Rate My Professor Jonathan Valabhji

Professor Jonathan Valabhji, OBE, MD, FRCP, is Clinical Chair in Medicine at Imperial College London in the Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, serving as Honorary Consultant Diabetologist at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. He qualified in medicine from St Bartholomew’s Hospital Medical College, University of London, in 1990, followed by specialist training in diabetes, endocrinology, and general medicine in North-West London. In 1997, he joined Imperial College as a British Heart Foundation Junior Research Fellow to undertake his MD, later serving as Clinical Lecturer. From 2002, he was Consultant Physician and Diabetologist at St Mary’s Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. He held the position of National Clinical Director for Diabetes and Obesity at NHS England from 2013 to 2023. Currently, he leads the Population Health Analytics and Implementation Group and serves as National Clinical Lead for Multiple Long-Term Conditions.

His research specializations include population health analytics and implementation science in diabetes, obesity, and multiple long-term conditions, leveraging real-world data from electronic patient records. Early career research focused on cardiovascular disease in diabetes, including HDL cholesterol particle isolation. He established a multidisciplinary diabetic foot service at St Mary’s Hospital, achieving some of the lowest published international rates of diabetes-related major leg amputations. Professor Valabhji led the national implementation of the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme from 2014, referring over 1.6 million individuals with non-diabetic hyperglycaemia and demonstrating reduced type 2 diabetes incidence at population and participant levels. He also spearheaded the NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme, with 25,000 referrals and published 30% remission rates at 12 months (Valabhji et al., The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, 2024). Key publications further cover MLTC burden in diabetes (Gregg et al., Nature Medicine, 2024) and COVID-19-related mortality risks in diabetes (Williamson et al., The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, 2020; 1239 citations; Dennis et al., The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, 2021; 1147 citations). His work has influenced policy, clinical practice, and outcomes, contributing to decreased complications and improved lifespans for people living with diabetes.