Professor Sashi Kommu

Professor Sashi S. Kommu is a Consultant Pelvic Cancer Urological Surgeon and Honorary Professor of Urology & Cancer Biology at the School of Biosciences, University of Kent and The East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust. His subspecialty interest is in minimally invasive urological cancer management including robotic urological surgery (Prostate Cancer).

He is Urology Lead Cancer Clinician and MDT Lead for the East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust and the Prostate Cancer Lead for the Kent and Medway Cancer Alliance Network. He leads the National Institute for Health & Care Research (NIHR) for all 14 major surgical specialties in Kent, Surrey, and Sussex.

Professor Kommu completed his Higher Surgical Training as a Specialist Registrar/Urology Resident in the London Deanery. He underwent training in prostate and bladder cancer surgery at Guy's Hospital (Robotic Prostatectomy) and Post CCT Fellowship in East Sussex Healthcare (Robotic Prostatectomy & Cystectomy).

His primary clinical interests are minimally invasive urological cancer management, surgical robotics, and intelligent probes. He conducted official research with The Translational Cancer Genetics Team at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and The Institute of Cancer Research, where he strengthened his scientific methods in advanced laboratory work with a focus on cancer genetics and proteomics.

As trainee, he has been recognised by the Endourological Society for work dedicated to laparoscopic & robotic skill acquisition and delivery including setting up of Travelling Educational Scholarships.

He was part of the team that pioneered single site urological laparoscopic surgery in the U.K. and published the first series in 2009.

He was awarded 3* Point Clinical Excellence Awards after his first year of appointment as a Consultant in the NHS (National Awards given to Consultants who contribute most to the delivery of safe and high-quality care and the improvement of NHS services).

He has more than 100 peer-reviewed papers in prestigious scientific and medical journals such as The Lancet. In addition, he has over 300 Scientific Presentations, including various book chapters and books. Professor Kommu has numerous academic awards including The Olympus Award at The 25th World Congress of Endourology in Cleveland U.S.A. 2006. He developed a cost effective Telerounding Kit for Remote Teleconsultations, which was presented at The House of Commons (Hosted by The British Parliament) in 2006. His ability to blend medical science with engineering and technology has earned him two NASA collaborative scientific commendations. Among several novel concepts described by Professor Kommu, include ‘suppressor screening in urological cancer screening' and ‘the supplementary biomarker approach' for detecting cancers.

His Innovative approach to clinical practice coupled with philanthropic work led him to be elected to The New European Surgical Academy in March 2023.

ORCID ID:0000-0003-4257-2157

Areas of Clinical Expertise:

Main Areas of Expertise: Endourology and the diagnosis and management of benign and malignant prostatic diseases, robot assisted radical prostatectomy, robotic assisted radical cystectomy and ileal conduit.
Main Areas of Research: Focused on Biosciences Laboratory Work, Simulation Laboratory Work, Surgical Outcomes, Artificial Intelligence and Health Technology Innovation. All themes are centred on early detection of cancers and improving patient outcomes.
Bioscience Laboratory Based Research
The investigation and development of new tools to help in the surgical management of urological cancers including the use of intelligent probes.
The improvement of Health Care Delivery including Enhanced Recovery after Robotic Cystectomy and Ilea Conduit/Neobladder.
Laboratory interest is focused on the development and testing of new and existing methods for predicting the aggressiveness of prostate and bladder cancer.
The identification of new serum and urine based tests and the basic science investigation of new biomarkers for the detection and prediction progression of urological malignancies.
The early detection of urological malignancies through genomics, tissue microarray and proteomics.
Theranostics in urological malignancies.
Real-Time Multiple Microsensor Tissue Recognition and Mass Spectroscopy in the detection of solid cancers.
   
