Dr Varun Mehra

Professional statement

Dr Varun Mehra is a leading consultant haematologist based in London who specialises in myelodysplastic syndrome, acute leukaemia, bone marrow failure syndromes, autologous transplantation for autoimmune conditions such as multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, systemic sclerosis, and has expertise in Allogeneic stem cell transplantation, immunotherapy and post transplant complications.

Dr Mehra completed his post-graduate specialist Haematology training at world-renowned King's College Hospital, London, where he has been working for the past few years as a core member of a busy Stem Cell Transplant & Cellular therapy unit, while pursuing his MD (res) degree with King's College London University in developing novel diagnostic biomarkers for invasive fungal disease (aspergillosis) in immunocompromised Haemato-oncology patients.

Dr Mehra has been instrumental in leading a large single centre NCRN badged prospective study on Invasive fungal disease and has a good track record for his involvement in clinical trials, more recently as Chief and Principal Investigator of various clinical research studies in the UK. He has developed key academic partnerships in mycology research and education within Kings Health Partners (KHP). He has published regularly on his disease specific research interests in high impact clinical and scientific journals.

Dr Mehra's main research interests are in infections of immunocompromised hosts, graft versus host disease, and transplantation of autoimmune diseases; and has helped develop exciting research collaborations within and outside Kings Health Partners with bench to bed translation opportunities. He also has strong interest in education and training. He chaired London School of Pathology Specialist Trainee Committee and represented London Pathology Trainees in the Royal College Specialist Advisory group between 2014-2016. He currently sits on the KHP Institute of Haematology Education & Training steering group, playing an active role in developing post-graduation modules for training in clinical haematology and other disease specific Preceptorship programmes.

He is also the current Educational lead for Haematology Specialist training programme in Kings College Hospital, jointly working with Training Programme Director.

Dr Mehra is also fully trained in the assessment of patients for, and delivery of CAR-T therapy, a highly specialised new therapy that has recently been licensed for certain patients with relapsed high grade B cell lymphomas and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Dr Mehra is a member of London International Patient Services (LIPS)