The Academic Surgical Unit

Biomedical Evidence-based Transdisciplinary Health Research

The Academic Surgical Unit is an established clinical research centre based at UCLan Westlakes Campus and North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust. This is an exciting collaboration between the university’s School of Medicine and its NHS partners.

Excellence in Surgical Research and Teaching

The Academic Surgical Unit not only brings clinical research excellence to West Cumbria, but expert teaching to the healthcare staff and students in the region.

The Unit will build research expertise and educational capacity to meet the future challenges faced by health and social care.

Current projects

Teaching

  • General Practitioner CPD programme
  • North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust FY1 / FY2 & Registrar Teaching
  • Surgical Skills Courses for Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Nurses
  • UCLan School of Medicine, MBBS teaching, including suture workshops

Academic Surgical Unit Prize

The ASU awards an annual Surgical Prize in November, giving the opportunity for surgical trainees, foundation doctors, dental and veterinary surgeons to share their academic work, publications, audits and other research activities.

All abstracts will be published in the “ASU Proceedings”, ASU Journal.

To submit an entry for the 2023 Surgical Prize, please email the abstracts for submission via email to Professor Ruben Canelo.

Please submit your entry before 17 October 2023.

Completed projects

Future projects

The ASU has a developing relationship with the Surgical Division, supporting under- and postgraduate doctors as well as nurses.

MSc Surgery

The MSc Surgery in a process of re-confirmation with view of start in 2022. The MSc Surgery is suitable for international as well as UK students, aiming to enhance their career as well as progression towards a MD or PhD degree.