Laurence Lovat: Profile

Professor Laurence Lovat is a highly experienced Gastroenterologist in London who treats conditions affecting the gut and upper gastrointestinal tract, specialising in gastroesophageal reflux disease, Barrett’s oesophagus and upper gastrointestinal cancer.

Training and experience

Professor Laurence Lovat undertook his medical training at University College London School of Medicine from where he graduated in 1987.

He then received an MRC Research Training Award for his 1st Class Honours degree in Nutrition. An MRC Research Training Fellowship led to his PhD at the Royal Postgraduate Medical School at the Hammersmith Hospital, which is part of Imperial College these days. In 1999 he became a senior lecturer at University College London and a consultant at University College Hospital in 1999.

He was the lead clinician for Upper Gastrointestinal Cancer at UCLH from 2001-8, and has previously chaired the North London Cancer Network Upper Gastrointestinal Tumour Board. He is a specialist advisor to NICE.

The London Gastroenterology Centre

The London Gastroenterology Centre is a team of gastroenterologists and surgeons who specialise in diagnosing and treating gut disorders in world class private hospitals and clinics in central London and Harley Street.

Treatments

Specialist tests available at The London Gastroenterology Centre

Diagnostic tests and procedures include:

  • Endoscopy
  • Colonoscopy
  • Oesophageal manometry
  • 24-hour ambulatory pH and impedance studies
  • BRAVO 48-hour ambulatory pH studies
  • Breath tests for lactose intolerance
  • Breath tests for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth
  • Smart pill to detect pan-intestinal motility disorders
  • Faecal calprotectin – a non-invasive way to detect inflammatory bowel disease

Clinical interests

  • Gastroenterology
  • Biophotonics

Research interests

Dr Lovat is active in research into the prevention of oesophageal cancer, with particular interests in targeted photodynamic therapy and novel optical biopsy techniques. He is chief investigator for the UK National HALO Patient Registry. His research interests include:

  • Gastroesophageal reflux disease
  • Barrett’s oesophagus
  • Oesophageal cancer
  • Novel endoscopic therapies including laser therapy, photodynamic therapy and HALO radiofrequency ablation

Research papers:

  • Genetic Complexity of Crohn’s Disease in Two Large Ashkenazi Jewish Families
    Levine, AP; Pontikos, N; Schiff, ER; Jostins, L; Speed, D; NIDDK Inflammatory Bowel Disease Genetics Consortium, .; Lovat, LB; (2016)
  • Upregulation of mucin glycoprotein MUC1 in the progression to esophageal adenocarcinoma and therapeutic potential with a targeted photoactive antibody-drug conjugate
    Mohammed Adil Butt, Hayley Pye, Rehan J. Haidry, Dahmane Oukrif, Saif-U-Rehman Khan, Ignazio Puccio, Michael Gandy, Halla W. Reinert, Ellie Bloom, Mohammed Rashid, Gokhan Yahioglu, Mahendra P. Deonarain, Rifat Hamoudi, Manuel Rodriguez-Justo, Marco R. Novelli, Laurence B. Lovat
  • Monitoring the premalignant potential of Barrett's oesophagus'
    David Graham, Gideon Lipman, Vinay Seghal, Laurence B Lovat.
  • Cost–effectiveness analysis of endoscopic eradication therapy for treatment of high-grade dysplasia in Barrett’s esophagus
    Alex Filby, Matthew Taylor, Gideon Lipman, Laurence Lovat & Rehan Haidry

He has also been featured in a popular internet article regarding the dangers of eating too many cheetos!