Pankaj Chandak

Dr. Pankaj Chandak  is a paediatric transplant and research fellow at the Institute of Child Health, Great Ormond Street, UCL and Evelina Children’s Hospital in London and Guy's/KCL School of Immunology and Microbial Sciences.


He is a Specialist Registrar in Transplant Surgery at Guy’s, St Thomas’, and Great Ormond Street Hospitals, as well as a Research Fellow at King’s College London. His primary research focuses on complex paediatric transplantation, the application of 3D printing in surgery, and machine perfusion technology for organ preservation.

Dr. Pankaj’s pioneering work includes integrating 3D printing into paediatric kidney transplant surgery, achieving a world-first by using 3D-printed models for complex transplant planning. He used a 3D model of an adult-sized kidney for a child’s transplant, which was later displayed at the Science Museum in London. Additionally, his work with machine perfusion technology aims to preserve and repair organs outside the body, enhancing transplant success rates.
 

He has been awarded numerous accolades for his innovations, including The Royal College of Surgeons Lister Essay Prize and Medal, The Royal Society of Medicine Norman Tanner Medal, and the British Science Festival Charles Darwin Award. He received the Hunterian Professorship from the Royal College of Surgeons in 2023.
 

Dr. Pankaj has made significant contributions to public engagement in science. He has delivered live demonstrations at the Royal Institution, the British Science Festival, and BBC platforms, focusing on innovations like 3D printing and organ perfusion. He also acted as a medical advisor and appeared in the Netflix series The Crown television series, replicating a 1951 lung surgery on King George VI.
 
He was Co- Chair of the International Paediatric Transplant Association Membership and Communications Committee and serves on Council for the RSM History of Medicine Section.
 

Dr. Pankaj established the first Children’s Transplant Choir, “Harmonies of Hope,” funded by BBC Children in Need In 2018, to support children who have received kidney transplants. He has been a speaker at prestigious events like The Royal Society and BBC World Service Forum and continues to lecture on 3D printing and organ transplantation.
 

Dr. Pankaj completed his medical education at Guy’s, King’s, and St Thomas’ Medical School, where he obtained both his MBBS and BSc (Hons). He later earned a PhD in Transplantation Sciences and Immunology. He holds several prestigious qualifications, including M.R.C.S.Eng, FRCS, and FLS. He is also a Fellow of The Royal Asiatic Society (FRAS) and The Linnean Society (FLS).

Dr. Pankaj Chandak was born in Akola, India, into a Marwari family and moved to the United Kingdom at a young age. His early education was marked by his attendance at the City of London School, where he received a Corporation of London Scholarship. Pankaj studied from 1993 to 1995, and his form tutor was Dr. Cook. 
 

His scientific interests are in machine perfusion of human organs for therapeutic manipulation, regeneration and repair, and surgical innovation, having completed his PhD under Prof. Antony Dorling and Prof. Nizam Mamode at KCL. 
 

He later went on to study at Guy's, King's, and St Thomas' Medical School, where he earned a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Cell Biology and Anatomy, followed by his MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) in 2001. As a student, he worked on the clinicopathological correlation in paediatric cerebral malaria under Dr. Richard Carr and Professor Terrie Taylor, presenting his work at the 48th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in Washington in 1999.

Dr. Pankaj went on to earn prestigious qualifications, including M.R.C.S.Eng, FRCS, and FLS (Fellow of the Linnean Society). He also earned a PhD in Transplantation Sciences and Immunology. His early research and academic excellence set the foundation for his groundbreaking work in transplantation surgery.
 

In 2017, Dr. Pankaj became a Specialist Registrar in Transplant Surgery at Guy's, St Thomas’, and Great Ormond Street Hospitals in London. He worked under the guidance of Professor Nizam Mamode and Professor Anthony Dorling at King's College London, where he also held a research fellowship. His research primarily focused on the therapeutic manipulation of organs using machine perfusion technology and the use of 3D printing for complex transplant surgery. Pankaj’s work led to the world’s first integration of 3D printing into paediatric kidney transplant surgery, a milestone that received widespread media coverage.
 

In 2015, Dr. Pankaj and his team used a 3D-printed model of an adult-sized kidney to plan a kidney transplant for a two-year-old girl. This marked the first use of 3D printing in paediatric transplantation, and the kidney model was later displayed in the Science Museum in London. Pankaj’s research on machine perfusion aims to improve organ preservation, enabling therapeutic interventions that protect and regenerate organs outside the body, enhancing transplant outcomes.
 

