Ajay Kakkar, Baron Kakkar

Ajay Kakkar was born in 1964 in Dartford, to professor of vascular surgery Vijay Kakkar and his wife, a consultant anaesthetist.[1]

He was educated at Alleyn's School before gaining admission to King's College London, where he gained at first a bachelor's degree in pharmacology in 1985 and then a medical degree in 1988. Subsequently, he was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree by Imperial College London: his doctoral thesis was submitted in 1998 and was titled "Tissue factor, thrombin generation and cancer".[2]

Son of Professor of vascular surgery Vijay Kakkar, pioneer in the use of low-molecular weight heparin therapy,[3] he followed in his footsteps as a surgeon and medical researcher.

Kakkar is Chair of King's Health Partners, the Academic Health Science Centre,[4] Director of the Thrombosis Research Institute,[5] London, and lectures and publishes widely on his specialism. He has worked with the NHS on its strategy to prevent venous thromboembolism (VTE).

He is a Commissioner of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, former chair of the Board of Governors at Alleyn's School,[6] Dulwich, and a Trustee of the Dulwich Estate.

Kakkar was created a life peer on 22 March 2010 as Baron Kakkar, of Loxbeare in the County of Devon,[7] and introduced in the House of Lords the same day.[8] He sits on the crossbenches.

He was Chairman of the House of Lords Appointments Commission from 2013 to 2018.[9][10][11]

Kakkar has been noted for his work promoting British business as an ambassador for the United Kingdom. He has taken 11 trips in 2014 to promote business relations.[12]

He was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to healthcare and for public service.[13]