The Cheruvu Legacy
The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh believes that central to the continued improvement of healthcare is the mentorship and knowledge passed from one generation to the next. This belief has been prevalent throughout the College’s 500 year history and remains as pillar of the work we do today as we continue to ‘Operate as One’ across generations, continents and medical professions.
In this vein, the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, with the generous support of the The Cheruvu Family, is delighted to announce the establishment The Cheruvu Professional Development Grants, which embody the generational support that is the foundation of healthcare. This significant new opportunity is also accompanied by the installation of the new bronze sculpture of Maharishi Sushruta, widely honoured as the ‘father of surgery’ in India to the College’s Heritage collection.
The establishment of the Cheruvu Professional Development Grants, alongside the Sushruta statue, embodies the pillar of generational mentorship by recognising the contributions of Sushruta and past generations whilst simultaneously supporting the next generation of surgeons by championing their professional development.
A Family Legacy
The generosity of the Cheruvu family, and their collaboration with RCSEd, is rooted in a family legacy of medicine, learning, service and philanthropy. The family’s medical heritage finds poignant expression in Mrs Cheruvu Sowbhagyamma, grandmother of Professor Chandra Cheruvu, who preserved and practised Ayurvedic healing traditions taught within the family for over 600 years. In 1919, the family also initiated a primary and secondary school in their native village of Peravali, extending education to children from the surrounding ten villages and demonstrating a longstanding commitment to community advancement through learning.
This traditional healing lineage was carried into modern clinical practice by Professor Cheruvu’s father, the late Dr Cheruvu Subrahmanya Sastry. Beginning with a Graduate qualification, GCIM from the College of Indigenous Medicine, he mastered Ayurvedic medicine before pursuing MBBS and later MS in General Surgery, integrating indigenous medical knowledge with modern Western surgical practice. As a pioneering general surgeon, Dr Sastry dedicated his professional life to exemplary clinical service, setting a standard of surgical excellence, compassion and public responsibility that inspired subsequent generations.
Today, this 600-year lineage continues through Professor Cheruvu, Consultant Bariatric, Upper GI and Laparoscopic Surgeon, whose academic and clinical work in the United Kingdom provides a contemporary expression of these ancestral values. Through this philanthropic partnership with RCSEd, the family seeks to honour its past while supporting the future of global surgery.
Mr Cheruvu reflected on the impact he wishes to make with the establishment of the Cheruvu Professional Development Grants and the generous addition he has made to the College’s heritage collection through the sculpture of Sushruta.
My family and I are delighted to establish the Cheruvu Professional Development Grants. Throughout my own career, I have benefited from opportunities in Japan & Australia, which broadened my clinical knowledge, enhanced my skills and shaped my approach to patient care. I have long believed that access to learning and mentorship can be transformative for surgeons at pivotal stages in their careers. Through these grants, and inspired by the legacy of Sushruta, we hope to support individuals in undertaking professional development opportunities that will expand their expertise and ultimately help improve standards of surgical care for patients.
Professor Cheruvu
The Cheruvu Professional Development Grants
RCSEd is delighted to announce applications are now open for the new Cheruvu Professional Development Grant in Surgery and Orthopedic Surgery.
This grant seeks to support two individuals in accessing Professional Development opportunities which further their career, and/or patient outcomes directly. Professional Development opportunities could include but are not limited to: observerships, lectureships, conferences, training fellowships, and electives, in the surgery and Orthopedic surgery.
Applications are welcomed from UK and International Members and Fellows who are Core Trainees, Higher Trainees or Consultants within five years of their first appointment. LEDs and SAS Doctors are also eligible to apply.
Up to £1000 of funding is available for each grant.
The closing date for applications is Monday 3 August 2026.
Applications
Deadline: 3 August 2026
Click the button below to apply for the The Cheruvu Professional Development Grants.
Apply hereWe are delighted to be the recipients of this generous philanthropic gift from Professor Cheruvu and his family. The launch of the Cheruvu Family Professional Development Grants further strengthens this legacy, creating opportunities for Members and Fellows to undertake international training, observerships and advanced educational experiences. Through the exchange of knowledge, learning and best practice, these grants will help sustain the highest standards of surgical excellence and support the future of global surgery for generations to come.
Gemma Elliott, Head of Development, RCSEd
Cheruvu Sushruta Sculpture
This is a wonderful addition to the heritage collection. Sushruta was teaching surgical technique, the use of instruments and the training of surgeons in ancient India, and his principles would be recognisable to any surgeon learning their craft today. The sculpture will stand in the Playfair Hall, the heritage heart of the College, welcoming visitors with a reminder that the story of surgery is a global one. It is a privilege to care for it as part of the Cheruvu family's legacy.
Chanté St Clair Inglis, Director of Heritage and Estates, RCSEd
