Professor Rowland Illing

Specialist Consultant in Kidney Cancer and Tumour Ablation

At the leading edge of cancer treatment, Dr Rowland Illing DM MRCS FRCR is a Member of both the Royal College of Surgeons and an Interventional Oncology Radiologist, which means that he can combine surgical expertise with the latest technological advances in tumour ablation. The combination of medical knowledge and skills means that Prof Illing has great insight into a broad range of appropriate treatment options for any one patient.

Director & Chief Medical Officer, Amazon

Rowland has recently moved to Amazon where he is now Director & Chief Medical Officer, International Public Sector Health for Amazon Web Services. As head of global digital strategy he has responsibility for clinical governance and overseeing the real world impact of AI, as well as direct involvement in technology aggregation.

He worked previously in London at the Interventional Oncology Service at University College Hospital. Dr Illing was previously a Consultant Interventional Radiologist and also Director of the Interventional Oncology Service at University College Hospital. In a teaching capacity he is also an Honorary Lecturer in the Division of Surgery and Interventional Science in University College London (UCL).

Rowland graduated from Cambridge University and studied postgraduate medicine in Oxford before training in Surgery at the Imperial College Hospitals and gaining membership of the Royal College of Surgeons in 2001. He undertook a higher research degree in Oxford University into image-guided cancer therapy, using high-intensity focused ultrasound to destroy liver and kidney tumours. After a further year of research into image-guided prostate therapy with Professor Mark Emberton in UCL he went on to formally train in imaging, becoming a fellow of the Royal College of Radiologists in 2009.

Rowland's passion for image-guided therapy for cancer led him to develop the Interventional Oncology Service at University College Hospital, where he treats a variety of solid tumour deposits using microwave, radiofrequency, laser and cryoablation.

Rowland maintains an active research interest in the evaluation of new, minimally invasive technology and has established the Foundation for Interventional Oncology Research, part of University College Hospital Charitable Trust.

Outside of work Rowland enjoys music and playing in a band, snowboarding and spending time with his family.