Vishal Patel

Vishal Patel is a Clinician Scientist and Principal Investigator at the Institute of Hepatology (Foundation for Liver Research), and an Honorary Clinical Lecturer in the School of Immunology & Microbial Sciences at King's College London. He is also a Consultant Hepatologist & Endoscopist at King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. His primary focus is on translational research in chronic liver disease, particularly the gut-liver axis, microbiome dysbiosis, and systemic inflammation in advanced cirrhosis and acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). He leads the Advanced Chronic Liver Disease (ACLD) research group and has pioneered studies on the role of the gut microbiome in driving infection risk and therapeutic interventions.

Education:

• Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS), GSTT Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (2003)
• Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Nutrition (First Class), King's College London (2000)
• PhD in Gut-Liver Axis in Liver Failure Syndromes, King's College London (2020)

Research Interests:

Dr. Patel's work centers on understanding the pathophysiological roles of the gut microbiome, intestinal barrier dysfunction, and metabolic profiling in ACLD. His group investigates mechanisms linking gut-derived inflammation to systemic complications and develops non-antimicrobial therapies. He has spearheaded clinical trials such as BOPPP (non-selective beta-blockers for variceal prophylaxis) and RIFSYS (Rifaximin in hepatic encephalopathy), and co-leads the Horizon 2020-funded MICROB-PREDICT study.

Scientific Awards & Grants:

• NIHR HTA £2.2M for BOPPP trial
• NIHR CRN Greenshoots Award
• Intensive Care Foundation Young Investigator Award

Labs & Collaborations:

He collaborates with King's Health Partners, European hepatology networks, and global initiatives like the Gut Microbiota for Health Expert Panel. His lab integrates omics approaches (metagenomics, lipidomics) to dissect disease mechanisms and identify biomarkers for ACLF prognosis.