Professor Owen Epstein

Professional statement

Professor Owen Epstein is a renowned and pioneering professor of gastroenterology, based at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, London. He has a special interest in the innovation of healthcare and the technologies used to ease the patient journey. These include whole bowel wireless capsule (pill) endoscopy and hydrogen or 13C breath testing variously for lactose intolerance, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, Helicobacter pylori, stomach pump function and colon cancer screening using minimally invasive colon capsule endoscopy. He also has considerable experience in the physiological assessment of the vagus nerve and stress and, in particular, its relationship to abnormal gut feelings. Professor Epstein has had a hugely successful career and is regarded as one of the leaders in minimally-invasive techniques and a gentler patient journey.

Professor Epstein is widely published with more than 100 reviewed publications to his name. He is the senior author of the best-selling textbook Clinical Examination and the originator of the 'The Map  of Medicine', which is a key online resource used by healthcare professionals. He founded the Royal Free Screen Based Simulation Centre, where medical and surgical gastroenterologists use virtual reality to acquire mastery of endoscopy and laparoscopic surgery prior to engaging in live procedures. More recently, Professor Epstein has introduced new and minimally-invasive assessment tools and founded a new 'Institute for Minimally Invasive Gastroenterology (IMIGe)' at the Royal Free. He is director of the IMIGe Academy for Capsule Endoscopy which teaches aspiring capsule practitioners. Professor Epstein is award-winning and, over the years, has received research grants amounting to more than £1 million. He has contributed hugely to new medical technologies that change the patient's journey, and continues to do so.

Professor Epstein works out of the Royal Free PPU where he currently runs one of the UK’s leading PP colon capsule units. Professor Epstein is currently the lead clinician on the advisory panel of the new NHS England Colon capsule endoscopy colon cancer screening pilot (50000 patients)

He has also developed the capsule endoscopy curriculum(small and large intestine)  for teaching novice NHS England gastroenterologists how to read and report capsule endoscopy. He has mentored over 400 UK gastroenterologist as well as aspiring capsule readers in Europe, Hong Kong, West Africa and the Amercias.s.Professor Epstein is a regular invited speaker to  major international conferences on capsule endoscopy.

Over the past few years, Professor Epstein and his team have developed a unique investigation unit to monitor vagus nerve function in patients with IBS, functional dyspepsia and other  "functional disorders". This is based on a wearable device that continuously measures heart rate variability over 3 days to establish whether or not the there is a "software" disorder underlying unexplained or gastroenterology drug unresponsive disorders. He has considerable experience of offering  non invasive vagus nerve stimulation to appropriate patients with abnormal vagus nerve function (using gammaCore).