Prof Keyoumars Ashkan MBE
Consultant Neurosurgeon
- Year Qualified
- 1993
- Qualifications
- Dip Mus, BA, BSc, MB BCh, MD, DSc, MRCP, FRCS, FRCPS, FRCPath, FRCPCH, FRCP, FRCS (SN)
- Specialty
- Neurosurgery
Special Interests
- Brain tumours
- Parkinson’s disease and tremors
- Craniotomy
- Deep brain stimulation
- Neuromodulation for complex pain and headaches
Biography
Professor Ashkan MBE is a leading neurosurgeon at King’s College Hospital and one of the few neurosurgeons in the UK to be awarded a full Professorship and a Doctor of Science Degree.
Professor Ashkan underwent dual postgraduate training in medicine and surgery, obtaining the MRCP in 1997 and the FRCS in 1998. Thereafter, he underwent higher specialist training in neurosurgery in London, being awarded the FRCS in Neurosurgery in 2002. His subspecialist training in stereotactic and functional neurosurgery included a Fellowship in France, which led to a MD degree. He was appointed as a Consultant Neurosurgeon at King’s in January 2007 and was subsequently promoted to the position of Professor.
Professor Ashkan’s main interests are brain tumour and neuromodulation surgery. These include deep brain stimulation, spinal cord stimulation and occipital nerve stimulation for movement disorders, pain and headaches; and image guided minimally invasive and stereotactic surgery for brain tumours including awake craniotomies and brain mapping. He is also one of the few UK surgeons trained in Gamma knife, Cyberknife and visualase.
He is the chair of King’s Research Delivery Unit 1, Elected Council Member of the Society of British Neurological Surgeons, the UK Lead for Genomics England programme for brain tumours, Past President of the British Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, and Past Chairman of the Neurosurgery Section of the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
Professor Ashkan has published over 850 peer reviewed papers, abstracts and book chapters and is an Editor or reviewer for several journals.
He was awarded an MBE for services to neurosurgery in the 2025 New Year Honours list.
In his spare time he completed a degree in music and enjoys playing the piano.
Research
Find out more about Professor Ashkan’s research.