Dr Essapen was appointed as Consultant Clinical Oncologist at St Luke’s Cancer Centre (Royal Surrey County NHS Foundation Trust) in February 2003, and specialises in gastrointestinal and gynaecological cancers. She undertook her formal Oncology training in a number of large Cancer Centres – Barts and The London NHS Trust, The Royal Marsden Hospital and the Royal Surrey County Hospital. Prior to her Consultant appointment, she undertook a two-year MD research programme that investigated whether specific proteins in colon cancer could predict prognosis. Dr Essapen is based at The Royal Surrey County NHS Foundation Trust, but also works at St Peter’s Hospital and Frimley Park NHS Foundation Trust. She continues to play a pivotal role in improving patient care, and has previously held the post of Lead Clinician for Radiotherapy at St Luke’s Cancer Centre. She is currently Chairperson of the weekly Network Gynae-Oncology multi-disciplinary meeting, and is also a member of the Medical Advisory Committee at Mount Alvernia BMI Hospital. She was also recently invited to do some important work for the GMC. Dr Essapen is trained in the delivery of Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT) for anal and endometrial cancers, and Papillon therapy for rectal cancers. She plays a significant role in clinical research at St Luke’s Cancer Centre (SLCC) and is the Principal Investigator on numerous national and international colorectal, anal and gynaecological cancer trials. She is also involved in collaborative laboratory-based research investigating the prognostic role of cancer cell surface receptors, and provides regular clinical supervision to PhD researchers, and has published widely in her area of expertise. Dr Essapen is a Trustee for two SLCC-based charities - BRIGHT (a gastrointestinal cancer charity) and GRACE (Gynae-oncology Research and Clinical Excellence). She is fully committed to supporting research and improving outcomes for her patients.