Dr Neil Shah
Consultant Paediatric Gastroenterologist
Great Ormond Street Hospital
Dr Neil Shah qualified in 1990 from the Royal Free Hospital. At qualification he was awarded a London university medal for Medicine and Paediatrics.
Great Ormond Street Hospital is one of the world’s leading children’s hospitals. Dr Shah has been a Paediatric Gastroenterologist at Great Ormond Street since 2001. Dr Shah has developed a passion for gastrointestinal allergy studies as he faces food allergy problems every day both at home as well as work. Dr Shah was appointed to the St. Thomas paediatric allergy service in 2009 to work with their food allergy team in cases where children have ‘mixed’ allergy. In 2008, he was a runner up for a doctor of the year award.
Dr Shah is involved in the development of regional guidelines for practical identification and treatment of GI allergies in general paediatrics. He is leading a research team and publishing on the multidisciplinary presentations of food allergies, primary care symptoms recognition of food allergies, histological and endoscopic manifestations of allergies and new diagnostic tests for allergies.
Dr Nikhil Thapar
Consultant Paediatric Gastroenterologist
Great Ormond Street Hospital
Nikhil Thapar undertook his undergraduate medical training at Southampton University. He went on to complete his MRCPCH and postgraduate Paediatric training in the Wessex region and thereafter his subspecialist training in Paediatric Gastroenterology in London. He has a particular interest in neurogastroenterology and gut motility disorders and has completed a PhD at the National Institute for Medical Research, London studying the therapeutic potential of stem cells for gut motility disorders. Following completion of the PhD in 2004 (University of London), he was awarded a Clinician Scientist post at the UCL Institute of Child Health and in 2006 was also appointed as honorary consultant in Paediatric Gastroenterology at Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Together with Dr Keith Lindley, Dr Thapar runs a specialist clinical service for children with congenital and acquired gut motility disorders, which includes state-of-the-art diagnostics, in-patient and out-patient facilities. Inherent to the service is a research team studying the pathogenesis and treatment of gut motility disorders with particular focus on molecular mechanisms (including allergies), stem cells, and gut tissue engineering. Dr Thapar was on the council of the British Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition as research lead and is a member of the sub-specialty clinical studies group of the Medicines for Children Research Network. He currently chairs the BSPGHAN Gut Motility Disorders Working Group.