Dr Shivan Sivakumar is a medical oncologist specialising in pancreatic, liver and biliary tract cancers. He practices privately at The Harborne Hospital (part of HCA Healthcare UK) in Birmingham, and holds roles as associate professor in oncology at the University of Birmingham and honorary consultant in medical oncology within the NHS.

He completed his medical training at Barts and the London School of Medicine, followed by foundation training in Leeds. He earned a PhD in Biochemistry as a clinical research fellow at St John’s College, Cambridge, then finished his general medical training in Wales and Leeds. After this, he joined the University of Oxford as a clinical lecturer and clinical career development fellow, where he conducted translational research and completed his oncology training.

In August 2023, he was appointed at the University of Birmingham to develop an academic translational programme within the HPB oncology unit, one of the largest in Europe.


Dr Sivakumar has a national reputation for his work in pancreatic, biliary tract and liver cancers. He has led clinical trials as UK chief investigator, establishing the first trials in Europe at his Birmingham unit. He has received national recognition, including the NCRI Future of Research award and the Royal College of Physicians Linacre Lecture, and has secured numerous grants. He regularly publishes in top-tier journals.

His areas of expertise include chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy and clinical trials for conditions such as pancreatic cancer, liver cancer, bile duct cancer (cholangiocarcinoma), gallbladder cancer and cancer genomics .

Dr Sivakumar is committed to improving patient outcomes through early diagnosis, translational research and personalised treatment plans. He actively runs a broad trials programme to advance novel therapies and refine treatment pathways for his patients.