the standards. Following this, Karim set up the trauma. org resources, which provides education, expert discussion and online support for trauma surgeons worldwide. Having been developed further, AfterTrauma.org has been developed to provide resources and support to patients and their families following a traumatic injury. 

Karim completed several years of training and became qualified in both Anaesthetics and Surgery. Viewed as unusual in many cases, Karim has an extremely useful set of skills for trauma patient management. Karim has worked for the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) in London and spent two years working at a Trauma Hospital in San Francisco. Following this, Karim obtained a Consultant post at The Royal London Hospital and returned to the UK to set up a trauma research department.

Trauma Sciences joined the Centre for Neuroscience in 2008. The centre is housed within the Blizard Institute at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry. The aim is to improve our understanding of trauma through laboratory experiments and then use those findings to improve patient outcomes by developing new treatment strategies. There collaborations with trauma units within Europe and the USA have been established, along with clinical trials for products designed for use in trauma. Conducting research in emergency surgical conditions is challenging but is essential if we are to make improvements for patients. In the UK, lack of trauma experience and poor organisation of trauma services means that patients are still dying from treatable injuries.

Karim's hope is the future includes specialist trauma centres which provide specialised trauma care from the moment of injury to the end of rehabilitation. Trauma research is an essential component of this process. Karim travels frequently to deliver lectures and teaching. In 2011, he set up an MSc in Trauma Science.

When he is not at work, he enjoys watching movies and enjoying good restaurants. Surgery is a very challenging career but it can also be very rewarding and Karim would encourage anyone who wants to pursue a career in surgery to do so. Trauma has finally been recognised as an important component of surgery in the UK so the future for this specialty is very exciting.

Contact

email: k.brohi@qmul.ac.uk