I graduated with honours from Zawia University, Libya, in 2015 and subsequently earned a master's degree with distinction from Barts and The London School of Medicine. My master's research focused on developing innovative teaching techniques to reduce the learning curve for intracorporeal suturing, which I validated through a randomised controlled trial. Following this, I commenced core surgical training in the Yorkshire and Humber deanery and am currently a higher specialty trainee in the Thames Valley deanery, with a clinical focus on oesophagogastric surgery.

Alongside my clinical and research pursuits, I am passionate about surgical education. I have held various leadership roles, including leading the Thames Valley Core Surgical Teaching Programme and serving on the Royal College of Surgeons' steering committee for the development of the Intercollegiate Basic Surgical Skills Course. These roles have provided me with the opportunity to design teaching curricula, organise simulation-based workshops, and support mentorship initiatives. Currently, my involvement in education is focused on my role as surgical tutor at St Peter's College.

MASTER-D2

My DPhil research focuses on developing and clinically validating a video-based assessment (VBA) tool for robotic gastrectomy to enhance quality assurance in gastric cancer surgery. Evidence consistently shows a significant association between a surgeon's technical proficiency and patient outcomes, yet no simple, standardised method exists to measure and compare surgeons' techniques during complex procedures like minimally invasive gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy.

The VBA tool aims to objectively measure surgical technical quality by breaking down the operation into key steps and creating a scoring system to evaluate performance. This standardisation helps identify areas where surgeons may need additional training and ensures that new technologies like robotic surgery are used effectively. Supported by the International Gastric Cancer Association and led from the UK, the project involves collaboration with multiple international centres and experts to enhance surgical standards globally.

By objectively assessing and refining the technical aspects of surgery, we aim to improve the quality and consistency of care for gastric cancer patients, enhancing outcomes, reducing complications, and supporting faster recoveries. The VBA tool will also improve surgical training programs and guide the safe, effective adoption of new technologies. This work is critical for conducting high-quality surgical and multimodal clinical trials, enabling more precise evaluations of innovative therapies.

RESPOND

In addition to my work on robotic gastrectomy, I am a Clinical Research Fellow with the RESPOND Trial, a five-year research programme funded by NIHR. The RESPOND Trial aims to reduce failure-to-rescue rates in emergency general surgery patients by implementing human factors interventions. These interventions focus on improving the speed and quality of response to patient deterioration, particularly in cases of emergency abdominal surgery. My role involves introducing and testing these interventions, as well as supervising various quality improvement projects, to enhance patient outcomes in emergency surgical care.

DPhil PROJECT TITLE

Measuring and Standardising Technique in Robotic D2 Gastrectomy (MASTER-D2): An International Multi-Centre Video-Based Assessment Correlating Surgical Performance and Quality with Textbook Outcome

SUPERVISORs

Professors Sheraz Markar, Peter McCulloch and Maria Bencivenga

Surgical Quality Assurance Division (SQUAD)