Professor Angus Watson

BSc, MB ChB, MD, OBE, FRCS(Ed)

Clinical Chair in Surgery

School/Department: School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition

Biography

Professor Watson is the Clinical Chair of Surgery at the University and Vice President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. He holds an adjunct Chair of Surgery at the University of Southern Denmark and an Honorary Chair of Surgery at the University of St Andrews. He directs the clinical research groups across the Medical School.

He is an honorary consultant general and colorectal surgeon at NHS Highland. Angus trained in Manchester-England, Scotland and New Zealand before being appointed a consultant surgeon at Manchester Royal Infirmary in 2005. He moved to Inverness in 2009.

He was awarded an OBE for services to surgery and surgical research in the King's New Year's Honours List in 2006.

Angus's main clinical interests are emergency and colorectal surgery. His research interests are diverse. He is a Chief Investigator of a wide range of national and international clinical trials. He innovations include the Scottish Surgical Boot Camp and he was the architect and clinical lead behind Scotland's colon capsule endoscopy programme (ScotCap). He has over 250 peer reviewed book chapters, publications and conference papers. Angus is a volunteer surgeon for UK-Med and has recently operated in Ukraine (2022/23) and Gaza (2024/25) delivering emergency surgical care in these areas of conflict.

Memberships and Affiliations

Internal Memberships: Director of the Clinical Research Groups in the Institute of Applied Health Sciences
External Memberships: Vice President, Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh

Volunteer Surgeon for UK-Med, the UK's Emergency Medical Team

Latest Publications

Correction to: Expert consensus on best content of a robotic surgical curriculum: a systematic review (Journal of Robotic Surgery, (2025), 19, 1, (721), 10.1007/s11701-025-02893-2)
2026 - Published
Kieslich, A. K., Jardine, R., Ibrahim, H., Calvert, A., Walker, K. G., Walker, K. A., Watson, A. J.
Journal of robotic surgery, vol. 20, no. 1, 261
Contributions to Journals: Comments and Debates
- [ONLINE] DOI:
- [ONLINE]
Associations between demographic, clinical and dietary factors and flares in inflammatory bowel disease: the PRognostic effect of Environmental factors in Crohn’s and Colitis (PREdiCCt) prospective cohort study
2026 - Published
Constantine-Cooke, N., Gros, B., Plevris, N., Williams, L. J., Jones, G., Kyle, J., Kennedy, N. A., Velasco-Pardo, V., Rudge, A., Alexander, D., Anderson, C. A., Brusco de Freitas, M., Derr, L. M., Derikx, L. A., Gilchrist, S., Henderson, P., Horgan, G. W., Irving, P., Lamb, C. A., Jostins-Dean, L., Lindsay, J. O., MacDonald, J., Mowat, C., Murray, C., Parkes, M., Siakavellas, S. I., Vallejos, C. A., Gaya, D. R., Rhodes, J. M., Johnstone, A. M., Weir, C. J., Lees, C. W., PREdiCCt study group, Ahmed, S. (ed.), Akhtar, M. (ed.), Alexakis, C. (ed.), Allen, P. (ed.), Arnott, I. D. (ed.), Banim, P. J. (ed.), Barbour, J. A. (ed.), Bredin, F. (ed.), Connor, E. (ed.), Cotronei, C. (ed.), Covil, K. (ed.), Creed, T. (ed.), Dhar, A. (ed.), Donovan, F. (ed.), Durai, D. (ed.), Smith, M. (ed.), Watson, A. (ed.)
Gut, vol. 75, no. 8, pp. 1491-1504
Contributions to Journals: Articles
- [ONLINE] DOI:
- [OPEN ACCESS]
- [ONLINE]
Utility of colon capsule endoscopy in colorectal cancer and post-polypectomy surveillance
2026 - Published
Ibrahim, H., Dequaire, J., Abdelwahed, A., Jardine, R., Watson, A.
European Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, vol. 38, no. 6, pp. 678-683
Contributions to Journals: Articles
- [ONLINE] DOI:
- [ONLINE]
Defining post–colon capsule endoscopy colorectal cancer (pCCECRC)-an International Capsule Endoscopy Research (iCARE) group consensus statement
2026 - Published
Ibrahim, H., Lei, I. I., Murchie, P., Koulaouzidis, A., Watson, A. J. M., iCARE consensus collaborative
Surgical Endoscopy, vol. 40, pp. 4548–4557
Contributions to Journals: Articles
- [ONLINE] DOI:
- [OPEN ACCESS]
Protein misfolding enteropathy predicts and prognosticates neurodegenerative disease years before symptom onset
2026 - E-pub ahead of print
Langerová, T., MacVicar, E., Press, R., Read, F. L., Piana, M., Murdoch, S., Innes, J., Wilson, J., Watson, A. J., Waldron, F. M., Ramsay, G., Gregory, J. M.
Gastroenterology
Contributions to Journals: Articles
- [ONLINE] DOI:
- [ONLINE]

