More about
lap research
LAP Research's mission is to fight for a better quality of life.
Deaths from liver disease have doubled in recent years. Only 1% survive pancreatic cancer beyond 10 year while pancreatitis is increasing nearly 3% per year.
Our story
LAP RESEARCH WAS FOUNDED IN 2009 BY TWO SURGEONS WHO SPECIALISE IN THE AREA OF MEDICINE KNOWN AS HPB.
They recognised the need for a charity dedicated to research into the wide range of conditions and illnesses that affect all of these organs, rather than focus on one particular organ or disease.Deaths from liver disease have doubled in recent years.
Only 1% survive pancreatic cancer beyond 10 year while pancreatitis is increasing nearly 3% per year. The liver, pancreas, gallbladder and biliary tree play vital roles in balancing the complex chemistry in the body and maintaining overall good health. Their importance has been much underestimated. Illnesses that affect them range from the simple and benign, to the life changing and fatal.
Other higher profile organs and diseases have received investment in research which has produced significant advances in prevention, diagnosis and treatments of related illnesses. The liver, pancreas and biliary tree have not had similar focus.Pancreatic cancer will be the fourth deadliest form of cancer in Britain by 2026.
Survival rates have not changed meaningfully for 40 years. Deaths from liver disease have doubled in recent years. There is currently no known cure for pancreatitis.
LAP mission is to fight for a better quality of life.
To fund the highest quality research into diseases of the liver, pancreas and biliary tree whilst educating healthcare professionals and others affected about outcomes.
Pancreatic cancer will be the fourth deadliest form of cancer in Britain by 2026.Pancreatic cancer will be the fourth deadliest form of cancer in Britain by 2026. Survival rates have not changed meaningfully for 40 years. Deaths from liver disease have doubled in recent years.
There is currently no known cure for pancreatitis.
How we operate as a charity
The need for research funding is clear: liver cancer and pancreatic cancer claim thousands of lives in the UK (and globally) each year; pancreatitis is a poorly understood condition that affects all age groups and remains a killer of young and old alike and cancers of the biliary tree have some of the lowest survival rates of any type of cancer.
At LAP Research, we strongly believe that our donors should feel confident that as much as possible of the money they give goes directly into research. To that end, LAP Research keeps its overheads to an absolute minimum:
It does not have a dedicated head office. It does not have any employees.
None of the Trustees or Directors is paid for their services.
To streamline our processes, we use leading edge, free, not-for-profit cloud-based technology.
To minimise the costs of our events, we seek out personal and corporate sponsorship.
Whenever costs are incurred, we approach supporters that are happy to fund those specific outgoings. This maximises our efficiency and keeps our unspecified donations channelled into research projects.
When we need to buy a professional resource or service, we use only those suppliers who demonstrably minimise their costs, thereby keeping as much money as possibly for funding research.
In line with our strategy, we’ve spent more to lay the groundwork for a renewed funding drive, but our vigilance on costs remains at the core of everything we do.
Our team, the people helping create new hope
We are very proud of our fantastic founders of LAP Research.
Since its formation, LAP Research has been entirely run by its trustees, with help along the way from colleagues, friends and professional supporters.
We’ve kept our running costs to the absolute minimum so we can pass on as much of the money donated directly to research.
Mr Giles Bond-Smith MBBS BSc FRCS
Mr Giles Bond-Smith studied medicine at university college London medical school. He then went on to carry out his surgical training throughout London whilst being based at St Bartholomew’s and the royal London hospitals.
Mr bond-smith completed the surgical training programme in general surgery with specialist interests in HPB surgery and emergency/trauma surgery. Mr bond-smith has taken a substantive consultant surgeon post at oxford university hospitals NHS foundation trust.
Since arriving in Oxford Mr Bond-Smith still maintains his interest in HPB surgery and is now the clinical lead for emergency surgery in oxford. One aspect of the role of clinical lead for emergency surgery is promoting change and research to better improve outcomes in patient care. This is something that Mr Bond-Smith has taken to heart and has positively improved the experience for HPB and emergency surgery patients under his units care.
Mr bond-smith is the regional surgical advisor for the royal college of surgeons of Edinburgh, regional surgical advisor for the association of surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland and secretary of the national forum of acute surgeons.
Dr Daniel Allen MBBS BSc
Dr Daniel Allen Born and raised in Thurrock in Essex, Dan graduated from University College London medical school in 1999 with degrees in medicine and physiology.
Since then, he has worked as a psychiatrist in the NHS and private sector, in general adult and forensic psychiatry.
He is currently employed as an associate specialist with the East London NHS foundation trust.He was one of the original founder members of lap research.He lives in East London with his wife and daughter.
Dr William Alazawi
Dr William Alazawi is a consultant hepatologist and reader in liver medicine. He qualified from Cambridge University and trained at Addenbrooke’s, Hammersmith, Royal London and King’s College hospitals. He looks after patients with a broad range of liver diseases, with particular focus on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Will runs a thriving research group which studies the mechanisms and potential treatments for liver disease. He has published widely with papers in the British Medical Journal, Nature medicine and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and is a reviewer and editor for leading medical journals.
He has won numerous prizes including the physician scientist award of the European association for the study of the liver, young investigator award from the association of physicians and a new investigator research grant from the medical research council.
