The Tabor Foundation funded and set up the British Cardiac Research Trust (previously known as Harrow Cardiovascular Research Trust) with a view to carrying out cardiovascular research under the direction of Professor Avijit Lahiri. Significant grants were given to Northwick Park Hospital, where Professor Lahiri was the Director of Cardiac Research . The fund helped to set-up the Cardiac Imaging and Research Department at the Wellington Hospital where research continues.

The Derrick Smith Foundation has funded significant medical research and other charities. Its significant contribution to the British Cardiac Research Trust has resulted in excellent research in heart disease and diabetes.

 

With a Father as an Anaesthatist, & Uncles who were a Surgeon & a General Practitioner respectively, Michael Shemilt was brought up in a medical family. On leaving school he completed the pre-clinical studies for Medicine at St. Thomas's Hospital Medical School before deciding he prefered a career in Business. He went into the City where he worked for the Financial Times & Schroders before becoming a Partner with stockbrokers Buckmaster & Moore (later acquired by Credit Suisse) where he worked as an Investment Analyst & an Institutional Salesman. In 1980 he left the City to run a family Art Business (Century Galleries) which encompassed retail art galleries, corporate art rental, framing & restoration & property development. He "semi-retired" in 2005, although is still involved with the business on a consultancy basis. He has been a Trustee of BCRT since he retired; his previous charitable involvement has been in helping to raise funds for the Hospice Movement & the charity Junior Diabetes.

 

Educated in Ireland and at Rugby School, Oxford University and The Harvard Business School. Worked as a journalist for The Times and subsequently on the management of the newspaper. Managing director and chief executive of The Observer. Deputy Chairman of Capital Radio and a non-executive chairman or director of a number of companies in the UK and the US including London Weekend Television and Trinity Mirror. Chairman of Toynbee Hall for twelve years and of the Royal Academy of Dance for thirteen years. Chairman of Asylum Aid and a trustee of a number of other charities.

 

Lord Bilimoria joined the BCRT in 2006. A qualified Chartered Accountant and Cambridge University Law graduate, Karan Bilimoria is the founder and Chief Executive of Cobra Beer. Cobra is one of the UK’s fastest growing beer brands, and little more than 15 years after its creation has a retail value turnover of £80m, exporting to over 40 countries. In 2006, and for the second year in a row, the company won more gold medals than any other beer brand in the world at the prestigious Monde Selection, Brussels. Among a large number of appointments, Karan is a Representative Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London and Chancellor of Thames Valley University – the UK’s youngest at the time of his appointment. He is one of the first two Visiting Entrepreneurs ever appointed at Cambridge University and sits on the Government’s National Employment Panel. Karan also serves as UK Chairman of the Indo British Partnership. He is the recipient of numerous awards for his contributions to business, enterprise, charity, education and the Indo-British relationship. Karan was named to the House of Lords by the independent Appointments Commission in May, 2006.

Professor Ram Dhillon qualified from Middlesex Hospital Medical School, now part of University College London Medical School, in 1978. After house jobs he commenced his basic surgical training with a view to specialising in ENT. He has worked at the Royal Marsden, Royal London and Middlesex Hospital as registrar and senior registrar, during this period he was awarded his FRCS (Eng). In 1987 he was appointed consultant ENT surgeon to Northwick Park Hospital, Harrow.Outside his clinical activity his major interest is in medical education and continuing professional development. He has developed, with Middlesex University, London, and its collaborative partner, Rila, numerous training courses particularly for GPs and Nurses for enhancing clinical skills so has to deliver high standards of care in the community, by working as "Practitioners with Special Interests". For this latter work he was awarded the title of "Honorary Professor, School of Medical and Social Sciences", by the university.