Dr Paul Ch’en, MD

Dr Paul Ch’en is a GP Partner at the Observatory Medical Practice, Oxford, College Doctor for Keble and Somerville Colleges and a Common Room Member of Green Templeton College, University of Oxford. Paul is also a co-founder and director of the Oxford Longevity Project (CIC), which aims to benefit the public by offering smarter ways to live longer, healthier lives and empowering them to adopt these approaches. He has a particular interest in cancer care, lifestyle medicine and wellbeing.

He read Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry as an undergraduate at Balliol College, University of Oxford, and did a D.Phil. (Ph.D.) in Cancer Immunology at the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Oxford, working on cancer vaccines. Following two years of post-doctoral research in Prof Gavin Screaton’s lab (Head of the Medical Science Division, University of Oxford) both in Oxford and Imperial College, he went on to do graduate-entry medicine at the University of Southampton before undertaking his junior doctor training in Oxford and Buckinghamshire.

With his background in cancer immunology as a former research scientist, an understanding of chronic illnesses gained through his work as a general practitioner, and unique cultural and educational experiences, he has a broad knowledge base that enables him to practice holistic medicine. He works very closely with Dr Wafaa Abdel-Hadi and aligns with her philosophy that the body has its ability to heal and recover (they even had a podcast series together called, ‘Perflow’) – one of their great missions is to change how cancer care is provided.

Paul is passionate about driving changes in healthcare, emphasising prevention, the importance of self-care, and fostering a partnership between the doctor and the individual.