Professor Thozhukat Sathyapalan

MBBS, MD, FRCP, FACP, SFHEA

Head of the Clinical Sciences Centre, Chair in Academic Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism / Honorary Consultant Physician

Role at Hull York Medical School

Thozhukat Sathyapalan (Sathya) serves as the Head of the Clinical Sciences Centre and the academic lead for research in diabetes, endocrinology, and metabolism.

He is also an Honorary Consultant Endocrinologist and Clinical Lead at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, UK. Additionally, Sathya holds the role of Group Director for Research and Innovation at NHS Humber Health Partnership.

Sathya earned his undergraduate medical degree (MBBS) from Trivandrum Medical College, University of Kerala, India, in 1996, followed by an MD in General Medicine from JIPMER, India, in 2000. He completed his postgraduate clinical training in Diabetes and Endocrinology through roles at Grampian University Hospitals and Yorkshire Deanery from 2001 to 2009.

Biography

Between 2006 and 2008, Sathya served as a Clinical Research Fellow at the University of Hull, where he also obtained an MD in Diabetes and Endocrinology in 2009. He began his academic career as a Senior Lecturer at Hull York Medical School in 2009, progressed to Reader in Academic Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism in 2012, and was appointed Chair in Academic Endocrinology and Metabolism in 2016.

Educational and Career Milestones

  • MBBS: Trivandrum Medical College, University of Kerala, India (1990–1996)
  • MD (General Medicine): JIPMER, India (1997–2000)
  • Postgraduate Clinical Training: Grampian University Hospitals and Yorkshire Deanery (2001–2009)
  • Clinical Research Fellow: University of Hull (2006–2008)
  • Senior Lecturer: Hull York Medical School (2009–2012)
  • Reader: Academic Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism (2013–2016)
  • Chair: Academic Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism (2016–Present)
Research

Sathya’s primary research focus is on the modulation of cardiovascular risk through pharmacological and lifestyle interventions in insulin-resistant conditions such as obesity, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and type 2 diabetes mellitus. His interests extend to exploring both traditional and novel risk factors, with a particular emphasis on the role of endocrine disruptors.

Teaching

Postgraduate (clinical)

  • Organise and lead the Continuing Medical Education programme for endocrine trainees and Consultants in Diabetes and Endocrinology for Health Education Yorkshire and the Humber. RCP-accredited. Delivered by national and international speakers.
  • Educational and Clinical Supervisor for Foundation year trainees, Core Medical trainees and Specialty Trainees in Endocrinology and diabetes

Undergraduate

  • Delivering plenary lectures for Hull York Medical School students
  • Phase II Student Selected Components (SSCs) on ‘patient pathway through research’
  • Thyroid teaching clinics and diabetes teaching clinics for Hull York Medical School Year 4 students
  • Multi-disciplinary clinical teaching for Year 3 students: type 1 and type 2 diabetes, dedicated sessions with diabetes specialist nurses, podiatrists, and dieticians
  • OSLER and OSCE examiner for Hull York Medical School Year 4 and 5 medical students
Publications

View a complete list of Thohukat's publications on ORCHID or Google Scholar.

Postgraduate research supervision

Current students

  • Kevin Christian (PhD) - Adherence with lifestyle interventions in diabetes
  • Elizabeth Pond (PhD) - Simulation-based learning in obstetric curriculum
  • Moosa Shaikh (MD) - Cardiovascular outcomes in diabetes
  • Alistair Lashley (PhD) - Lifestyle interventions in sarcopenia
  • Savannah Sygrove (PhD) - Exercise and dietary interventions in PCOS
  • Svetlana Karpova (PhD) - Lifestyle medicine in PCOS
  • Alexandra Macnamara (MD) - Evaluation of pharmacology teaching for undergraduate medical students

