Luis Jose De Souza

Luis Jose De Souza is an Indian surgical oncologist and the founder of Shanti Avedna Ashram, a charitable trust which runs a network of hospices in Mumbai and Goa. He has also contributed to the establishment of Indian Cancer Cell, an educational program co-sponsored by Tata Memorial Centre, Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) and Indian Cancer Society, for creating cancer awareness in schools.

Biography De Souza was born to Luis Jose and Juliet Mary on 11 December 1943 in Mumbai, in the western Indian state of Maharashtra and graduated in medicine (MBBS) from the Grant Medical College and Sir Jamshedjee Jeejeebhoy Group of Hospitals in 1967. His master's degree was also obtained from the same institution in 1970 after which he joined Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai and reached the position of the professor and head of the gastroenterology department. Later, he moved to P.D. Hinduja National Hospital and Medical Research Centre as their consultant oncosurgeon. He has also served as a consultant Oncologist to Air India and Indian Airlines. Representing Tata Memorial Centre, he associated with Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) and the Indian Cancer Society in 1993 and founded the Indian Cancer Cell, a national program for promoting cancer education in Indian schools.

Awards and honours De Souza is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, Royal College of Surgeons of England and the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and a life member of the Indian Medical Association, Association of Surgeons of India, Indian Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, Indian Society of Gastroenterology, Indian Society of Oncology and the Indian Association of Palliative Care. He is the vice president of the Ostomy Association of India since 1990 and is the director of the International Psycho-Oncology Society since 1992. The next year, he was selected as the QIMPRO Platinum Standard 2011. He is also a recipient of the Scroll of Honour from the Breast Cancer Conference of 2000, NATCON-ISO Award and Appreciation Award for Services to Humanity from St. Elizabeth Hospital.