View My Publications

Prizes and Awards

OBE King's New Year's Honours 2026

Publications

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Biography

Memberships and Affiliations

Latest Publications

Correction to: Expert consensus on best content of a robotic surgical curriculum: a systematic review (Journal of Robotic Surgery, (2025), 19, 1, (721), 10.1007/s11701-025-02893-2)

Associations between demographic, clinical and dietary factors and flares in inflammatory bowel disease: the PRognostic effect of Environmental factors in Crohn’s and Colitis (PREdiCCt) prospective cohort study

Utility of colon capsule endoscopy in colorectal cancer and post-polypectomy surveillance

Defining post–colon capsule endoscopy colorectal cancer (pCCECRC)-an International Capsule Endoscopy Research (iCARE) group consensus statement

Protein misfolding enteropathy predicts and prognosticates neurodegenerative disease years before symptom onset

Prizes and Awards

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for inflammatory bowel disease patients: Findings from an exploratory pilot randomised controlled trial

3D digital anatomy modelling: - Practical or pretty?

Screening mammography uptake within Australia and Scotland in rural and urban populations

Experiences of recruiting to a pilot trial of Cardiac Rehabilitation In patients with Bowel cancer (CRIB) with an embedded process evaluation: lessons learned to improve recruitment

Grossly delayed massive subcutaneous emphysema following laparoscopic left hemicolectomy: A case report

Modern management of splenic trauma

The use of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for improving quality of life for inflammatory bowel disease patients: Study protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial with embedded process evaluation

Complications of stomas: Their aetiology and management

Assessment of causal link between psychological factors and symptom exacerbation in inflammatory bowel disease: a protocol for systematic review of prospective cohort studies.

Postoperative Takotsubo's cardiomyopathy

The HubBLe trial: haemorrhoidal artery ligation (HAL) versus rubber band ligation (RBL) for haemorrhoids

Haemorrhoids: 21st-century management

Pulmonary staging in colorectal cancer: A review

Colorectal complications of end-stage renal failure and renal transplantation: A review

Metabolomics and IBD

A surgeon's guide to peri-operative death

Sacrococcygeal pilonidal disease

Rectal Dieulafoy Lesions

Mixed hyperplastic/adenomatous polyps - A collision

The effect of epidural analgesia on postoperative outcome after colorectal surgery

Different forms of helper tolerance to carcinoembryonic antigen: Ignorance and regulation

Endoscopically placed caecostomy buttons: A trial ACE procedure

Outcome from rubber band ligation of piles

Disclosure of information in English case law

Management of duodenal involvement in locally advanced colonic carcinoma

Presacral tumours in adults

Flat adenomas

The role of positron emission tomography in the management of recurrent colorectal cancer: A review

IUCD induced abdomino-pelvic actinomycosis presenting as acute large bowel obstruction

Diverticula of the appendix

Malignant progression of anal intra-epithelial neoplasia

Outcome from rubber band ligation of piles

Non-healing anal ulcers associated with nicorandil.

Co-existence of true colonic diverticula with angiodysplasia

Horner's syndrome after central venous catheterisation

Pathological audit of stapled haemorhoidopexy

Outcomes after placement of colorectal stents

Some pathological and clinical aspects of acquired (false) diverticula of the intestine

Medical image. Metastatic melanoma causing small bowel obstruction.

Metastatic melanoma causing small bowel obstruction

The end of the one-eyed surgeon?: Time for more randomised controlled trials of surgical procedures

How protective is the working time directive?: New Zealand is still dealing with the issues 20 years on…

Nicorandil associated anal ulceration

Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) demonstrating cholecystolithiasis and aberrant pancreatic duct anatomy

The incidence of abdominal injury in patients with thoracic and/or pelvic trauma.

Comparison of three different procedures for antireflux surgery

The incidence of abdominal injury in patients with thoracic and/or pelvic trauma

Colonic pouchography is not routinely required prior to stoma closure

Perforation of the terminal ileum: A possible complication of nicorandil therapy

The management of leaking rectal anastomoses by minimally invasive techniques: Invited Comment

Further cautionary tales from histopathology of stapled haemorrhoidopexy specimens

Nicorandil associated anal ulceration

The presentation and management of juvenile-onset chronic inflammatory bowel disease in Northeastern Scotland

Diagnosing minor anorectal conditions.

Symptomatic outcome following laparoscopic anterior partial fundoplication: follow-up of a series of 200 patients

Salvage of large bowel anastomotic leaks

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