Associate Professor Deena Harji

Deena is an Associate Professor of Surgery and NIHR Advanced Fellow at the University of Leeds and a Consultant Colorectal Surgeon at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.  Deena completed a Post-CCT fellowship in Advanced Pelvic Oncology and Robotics in Bordeaux. Her clinical interests centre around locally advanced and recurrent rectal cancer and robotic colorectal surgery. She is passionate about improving patient outcomes through new technology, advanced reconstructive techniques and evidence guided interventions.  Her research interests focus on clinical trials, patient-reported outcomes and survivorship. She holds several research grants in advanced pelvic oncology and robotic surgery, and has attracted funding from multiple sources, including NiHR HTA and RfPB, Bowel Research UK and the Pelican Foundation. She is the CI for the phase III, emergency colorectal surgery trial, LaCES2, the CO-CI of the multidisciplinary cancer portfolio, IMPACT and is the CI for the EORTC funded PelvEx PROM. She is involved in several initiatives in robotic surgery and digital technology, including the Royal College of Surgeons of England Robotic and Digital Surgery Initiative (RADAR) and the NIHR Advanced Surgical Technology Incubator.