UCL surgeon and researcher honoured with lifetime achievement award

Presented to Professor Taylor at the BASO annual conference in November, the Ronald Raven Lifetime Achievement Award recognises the role of individual surgeons in the advancement of cancer care and acknowledges their outstanding contributions to the field of surgical oncology. The award is named after distinguished surgeon Ronald Raven OBE who founded the British Association of Surgical Oncology (BASO) in 1971 and spent most of his career working at the Royal Marsden Hospital.

Professor Taylor began working at UCL as professor and head of department of surgery in 1993 and subsequently held the role of Vice Dean at UCL between 2008 and 2015. He continues as an undergraduate clinical teacher. During his career, he has held several other prestigious positions, including President of BASO, President of the European Society of Surgical Oncology, President of the Society of Academic and Research Surgeons, and Chair of the Senior Fellows Society of the Royal College of Surgeons.

A prolific contributor to the field, Professor Taylor has published over 600 papers and is the author or editor of 34 books. His primary surgical oncology focus has been on colorectal cancer and liver metastases.

In his acceptance speech at November's conference, Professor Taylor said he was incredibly proud to be the recipient of this award, particularly from BASO which he described as his very favourite society. He went on to highlight the importance of surgical professionalism and its maintenance within surgical oncology.

The 2024 BASO annual conference was held at The Law Society in London and followed the theme of surgical excellence in cancer care. The conference is intended to be a platform for trainees, consultants, healthcare professionals, nurses and medical students who wish to advance their surgical careers.

BASO has over 500 members from the UK and around the world, holding over 60 national meetings. The Association changed its name to BASO - The Association for Cancer Surgery in 2003.

Speaking after the event, Professor Taylor said: "I am delighted to accept this recognition from BASO. Throughout my career, my aim has always been to push the boundaries of surgical oncology, not only to improve outcomes for patients but also to inspire and equip the next generation of surgeons. This award is a testament not to my individual journey but to the relentless dedication of the surgical oncology community which continues to make enormous strides in the improvement of cancer care."

Further information

• Professor Irving Taylor's academic profile
• UCL Surgery & Interventional Science
• BASO - The Association for Cancer Surgery