Completed students

  • Mohammed Abdalla (PhD) – Effect of pharmacological interventions in women with PCOS (2022)
  • Alexandra Butler (PhD) - Life, Death and Regeneration for the Beta Cell (2020)
  • James England (MD) - Parameters for parathyroid surgery in hyperparathyroidism (2019)
  • Youssra HZ Dakroury (MSc) - Vitamin D effects in Qatari population (MSc 2019-2020), Weill Cornell at Qatar (2019)
  • Zeeshan Javed (PhD) - The effect of vitamin D in women with PCOS (2018)
    Diabetes and Endocrinology research fund
  • Ahmed Al-Qaissi (MD) - The studies on the physiology of insulin action in patients with diabetes mellitus. (2018)
  • Alasdair O Doherty (PhD) - Effect of exercise of post-prandial hyperlipidaemia. (2016)
  • Keith Cunningham (MD) -The impact of insulin resistance and polycystic ovary syndrome on IVF outcomes. (2016)
  • Ehtesham Ehtesham (PhD) - Effects of dietary polyphenols on vascular endothelium and cardiovascular health. (2016)
  • Constantine Simintiras (PhD) - The in vitro modelling of the oviduct: Investigating the role of maternal metabolic and endocrine parameters on early embryonic stem cell development (2014)
  • Anish George (MD) - Effect of dysglycaemia on cardiovascular outcome following acute coronary syndrome. (2015)
  • Hassan Kahal (PhD) - The effect of liraglutide on platelet function and atherothrombotic risk in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (2015)
  • Judit Konya (MD) - Effect of polyphenols in cardiovascular risk factors. (2015)
  • Simon Adams (MD) - Identification of factors predictive of outcome following bariatric surgery (2013)
External roles

Administrative roles

  • Lead the Academic Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism Group at HYMS (2014 – to date)
  • Lead the Diabetes, Metabolic and Endocrinology Research Delivery Network for Yorkshire and Humber (2014 – to date)
  • Chair of Hull York Medical School Ethics Committee (2016 – 2024)

National Committees

  • Association of British Clinical Diabetologists (ABCD) National Committee: 2013 – to date
  • National UK lead for Freestyle Libre audit: 2018 – to date
  • British Society for Endocrinology, National Clinical Committee: 2014 – 2018; 2020 – to date
  • UKI NETS Clinical Practice Committee: 2015 – to date
  • Member of European Neuroendocrine Tumour Society 2017 – to date
  • Steering Committee for the UK Acromegaly Register: 2016 – 2020
  • Member and key stakeholder in the Acne Priority Setting Partnership, James Lind Alliance.
  • Chairman of Pit Pat, Hull (local branch of Pituitary Foundation, patient support group, UK)

Membership of professional bodies

  • American College of Physicians
  • British Endocrine Society
  • American Endocrine Society
  • Royal College of Physicians (Edinburgh)
  • Royal College of Physicians (London
  • Association of British Clinical Diabetologists
  • European Neuroendocrine Tumour Society
  • Senior Fellow of Higher Education Academy

Editorial board

  • Scientific Reports (Nature Publishing Group)
  • Clinical Endocrinology
  • British Journal of Diabetes (Associate Editor)
  • Frontiers in Diabetes (Associate Editor)
  • Therapeutic Advances in Endocrinology and Metabolism

External examiner roles

  • PhD/MD external examiner for Imperial College, London; University of Warwick; University of Leeds, University of Cardiff; JIPMER, India, University of Derby, Nottingham Trent University, Univesity of Leceister, Macquarie University (Sidney, Australia), Cardiff University.
  • Royal Colleges of Physicians PACES examiner: (2012 – to date)
  • External examiner for Diploma and MSc courses in Diabetes and Endocrinology, University of South Wales, UK (2013-16)
  • External examiner for Diabetes MSc, PGDip, PGCert – University of Leicester – distant learning module (2017 – 2024)
  • External examiner for Diabetes MSc, PGDip, PGCert – University of Leicester – campus module (2019 – 2024)
  • External examiner for Diabetes MSc, PGDip, PGCert – University of Swansea – campus module (2024 – to date)