Dr. Pankaj has been heavily involved in public engagement, communicating scientific advancements to broader audiences. He has presented live demonstrations for the BBC, Channel 5, the British Science Festival, and London Open House, focusing on innovations such as 3D printing, minimally invasive surgery, and organ perfusion technology. He was invited as a key speaker at the BBC World Service Forum in 2017, where he discussed the history and future of transplant surgery, marking the 50th anniversary of Christiaan Barnard’s first heart transplant.

In addition to his work as a surgeon and researcher, Dr. Pankaj’s career took an unexpected turn when he became involved in the Netflix series The Crown. As a medical advisor and actor, Pankaj and his transplant team replicated the 1951 lung surgery performed on King George VI. This collaboration marked the first time that practicing surgeons were employed as actors to ensure the accuracy of the medical procedures portrayed in a television production. The surgical model of King George VI, used in the series, was later displayed in the Gordon Museum of Pathology to aid in surgical training.

In 2018, Dr. Pankaj founded the UK's first Children's Transplant Choir, "Harmonies of Hope," which was funded by BBC Children in Need. The choir is composed of children who have received kidney transplants, along with their siblings, and aims to raise awareness and provide support for transplant patients. Pankaj’s philanthropic efforts in the medical community have made a significant impact on both his patients and the general public.
 

Dr. Pankaj has received numerous prestigious awards throughout his career, including The Royal College of Surgeons of England Lister Essay Prize and Medal, The Royal Society of Medicine Norman Tanner Medal, and The British Science Festival Charles Darwin Award. He has also been awarded the Hunterian Professorship by the Royal College of Surgeons in 2023, further cementing his place as a leader in the field of transplant surgery.
 

His academic contributions include several publications in medical journals, such as Organ Donation, Surgical Anatomy of the Pelvis and Perineum, and Immunology of Organ Transplantation. Dr. Pankaj’s career continues to inspire future generations of medical professionals through his innovations in organ transplantation and his public outreach efforts.
 

Dr. Pankaj is deeply influenced by scientists like Joseph Lister and Michael Faraday, whose work shaped his approach to surgery and scientific inquiry. He also cites his father, Balkishan Chandak, a general practitioner, as a key influence on his career and commitment to medicine. Through his work in transplantation and public engagement, Pankaj continues to make significant strides in improving patient outcomes and advancing medical science.
 

As of 2025, Dr. Pankaj remains dedicated to his role as a Specialist Registrar in Transplant Surgery and a Research Fellow at King’s College London, focusing on improving transplant techniques and continuing his commitment to public education in the field of medicine.

Dr. Pankaj Chandak's vision is centred around improving the lives of patients through innovation in transplant surgery. He aims to push the boundaries of medical science by integrating cutting-edge technologies, such as 3D printing and machine perfusion, into organ transplantation. By focusing on complex paediatric transplantation, Pankaj seeks to develop solutions that improve organ preservation, reduce rejection rates, and ultimately increase the success of transplant surgeries.
 

He is also passionate about making scientific research and medical advancements accessible to the broader public. Through his public engagement efforts, such as his work with the BBC, his lectures, and the Children’s Transplant Choir, Pankaj hopes to inspire future generations of medical professionals and raise awareness about the importance of organ donation and transplantation.

Dr. Pankaj Chandak has received numerous awards and recognition for his contributions to transplant surgery, medical innovation, and public engagement in science. Notable honors include the prestigious Hunterian Professorship from the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 2023. He also received the Royal Society of Medicine’s Norman Tanner Medal for his research on “AI and machine learning for predicting AVF failure” in 2023, as well as for his work on “3D printing in complex transplants” in 2016.

In 2024, Dr. Pankaj delivered significant lectures, including the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh Christmas Lecture and the Hunterian Professorship Lecture at the Association of Surgeons of GB and Ireland. His work in public engagement has also led to lectures at The Royal Institution’s Friday Evening Discourse on the “Future of Organ Transplantation,” a prestigious series dating back to Michael Faraday’s time.
 

Other awards include the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO) Award for Innovation and Research, the Charles Darwin Award Lecture at the British Science Festival in 2017, and the Royal College of Surgeons of England Lister Prize and Medal in 2014. He has also been recognised with the Combined U.K. Royal Colleges Medal from the Royal Photographic Society in 2020.
 

Pankaj has been appointed as a Fellow of several prestigious societies, including The Royal Asiatic Society, The Linnean Society, and The Royal Photographic Society. He was awarded the International Paediatric Transplant Association’s Young Scholar Award in 2017.
 

He has also been a visiting lecturer at various international institutions, including the University of Lisbon, Gujarat University, and the University of Cluj Napoca, contributing to the global exchange of knowledge in the field of transplant surgery.