Simulation Laboratory Based Research – Surgical Skills Acquisition & Delivery 1. MEDUSA Study - Medical Education in Diseases of Urology a Signatured Approach. (Prostate cancer). MEDUSA-P 2. STANDRED-P Study – STANdardisation of Digital Rectal Examination Description for Prostate
Surgical Outcomes Based Research 1. SenASim Study - Sensory Acquaintance Simulation during Postoperative Period 2. ASOCAP - Alliance for Studies on Outcomes in CArcinoma Prostate after Robotic Surgery 3. NACEPA Trial - NAtional (Cystectomy Enhanced Preparation, Event and Recovery) CEPER PAthway Trial 4. SPARTACUS Prostate Pathway - Streamlined Pathway for Rapid Testing And Curative Urological Surgery 5. POSEIDON Study - Psychosocial Optimisation in Surgical patients through Edified Intelligence Delivery, Orientation and Nurturing 6. SUROP (Suspension of Urethra in RObotic Prostatectomy) Trial - A Randomised Controlled Trial of Impact of Urethral Suspension on Continence 7. SAGARP Trial - Randomized Control Trial of Spinal And General Anaesthetic in Robotic Prostatectomy
  
Health Technology Innovation 1. CoBoSo Study – Continuous Bowel Sound Monitoring following major bowel surgery 2. EWAROC Study - Early WArning scoring system post RObotic Cystectomy 
3. ENSUDI Trial - ENdoscopic SUbmucosal DIssection for low grade Bladder Cancer An ex-vivo laboratory based study 

Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare Mucosal Composite of Bladder Cancer Study [MUCOMB Cancer Study] Group: Biosciences/ (Uro-oncology) / Forensics Academic Supervisory Team: Mr Sashi Kommu Co-supervisor: Dr Stuart Gibson (School of Physical Sciences) Laboratory supervisor: Stuart Gibson
Primary Outcome Measures To determine the overall sensitivity and specificity of detecting bladder cancer or suspicious mucosal lesions. 

Secondary Outcome Measures To compare the overall utility of the proposed platform with conventional diagnostic tools.
MUSTANG - B Study – MUcosal Study of Terrain using Artificial intelligence and Neural network Gating – Bladder Cancer Academic Supervisory Team: Mr Sashi Kommu 
Co-supervisor: Dr Stuart Gibson (School of Physical Sciences) 
Laboratory supervisor: Stuart Gibson 

AIDMR Study - Standardised Scoring System using AI Decision Tree Algorithms for mpMRI Prostate Reporting Academic Supervisory Team: Mr Sashi Kommu
Co-supervisor: Dr Stuart Gibson (School of Physical Sciences)
Laboratory supervisor: Stuart Gibson

Organises educational visits to the Urology Unit at Kent and Canterbury hospital during enhancement weeks for MSc-T and BSc Biomedicine students. Visits include talks from surgeons, pathologists, oncologists and specialist nurses and the students observe cancer surgeries via live-link to the operating theatres. 

Undergraduate Teaching: Enhancement weeks for MSc-T and BSc Biomedicine students PaCES Programme
Postgraduate Teaching: BI857 - Cancer Research in Focus
Biology of Cancer Series - Urology Grand Rounds Virtual Teaching 
Biology of Urological Cancers - Urology Grand Rounds Virtual Teaching   

PhD Artificial Intelligence 

• MUCOMB Cancer Study Mucosal Composite of Bladder Cancer Study

MS Uro-oncology 1

• NACEPA Trial - NAtional CEPER PAthway Trial 

MS Uro-oncology 2 

• POSEIDON Study - Psychosocial Optimisation in Surgical patients through Edified Intelligence Delivery, Orientation and Nurturing
  

MD

•  CoBoSo Study – Continuous Bowel Sound Monitoring following major bowel surgery 
• EWAROC Study - Early WArning scoring system post RObotic Cystectomy  
  

1. British Association of Urological Surgeons. Section of Oncology. 
2. British Association of Urological Surgeons. BAUS Section of Endourology. 
3. The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.  
4. The Royal College of Surgeons of England. 
5. The British Medical Association. 
6. The Endourological Society. 
7. Society of Robotic Surgery (Invited 2010). 
8. SCIYO – Scientific Advisory Board.
9. European Association of Urology 
10. National Institute for Health Research.